The Music-First Audiophile Manifesto
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- Опубліковано 6 тра 2024
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I like watching audiophile UA-cam channels, but the number of those that understand music first is close to zero
The music coming first was what made me, and does, watch your videos.
Steve G.
“ … music playback is its own art-form. After all, a movie is not made by pointing cameras at a stage play.” These may be the wisest words in our hobby, ever.
"Mastering quality matters more than bit rate." Excellent point. I would rather hear an MP3 of an album that was mixed and mastered well than a hi-res file, DSD, SACD or vinyl copy of an album that wasn't.
Recorded music playback is it's own artform. Wow. Thank you, John. This is so simple, yet surprisingly liberating to my audiophile psyche.
In French we are lucky enough to have a dedicated word for that "Music-First audiophile" you describe : Mélomane
Great point!
48 years ago I sat on the floor of my friend’s living room as he played Miles Davis “Sketches of Spain”. I only remember what that music came from out of curiosity because of the impact; with friends, a quiet evening, and a suggestion of “you need to hear this”. I’ve listened to the same music many times since and it hasn’t lost it’s appeal, though never quite the same as that one time. Music stirs memories, no matter how it’s conveyed. Many thanks!
Totally agree. You could make it your catch phrase: "this is Darko Audio, and I am the music-first audiophile." 😉
Music is oxygen. Without it we die. At least for me.
Bit of a stretch
Music is almost as important as a healthy dose of CO2 plant food in the atmosphere!
Literally for me...
Brilliant. Fully agreed, music comes first!
Darko just performed a slap from across the globe! Somebody felt that one😳
Dunno. Some of those somebodies are beyond feeling.
Loved the video. Thank you for putting into words how I feel about audio and for acknowledging that some of us are indeed females. I would describe myself as a music lover 1st and an audiophile 2nd. I have very few 'audiophile quality' recordings, preferring to have more music, vinyl is expensive these days, but like an audiophile I have boxes of cables, more dacs than I need in 1 form or another 5 cartridges (only 1 is in use.) and a headphone problem😬 I don't frequent hifi shows as I prefer not to listen to gear that I could never afford, that way I can stay reasonably content with what I have and feel lucky to enjoy music playback that sounds lovely to me and keeps me wanting to listen to music.
This is soo true for me as well!
The “music first” audiophile enjoys doorstops on top of his audio gear. That’s how crazy we are 😂
Annnd the music first audiophile uses aesthetically pleasing weights (door stops??) to stop cable bunches pulling small devices off of shelves. It aint stupid if it works
0.001% improvements add up.
Thank you. Keeping my focus on what matters keeps me enjoying what I love, music.
Yes! This is the reason why I love UA-cam Music. I can play a lot of not-audophile low bitrate tracks of my not-audiophile favorite music genre; DEEP TECHNO. Tracks that are not available on other streaming platforms (except of Bandcamp but unfortunately I cannot afford all music I love).
Thank you John......this has been my philosophy for a while and it's so nice to hear someone else have the same feeling. The reason why we have audio equipment is to listen to MUSIC. And your system should make you happy, and put a smile on your face.
I started listening to music on a JBL Clip 4 recently instead of getting out nicer headphones simply because it's more accessible, and I find myself worrying less about where I'm streaming from, etc. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, I'm enjoying it more. Thanks for this reminder! It's about the music!
I love gear and will not deny it! Stopped streaming over a year ago and solely listen to cd's and enjoy adding to my collection of said cd's. I believe it should be enjoyed and not critical. Some can afford the latest some are jist starting and the only thing we should have in common is the love of the music! It is not about being better or having the most. It is great if an individual can afford whatever they want, yet it does not make them better than others.
Good video!
I like how this rolls on, without apology.
Spot on!
Funny but when I was a young lad I went to visit a friend of my dad’s. This was in the mid-50’s mind you, and he was an audiophile. I wasn’t aware of what he had for equipment but he had transformed his garage into a listening room. What he played for us to listen to was recordings of freight trains rolling from left to right through his, what I remember, big impressive speakers. It was impressive but I remember thinking, oh, you are recreating sound dramatically but where’s the music?
Labels didn't start releasing Stereo until 1958 and most was still mono well into the sixties. He must have only had some experimental recordings.
I love the thought of that. The world would be a boring place if we were all the same.
Music first, always!
Have you considered they, their?
Thank god for your channel.
Great!
I recognize myself with my three thousands albums, on different medium ou formats.
An ex-audiophile, that still want great restitution but not to spend too much on that, preferring great music on a correct affordable system than bad music on a perfect system.
Well said !!!!!!
“A movie is not made by pointing a camera at a stage play.” 😂
What I love most about my (for me) costly audio system is how much I enjoy listening to old, poorly recorded and sometimes degraded funk and rock from faraway places in the 80s on those speakers. Is it high fidelity? Quite the opposite! But they bring all the soul and all the imperfections together into an enjoyable whole
@DarkoAudio, As a Music _Mostly_ First Audiophile: sometimes I listen for the enjoyment and wonder of the technology and craftsmanship of audio gear. And it is a very valid and honest avenue of appreciation, complementary to the appreciation of the musical art being played.
Absolutely, 100% true John. Thank you for reminding this basic truth and rising the awareness of the audiophile community.
Exactly and so good to hear! I got into HiFi as a teenager in the 70s because I wanted to get the most enjoyment out of the music. I reckoned that if the artist(s) and engineers took the trouble to choose this instrument over that and record it in a certain way that I should honour those choices by recreating it as well as seemed affordable and practical to me.
At one point I had a Pink Triangle, QUAD ESLs etc and it was truly wonderful but life changes mean that’s all now had to go and instead I’ve got some great KEF LSXs and a pair of superb headphones and play everything off my iPad Pro - by album, usually! I sing along and love it all like I used to despite the change in equipment and I’m still doing my best in 2024 to honour those artistic choices the creators made decades ago. The music is always the ❤️ of any sound system.
I agree John - great video. Russ
When I bought my turntable, I took along two 7” singles to demo, the Cure’s “High” and a noise recliner band who never got past singles called Death at Sea. The salesperson told me after aboutbthe 5th option we tried that the D@s was “not a particularly sophisticated recording”. At the time I said “garage rock do be like that.” A better answer might have been “but it’s the sort of music I listen to, because I like it, and I know it.” I can sympathise with a version of the guitar shop “no stairway” rule, whereby you’re endlessly having to put up with other people’s idea of a good tune, but at the end of the day you are conducting sales of music reproduction gear. Your customers may want to reproduce their music on it occasionally.
100% agree
I am a music first audiophile
Realising this fact a few years ago, before you have it a label, saved me a fortune as I was sliding into buying gear for gears sake. Now I just enjoy the tunes.
Well said. And to the SQ obsessed that fuss and fret over which interconnect to use, I applaud their pursuit too. A system in a room can be an art installation as well.
And the Music-First audiophile will always live and let live!
MFA - Great concept 👏👏👍
100% agree it is music over everything else and I squirm with frustration seeing a £100k+ system on show with one small box of vinyl, surely library spend should significantly exceed hardware.
For me it is finding hardware to live with, yes I have spent a lot on components but I lived with my previous setup for 20+ yrs, before replacing it component by component. I think this system will last longer than my last.
Most of us do not have a music listening room for one person to sit in the ‘sweet spot’. We have a room that if we are lucky serves for AV, music and as an entertaining space, if you want beautiful walls there is no room for room treatments, and if you are lucky you don’t need them either.
If you spend listening time only analysing micro-dynamics etc you are not doing what music was made for, just enjoying it as much as possible.
Much of the most important and memorable music was not recorded to test your HiFis envelope but this is the music that made you want to go out and buy the HiFi in the first place.
You just described me… 👍🏻
Bravo....Well said.
Some of my favourite music is Charlie Parker recorded live with wire recording equipment by amateurs in the 1940's/50's. Performances are marvellous (music first)..but I still want it to sound the best it can be.
That is very interesting to me, because I truly can’t identify - I can certainly respect their incredible talents, but if it “sounds” bad, I won’t listen twice. But hey, different strokes…thanks for sharing. 👍
Amen!
the comparison to replicating home theatre is spot on. The same “audiophile” companies that claim to make speakers to recreate the live experience at home are also used for home cinema. Imagine trying to recreate at home the same explosions or car crash noises in an action film. Impossible.
I am a big fan of the music by John Barry, Out of Africa, Dances with Wolves, Born Free to name a few. He rests in peace now, so most of his recordings are ancient, the album Born Free was recorded in 1966 and sounds like it's chiseled on a stone tablet. Nevertheless, I play John's music almost every day, so I guess that makes me a Music First not-so-audiophile.....I am pleased 😀
I was tired of the music played in most audiophile demos. And the worst part is that some people only listen to these at home. This was the vlog that expressed my feelings best. thanks a lot.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!
CLASSICALBmusic. Nothing without classical. There is classical music also.
Haha nice rant method! Well said. The emotions are much more enhanced by music than by sound. I'm 68 and can sometimes still cry about music
When I hear rap, grime or musical theatre I often cry as well.
Proudly reporting that I'm a music-first audiophile!
Bingo!
How. Dare. You. I'm so angry I'm going to swap out my Mundorf bypass capacitors for Duelund and rage!
Yes. Easy to get lost with hype. Keep up the good work. My mantra has always been music first; make those crappy awesome tunes I find in random places sound amazing pls 🙏. Well as good as they can, so I enjoy them to their fullest, right? Or if not I will still enjoy them on something perceived as ‘rubbish’; the essence here is whether you genuinely enjoy. Always my dilemma in how much to spend on hifi. Enjoy yourself and I love sharing the experience and tunes too. Keep making it about the music and I appreciate your views & reviews. Cheers Darko.
90% agree, especially about the room acoustics being above the gear. I would argue the point about brining home the live experience. Of course it isn't possible, but coming as close as it gets is a good idea in my view.
THANK YOU!
WELL SAID SIR! Thank you!
Gotcha!
I like your manifesto (or womanifesto). You've created a new category and defined it succinctly. So many people have ideas of what an audiophile is and they are often contradictory. My favorites are those who proudly proclaim "I am not an audiophile!' and yet they have a audio gear review channel! Thanks and take care John.
Well yes. I'm 63 therefore II agree with All your points.
It's how it was in the 60's and 70's.
The audiophilia is a more recent concept.
The live music one speaks to me. I have been trying to articulate that for years. In a time when an album can be made by 5 musicians on 5 different continents who never meet, or where no actual instruments are played at all, the idea of replicating live music and the sound of "real" instruments, is meaningless. This is actually one of the arguments for Atmos. In skilled hands it can be it's own artform, not analogous in anyway to live music or a studio band.
One of my favorite video of this channel. Thanks Darko
Super!!
I worked in a giant record store as a teen. I listen to all genres. Discussing gear to me is like discussing which toilet is best. I focus more on what I eat, not what I shat.
Metal! 🤘
love it
Love this!!!
Excellent 🎼
That’s me Darko!! About time someone told it like it is!
I agree. I think there is a point in the maturity of an audiophile and music lover where the obsessive compulsive disappears, and he or she becomes more concerned with the general scene. In the end, the experience and what you feel is what is important. Without forgetting, the idea of everything is to enjoy the music that you like
Well said.
I'm in that boat as well and have a hard time relating to so many folks who are into audio, but don't seem to be very curious about music and only seem to be looking for some kind unobtainable perfection in hearing the same small batch of stereotypical "audiophile approved" recordings. Before I got much into audio gear, I had a few thousand LPs and CDs, and I've always been into exploring music, constantly learning about new artists and even whole new genres. While there is admittedly a certain thrill one gets from hearing well recorded music on a high quality, well matched system, I enjoy lots of music that isn't so well recorded as well. If I were to elimate all of the non-audiophile recordings I have from my collection, I'd be missing out on so much music I love. What's more is that even within the category of audiophile quality recordings, there's a lot more than the typical short list of records that so many audiophile snobs seem to be hung up on, Aja, Kind of Blue, Thriller, Nora Jones' stuff, etc. Rather than buy the 10th version of Aja, trying to find the perfect one, it makes more sense to me to experiment and buy all kinds of different music. I feel that if you're too hung up on the gear, and the whole perfection thing, you miss out of the beauty and diversity of the actual music and it's the music that's the whole point of audio in the first place...
Brilliant.
Non- gendered language is also an option, like they/them… and it’s grammatically correct.
I don’t have any audiophile gear yet, although I have dreams. However, my biggest worry re: sound quality, is a lot of stuff I’ve got is DIY/indie stuff that sounds like it was recorded on the cheapest, shittiest equipment available (direct to cassette isn’t unheard of). On my shitty secondhand stereo equipment, it’s great. I’ve heard a couple of those albums on better quality equipment, and it really shows how bad the sound quality is. I need to balance between showing up the limitations of a lot of the recordings I’ve got, to the point of being unlistenable, and getting better quality equipment for the better recorded stuff.
Obviously having a second system is an option (like keeping the vintage Marantz 1150), but there’s space concerns. While my wife is a big music fan, she’s only willing to sacrifice one room to the stereo.
I can’t believe Im saying this: I totally agree 100% with you! 👍
Nailed it .
The most meaningful and significant of all your videos. Thank you for posting.
I especially don't like manifestos (one of the biggest problems with ASR), but this one is truly impressive. The analogy of a movie not being made by pointing a camera at a stage play is brilliant. You were losing me a bit with the "future-fi" focus, but I love this.
This was a great video. I don’t see how you can separate the two. Sound quality is a medium to enjoy the music closely, you can’t see anything if you don’t have a proper prescription set of glasses if you have astigmatism. Just like clear vision helps us enjoy the world around us, clear sound helps us get close to the music.
I have used my gear to listen to everything from Andre Previn to Avril Lavigne, Vitalic to Kraftwerk, Coltrane to Kamasi Washington. The reason I’m able to enjoy all of them, is because I have audio equipment that helps me get closer to what they intended to record and demonstrate to the world. In a sense, having good audio gear is respecting the painstaking process of recording that has cost people a lot of money in expensive studios.
Having said all of that, some of the best “sonic moments” I’ve had has been with a friend who is the classic snobbish “audiophile”, who returned a few of my gifted CDs because they weren’t in high-res. I distinctly remember listening to OMD on his PMCs and amp I can’t remember, but I was absolutely blown away. So I guess it’s all about the final experience you get to no matter what your approach.
P.S- my closest “audiophile” friend is a woman.
Always...your music library is everything.
Amen! I enjoy your opinions and typically agree. I did today for sure!
You forgot to mention Disco John. It's some of the last music that was still made with real instruments and has great beats.
John might not be old enough to have witnessed the rise of disco. His first music-first Aha-Erlebnis happened in the 80s I guess.
Cheers!
An audiophile's journey transcends mere equipment; it's a pursuit of sonic perfection tailored to individual taste. Exploring the nuances of each persons system, we uncover its unique strengths and vulnerabilities. In this odyssey of sound, we embrace diverse perspectives, growing and evolving towards self-realization with every note. And oh, the music-its power to elevate and inspire knows no bounds. Yeeesssssssssssss!!!
I love music!
I'll listen to a small transiter radio
On a Bluetooth speaker ( of various sizes )
With headphones of various size and quality
via cassette or record or cd
And with different amp and speaker combinations!
What I've realised is that I adapt!
I still enjoy a great song on a tiny radio ( at mums ) aswell as on my best combination of audio gear.....
Sure I hear more detail, but even at the lowest quality I can still enjoy the music 😍
Amen, brother 💪
That's me then, spot on!
I have never connected with a message more than this one
Ooh, #7! Blasphemy in the Church of Audiophilia. I completely agree with that. Good mixing and mastering beats high bit and sample rate.
Very, very true.
Thanks for including the JakoJako song at 1:00 . Never heard of her. I am listening to the Metamorphose album now and it reminds a bit of Tangerine Dream.
Amen! You could not be so right. Thanks for saying what sound be the obvious.
Just to add IMO: the music-first audiophile can pursue the illusion of "live sound" as long as he or she knows that live is different; & feels that a scorching performance of a piece of music of any genre in a lower-fidelity format is typically a better listening choice than a lesser performance in a higher-fidelity; & can still from time to time geek out on sound/gear first, but always returns to the music first.
Spot On!
my view too! gotta buy one of your t-shirts
While I don't chase audiophile level listening, I want the best experience.
This video is everything that audiophile channels fail to address. Much like the well known statement:
The best camera is the one you have on you.
So, what does music mean to the listener?
Can you achieve a great musical experience from a cheaper system and yet love your music?
YES.
So, design the system you want based on the music you love. Not the top audiophile songs to test your system.
Has anyone listened to The Prodigy - Poison -- on The Gilted Generation album? Test your Mids and Low end on that track.
I'll admit, Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms sold me my first pair of B&W 600 series but my music choice guides me.
I play Moby. Faith No More. Pearl Jam. Chemical Brothers. Oasis. Fed Again. Tiesto and Diplo.
Music first.
Excellent points. Cannot agree more 👍
Thank you for this!
Yeeeees! Thank goodness there is still common sense in the audio world. Thank you.
❤❤❤ man, you really nailed my entire mindset! I listen to EVERYTHING and if it moves me I love it. My system was carefully chosen and refined over years to ensure that even the worst recordings will be listenable. When I travel I sometimes stay in fancy hotels in world class cities but I also often find magnificent corners of the world by backpacking and staying in hostels. I will never limit my chance at profound experience by setting strict limits on my chance of discovery.
Wow John you hit the nail on the head! I completely agree. I have found a new home.
Great Manifesto... 100% accurate... Music First, Hardware second, format third... and very important... mastering quality matters more than bit rate
I admit to having misconstrued the topic at first, even though I've been following this channel for some time. On the Martin Logan owner's forum (my favorite loudspeaker brand) I am always amazed at the number of people who say they are primarily into home theater, and only occasionally music. Not me at all! While a movie at home is enhanced by my audio system compared to listening on TV speakers or even a decent sound bar, there is no way I would have spent the money and effort if it were just for movies.
I'm a techno-geek with a background in physics and engineering, and fascinated by al aspects of audio reproduction in the home. I'm also an amateur pianist and frequent concert-goer, and need not prove my love of music to anyone. So I am particularly triggered by item #8, people virtue-signing about how much they love the music then going on about how their $2,000 loudspeaker cables enable them to squeeze the last bit of emotion from their music. Yes, the room you listen in is important. About 1,000,000 times more important than loudspeaker cables and at least 100 times more important than any reasonable amp (I don't consider a flea powered single ended triode tube amp reasonable). Loudspeakers and room acoustics are probably about even.
Also, while it's true the pursuit of the exact sound of a live experience is a fool's errand--we are far from being able to achieve that--the thing that really tickles my audiophile fancy (as opposed to the emotional impact of the music which, as correctly stated, is mostly available through cheap ear buds or portable radios) is when I can hear a vocalist, instrumental soloist or orchestra recording and think "Wow! That sounds like the musicians are right in front of me!" The extent to which you can experience that depends on whether the recording was designed to do that, and what imperfections (since it will always be imperfect) are important to you and which ones you are willing to ignore. The late Gordon Holt, Harry Pearson and Tony Cordesman (who just passed on last January though TAS just got around to writing an obit) were all into reproducing the sound of live acoustic music. When the focus of high fidelity shifted away from primarily classical music, the goal shifted to "reproducing the sound the record producer intended", which I think is a cop-out. How on earth are you supposed to judge whether what you are hearing on your home system is what was intended?
Of the music genres cited, folk is the only one even remotely amenable to reproducing the live sound. Most of them also happen to be of little interest to me. My interest is about 90% classical, 9% jazz and 1% other. I am non-judgemental about the music other people enjoy, but most of those other genres are totally a product of the studio, and nothing to do with anything you would hear at a live performance. Given my tastes, I feel entitled to pursue the sound of live music to the extent possible. Shooting a stage play with a single wide camera shot is not a good analogy, since our senses of vision and hearing are different. More like seeing a color hologram of a stage play, if it were possible with today's tech, is what I am after. One time, due to the train into New York City running late, I was forced to consume the first act of a Metropolitan Opera performance exactly that low tech way on a small TV monitor, since they would not seat me. I would not recommend it to anyone.
p.s. do people who own 50 albums, chosen exclusively for sound, really exist, or are they straw men created by the "all about the music" people? And yes, I forgive the politically incorrect pronouns. I have yet to meet a woman audiophile geek interested only in sound anyway.
It's all about enjoying the music!
😎☠️🏴☠️🤘
Could not agree more - and I am a professional classical musician. And, to paraphrase a friend who is a winemaker: A Music connoisseur is somebody, who knows which music he likes - or which sound. I LOVE classical music - but sometimes I need Björk, or some good country music…..
Great video! and this is exactly me