Greetings
The wife sprang a question this morning, which foxed me a bit. "Why aren't there any women audiophiles around?".
I hemmed and hawed but I couldn't really think of a satisfactory response.
Her final view was that, "well, 'coz we women are more sane". I didn't argue the point.
So, why is it so?
Is there any research on the subject?
Btw, does anyone know who many women users exist for this website?
Cheers
The wife sprang a question this morning, which foxed me a bit. "Why aren't there any women audiophiles around?".
I hemmed and hawed but I couldn't really think of a satisfactory response.
Her final view was that, "well, 'coz we women are more sane". I didn't argue the point.
So, why is it so?
Is there any research on the subject?
Btw, does anyone know who many women users exist for this website?
Cheers
Valid point, Billshurv.
Let me make an attempt: A person who is conscious about how the sound of music is affected by presence or absence of sharps, low bass etc. Is able to distinguish between sound emanating from a point vs sound filling the room etc.
When presented with a familiar music which lacks some of the characteristics above, she feels disturbed enough to say, "Why does this sound bad"
Let us keep the rest of it - a never ending yearning for the perfect sound - out of scope for now
My wife was quoting an incident: She and her parents went to purchase a speaker system for home computer. Her Dad, (who has never heard the term 'audiophile' in his life), was conscious about the need for bass and tone etc for something to sound good, while both she and her Mom were wondering "What is he saying?". They couldn't really get the change in quality. Or they felt they change in quality of the sound was not important enough.
Let me make an attempt: A person who is conscious about how the sound of music is affected by presence or absence of sharps, low bass etc. Is able to distinguish between sound emanating from a point vs sound filling the room etc.
When presented with a familiar music which lacks some of the characteristics above, she feels disturbed enough to say, "Why does this sound bad"
Let us keep the rest of it - a never ending yearning for the perfect sound - out of scope for now
My wife was quoting an incident: She and her parents went to purchase a speaker system for home computer. Her Dad, (who has never heard the term 'audiophile' in his life), was conscious about the need for bass and tone etc for something to sound good, while both she and her Mom were wondering "What is he saying?". They couldn't really get the change in quality. Or they felt they change in quality of the sound was not important enough.
How many girls were given (and actually played with, without prodding) a 50-in–1 electronics kit as a 7-to–14 year old? I'm well past 50, and to date, I've never met one. Ever. I've not even met any women who used to steal their techy-brothers' kit and play with it. I have met a few who played with their sibs' while they were doing follow-the-dots tricks.
How many women have a passion for figuring out and permanently remembering numeric, qualitative, quantitative and 'how-it-works' stuff in ANY technical domain purely as a hobby, to no accolades except their own satisfaction for discovering the inner workings of a nominally complex domain? Not many. Sure: I've met a number of women who have taken “techy”-as-a-hobby to remarkable heights in photography, ethnic cookery, in pro-level tailoring, in the tech-side of pottery, painting (or more generally studio arts), and some really cool stuff like glass blowing and neon art.
But I doubt that more than a handful worldwide could be found who've noodled most of their cogent lives drawing amplifiers, radio transmitters, power supply ideas, sound EFX boxes for their electric violins, and so on … on napkins because they're kind of bored with the girl-talk. They'd be ostracized roundly by their peers at the very least. Perhaps ejected entire.
YET, I also know that this is sexist at the core. But so is it to say that one doesn't generally find guys (except in the performing arts) who have hobbies of making clothes, of getting together for tea klatches, for secretly longing to 'luxuriate' at spas. Different motivations ARE imprinted on people by their outward sêx appearance. And little girls aren't given 50-in–1 electronics playthings.
ONE GREAT SIGN though is the still under appreciated, but rather unexpected renaissance in “DIY stuff” whether it be 3D printing, or cool sensor-base solder-it-yourself kits, or semi-techy things like installing solar power, and consulting in that field. Plenty of women doing these things. The future is bright, but as always, it is not the past. Not even a shadow of it.
Now if you take audiophiles to mean “those who appreciate listening to great recordings on a system that so accurately reproduces the material that one might occasionally be convinced that they're at a live performance” .. well I do think there are a LOT of women who qualify at that. Perhaps even more than men. Men are almost always “audiophiles” less to enjoy the music, and more to revel in the arcane and esoteric knowledge they're able to ply to that end. And to stand around arguing about, technically.
Vive la difference!
GoatGuy
How many women have a passion for figuring out and permanently remembering numeric, qualitative, quantitative and 'how-it-works' stuff in ANY technical domain purely as a hobby, to no accolades except their own satisfaction for discovering the inner workings of a nominally complex domain? Not many. Sure: I've met a number of women who have taken “techy”-as-a-hobby to remarkable heights in photography, ethnic cookery, in pro-level tailoring, in the tech-side of pottery, painting (or more generally studio arts), and some really cool stuff like glass blowing and neon art.
But I doubt that more than a handful worldwide could be found who've noodled most of their cogent lives drawing amplifiers, radio transmitters, power supply ideas, sound EFX boxes for their electric violins, and so on … on napkins because they're kind of bored with the girl-talk. They'd be ostracized roundly by their peers at the very least. Perhaps ejected entire.
YET, I also know that this is sexist at the core. But so is it to say that one doesn't generally find guys (except in the performing arts) who have hobbies of making clothes, of getting together for tea klatches, for secretly longing to 'luxuriate' at spas. Different motivations ARE imprinted on people by their outward sêx appearance. And little girls aren't given 50-in–1 electronics playthings.
ONE GREAT SIGN though is the still under appreciated, but rather unexpected renaissance in “DIY stuff” whether it be 3D printing, or cool sensor-base solder-it-yourself kits, or semi-techy things like installing solar power, and consulting in that field. Plenty of women doing these things. The future is bright, but as always, it is not the past. Not even a shadow of it.
Now if you take audiophiles to mean “those who appreciate listening to great recordings on a system that so accurately reproduces the material that one might occasionally be convinced that they're at a live performance” .. well I do think there are a LOT of women who qualify at that. Perhaps even more than men. Men are almost always “audiophiles” less to enjoy the music, and more to revel in the arcane and esoteric knowledge they're able to ply to that end. And to stand around arguing about, technically.
Vive la difference!
GoatGuy
If by audiophile you mean people who enjoy listening to music reproduced at a high level of fidelity to the original I think there are quite a few. If you mean people who obsess over the objective details of how that musical reproduction is achieved, then many fewer. Finally if you mean people who are suckers for hocus pocus like Bybees, megabuck interconnect, speaker wire and power cords, and other such subjective approaches to draining the wallet whilst spinning in circles then I can't think of any.
Bass guitarists don't get laid, Justin Bieber does, so maybe that's a hint to the frequency response.
Try musicians without a hi-fi, now that's more intriguing. Although the TV does portray the richer musicians having totally kickass rooms. But I do know of pianists who are tone deaf. And also parents who can hear how certain veneer patterns sound better than others.
Try musicians without a hi-fi, now that's more intriguing. Although the TV does portray the richer musicians having totally kickass rooms. But I do know of pianists who are tone deaf. And also parents who can hear how certain veneer patterns sound better than others.
Reason I asked was because my wife is clearly a music lover and even insisted on a stereo in both kitchen and bedroom. But she won't wield a soldering iron. She will insist on going to live concerts tho and doesn't complain about the record collection or the size of the speakers. In fact she insisted I fix my Apogees so my minimonitors could upgrade the kitchen system.
Oddly she does wonder what the additional 3 turntables in pieces are for tho
But on balance a good upgrade.
Oddly she does wonder what the additional 3 turntables in pieces are for tho
But on balance a good upgrade.
I must say I am enjoying this.
So, you are saying women appreciate high fidelity sound reproduction as much as men do, and their rational interest ends there.
This may be right. If I scan my (organic) list of friends/family whom I know very well, there is 1 woman and 1 man who have specifically articulated their need for high fidelity, in a population of, say 50.
There is no evidence of a gender specific bias there.
I am not including the Class 2, 3 category audiophile friends mentioned by Kevinahcc in the list above; they became friends because they were Class2,3 audiophiles.
And I suppose if there were indeed biological reasons, one would have heard of it by now.
So, wife was right!
So, you are saying women appreciate high fidelity sound reproduction as much as men do, and their rational interest ends there.
This may be right. If I scan my (organic) list of friends/family whom I know very well, there is 1 woman and 1 man who have specifically articulated their need for high fidelity, in a population of, say 50.
There is no evidence of a gender specific bias there.
I am not including the Class 2, 3 category audiophile friends mentioned by Kevinahcc in the list above; they became friends because they were Class2,3 audiophiles.
And I suppose if there were indeed biological reasons, one would have heard of it by now.
So, wife was right!
Interesting topic. My turn!
I have worked with many very good female EEs, SW engineers etc. over the years. A decent number were excellent musicians with a great ear, most were music fans. That said, I am hard-pressed to think of more even of that group than one or two who were interested in 'audiophile' pursuits, i.e. beyond buying it and listening to it.
I'm also a car nut, and the same basic analogy applies there. I new plenty of techie women (and others) who loved their vehicles but only perhaps two who loved to work on them. One told me she had once been a diesel mechanic. The syndrome seemed true even among bikers, AFAICT.
Vive la difference I guess.
I have worked with many very good female EEs, SW engineers etc. over the years. A decent number were excellent musicians with a great ear, most were music fans. That said, I am hard-pressed to think of more even of that group than one or two who were interested in 'audiophile' pursuits, i.e. beyond buying it and listening to it.
I'm also a car nut, and the same basic analogy applies there. I new plenty of techie women (and others) who loved their vehicles but only perhaps two who loved to work on them. One told me she had once been a diesel mechanic. The syndrome seemed true even among bikers, AFAICT.
Vive la difference I guess.
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