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

Showing 2 responses by bojack

I like to think that audiophiles can be divided into two groups -- those who love gear and like music and those who love gear and love music. I've worked with and spoken to people who have multi-K systems and can recite every spec of any piece of gear you mention, but they can't tell you about the last live performance they attended or who their favorite guitar player is and why. (This always confounds the heck out of me.) To me, music lovers have to have live music like a drug, and they make an effort to have it. There is a connection to the music that no system can replicate. People who don't appreciate live music are a minority in our hobby, thank God, but they certainly exist more than audiophiles admit.
Tmrhu, excellent point about live music and the sound levels, and that's one reason I invested in a pair of custom ear plugs (175.00 and worth 10 times that) that attenuate frequencies evenly. I refuse to hear live music without them.