By To say that the audiophile hobby is a bit of a sword fight is a complete and total understatement. Don’t believe me on how male dominated the audiophile hobby is? This year, attend any one of the many, very well-organized audiophiles shows around North America or even go to shows like Vienna HI-FI, the Bristol show in the United Kingdom or others. What percentage of the people sitting down to listen to music are women? Of that percentage of women that you might see – how many of them are the concerned wives of audiophile husbands just sitting back and waiting for them to try to buy a pair of $750,000 Wilson Audio speakers with the retirement fund?
The crazy part about few women being involved in the audiophile hobby is that women love music just as much as men do. They also feel the emotion. They truly love a good song. Women love a good story told musically. When given the chance and it is presented in a meaningfully way, women even appreciate the technology behind a music playback system. Recently, I’ve seen just as many women shopping for vinyl and men. I’ve had the chance to play my audiophile system for women who at first think “what the hell is all of this” but in a few notes, realize that an audiophile system is the gateway for us to live inside of our art. I’ve got Warhols and Hirsts and even an audiophile themed Mr. Brainwash art on my walls but they artistically pale in comparison to the stuff that I stream out of my BlueSound Node into my Bricasti DAC, Pass Labs electronics, Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4s, SVS SB-4000 sub and Wireworld cables. Music is art more than a status symbol. Audio is technology and is best presented in a way that isn’t messy, ugly or hard to use.
The biggest issue the audiophile hobby has as we deal with our age demographics is our gender demographics. To push aside 49.7 percent of the people living on the planet seems (aka: women) is a bit foolish if we are truly trying to grow the hobby. Getting the message out that audio helps relieve stress and anxiety is one that happily crosses gender lines. The idea that living in your art is another concept that resonates. The idea that technology can be luxurious and not clunky or too DIY is yet another option.
For now, the audiophile community needs to look into how we can present audio in a more approachable, female friendly method. It is easy, if you try and the hobby needs you to help get the words out. Here are some tips.
- Don’t hide your music system in a low traffic room – This is a big as but far too often one’s audiophile system is relegated to the basement or an extra bedroom. Much like a grand piano wouldn’t be hidden out sight – the same should go for an audiophile system. Invest in gear that looks the part meaning stuff that is nice enough to be presented in more trafficked rooms of the home like a Living Room or Family Room or Media Room.
- Don’t present a messy looking system – Too many audiophile systems have really good cables all over the place. They often look messy. They make women visually turn off to the music that they are about to listen to. $10 from Amazon or Best Buy gets you Velcro cable ties that will allow you good cable management. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a custom Middle Atlantic (think: computer server room) equipment rack but these are the best for making your gear look clean, neat and organized. A $300 to $400 rack from say Monoprice can present gear in a way that is accessible, high performance but in no way ugly. Don’t let your audiophile system look like Motley Crue has just finished a recording session in your listening room.
- Invite likeminded friends over to listen to music – Stereo stores are sadly closing all over the nation. Best Buy isn’t putting the same energy into high-end audio as we would hope so where is one to experience and audiophile system? Your house. Invite over friends. Make them drinks (mocktails are really popular here in Los Angeles now and relevant to me as I don’t drink anymore: 2.5 years and counting) and tasty appetizers. Sit the women down in the hot spot and play them just a little bit of music then transition into conversation after the short demo is over. Make it about a quick Show and Tell like you would if you were in Third Grade. Just don’t make it too long.
- Don’t be a price snob – affordable audio is here and it is good. CHI-FI as well as mainstream stuff but that doesn’t have to be a starting point. A good pair of audiophile grade but fashion forward headphones can get one started in the audiophile hobby for $399. An all-in-one turntable might also be a good, anti-blue-light option for new audiophiles. We must not equate high cost with the audiophile hobby no matter what the elders in the print magazines say. They sometimes are snobs. We are better than that.
- Make your audiophile demos short – I will never forget working for Mark Levinson at Cello Music and Film in Los Angeles. When Mark would come to L.A. it was always a treat to be in the presence of a true icon and genius. One year, he came in for a Stereophile show and I was to stay with him at the Cello Showroom on the Sunset Strip right by Geffen Records. This was circa 1994 and Mark brought his 24 bit master recordings with him and I was armed with a vividly produced, early 720p (HDTV was just coming out in 1994 even at the pro level) music video to play. While Mark’s demo was great, he has a classical piece that played for more than 20 minutes. Simply put: nobody has that level of patience. My boss at Cello and likely the best stereo salesman ever, Joe Cali, taught me how to roll the volume down at the first chorus which is often at the 60 to 120 second point. Three Star Michelin chef and Academy Award winner, Thomas Keller, talks about “always leaving people wanting more” when he describes the food at The French Laundry (worth the effort to go by the way) and audio should be the same thing. Leave a little mystery.
- Limit yourself to a four song demo list – Generally speaking, people have short attention spans and the listening to your audiophile system is likely not as initially as appealing to your guests as the pending socialization so keep things short. Ask your guests ahead of time “Do you like good music?” and “Is it cool if I play you 10 minutes of really great sounding music when you come over?” If they give you any negative feedback (this has never been the case when I have asked, but it is good to ask nevertheless) then these are the wrong people play your system for. Don’t worry, there will be others.
- Play relatable music (not audiophile music) – Audiophile music is recorded fantastically but rarely is approachable in terms of songwriting or performance. If you get a chance to play your system for friends or guests (kid’s friends – whomever) be sure to make your music relatable. Newer, well-recorded music that they’ve heard before so that in a non-scientific A/B that shows noobs what they’ve been missing when listening to their non-premium car audio system and/or travel headphones.
- Embrace the cover song concept – Remember, you are promoting audio not as much the music or more specifically the songwriting. This is why a great demo track is often one that we know the next note or chord. Right now, Beyonce’s cover of “Blackbird” by The Beatles from her Cowboy Carter album is a great example of music that is relatable, recorded fantastically well as is by the female voice of our generation. Brian Kahn and Paul Wilson will often kick in some Tay-Tay (that’s Taylor Swift for the uninitiated) in their reviews. That can be a killer. So can an older track like someone like Carole King. Retro isn’t bad. Just be sure to pick a strong recording that is relatable. I’ve been using songs from The Spinners for that recently. Very 1970s but relatable to older and female audiences. You will find your own jams and save them as a preset playlist in your streamer so you look smooth like Barry White when you are doing your demo.
- Dim the lights – Lighting matters if you want to do a truly killer audiophile demo. Using your eyes less make your hearing more acute and that is a good thing. Lighting a candle is another good idea. Writer, Michael Zisserson, has a really cool lava lamp that presents really fantastically in a dimmed audio room.
- Pre–Sell the music for your soon-to-be audiophile audience – Before you hit play, in a calm tone, tell your guests what they are supposed to be listening too. I used to do this with a Stevie Ray Vaughn track when I sold Wilson, THIEL and Mark Levinson at Christopher Hansen Ltd. in Beverly Hills. Stevie Ray was a client (Vaughn and Wonder – if you want to be accurate) so I would tell my audience, “at the 0:44 second mark, there is a hum in the Fender Twin tube amp. On a lesser system, you won’t notice the hum but with one this detailed and resolved, you can”… then hit PLAY and shut up. At 1:30 or the first chorus, roll the volume down.
- It is OK to take requests (only after your presentation) – Before you wrap up, ask your guests if they have any favorite tracks. If they would like you to play them then by all means do so as this is a sign that you have won in opening them up a little to our hobby. Do not let them take over your demonstration. News anchors learn this one when they let an interviewee take their mic and they lose control of the segment. The same thing can happen with your audiophile demo. They can hold the mic (figure of speech) after you’ve placed a few songs.
- Make it a sing-along with vinyl – Pick a guest’s wife and have her unsheathe an album. Show her how heavy a 180 gram record is. Have her carefully place in on the turntable. Have her place the needle and then sit down. This works in cooking as well as it does in audio. The intimidation factor can be high when looking at a super-cool audiophile system. Having your guest’s significant other to start your demo debunks the concept that an audiophile system is fragile for everyday use.
- End on a high note – Make sure that your demo ends on an emotional high note. Avoid a sappy love song. I like to end on songs like Michael Buble’s cover of “The Best is Yet to Come” which is really well-recorded, appeals to a wide age and gender demographic and sounds better than older recordings.
- Don’t over–sell the audiophile concept – Not everybody is going to be into your hobby but they might start to understand and/or appreciate it. If they have questions you will answer them but after the demo is over but never prolong your demo. With that said, make sure everybody is invited to your 10 minutes of audiophile experience.
- After the demo, perhaps talk about the health benefits of owning even a modest audiophile system – Remember our price discussion above? If they are really interested, let them hear a pair of your best wireless headphones? Maybe send them home with them for a few days if you can afford to live without them.
- Resume to more normal music and social activities after the 10 minute demo – Bring the lights up. Put on some chill background music and get back to the social gathering that you had planned. Pick music that sounds good in the background but isn’t overwhelming or off putting. Thievery Corporation (Trip-hop is the genre as it is known) is always aa winner and a Qobuz or Amazon Music playlist will get you a killer DJ for your event so you don’t have to mix and match music. Brazilian Jazz works well too. Bob Marley is non-offensive to most. There are lots of options.
About a week ago, I hosted a lovely colleague of my new girlfriend for dinner at my condo high above the boats in Marina Del Rey, California. I love to cook which pairs so well with listening to music. In my open floor plan condo, I can use my big audiophile system to play background music and I did just that one fine Sunday evening. On that night, I have the Coltrane Channel playing from Amazon music in HD. It wasn’t loud but it really added to groovy vibe that I was looking for. The day before, Kristy and I went to the Original Los Angeles Flower Mart and bought some really cool stuff for our place settings and around the condo. To eat, I made a meal inspired my three of my favorite Italian restaurants in Los Angeles and New York City. My first dish was a grade 5-A Hamachi (a lighter color but fatty, oily and awesome) tuna crudo with a Meyer lemon and thyme presentation inspired by Antico Nuovo. I finished it after 15 min in the fridge plated with really good drizzle of olive oil that comes from Massimo Bottura’s (learn about the chef) restaurant Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy and it was a hit as the ladies at at the kitchen counter top bar and sat there and watched me cook up a storm. The next dish was Lemon Chicken from Rao’s in Harlem. This is so good and pretty easy if you have the guts to broil a spatchcocked (best word in the English language) chicken for 34 min. I served it over rosemary mashed potatoes and steamed broccolini with Pecorino Romano cheese. We ate this at the table with songs from Mingus and Miles from the play list playing effortlessly. Lastly, I served up white wine poached pears from Il Mulino in The Village. The pears are chilled, poached in water-sugar-white-wine and then filled with cinnamon mascarpone. A swirl of orange blossom honey from Ojai, California and then blueberries and strawberries on the plate – all while the music is going. Needless to say, the ladies had a very good night.
Final Thoughts on Introducing Women to the Audiophile Hobby …
It is true that few audiophiles are currently into the hobby but that is for one main reason which is… they’ve never been truly shown to such a wonderful artistic and musical experience. You can change that and not just make everybody’s life better but make the industry thrive as it never has before. There are just too many tweaky and weird clichés in our hobby such as “if it isn’t expensive (or exotic) then it is no good” or “the way a system looks isn’t important (tell that to the sous chef at French Laundry as she plates your 22nd dish of the night) or “women will never be into audio”. All of those clichés are simply wrong.
Women love music just as much as men. Women love art just as much as men. Women spend on technology in today’s world just as men do – just look at the gender demographic at your closest Apple Store. We just need to present this hobby in a way that is more approvable, less snobby and focused on the good benefits of the hobby. At that point we will be off to the races with new audiophile consumers looking to bring music into their lives.
PS: the last female writer that I had left (we are so proud) to go to the Wirecutter.com at The New York Times. I’ve tried to find a female audiophile voice for our staff and have failed. If you know of someone (female or male) let me know via our contact page. Having a diverse voice is our super power here at Future Audiophile.
Do you have any other tips that you would add to this list? Share them with us and we will get them moderated and posted ASAP in the comments below. We look forward to hearing from you.
