Let the babbling commence...

So, what's this all about?

Well it seems to be quite a rare notion to put the two ideas of 'audiophile' and 'alternative music' together... Personally I listen to and love ALOT of music, yes, mostly alternative (what does that term mean anymore anyway?) and I have found it is quite a neglected corner to in the world of audiophiles.

Are the brash guitars just too brash for their high-end equipment? Are they scared some shouting may blow their ultra-expensive speakers? Pah!!! Why are they so scared?

Some audiophiles probably believe that most alternative music is just noise, and well, why bother presenting that 'noise' through anything remotely better than a cheap boom box or tinny computer speakers pumping out lovely 128kbps MP3s when there's so little of auditory worth in these recordings? I say NO, it's not all just NOISE. Sometimes alternative musicians and bands are clever enough to layer parts as well as most classical composers (and probably without the classical training), and well sometimes, maybe all that doesn't matter. Simplicity and passion can be all that is needed to get across the message.

But I think that any music, ANY music can benefit from being played through a system with a touch of finesse. Some 'music' just doesn't deserve it though, and  no it won't improve a bad song or a non-existant melody, it can't put the passion in if it wasn't already there... but at least you'll get closer to hearing it 'as it was intended' and sometimes you'll may be hearing it 'better' than some of those financially poor bands recording in broken down studios with blown monitors and analogue 8 track machines with half the tracks not working in the days before everyone got a PC with a soundcard and Cubase/ProTools and made lovely hiss free recordings at home for no more cost than the price of their own electricity!

So what's the point of this? Music is my passion. Hi-fi is another one of my passions. I strongly believe the two go hand in hand ;)

But when it comes to my passions I tend to babble on. I'll tell you about my favourite sounding albums. I'll tell you about my not-so-favourite sounding albums and the lengths I went to make them that bit better to my ears (with a touch of la technologie moderne to help) and I'll hopefully hear from some other audiophiles out there as well as alternative music fans who can give their views, likes and dislikes!

So turn up and enjoy!

The Alternative Audiophile