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Do Audiophiles really like music?

Or is this more of a hobby where they can over analyze the most minute details and spend more money to "get where they want to be". I have been in this hobby a long time now, and have been around live music for a greater part of my life. I've had a lot of equipment and have heard more systems and tweaks then I'd like to remember. But does any of this allow us to "get closer to the music", the reason we go to such lengths as most would admit. I've discovered the only thing that allows me to get closer to the music is to listen to more of it. Maybe I am growing up, or losing interest in losing even MORE hair over a hobby that's suppose to be enjoyable, but I'd rather listen to music then think of how I can improve my system.

What do you think? I briefly mentioned this in the past, do audiophiles really enjoy music, or is the music just an excuse to get better gear so they can "get closer to the music"?
tireguy
timrhu
2,779 posts
 
Diana Krall, my first SACD. Listened to it twice. Second time was to confirm original assessment. Same with Nora Jones. Patricia Barber and Holly Cole are a different story for me -- love em both.
audiotomb's avatar
audiotomb
1,112 posts
 
funny asked a friend who runs a record shop if he deals with audiophiles on a regular basis

his answer - "audiophiles? you mean those guys that pay top dollar for crappy music on MOFSL pressings"

he has a point
gbmcleod
625 posts
 

Some of us LOVE our music. And have love it long before the audiophile movement showed up, circa 1971. I’ve loved music, even on my father’s old stereo, since 1955, when I was a kid.

And I know music: writing, playing it. So, yes: it is the music I love. But if I’m not in Carnegie Hall for a symphony, the stereo helps me recreate that mood. And not just with "classical music." Motown sounds....well, not great, but still I find myself dancing in the streets (I mean, seats, as in: on the sofa). And the better the system, the more I can get lost in the music. But it DOES matter to me hearing the flutes’ musical line as distinct from the clarinets’ musical line. But if the system isn’t resolving enough? I still enjoy it (youtube is great for that)!

Audio is akin to having a ’57 Chevy (which probably won’t translate for anyone under 60). You’d spend every single weekend fine tuning it to get a tiny improvement in performance. But it was FUN, and it kept us out of trouble. Audio is the same for me.

Yes, I will make sure that the power cables and signals are not touching each other. And that the speakers are equidistant to my ears, meaning no more than 1/8" out of sync with each other. But once all the "prep work" is done, I am ready for the musical experience. It’s like getting ready for a date you can’t wait to start.

 

 

gbmcleod
625 posts
 

@kjweisner 

 

Fantastic response. And it made me smile, thinking back to sneaking peeks at Playboy in 1964, and how 'naughty' that was. 😃

kerrybh
716 posts
 

Seems like a false choice to me.I do my best to listen to music at least a couple of hours a day-replaced my cable news time with music time and that was a big quality of life improvement. I'm not ashamed to admit that I also love the gear and trying to make the best of the resources I can devote to my system.

There are lots and lots of audiophiles that likely never participate in a forum-maybe they are different. But for those of us on  Audiogon or WBF or whatever, most of us are pretty deep into the gear. Just take a random sample of forum members who have posted several hundred or several thousand times and consider the ratio of posts about gear vs music. In law enforcement, that's called a clue.

I love the music, and I love having gear that makes the music an even better experience.

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