The Music or the Gear?

[Audire]

There’s Audiophiles that enjoy music the most, others the equipment, and yet others both.

Mine is the music with the caveat that I need the proper gear to listen to it with.

What’s your goal as an Audiophile? The music? The gear? Both? And why?

 

[BlueFox]

Both. I want the music I enjoy to sound it's best.

 

[Dasign]

Music foremost, but at the same time, I need to have decent gear, to fully represent the artist’s musical intent. In the 80’s, when CD’s were introduced, I thought that I would stick to my vinyls. Nope, had to get the latest music from my favorite artists.

I could live with my current gear, but could not live without the new music coming out each week…

 

[exupgh12]

I think the love for audiophile and the love for music is not the same, i can love music even if i hear it through my car audio system which is definitely not an audiophile system.
audiophile means pursuing better sound - mostly by better gear and better acoustics.

as such, those are hobbies that are not always correlated with the same people.

For me, i try to hold both (gear and music) as much as possible.

 

[Audire]

I think the love for audiophile and the love for music is not the same, i can love music even if i hear it through my car audio system which is definitely not an audiophile system.
audiophile means pursuing better sound - mostly by better gear and better acoustics.

as such, those are hobbies that are not always correlated with the same people.

For me, i try to hold both (gear and music) as much as possible.

Well stated. Lots of truth here.

 

[Long Live Analog]

It’s all about the music then having the system to play it on. I’ve always got music playing be it at home, the car, or streaming throughout the house.

 

[Blackmorec]

When I’m not listening to the system its about the gear and matters around it. And when I am listening to the music its about how the music makes me feel, how intense the emotions, how deep the enjoyment, how great the sense of wonder and amazement at some music, deeply emotional, physically involving, mind and conscious altering, how much the music fills and occupies my mind And makes me feel good. I’m addicted to the later, the former just feeds the habit.

 

[Gregm]

The music, definitely. The gear is the intermediary that helps me appreciate the music, a tool if you will. That said the better the sound the higher the joy and the emotional involvement.

 

[Ron Resnick]

both — music and components

If components were not a big part of it, then, unless we were listening to music right now, we would not feel like we are engaged on an ongoing basis in a dedicated hobby.

Compare listening to music to driving a car for personal transportation: Unless one is involved in track racing or DIY car mechanic work or building a kit car or building a car garage to store and work on cars there is no on-going activity or interest — no hobby — related to or underlying the mere use of the car for personal transportation.

But, when many audiophiles are not actively listening to their music, there is still activity and thinking and research and planning and buying and auditioning and selling and so on related to, and built around, and underneath, the activity of listening to music. There is a hobby — in addition to listening to music

 

[sbo6]

It's not one or the other, they are inexplicably linked. We listen to music on high - end systems for enhanced enjoyment of music and the performance.

 

[Hear Here]

The music100%. If I could enjoy music at home as much as I do at live performances with £1000 worth of kit, I'm for that. However if it costs £25K to achieve that level of sound quality, then it seems I have to spend that sort of money. But it's still 100% the music - what delivers it is largely irrelevant! However I do admit that good-looking kit is rather more desirable that grotty stuff and this normally adds to the price.

 

[Ron Resnick]

It's not one or the other, they are inexplicably linked. We listen to music on high - end systems for enhanced enjoyment of music and the performance.

I think you mean inextricably linked.

 

[sbo6]

I think you mean inextricably linked.

Both work.

 

[mtemur]

The music100%. If I could enjoy music at home as much as I do at live performances with £1000 worth of kit, I'm for that. However if it costs £25K to achieve that level of sound quality, then it seems I have to spend that sort of money.

I generally agree with you but IMHO It’s not possible to achieve live performance excitement with a £25K worth of home stereo. It’s not possible even with £250K or any price at all. I believe live performance will always be something special and unachievable but we can still enjoy our home stereos.

 

[Pacha]

For me it's the music and comrade of my friends I share it with that comes first. I do also find pleasure in making the equipment that I have, sound the best possible within my means. My partner is a Jazz and Musical Theatre performer and she helps me keep it real.

 

[Ron Resnick]

The music100%.

Respectfully, I have trouble believing that it truly is “music 100%” — meaning equipment 0% — for anybody posting on a high-end audio hobby forum.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Why are audiophiles sometimes afraid or reluctant or squeamish to admit that we enjoy the fun of researching and auditioning components and putting a system together, the aesthetics of the components, the technology of the components, the passion that went into designing the components, the fun of sometimes knowing personally the designers of the components, the appreciation that the components are the conduit to allowing us to enjoy our favorite music — and claim “it’s all about the music”?

 

[Hear Here]

Why are audiophiles sometimes afraid or reluctant or squeamish to admit that we enjoy the fun of researching and auditioning components and putting a system together, the aesthetics of the components, the technology of the components, the passion that went into designing the components, the fun of sometimes knowing personally the designers of the components, the appreciation that the components are the conduit to allowing us to enjoy our favorite music — and claim “it’s all about the music”?

We don't buy equipment for any other reason than to enjoy the music. The equipment is a means to an end. I would have no equipment if it wasn't necessary to produce music in my home.

We use forums such as this to help us decide which bits of equiment may be best to achieve to goal of listening to music. Music is 100%.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Ron ( and ked) you seem like a school teacher sometimes .

Who cares if people are into high end audio for the gear / the music / or both .
Its a hobby / past time for gods sake .
If it makes one happy its all good

 

[cjfrbw]

Diddling and re-arranging are part of the hobby. It's all very mysterious. I screw with my system, and my system screws with me. It's kind of a quasi symbiotic relationship with sadomasochistic qualities.

That being said, I don't know how some guys log listening time with all of the furniture tweaking. Listening time must be restricted tea ceremony of some kind at an ineffably elusive altar for very restricted amounts of time post tweaking and fussing.
I don't like being strictly a custodian of a bunch of swag, but if that is the essence of joy for some, then go for it.

I think enough is enough, and need actual listening time rather than clinical maintenance time. I let things go out of balance for extended periods before resolving issues, just because I prefer listening, and then have a few slightly manic periods of concentrating on 'problems solving'.

I get such unadulterated expansive joy from the system that it is worth it. It is literally a magic carpet to expanded consciousness. I don't think that a pre-packaged result based on somebody else's 'expertise' suffice as a substitute for my own involvement. That is probably why my system has veered towards eccentricity. You won't find it at a single store that's for sure.