Transparent sound: searching for enlightenment through audiophile listening.
Dobson, Jamie (2025) Transparent sound: searching for enlightenment through audiophile listening. In: Subcultures Network Postgraduate Conference, 'Ordinary lives, Everyday People?', 10-11 April 2025, University of East Anglia.
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High-fidelity audio culture is largely driven by the concept of "transparency". Audiophiles frequently describe their ideal listening environment as an unmediated window, where reproduced sound perfectly mirrors an original live performance. This research questions whether achieving true transparency is actually possible, or if the subculture is instead invested in constructing idealized sonic realities.
The pursuit of audio realism reveals a persistent tension between actual events and studio construction. Using examples like James Brown’s 1962 Live at the Apollo and the binaural techniques of Chesky Records, it becomes clear how "live" recordings rely heavily on technological mediation. Rather than capturing a single authentic moment, modern audio reproduction frequently compiles different performances or fabricates acoustic environments.
The material culture of audiophilia also contradicts the stated goal of pure transparency. Enthusiasts routinely fetishize analog equipment, imbuing specific components with mythic qualities in a practice resembling techno-animism. The strong preference for vintage valve amplifiers, which add warmth and colour to the sound rather than acting as a neutral conduit, points to a desire for emotional transcendence over strict technical accuracy. For many in this group, the ritual of listening prioritizes the sonic performance of the equipment itself, often relegating the music to a secondary role.
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