Is should be funny guys, take it as such 
Audiophilia is an ......... Many books, articles, tutorials, and blogs focus on various aspects of the artistic and technical merits of Audiophilia. Rarely discussed, however, are some of the strange maladies that afflict Audiophiles. There are the occasional whispers and, “Did you hear about Joe?” types of exchanges, but all too often, such problems are rarely acknowledged and dealt with openly.
In an effort to bring such diseases to light, Dr. E.X. Posur, a leading psychiatrist that specializes in treating Audiophiles, highlights a number of common illnesses he has encountered, and their associated symptoms and treatment. Although described individually, they are all part of a common illness labeled “Audiophiles excessivitis”. Rarely will an audiophile exhibit symptoms a single disease. Close examination almost always reveals multiple afflictions.
Bear in mind that while Dr. Posur provides some basic guidelines for identifying a number of maladies, an accurate diagnosis can only be determined by a certified mental health professional with an extensive background in audio.
1) GAS – Gear Acquisition Syndrome
Symptoms
Those suffering from GAS become infatuated with new audio equipment, often to the point of temporary neurosis. Cables, fuses, outlets, etc. – if audio equipment companies make it, you can be sure that an audiophile with a bad case of GAS will find it. This results in an obsessive-compulsive effort to keep up with the latest product cycles, reviews, and opinions. If “new\old is better”, the notion that “more (money) is better” must be equally true. While this obsession is often directed toward new gear, it can also be focused on older equipment as well. It is not unusual to find those with GAS roaming eBay, estate or yard sales, and audio forums for those vintage bargains of yesteryear. GAS victims often feed their addiction by subscribing to every audio magazine on the WWW ‘rack’, and check major gear-oriented audio blogs multiple times per day to ensure that no gear-related press announcement – however minor – escapes their scrutiny.
They are fountains of knowledge, and in some cases, sought out for their opinions. This of course, is like applause for an actor/actress – it only fuels the fire. Maxed out credit cards, storage bins worth of equipment that never seems to get used more than once or twice, and countless hours mulling over the product comparisons are the trademark symptoms of someone afflicted by GAS. Most have stellar records on eBay due to their continual buying and selling. Sadly, this too only serves to encourage their bad habits. If you happen to come across someone with a bad case of GAS on eBay, you can almost always be comfortable buying from them. They are usually very conscientious regarding their gear, and of course, they rarely use for very long. Buying their equipment is as close as you will come to buying new gear at a significant discount!
Behind every GAS sufferer lies a bit of insecurity that constantly whispers in his/her ear, “Buy it, and you will have a better sound”. No one afflicted with GAS can bear to hear a fellow photographer utter something such as, “Are you still using that old tube amp?
There are numerous cases on record of authorities finding those with GAS long after they have expired. Most of the victims have been single males. The scenes always look the same – the deceased appears to have locked himself (yes – GAS victims are overwhelmingly male) in their apartments for days, forgotten to eat, and surrounded themselves with hundreds of photo magazines strewn on the floor with review pages torn out. In other cases, they were found slumped over their computers with a few dozen browser windows open to popular audio sites. In an obsessive quest for equipment perfection, they died from simple exhaustion. A simple review of their gear or other audio sites always reveals the telltale signs – a gradual reduction in the number of interesting photos of amps, cables, preamps, etc., and an increase in the number of pictures of their equipment, with tags such as “My new TubeAmp pure class A 5 watts”.
GAS is not limited to audiophiles. Many other hobby and sports enthusiasts also suffer from very similar symptoms. Just ask any golfer’s wife…
Treatment
Group therapy seems to work best. A qualified psychoanalyst requires members of the group to bring a few pieces of audio equipment to the session, but it must represent the oldest gear they own. They are required to stand up and affirm the positive aspects of their gear, share some music that were used with it, and explain why it is still capable of helping them to sound better. This can be a real struggle for some. Other members of the group are encouraged to support the speaker’s affirmations share related stories. During this time, reading gear reviews in any form is strictly prohibited. The success rate is actually pretty good, but it is a long process, often littered with a series of setbacks such as internet binge buying and sneaking into audio forums in the middle of the night.
2) PFA – audio Forum Addiction
Symptoms
With internet access and popularity growing by the day, PFA is a relatively new malady. It is pretty much what it sounds like – people spending obscene amounts of time perusing audio forums and sharing their opinions with others around the globe, from everything from cables to fuses. Of course, you are asking, “What’s the harm in some mild-mannered banter on www.mysystemisbetterthanyours.com? Fair enough. A post here, a gear review there, searching for some opinions regarding the latest tube amp, etc. is perfectly fine. There is certainly nothing wrong with seeking out the opinions of peers, who in some cases, are willing to provide valuable insights or time saving advice.
But for many with PFA, it doesn’t stop there. The forum’s search fields are like drugs to them, enabling them to sift through years of data, and millions of posts on everything from the common to the obscure. After a while, they are hooked. Soon they find themselves spending more and more time the forums, and often become quite proud of their “contributions”. Like others maladies, PFA is usually associated with a sharp drop in actually music time.
And the discussions… sigh… Many start out relatively harmless enough, but all too often degenerate into a series of biting commentary, entrenched opinions, and personal insults. I chalk this up to what I call, “Snarkism”. Snarkism is that modern day phenomenon, whereby average mild mannered people, perhaps even reserved and quite shy, turn into “keyboard warriors” on the internet. From the comfort of their bedroom or home office, they can send zingers flying with a righteous zeal toward others hundreds or thousands of miles away. Others that disagree with them are quickly labeled, “fanboys” and “trolls” – and those are probably the kinder terms they use. I suspect if we look into most of their backgrounds, we would find that the snarkiest PFA sufferer still harbor grudges for being picked last by the team captains during grade school gym class…
Treatment
Counselors suggest going cold turkey for people with PFA. Many have discovered that within a few short weeks of being away from the dynamics of the forums, they notice things – such as their families, pets, a room that needs to be painted, etc. Most importantly, they discover that they can actually still listen to music , instead of simply exchanging immature, snarky commentary with those other poor souls on the internet afflicted by the same disease.
3) TUB – The Upgrade Beast
Symptoms
This is probably the most common of the audiophile maladies. One day, Joe audio is admiring his YG 1FX8000, thinking it is the epitome of fine engineering, the standard for speaker styling, and more than capable of capturing the music in all its wonder and splendor under the best and worst of conditions. He writes reviews extolling its virtues to everyone on the internet, and even sends a letter to the President of YG singing its praises. He is that elusive creature in this modern world – a totally satisfied customer.
And then the unthinkable happens… the YG 1FX800D is introduced. He knew this day would eventually come, but despite such knowledge, he is caught unprepared mentally and emotionally. Joe vacillates between wanting to strangle the local YG representative for introducing something that eclipses his pride and joy, and frantically attempting to reach the dealer to determine when he can order one. Eventually, his gaze turns toward his current speaker. The speaker he loved so much the other day? It now looks a bit worn in the grip. He spies a few dings in the sound he hadn’t noticed before. “When did I wear the paint off the edge of the sound?”, he wonders. He put in a different record of his best audiophile recording. Hmmm… “Why is that sound not in focus?”.
He then goes to the dealer and compares his speaker with the new 1FX800D. Horrors… the new speaker may be a tad better in the deep recesses of the corners than those from his current camera!!! Joe conveniently forgets that he is listening to the new speaker in a different environment. But facts matter little now. Joe has been bitten by… “the upgrade beast”. And similar to those bitten by a werewolf, Joe’s veins now possess an unstoppable force that will transform him into a new speaker acquisition machine. Going forward, he will seek out every review, article, opinion – anything to feed the beast within that can only be satisfied by feeling his new YG 1FX800D in his anxiously-awaiting hands. Time will slow to a maddening crawl until the speaker is delivered to his doorstep.
Treatment
As long as the upgrade beast doesn’t inflict the audiophile more often than once every two-to-three years, this disease is relatively harmless. The side effects of any treatment, much like the warnings on prescription drugs advertised on television, are likely to be much worse than the disease itself.
In rare cases, however, some audiophiles have experienced the upgrade beast on a much more frequent basis. Not only do they feel compelled to upgrade their gear, but they wantonly switch brands in the process. This leads to the dreaded domino effect – having to sell every brand specific piece of gear they own, and replace it with that from a competing manufacturer. These tortured souls simply cannot be helped. Similar to the werewolf, only the grave can save them from their agony.
Summary
Audiophile can bring much joy to our lives and those whose lives we touch. But we must always be mindful of these debilitating illnesses, ensure that we do our part to bring awareness to them, and provide the help and assistance those within the audiophile community need and deserve. Be on the lookout for the telltale signs of audiophiles spending more time reading gear reviews, participating in audio forums, and acquiring gear than listening to music. It can seem innocent enough, but it can also be… the beginning of much more serious issues.
If you have a story that you believe may help others dealing with these afflictions, please feel free with the group.
Source:
http://photographylife.com/diseases-that-plague-photographers
Audiophilia is an ......... Many books, articles, tutorials, and blogs focus on various aspects of the artistic and technical merits of Audiophilia. Rarely discussed, however, are some of the strange maladies that afflict Audiophiles. There are the occasional whispers and, “Did you hear about Joe?” types of exchanges, but all too often, such problems are rarely acknowledged and dealt with openly.
In an effort to bring such diseases to light, Dr. E.X. Posur, a leading psychiatrist that specializes in treating Audiophiles, highlights a number of common illnesses he has encountered, and their associated symptoms and treatment. Although described individually, they are all part of a common illness labeled “Audiophiles excessivitis”. Rarely will an audiophile exhibit symptoms a single disease. Close examination almost always reveals multiple afflictions.
Bear in mind that while Dr. Posur provides some basic guidelines for identifying a number of maladies, an accurate diagnosis can only be determined by a certified mental health professional with an extensive background in audio.
1) GAS – Gear Acquisition Syndrome
Symptoms
Those suffering from GAS become infatuated with new audio equipment, often to the point of temporary neurosis. Cables, fuses, outlets, etc. – if audio equipment companies make it, you can be sure that an audiophile with a bad case of GAS will find it. This results in an obsessive-compulsive effort to keep up with the latest product cycles, reviews, and opinions. If “new\old is better”, the notion that “more (money) is better” must be equally true. While this obsession is often directed toward new gear, it can also be focused on older equipment as well. It is not unusual to find those with GAS roaming eBay, estate or yard sales, and audio forums for those vintage bargains of yesteryear. GAS victims often feed their addiction by subscribing to every audio magazine on the WWW ‘rack’, and check major gear-oriented audio blogs multiple times per day to ensure that no gear-related press announcement – however minor – escapes their scrutiny.
They are fountains of knowledge, and in some cases, sought out for their opinions. This of course, is like applause for an actor/actress – it only fuels the fire. Maxed out credit cards, storage bins worth of equipment that never seems to get used more than once or twice, and countless hours mulling over the product comparisons are the trademark symptoms of someone afflicted by GAS. Most have stellar records on eBay due to their continual buying and selling. Sadly, this too only serves to encourage their bad habits. If you happen to come across someone with a bad case of GAS on eBay, you can almost always be comfortable buying from them. They are usually very conscientious regarding their gear, and of course, they rarely use for very long. Buying their equipment is as close as you will come to buying new gear at a significant discount!
Behind every GAS sufferer lies a bit of insecurity that constantly whispers in his/her ear, “Buy it, and you will have a better sound”. No one afflicted with GAS can bear to hear a fellow photographer utter something such as, “Are you still using that old tube amp?
There are numerous cases on record of authorities finding those with GAS long after they have expired. Most of the victims have been single males. The scenes always look the same – the deceased appears to have locked himself (yes – GAS victims are overwhelmingly male) in their apartments for days, forgotten to eat, and surrounded themselves with hundreds of photo magazines strewn on the floor with review pages torn out. In other cases, they were found slumped over their computers with a few dozen browser windows open to popular audio sites. In an obsessive quest for equipment perfection, they died from simple exhaustion. A simple review of their gear or other audio sites always reveals the telltale signs – a gradual reduction in the number of interesting photos of amps, cables, preamps, etc., and an increase in the number of pictures of their equipment, with tags such as “My new TubeAmp pure class A 5 watts”.
GAS is not limited to audiophiles. Many other hobby and sports enthusiasts also suffer from very similar symptoms. Just ask any golfer’s wife…
Treatment
Group therapy seems to work best. A qualified psychoanalyst requires members of the group to bring a few pieces of audio equipment to the session, but it must represent the oldest gear they own. They are required to stand up and affirm the positive aspects of their gear, share some music that were used with it, and explain why it is still capable of helping them to sound better. This can be a real struggle for some. Other members of the group are encouraged to support the speaker’s affirmations share related stories. During this time, reading gear reviews in any form is strictly prohibited. The success rate is actually pretty good, but it is a long process, often littered with a series of setbacks such as internet binge buying and sneaking into audio forums in the middle of the night.
2) PFA – audio Forum Addiction
Symptoms
With internet access and popularity growing by the day, PFA is a relatively new malady. It is pretty much what it sounds like – people spending obscene amounts of time perusing audio forums and sharing their opinions with others around the globe, from everything from cables to fuses. Of course, you are asking, “What’s the harm in some mild-mannered banter on www.mysystemisbetterthanyours.com? Fair enough. A post here, a gear review there, searching for some opinions regarding the latest tube amp, etc. is perfectly fine. There is certainly nothing wrong with seeking out the opinions of peers, who in some cases, are willing to provide valuable insights or time saving advice.
But for many with PFA, it doesn’t stop there. The forum’s search fields are like drugs to them, enabling them to sift through years of data, and millions of posts on everything from the common to the obscure. After a while, they are hooked. Soon they find themselves spending more and more time the forums, and often become quite proud of their “contributions”. Like others maladies, PFA is usually associated with a sharp drop in actually music time.
And the discussions… sigh… Many start out relatively harmless enough, but all too often degenerate into a series of biting commentary, entrenched opinions, and personal insults. I chalk this up to what I call, “Snarkism”. Snarkism is that modern day phenomenon, whereby average mild mannered people, perhaps even reserved and quite shy, turn into “keyboard warriors” on the internet. From the comfort of their bedroom or home office, they can send zingers flying with a righteous zeal toward others hundreds or thousands of miles away. Others that disagree with them are quickly labeled, “fanboys” and “trolls” – and those are probably the kinder terms they use. I suspect if we look into most of their backgrounds, we would find that the snarkiest PFA sufferer still harbor grudges for being picked last by the team captains during grade school gym class…
Treatment
Counselors suggest going cold turkey for people with PFA. Many have discovered that within a few short weeks of being away from the dynamics of the forums, they notice things – such as their families, pets, a room that needs to be painted, etc. Most importantly, they discover that they can actually still listen to music , instead of simply exchanging immature, snarky commentary with those other poor souls on the internet afflicted by the same disease.
3) TUB – The Upgrade Beast
Symptoms
This is probably the most common of the audiophile maladies. One day, Joe audio is admiring his YG 1FX8000, thinking it is the epitome of fine engineering, the standard for speaker styling, and more than capable of capturing the music in all its wonder and splendor under the best and worst of conditions. He writes reviews extolling its virtues to everyone on the internet, and even sends a letter to the President of YG singing its praises. He is that elusive creature in this modern world – a totally satisfied customer.
And then the unthinkable happens… the YG 1FX800D is introduced. He knew this day would eventually come, but despite such knowledge, he is caught unprepared mentally and emotionally. Joe vacillates between wanting to strangle the local YG representative for introducing something that eclipses his pride and joy, and frantically attempting to reach the dealer to determine when he can order one. Eventually, his gaze turns toward his current speaker. The speaker he loved so much the other day? It now looks a bit worn in the grip. He spies a few dings in the sound he hadn’t noticed before. “When did I wear the paint off the edge of the sound?”, he wonders. He put in a different record of his best audiophile recording. Hmmm… “Why is that sound not in focus?”.
He then goes to the dealer and compares his speaker with the new 1FX800D. Horrors… the new speaker may be a tad better in the deep recesses of the corners than those from his current camera!!! Joe conveniently forgets that he is listening to the new speaker in a different environment. But facts matter little now. Joe has been bitten by… “the upgrade beast”. And similar to those bitten by a werewolf, Joe’s veins now possess an unstoppable force that will transform him into a new speaker acquisition machine. Going forward, he will seek out every review, article, opinion – anything to feed the beast within that can only be satisfied by feeling his new YG 1FX800D in his anxiously-awaiting hands. Time will slow to a maddening crawl until the speaker is delivered to his doorstep.
Treatment
As long as the upgrade beast doesn’t inflict the audiophile more often than once every two-to-three years, this disease is relatively harmless. The side effects of any treatment, much like the warnings on prescription drugs advertised on television, are likely to be much worse than the disease itself.
In rare cases, however, some audiophiles have experienced the upgrade beast on a much more frequent basis. Not only do they feel compelled to upgrade their gear, but they wantonly switch brands in the process. This leads to the dreaded domino effect – having to sell every brand specific piece of gear they own, and replace it with that from a competing manufacturer. These tortured souls simply cannot be helped. Similar to the werewolf, only the grave can save them from their agony.
Summary
Audiophile can bring much joy to our lives and those whose lives we touch. But we must always be mindful of these debilitating illnesses, ensure that we do our part to bring awareness to them, and provide the help and assistance those within the audiophile community need and deserve. Be on the lookout for the telltale signs of audiophiles spending more time reading gear reviews, participating in audio forums, and acquiring gear than listening to music. It can seem innocent enough, but it can also be… the beginning of much more serious issues.
If you have a story that you believe may help others dealing with these afflictions, please feel free with the group.
Source:
http://photographylife.com/diseases-that-plague-photographers
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