First of all, it seems to imply a ’no true Scotsman’ fallacy. As if, being an audiophile negates the ability to love music first, and foremost.
When I set down to listen to music, I am fully immersed in the music. I do not sit there taking about the track. I fully am sucked in to the listening experience, not the gear. I am transported by the music.
The OP also seems to imply a false dichotomy. As if, being a music lover excludes one from being an audiophile, or vis versa. What about those of us that are both?
There seems to be some misunderstandings...between what I wrote and how it was interpreted by you.
You are fully immersed in the music...because you have become familiar with your system and it’s probably an excellent system, too. It checkmarks all or most of the audiophile terms. And when laypeople hear/experience it, they tell you it was money well spent/sounds amazing etc. right? But they won’t invest their own funds to replicate your system...they listen like 98% of the population...ok probably 90% or more...
I never intended to create that fallacy or a false dichotomy. But I ask - why not just agree, instead of agreeing to disagree?
I am specifically talking about becoming a non-audiophile; a regular person, someone who is no longer interested in hearing the music exactly or close to how it was recorded. The overwhelming majority of people listen to music this way. They might be less stressed, have more time for other hobbies, earning potential, work/side hustle etc. Listening to music on a good system is addictive and time-consuming.
For example, when the iPod was first released, I could name more than a dozen people in my own life that were happy as a fiddle with those .mp3s and apple earbuds. BOSE speakers in a kitchen. Some no-name branded stereo that was so lousy from walmart in a bedroom...The 20 something owner loved it. You get the idea...
Certainly, you can be both a music lover and an audiophile. But take your own audio system out of the picture - are you still a music lover? Can you still enjoy music? If so, what’s the point of your system?
I’m talking about forgetting; at a fundamental level, since this hobby is not that popular and others don’t understand it, but also because letting go will allow me to save money, time, and achieve the same happy neurotransmitters fumbling about in my brain. Make it all about about the music...to the point where the gear doesn’t matter. That is my goal.
I plan on achieving this through talking to my cousin - she is a psychologist; reading more posts on audiogon, and slowly but surely re-setting my brain to demand less.
Just like eating cold-cuts or hot dogs every day for lunch. Stay away from what my pops calls "rich foods" and eventually you might not miss them all that much...