More money spent on equipment or music?
Posted by: Phil Barry on 04 January 2001
This assertion is often made. In fact, John Atkinson of Stereophile is proud that he insists his writers invest more money in CDs and LPs than in their hardware.
I say, 'Bull**it!' The relative amount of money spent on the 2 categories is by no means a reliable indicator of one's musical vs. audiophile proclivities.
A lot of money spent on hardware may point to a person being a hardware collector. A lot of money spent on software may simply indicate the person is a collector.
What really counts in defining the audiophile/ musiclover divide is how much time one spends listening to music.
Phil
I have at home more music than I'll ever listen to.
I know people who are buying more and more cd's and lp's and they collect it like stamps - it is okay. If you don't have a need to 'collect' music, I think that improving equipment brings immediate benefit and you enjoy it every time you listen to music.
If I have 1000 LP's (and I know many people will say it is not 'too mmany') when will I listen to all of them ?
I also find myself buying cd's and Lp's and listen to them once or twice and no more. There are few - maybe no more than 100 - 150 labels that I keep listening to them many times.
I alos love to listen to radio broadcasting.
So I think that if you have several hours of music you love to listen to, it is better to improve equipment and get a greater pleasure by the cd's/Lp's you like.
Arie
Loads of people keep saying your music collection should be worth more than your equipment. It’s probably one of those things that sounds good when you hear yourself saying it, but when asked “why?”, I don’t think anyone could come up with a good answer.
It takes time to appreciate new music, and often when I’m out shopping I’d *like* to take some new stuff home, but wouldn’t know what to get. And I never refrain from buying a disc I want because I fear I might be 10 quid short when purchasing that CDS2 (right now I’m 5890 quid short).
Thomas
Enjoy!
Le Chef
quote:
In another thread, the point was made that music lovers spend more on music than on equipment. In fact, John Atkinson of Stereophile is proud that he insists his writers invest more money in CDs and LPs than in their hardware.
Though the intent of this assertion may be good, I have often seen this wielded as a (poorly-handled) double-edged sword: "why should I spend money on upgrading my system when I don't own twice the value of my system in software?"
The problem with blindly following this ratio is that many end up with recordings of poor musical or sonic quality compared to the treasure troves of (typically out-of-print) records (and some CDs) that many reviewers have accumulated over a lifetime in the business.
Further, what value can you ever place on out-of-print records which might never be re-released due to limited commercial appeal? (I don't own one copy of Kind of Blue, why would I need forty versions of it?)
As a musician, I find it nearly impossible to absorb the content of (read, "analyse") the records and CDs I already own--nor could I say that, with an unlimited software budget for new records, I might even exhaust it in an allotted time.
Dave Dever, NANA
(en route to pick up demo discs for CES this weekend)
quote:
What really counts in defining the audiophile/ musiclover divide is how much time one spends listening to music.
Couldn't agree more.
At various stages throughout my Hi-Fi journey the balance has swung between software and hardware, each major upgrade pushing the balance towards hardware, but the corresponding result is a software buying frenzy, and a renewed interest in music.
If I didn't have a partner / son I could genuinely live without a TV, radio and recorded music could provide all of my needs. The TV is mainly turned on by my partner, most of the time there will be just music!
It's a little frustrating since having my son, that I no longer have seperate TV / music rooms, as the TV room was converted to a study, to free the bedroom for my son. The opportunities that I now get for uninterrupted listening are less frequent than I'd like, but as a consequence I value them more highly!
Andy.
Andrew L. Weekes
alweekes@audiophile.com
I have quite a large collection of vinyl, don't know how many but certainly more than 2000, and I am a bit of a collector, so there are many quite valuable rarities in there. I used to work selling collectable records, and have amassed a lot over the years. I also have over 1000 CDs.
I don't believe in the snob value of the music being worth more than the hardware, though the occasional idiots you see with a 30k system and two Dire Straits albums, (one of which is half speed mastered) really deserve all they get.
The other thing I have noticed is that as many people get older, their musical taste becomes rooted in the stuff that was happening when they were in their twenties. I see this as being totally pathetic, and must just be a result of pure laziness. I am 37 years old, and am totally hooked on what is happening in music now. The current crop of Sigur Ros, Plaid, LSG, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Eels, Grandaddy etc have all helped define my view of music just as much as The Doors, Can, Wire, Joy Division, Eno, Mingus, Davis, The Blue Note, Verve, & Impulse record labels, Stochausen, Webern, Mahler etc.
The downside is that keeping up with the current scene does mean risking the odd blind buy, I will buy a CD based on a good review in a trusted publication such as The Wire, or on word of mouth from certain contributors here. I have a very low fail rate.
As many have probably spotted, I do try to keep hi-fi spending to a minimum, my system is largely second hand, and cost peanuts compared to many here (I have paid about the new price of a CDS2). I am not prepared to reduce spending on music to finance upgrades unless I consider them to be essential - as it stands nothing is currently essential. I have after a few odd moves over the past couple of years got my system back performing as I want it to.
The fact the preamp is the weak link is not at all obvious with normal listening, though it would be in direct comparison with a better one, so I can happily run it as it stands until I am able to consider a second hand 82 or 52. That comes after a nice modern city centre flat, and dedicated mains.
Tony.
quote:
HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE AUTECHRE ???
Awe-tek-ra works for me. I have their first album, and also the one in the dark grey stamped jewel case. Both excellent though very different from one another.
Warp are such a cool record label… Black Dog Productions, B12, Aphex Twin, Speedy J, Fuse, Squarepusher, Autechre, Plaid etc. Stunning stuff.
Tony.
quote:
The other thing I have noticed is that as many people get older, their musical taste becomes rooted in the stuff that was happening when they were in their twenties.
The only uptodate music I know is by listening to radio. But I wonder that as I'm 46 years old, the youth at my work (22 - 30 years old) are listening a lot to the music I'd listened to when I was 16 !!!.
A good music is not touched by time.
Arie
I am 52 and my "era" was the late sixties which was a brilliant time to be a teenager.
I was womanising, drinking and leading a life of pleasure with no responsibility what so ever. The pop charts were the back ground to those glorious wonderful days and that is why I look upon the music of that era with an element of affection.
35 years later, I am a middle aged grumpy old bureaucrat, doing things that I vowed I would never do when I was young.
I still play that same music when I am in a nostalgic mood but I never buy any of it now because I have all I want.
I aquire/buy about 2 CD's each week and 25% is classical, 25% jazz and 50% anything new. My last aquisition was Enya which I suppose will make you cringe.
As regards to the Naim label, my all time favourite is Patrick Nolands ascending, followed by Thea Gilmores Lipstick Conspirisies which I play fairly often.
I think most of us old gits still buy modern music but if asked the question "what is your favourite music" would probably answer stuff from the sixties.
Regards
Mick
Actually - one of the last CD's I bought was the new Enya album which I feel is one of her best.
You will be comforted to know that I am a mere 31!
I also buy a wide range of stuff but have to admit that a lot of my music is 70's rock which is a little early to be defined as 'my era.' I attribute this taste to a hippie Uncle who educated me in 60's and 70's rock during my formative years (usually accompanied by a lot of alcohol and snuff of all things!!)
I've given up the snuff but regrettably not the alcohol
Yours,
Jonathan
i certainly do not believe any rule that says spend x on hardware and y on software is defencible.
i know we all play what we feel like at a given point in time, but if you look at your record collection now, i bet you will see records you havent played for at least 2 years. i have something like 2000 lp's, and perhaps 1000 cd's. my record collection expaned dramatically when i bought my first naim system (32/250/kan I/lp12/ittok/asak).
enjoy...
ken