11 Best Audiophiles on the Big Screen

[MeloManiac]

Klipsch is mentioned only once in this list....

 

Source:

http://www.rutherfordaudio.com/shop/cad/news/11-best-audiophiles-on-the-big-screen/

 

As audiophiles, we often find the people around us have trouble understanding the intensity of our passion for music and electronics. It’s easy to feel isolated when family members (often our own wives) deride us for our expensive hobby. So, to bolster your already firmly held conviction that being an audiophile is awesome, here’s a list of audiophiles in the movies who you can relate to. There are many audiophiles out there, and some of the most appreciated characters in hollywood are audiophiles..

 

1. James T. Kirk - Star Trek into Darkness

Vinyl will never die. It will be used well into the future, even as far as the year 2259. At least, that’s what the director of Star Trek into Darkness seems to believe. We couldn’t agree more.

 

 

 

In this scene, Captain Kirk is philandering in bed with two beautiful alien women. The camera pans over his fantastic bachelor pad and briefly shows his majestic retro audio setup spinning a Beach Boys track. The turntable is aptly named “the Bachelor.”  It’s a custom table with an ebonized wood plinth and a VPI Platter. Kirk goes all-out with his vintage setup and even has what seems to be a custom tube amp. Here’s a photo of the set during production with clearer lighting.

 

 

 

Vinyl won’t merely exist in 2259, it will be the centerpiece of the manliest and most prestigious bachelor pads.

 

2. Tony Stark - Iron Man 3

Once again, the most accomplished and manly men are depicted as audiophiles. This time it’s Tony Stark as he’s working in his man cave.

 

 

You can see the turntable (maybe an Audio-Technica?) on the right. You’d think it’s an odd choice for the set designer: why would the most technologically advanced man in the world be using an analog playback device? It’s a sharp contrast; a room full of flying war robots and an old 1980’s era record player in the corner. Shows that even the most forward-thinking engineers recognize the timelessness of vinyl.

 

3. Alex DeLarge - A Clockwork Orange

"Oh Bliss! Bliss and Heaven! Oh it was gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh. It was like a bird of rarest spun heaven metal or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now. As I slooshied I knew such lovely pictures!"

 

 

 

Those are Alex DeLarge’s words as he’s listening to Beethoven on his priceless, hand-made Mitchell “Transcriptor” turntable. Shows that even the most hardened and rapacious criminals have room in their hearts for the sweet and supple sound of Classical music on vinyl.

 

4. Harvey Specter - Suits

This widely popular TV Series, now in its 5th Season, features the ruthless lawyer Harvey Specter. In his opulent office we regularly see his spectacular vinyl collection and his Pro-ject RPM 1.3 Genie but for some reason he still uses cheap Klipsch RB-51 (or 41) speakers on his system.

 

 

 

The Vinyl collection is featured much more than his audio system and it took until Season 3 to really get a glimpse at his turntable. Season 5 is still running so maybe since he is a named partner now he can upgrade his rig with some better speakers, perhaps some Criterions.

 

5. Lyle “the Napster” - Italian Job

After the big heist in Venice all the main characters are drinking champagne in the Swiss Alps. They take turns describing what they’ll buy with their money. Lyle, played by Seth Green, says he’s getting a “A stereo with speakers so loud, they blow women's clothes off.”

 

 

Of course, the bad guy steals his idea, and it takes a while for his plan to come to fruition. But in the closing credits of the movie he gets everything his heart desires. The speakers and the women.

 

6. Jason Statham - The Mechanic

This is easily the deadliest audio system in the history of cinema. While the speakers in the Italian Job blow women’s clothes off these puppies literally explode in a fiery ball of death.

 

 

 

Earlier in the film Jason Statham’s character, a hit-man, yells at his protegee for touching his turntable. Of course, the protegee is a bit resentful, so he later plays a record when Statham isn’t there. Bad idea. The turntable is rigged to explode when the needle reaches the end of the Vinyl.

The rig isn’t immensely spectacular. Statham has a Pro-Ject RPM 9.2 turntable with a Jolida 502BRC tonearm. And he has a pair of Pinnacle BD 1000 Tower speakers. Maybe he wanted an upgrade and thought an explosion would give him the right excuse. If anything, this is a good lesson not to mess with another person’s audio system.

 

7. Rob Gordon - High Fidelity

Not as flashy or extravagant as the other audiophiles, this character dips a bit more into reality. While Kirk, Lara Croft, and the others are all unblemished and perfect, Rob Gordon is a bit more relatable. He’s an average guy living in Chicago with an elitist passion for high fidelity. And just like him, we audiophiles sometimes find our obsession with music makes us overlook the importance of relationships.

 

 

 

Here’s to you, Rob Gordon. Thanks for reminding us our passion for audio, no matter how awesome it may be, always takes a backseat to the important people in our lives.

 

8. Jang  - Lucy

Any good list of movie characters needs to feature a villain or two. There are probably a plethora of Audiophile villains in cinema, but none more stylish than this guy: Jang. A brutal and capricious evil gang leader with a wicked sense of style. In one of Lucy’s most iconic scenes Scarlett Johansson sneaks into his apartment to enact revenge. He’s blissfully unaware of his imminent death because he’s listening to music on his slick aluminum-leather headphones. It doesn't take a close inspection to see these stunningly designed portables are non other than the VK-1, A.K.A "Valkyrie," headphones designed and manufactured by French company Aedle. You can purchase them here. 

 

 

 

Lucy doesn’t hesitate to utterly destroy him. But at least his final moments were in the heavenly realm of high-end audio.

 

9. The Adulterer - The Case of the Scorpion’s Tale

You can’t have a complete list without a classic film either. In this 1971 Italian Giallo film (basically a campy old murder mystery/thriller) a beautiful young woman is seduced by an enticing man. Just a few minutes into the film we see this gorgeous sight in his apartment.

 

 

 

Can’t blame her for falling in love. Any man who owns a Thorens TD124 turntable is a man who appreciates beauty. These Swiss made masterpieces are legendary.

Unfortunately for her, cheating on her husband doesn’t work out too well. It contributes to a host of bad circumstances, ultimately leading to her untimely death. But who can blame her for falling in love with this man? Check out the current Thorens products here. 

 

10. Galahad - Kingsman

Another fantastic character with a good ear for music. Harry Hart, code-named Galahad, is the brilliant and sophisticated spy we all admire. As a refined man, he also has good taste in audio. Seen here, his office sports a pair of B&W Speakers.

 

 

 

You can’t help but wonder why he placed them behind his back; the bad placement seems like a waste of good speakers. It’s almost like the Sun newspaper headline on the right is speaking right at him.
 

11. Lara Croft - Tomb Raider

To top off the list, we have the greatest female audiophile; Hollywood’s most dangerous archeological vigilante, Lara Croft.

 

 

 

2001 was easily one of the lowest years for vinyl sales, but vinyl junkies still made it on the big screen, and in a very extravagant way. 26 minutes into the movie Lara Croft is unwinding in her lavish mansion. She chooses a Johann Sebastian Bach record, plays it on her $150,000 Clearaudio turntable, then proceeds to do whimsical yoga acrobats in her living room.

 

 

Not only does Lara Croft prove women can be audiophiles, she outdoes us with her pomp and showmanship.

[Mighty Favog]

On the TV show Elementary, there is a quite nice McIntosh system.