What do you say to your audiophile friends who say you just listen to your equipment more

I think I'm a music lover first and I think we all are looking for the magic sound!! The gear is the vessel to get us there!!

It's all in service to the music.
A handheld transistor radio (kids, look it up) can sound like a symphony if it's all you've got.
However, if you're a gear-head just to be a gear-head, who cares....own it and let the devil take the hindquarter (as my grandmother used to tell me)

I never talk about audio with non audiophiles.If they feel like listening to music I will put on something of their favored genre and watch their reaction. "Is that a different version than I hear on the radio?"" You must have surround sound! "" Who's playing a guitar in the other room!? "

if you're a gear-head just to be a gear-head, who cares....own it and let the devil take the hindquarter

+1 @rettrussell  

I think it’s rare that someone is in this hobby only for the gear.  I’ve met many audiophiles, and while we often do get criticized about the gear we are mostly avid music collectors. If you spend as much time searching out new music as you do new gear, you don’t have a gear problem. If you spend a significant amount of money on music- to own or stream -you are a music lover! I want my music to sound real. That’s the gear part of being a music lover. I bet that describes almost everyone on this site.
Umm... I just got done ordering stuff off of discogs before I read this thread. I may have a problem...