'Professionals' Interest in HiFi

Mike-B posted:

I have a next door neighbour who is a professional sound engineer & his wife a violinist. He is interested in recording processes & she in music,  but interest in hifi = zero.     Its the same with my jazz playing friends,  they have a real interest in the recordings but specifically the artist & their techniques & variations,  but hifi = whats that??  They are quite content to listen on any-ol' replay rubbish.      What experiences have you folks had on this?? 

Incidentally my sound engineer neighbour is a multiple BAFTA & Academy Awards 'Oscar' winner with 'Gravity' & is a nomination for tonights Sound category with 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'

What a wonderful thread as it touches on my friend Chris.  He in a way is the oracle of classic music and he does like some groups of 60's and 70's and mostly to the group's early material.  What make him tick is sometimes a mystery to me.  He would expound on the musicianship of Led Zeppellin when playing live (early material) but dismiss Deep Purple even with Jon Lord connection with classical music.  He studied music in Goldsmiths University, he reads music, composes modern classical music and he can describe in detail the approach to music and composition of most Classical composers.   His interest in HiFi  is lets say 5% but he will prefer recordings made by Chailly (classical conductor) in preference to someone like Haitnik (another conductor)  in relation to the same Classical piece of music because  as he says he is a proficient conductor and his involvement in music are always well recorded (on CD); thats the nearest he will come to replay/HiFi.  He can by hearing tell the difference in conductors conducting the same classical piece of music.  When I once tried to explain that Naim Audio excells in PRAT sound and I explained what that meant.  He looked kindly on me with total amazement and said that Naim does tempo/rhythm well.  'How on earth can HiFi do that?'  I started laughing hysterically as it dawn on me what he meant and I suddenly realised how the whole world of mine as to replay was so trivial, petty and materialistic in comparison to his love of instruments, artists performances in recordings, the love of compositions. I love the world of HiFi replay as I love music.  However he can explain exactly what I am hearing in relation to music, instruments, interpretatation of playing but he is not interested in any aspect of HiFi.  'It must be all nonsense if this poor fellow thinks that tempo is better presented by Naim Audio..?'

Romi posted:

Mike-B posted:

I have a next door neighbour who is a professional sound engineer & his wife a violinist. He is interested in recording processes & she in music,  but interest in hifi = zero.     Its the same with my jazz playing friends,  they have a real interest in the recordings but specifically the artist & their techniques & variations,  but hifi = whats that??  They are quite content to listen on any-ol' replay rubbish.      What experiences have you folks had on this?? 

Incidentally my sound engineer neighbour is a multiple BAFTA & Academy Awards 'Oscar' winner with 'Gravity' & is a nomination for tonights Sound category with 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'

What a wonderful thread as it touches on my friend Chris.  He in a way is the oracle of classic music and he does like some groups of 60's and 70's and mostly to the group's early material.  What make him tick is sometimes a mystery to me.  He would expound on the musicianship of Led Zeppellin when playing live (early material) but dismiss Deep Purple even with Jon Lord connection with classical music.  He studied music in Goldsmiths University, he reads music, composes modern classical music and he can describe in detail the approach to music and composition of most Classical composers.   His interest in HiFi  is lets say 5% but he will prefer recordings made by Chailly (classical conductor) in preference to someone like Haitnik (another conductor)  in relation to the same Classical piece of music because  as he says he is a proficient conductor and his involvement in music are always well recorded (on CD); thats the nearest he will come to replay/HiFi.  He can by hearing tell the difference in conductors conducting the same classical piece of music.  When I once tried to explain that Naim Audio excells in PRAT sound and I explained what that meant.  He looked kindly on me with total amazement and said that Naim does tempo/rhythm well.  'How on earth can HiFi do that?'  I started laughing hysterically as it dawn on me what he meant and I suddenly realised how the whole world of mine as to replay was so trivial, petty and materialistic in comparison to his love of instruments, artists performances in recordings, the love of compositions. I love the world of HiFi replay as I love music.  However he can explain exactly what I am hearing in relation to music, instruments, interpretatation of playing but he is not interested in any aspect of HiFi.  'It must be all nonsense if this poor fellow thinks that tempo is better presented by Naim Audio..?'

Isn't that kind of like comparing someone who loves Fantasy Football with all the player stats and intricacies of how the game and teams are put together, coaching methods and that endless list of things that affect the game versus someone who likes to go to a match and watch a game in the stands with a crowd? There's plenty who like both but many who go for one or the other and each probably think the other is barmy.

"Pff! You and your stats and your theory and intellectualising of the whole beautiful game!"

"Tutt! You and your atmosphere, smell of the pitch, and joy of the event but with a blank eyed uncomprehending gaze at something you know nothing about the intricacies of." 

If anything, tis thread shows that music has many aspects to it that provide enjoyment which could not be more different. Many gravitate to one or the other and some are gifted enough to find enjoyment from both ends of the stick.

Almost a philosophical conundrum about mind. Are thoughts and emotions something that is really only experienced by just our neurological workings within our brains and the processes of billions of cells ?  Or is there some other abstract governing selfness that engages us ? Music. Always will divide this conundrum, as will those who are engaged on either side trying to understand it .

It might just be simpler than this. If (say for example) 5% of the population are into high-end hifi, then 5% of professional musicians will also be into high-end hifi.  I remember an old colleague who used to be head of CID in one of the English counties telling me that 15% of the population are recreational drug users and that statistic remained pretty constant, regardless of any demographic you might look at.