The problem of my constant upgrading, is that I may never be able to get back to the point of listening to music PURELY for itself without adulterating it with the scourge of “good sound.”
Very sad.
Very sad.
Why do some think "music" (not gear, trading, etc.) is the ultimate end?
A recent thread spurred a debate about the word "audiophile." Again. It went round and round in the usual ways.
What I don't understand is why so many take for granted that loving music is superior to loving gear. Or that gear is always -- and must be -- a mere *means* to music, which is the (supposedly) true end.
But if you stop and think about it, why do we love music? It gives us enjoyment.
Isn't that why people love gear? The enjoyment?
Or even, to push the question, buying, selling, changing gear? That's for enjoyment, no?
So, it raises the difficult question: Why do some think that "music" as an "enjoyment" is better than "gear" or "shopping, buying, selling, trading"?
Not everyone believes this, but it is the most prevalent assumption in these discussions -- that "love of music" is the end-which-cannot-be-questioned.
So, while music is the largest end I'm personally striving for, I do realize that it's because it brings me enjoyment. But the other facets of the hobby do, too. And I'm starting to realize that ranking them is an exercise but not a revelation of the "one" way everything should sort out. It's all pretty subjective and surely doesn't seem like a basis on which I could criticize someone else's enjoyment, right?
What do you think? On what grounds do you see it argued that "music" is a *superior* or *ultimate* end? Whether you agree or not, what reasons do you think support that conclusion?
What I don't understand is why so many take for granted that loving music is superior to loving gear. Or that gear is always -- and must be -- a mere *means* to music, which is the (supposedly) true end.
But if you stop and think about it, why do we love music? It gives us enjoyment.
Isn't that why people love gear? The enjoyment?
Or even, to push the question, buying, selling, changing gear? That's for enjoyment, no?
So, it raises the difficult question: Why do some think that "music" as an "enjoyment" is better than "gear" or "shopping, buying, selling, trading"?
Not everyone believes this, but it is the most prevalent assumption in these discussions -- that "love of music" is the end-which-cannot-be-questioned.
So, while music is the largest end I'm personally striving for, I do realize that it's because it brings me enjoyment. But the other facets of the hobby do, too. And I'm starting to realize that ranking them is an exercise but not a revelation of the "one" way everything should sort out. It's all pretty subjective and surely doesn't seem like a basis on which I could criticize someone else's enjoyment, right?
What do you think? On what grounds do you see it argued that "music" is a *superior* or *ultimate* end? Whether you agree or not, what reasons do you think support that conclusion?
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- 119 posts total
The OP’s question is a very valid one. Continuing my last post, I realize that occupying so much time and effort on improving your system, it’s practically impossible to ignore it while listening to your music. It inevitably worms it’s way into your consciousness (or unconscious) rendering concentration on the music only partial. If you can let that not happen, more power to you. I can’t! |
Mmm, now that's an interesting and compelling comparison....the pursuit of excellence in cooking vs. the reproduction of ones' music...*s*... One is the daily need for sustenance...basic through luxurious. The other, a need to feed a different form of hunger that also has its' own span of satiation....;) Both exhibit a 'range' of means towards their ends: -Cooking over an open fire, the fare suspended on a green stick....to a 'full boat' kitchen, with the 'hi-end' stove, fridge, utensils, et al... -The bedside clock radio 'kick-starting' ones' day through the monoblock amps driving 2001 monolith-scaled speakers, the entire affair rivaling the cost of a very well-appointed Mercedes....*L* Both fill a need....but existence precedes essence. One can live without music, after all. A somewhat bleak future to contemplate in a dystopian someday, but I suspect even the most jaded audiophile stripped of the 'mega-system' would pick up sticks and tap out a rhythm to scratch the itch while bbq'ing the days' catch.... "Life Before the Comet" hits the Top Ten of Fireside Chants....coming to a drum circle near you! *wry chuckle* It all started out that way, after all....and I find contemplation of When The Music Started.... and Why....interesting on multiple levels... When did the sound of rocks and sticks with early versions of 'raps' and yowls give way to...perhaps something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRg_8NNPTD8 ...sans the amplification, of course....;) Obviously, the emotional 'drive' to create and experience 'music' has deep roots within the human experience, considering that it's existence is pretty universal....at least, on this tiny rock in the void.... ...and the noise kept the wolves away....*G* All in fun, J |
I am not sure why the angst over the original question. For me it is simple. If I had to choose between hearing the music I love on a less than optimal system, vs having to listen to music that I dislike on a great system, I'd pick the former every time. Fortunately I don't have to make that choice, and certainly I enjoy how great gear enhances that music. Now, if there really are people that appreciate great gear but don't like music, I am not going to stop them, although I would be puzzled by their choice |
- 119 posts total