Technology vs. 'Tactility'
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A lot of audiophiles will need some convincing of computer's ability to produce audiophile level sound and some may well frown at the thought for a while to come yet, however a demo should suitably prove that it is possible. I think for a lot of 'high-enders' the thought of computer audio is the sticking point rather than the tangible experience.
I think you're right, Rob. For some the cachet of owning a Naim CDS 555, DCS, Audio Research, Krell, or whatever, and having it gloriously showcased on top of their rack for their friends and neighbours to see and coo over, is too important to lose and be replaced by some 'plastic computer'. For these types of people 'status symbols' are much more important in hi-fi than music so they will always want a 'box' to show off. I abhor this type of mentality but nevertheless it exists :mental:
However, one sticking point for me with computer audio, and it's got nothing to do with sound quality, is the soulless way in which one accesses our favourite music and the way it is treated rather like a disposable commodity. A file will never be as visually enticing or attractive as an album cover - and no, a picture of it on a monitor is not the same thing! I treasure my 'physical' musical collection - all the vinyl albums, CDs; their covers and sleeve notes and the memories that go with them, and this 'human', tactile experience is completely missing with computer audio.
The 'ritual', for example, of easing out a beautifully pressed slab of vinyl from its decorative gatefold sleeve, reading the label, looking at the artwork, placing the record on your turntable, and listening to the stylus tracking the lead-in groove before music commences (and the subsequent very high quality reproduction of it) is something that is very important to me and which no computer audio set-up, no matter how technically excellent, can ever replicate. So for me I will always own a CDP and T/T for that reason. My eventual computer audio set-up will simply be a high quality and (very convenient) third source of music, but the experience of using it will never beat the 'real thing', as described, on a purely human level.
Marco.