I lately wonder why I’m an Audiophile.

Relax and enjoy what you own.

I can't explain how I restructured my interest in audio, but did not buy a Magazine or enter a High Street Store from that time on for many many years and Larger Audio Events were carefully selected for being part commercial / part system owner enthusiasts as the exhibitors.

I started meeting people with a Hobby in Audio and a keen interest in non commercial products and even DIY Builds of audio equipment.

I was to be invited to be demo'd systems set up in homes that really shone, and were totally attainable as a cost and a support offered.

The rest is History, I never looked back, and was to get to a place where I was genuinely really really enjoying my Hobby.

Great post!

This was also my experience...

 I was impotent  and unable to pick the dreamed pieces of gear, unable to choose and stay happy once i did and unable to afford what i wanted...

 Then i quit reading about gear...

I read about acoustics to understand sound, i enter in modifications of gear, Tweaks, and experiments in acoustics...

I had then fun, results, and nowadays i mostly listen music satisfied... 

 I means i reached the minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold, with a 1000 bucks system (headphone+speakers/room) give me 15,000 bucks i will reach the optimal acoustical satisfaction threshold, give me 250,000 but perhaps i will need more, in these waters i had no experience but i will target the "maximal acoustical satisfaction threshold .

I could have added to give something back, especially with the hope somebody at a place I once left behind, was on a journey seeking change. I have been an exhibitor of my own system at Audio Events where I frequented to meet others not following mainstream. An event where Commercial Venture and Hobbyist hire a Hotel Room for a weekend to create their space for presenting their systems. 

I have created a room that is witnessed to be overly filled with visitors, queues have been formed to get the chance to enter. I have shared extensive conversation with those with a fledgling interest, seasoned enthusiasts and designer/producers. The 'icing on the cake' being, I have witnessed visitors to the room who had seemingly spent more than half the time of the attendance period for the Event in my room, where I played multiple tracks for them of their brought along albums.

Treating individuals with the exact same kindness I was offered when I was a sponge learning the info I carry with me today.

limomangus   Relax and enjoy what you own.

To be honest, it's impossible to relax and enjoy the music with the bad sound system. Why so many a'philes hear their system alone? It's because other family members can't stand the sound more than few minutes and they don't want to hear it never again. It's that bad. They can stand $10 MP3 players but not your expensive audio system. Do you think whose ears are wrong? Do you think you are really relaxed with your system sounds? 

You can try to relax your body with your system's sound, but your brain isn't really relaxed. You know what you go through when you listening your system.

A'philes are searching for the good sound all their lives. But you don't understand what is a true good sound since your ears are biased with bad sounds all around us. The good sound at the store isn't a good sound at your home.

The original music is an absolute reference. Don't trust your ears unless you hear the original music correctly. When your system sound closer to the original music, non-a'philes respect you and enjoy your system together. If you are an a'phile, make your system sounds close to the original music. Alex/Wavetouch audio

I spent years living as a pretty much ocd audiophiles. Massive amounts of reading and researching, going to audio dealers, attending shows, listening to other's systems, keeping audio journal (which by the way continues, although much condensed these days). Audio was a drug and I was hooked. 

Funny thing though, I'm mostly rather nostalgic about all of it, I recall mostly good things vs bad. Its only when on rare occasion I look back through the journals and see the angst in the pages I wrote do I recall the bad times.

At this point, I can say it was all worth it, right of passage for me, getting deeply involved in this hobby probably served to keep me out of trouble in other areas. Getting deeply involved in cars and motorcycles served the same purpose. Getting deeply involved in hobbies is also a great leaning experience, exercises the mind and has utilitarian purpose in that I do most of my own repairs and maintenance on all manner of things. In the audio realm I've done much diy repair and maintenance with direct help via phone from the designers and owners of equipment in my system. DIY all my electrical work, dedicated lines and optimizing whole house grounds.

At this point in life non judgemental about all manner of hobbyist, I've encountered the still obsessed ocd types, equipment churners, etc, I suppose all are fulfilling some inner need, whatever gets their rocks off ok with me.