Where Have the Audiophiles Gone?

The New York Times mourned the death of the “audiophile”. Otherwise known as the consumer who dreams of, and will one day own, the best sound system money can buy.

The story reports:

“But over the last decade the ranks of true audiophiles have been thinning, in large part because of the growing popularity of MP3 players and iPods…No one, not even devoted users of MP3s or iPods, claims that the sound reproduction on these technological marvels is equal to that of the best home CD systems. After all, they work by eliminating some of the digitized sound bits to open up storage space for multiple compressed files of music, rendering the sound a little thinner. Still, for consumers, easy access has trumped high fidelity.”

As consumers, we must decide what is more important – sound quality or convenience? In my book, convenience wins.

I’m devoted to my iPod. Why? Because I can take Kanye West with me on the L-Train. Because I can listen to Aesop Rock when running on the treadmill. But the audiophile can only enjoy music from home.

Has the audiophile really disappeared? Nope. He’s still hiding in his living room.

Today, my friend Tatyana Shumsky and I attempted to answer that question. We concluded that the “audiophile” has become the “mediaphile”. Many consumers have exchanged skyscraper-sized speakers for high definition televisions. These consumers want the best sound quality money can buy – but they’ve reserved it for DVDs rather than CDs.

The NYT seems to agree:

“But at Stereo Exchange I was struck by the rows of huge high-definition flat-screen televisions hooked up to inconspicuous CD and DVD players. The sight did not suggest that fanatical devotion to audio quality was driving sales. But Alan C insisted that HDTV has increased interest in home audio because people want ‘excellent sound with their TV.’”

But do consumers want excellent sound on the go? And how much poorer is portable sound in comparison?

The NYT answers my question:

“Defenders of the old analog technology used in stereo recordings said that the infinitesimal missing slices of music on CDs undermined the sound quality. Yes, the sound was clear and flawless, but it lacked warmth and richness, they said; it was cold in comparison with the best vinyl recordings played on top-quality stereo systems.

That debate has never been settled, though even holdouts for analog technology have to concede that the quality of digital recording has vastly improved over the years.”

It’s no surprise that home sound systems are superior to MP3 players. But we’re a much busier society than we used to be. How long is the average person actually at home? It makes more economic sense to invest in technology that allows us to enjoy music at any time of day.

Lastly, NYT fails to mention that tastes in music have changed since the era of the audiophile. His music collection was predominantly classical. But my playlist ranges from indie to hardcore to hip-hop. Some argue that talent lies in each genre, but in terms of complexity, no genre compares to classical. Perhaps sound quality is less important to those who favor Chiodos to Chopin.