Has audiophilia changed your music taste?

I begin to wonder if I'm kidding myself and I'd say probably no.
I mostly listen to uncommercial music that at its most times has an excellent mastering.
Thus even hearing a great recording of some country music or Christmas gospel I can only say recorded great, but as to listening I'd feel myself a complete fool to change a taste to that side or such.

Being an audiophile hasn't changed my taste in music, but has changed my appreciation for well recorded material. A good example is the latest release from Santana "Shaman." In my car, I love listening to Shaman, but at home the quality of the recording is less than appreciative.

If anything has expanded my taste in music, it's the current lack of creativity in rock. Very few of todays bands have the sustenance to produce consistently good material. Additionally, most rock recordings are compressed and their sound isn't conducive to critical listening.

Some good, honest answers here.

Obviously there seems to be two camps.

Those whose tastes were unaffected and unchanged by their venture into audiophilia, the better gear seems to have enhanced what they were already experiencing.

And those like myself, that discovered new music as part of the journey into audio nirvana.

Sugarbrie said it best.

"...companies were using specially recorded CD's to show off their gear. The performances from a musicians standpoint on many of them made my skin crawl."

I think we've all purchased "specially recorded" music in one shape or form. Every audiophile must own at least one Telarc, GRP, Concord or other "boutique" audiophile recording.

At some point we all want to see what our systems are capable of and, hence, look for a vehicle to test it...audiophile recordings. Unfortunately, many (most) of these are the most dreadfully boring, unimaginative, poorly performed recordings going. Spyro Gyra? David Benoit? Patricia Barber? Come on guys (and gals). If Patricia Barber's recordings weren't so good, I sincerely doubt that most of you would be sitting around listening to her screaching and wailing.

So I guess the short answer is yes and no. It would seem that there are two camps in this hobby. Those that love music and those that love high end audio. Those who love music seek out equipment that can serve the music best. Those who love equipment seek out "music" that serves their equipment best.

As a musician, it's easier to listen to a poorly recorded great performance than it is to listen to a greatly recorded poor performance.

-Dan

Dan- "As a musician, it's easier to listen to a poorly recorded great performance than it is to listen to a greatly recorded poor performance"

This applies to everyone, methinks, not only musicians...??

I'd further propose, as a music"phile", that a greatly recorded poor performance is bearable for a while, but a poorly recorded poor performance is instantly deadly.