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February 27, 2009 - 4:54pm
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Happiness is...
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I only wish that were true. Sadly many would say, "the difference isn't that big" and they were happy to buy only the songs that they like.
Happiness is...
Drinking some Dunn cabernet while listening to "Tell Tale Signs" on Lowthers.
Lots of happiness in the hobby, even if we sometimes bicker!
Cheers, audiophile!
Happiness... is a warm gun.
Nah! Rather have a bong listening to John Tavener's 'Innocence' on Soundlabs.
Or some Baunne Volnay 1956 listening to Massive Attack's protection on Jamo C803's or ................................
By the way, I can never see being an audiophile as a hobby, for me it's simply a means to the end of enjoying music at home; a very important part of my life I'd find it very hard to live without.
Happiness is Judy Spain showing up at my door Tuesday after a two year absence. When she left this morning I was quite happy.
Listening to darn near anything with my new Graham Slee Era Gold! Okay, in particular, some Robert Plant/Alison Krauss, Fleet Foxes, a James Horner's "Glory" (now without distortion!).
I guess I don't understand how listening to music (and seeking the highest fidelity thereof) isn't a hobby. I'm not being combative, but I just don't understand what people mean or are trying to accomplish when they say that. Are they trying to say it is above being a hobby? Too high of a pursuit? Or not worthy of being called a hobby? "Hobby" as the term is used by most people means an non-occupational activity that you engage in for pleasure. You can say any hobby is a means to an end.
Dictionary.com:
Hobby, noun, an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.
Merriam-Webster: a pursuit outside of one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation.
Princeton Wordnet:
avocation: an auxiliary activity
wiktionary:
An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time
Yes, but is that what you are doing...right now?
I suppose, for some, one upmanship is part of their pleasure.
Don't think I'd enjoy doing both at the same time. Massive Attack and Tavener just wouldn't mix.
Try listening to Harry Partch stoned.
or "Basso Profundos from Old Russia" (my favorite CD ever)
Yes, but that new CD player has Balanced Outputs...and you know that it will sound better using them...and eventually the DEVIL will make you buy a fully balanced preamp, and it will sound a lot better...ROFL.
The audio bug has got him now...he's doomed...hee-hee, ha-ha....
Isn't "Glory" and incredible LP? Even though it's "film music", recorded in a large studio, somehow it turned out to be great music, very well recorded. It's still used often in trailers for other movies.
The recording wasn't near this good sonically, but the music from the story of Bruce Lee's life, I think it was called "Dragon", may be the most used of all time as a trailer. The theme is really powerful music. (I need to go dig around and find it).
Dave
It really is fantastic. It goes to show that there is more than one way to skin a cat. If you're familiar with the score, you know what I mean regarding the quick tympani rolls/crescendos. With my old phono pre, it would distort and I chalked it up to mediocre recording. NOPE!
One reason they probably use it in trailers is that it isn't a particularly well-known film. I mean, it was a pretty big film (depending on what you call big), but it wasn't Titanic or something. Thomas Newman's stuff gets used a bunch for trailers even if he didn't write the score. It ticks me off a little, like bait and switch, but most people don't pay attention anyway. (By the way, Thomas Newman has now been nominated for Best Original Score 9 times, and won 0. ZERO! It's a crime, really).
I don't think I've ever consciously heard the Bruce Lee stuff, so I'll definitely look it up.
To stay on topic:
Happiness today is listening to Jimi Hendrix, Axis: Bold as Love (Mono).
It took me thirty-minutes to find an online sample. It's number four on this link "Bruce and Linda". As a trailer you usually hear it with big strings rather than piano, but I think you'll recognize the beautiful melody.
See The Dragon Sound Track Samples
The sound track is worth the price, BUT only for this one cut.
Dave
What's wrong with you guys? I post about a "magazine" pretty woman showing up after a two year absence, rocking my world for 2 days before leaving and there is not one comment. You people need to get a real life. Maybe Viagra or an equivalent is in order!
Buddha and maybe AlexO understand. She was quite warm AlexO!
As much as I like my system and music collection there is no substitute for snuggling up with a beautiful woman. Yes, we listened to a lot of music. That's not the point.
It's because you only gave her a "three smilies" rating.
If I had given her all the smilies she deserves I would still be typing. She asked me to come visit her in Reading PA (of all places) next weekend. I am definitely going.
the older I get the less I care about such things. I was a womanizer in my teens and twenties, but now, in my 30s, there are things that take much higher priority.
yeah, worldly desires have a place, but I can say with complete truth that there are many things that make me happier than sex or laying with beautiful women. satisfying the flesh, the lust is one thing, but making the soul happy...no human can do that for you.
Thanks for the definitions Judicata. However, within the audiophile community 'hobby' can have a distinct, and at times disturbingly atypical, meaning. Let me explain my twitchiness at the usage of the word in that context by giving an example. A long term friend, who now works as an audio/HT reviewer invited me to several 'listening evenings' at his and others' homes. These consisted, not of listening to music as I would, but of playing half a track then swapping cables or amps or interconnects, playing another half a track and doing it again, ALL F***ING NIGHT. I stupidly had them around to my place when I first got my Soundlabs. They all became extremely irritated when I insisted on playing, not just a whole track, but an entire symphony - beginning to end, without swapping some piece of my audio gear.
These people are persuing a hobby that gives them enormous pleasure and good luck to them. Just don't expect me to join in that kind of stamp collecting/swapping game.
There's another audiophile hobbyist I find hard to understand. These are the electronics gnomes who build amplifier kits, speakers etc but often don't have much time for music itself unless they're watching it on an oscilloscope ( or whatever passes for one in the digital testing age) Granted not all techies are like that. My technician, who designs and builds his own amps and plays bass guitar in a jazz band, will happily spend an entire evening listening to music at my place without showing any desire to fiddle with the gear itself. If you told him his interest in audio was a 'hobby', like me, he'd get really twitchy.
I hope I've managed to clear up my usage of 'hobby' in the audiophile context and why when I read it I read something into it others probably don't,
Now I know why you are so crotchety about everything. I'm 61 years old and have not lost my zest for life as it seems you have. Laying with a woman may not make the soul happy but it sure is a good reason to keep on living. I didn't have my first child until I was in my 30's
If your life in that area is washed up you have my sincerest sympathies. I shall try to remember that not only are you young but unable to function properly. That is a very heavy cross to bear.
Have you tried Viagra or any of the newer drugs. If your infirmity is cased by Diabetes or some kind of medical condition there may be something you or your Physician can do.
In the future when I read one of your acerbic barbs I will remember this thread. I will think "poor guy washed up at 30".
It would be nice if there was a better word than "hobby". For me it's also about the music. The gear is just a means to an end. I suppose that's why I've had the same speakers and power amps for almost ten years. I don't play the same old music on them all the time. I continually buy new music to add to my list of recordings to enjoy.
There is something really orgasmic about bringing home or taking delivery of a new hi-fi component, setting it up and listening to some great music. Even though a lot of is like our systems, as a hobby, I believe we will always be in pursuit of audio heaven and thus be on the lookout for new stuff
That's fair - I appreciate the explanation. I'm sure in every "hobby" (using the term broadly) there are people who focus on the minutiae and don't take the time to enjoy the whole point of the "hobby." Some car enthusiasts never take the time to drive the car (granted, this may be a bit different, as some people own cars without the intent of ever driving them - which has never made any sense to me - it's like owning records and never unsealing them, which I think is a real shame), or spend all of their time working on them, and only taking them out for "test" drives (which may be the equivalent of flipping tracks and gear). Cars are meant to be driven and records to listen to, in my opinion. If they aren't, it is a waste IMHO. I actually hate seeing a fine driving machine in any museum.
I think there must be a better way of distinguishing this mindset, because under the usual definition, we are all engaging in a hobby. Perhaps to some, the "hobby" is "hifi gear" and to others it is "listening to music," depending on what their primary goal is, and yet others some combination of the two. Just like a hobby may be "fixing up cars" or "driving cars." I'd say my hobby is "listening to music," but I look out for gear to improve my system.
They used it tonight on the "Return of Siegfried and Roy" as the theme of the actual short show that they did as a fundraiser. It starts playing when "the spirit of Siegfried and Roy" comes on stage and continues until the end of the show. Beautiful music, indeed.
Dave
I thought you were going to say "It starts playing when "the spirit of Siegfried and Roy" comes on stage and continues until Roy gets mauled by a tiger."
Well, that tiger was part of the show. The only meat he was eating last night was off the floor.
It was actually pretty sad, since Roy could barely walk unaided. He used to be the one that did all the athletic stuff and Siegfried did the setup, so they reversed it. I think it was more of a farewell than a "we're back" kind of thing. Also, they probably raised a boatload of money for the brain injury center that's being built in LV.
Dave