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Love the gear (or listening to it) as much or more than the music? Sacrilege!

Back when I was in graduate school, an Art History doctoral student and I used to go to the art museum together. We saw some amazing paintings. But she was just as interested in their frames or their lack thereof.

In audiophile circles, in my limited experience, the drum that beats is always the same — "Remember, this is about the *music*." Or, "Too many audiophiles forget that the real goal is the enjoyment of music." Etc. There's also a variant — "Too many audiophiles are just listening to the gear, not the music." The finger only wags in one direction.

So...while no one would ever assert that it's ok to *only* love the gear (or listening to the gear, mainly), I wonder how many would be willing to admit that they love the gear as much or even more than the music? Is that something you have ever heard someone admit — or have admitted yourself? Because sometimes the music is pretty ugly and the gear is pretty beautiful.
128x128hilde45
justmetoo's avatar
justmetoo
381 posts
 
"Form follows function" comes to mind.

Looking at 'ugly' gear does not help really to enjoy music, - in my estimate.
I'd find it as distracting as an ugly frame on a beautiful picture. 

As another example, beautiful crafted e.g. wind surfing gear, in my experience, always worked better (for me) than ugly gear.
As a rule, what looks good, works well. 👍 

Ugly = low quality, essentially... no? 
(Must read 'Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance' again.) 

However... "De gustibus non disputandum est" 😅 

So... there seems always this subjective/romantic element involved.

Some say e.g. 'Boulder' (and Levinson?) gear is sounding cold (soulless?) - yet in my estimate it is exquisitly crafted...
Actually once had the opportunity to visit the Boulder factory and see the care and dedication involved - yet certainly very high tech compared to a point-to-point manual soldering process of some highly priced e.g. Japanese equipment. 

... will 'ugly' music*) sound better to ones ears, coming from 'beautiful' gear?!? 

*) I'm thinking here of e.g. Bela Bartok's Violin and Piano oeuvres... or some way out and totally dissonant 'free Jazz'...

Not even the most amazing gear would help me to find its -quality-, to suffer it for more than a short while. Really. 

So your doctorant friend can be understood perhaps, appeciating rather a frame than the picture, or simply commenting on its absents on some others? 

Personally, I just don't suffer 'ugly' easily, though age, by necessity, makes one more tolerant, methinks...
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,211 posts
 
I am not sure if my wife has understood me when I have said to her that I love my music like I love her....Because I need the 2...But she accept it...

I am pretty sure that she will not understand at all if I said to her now that I love my audio system like I love her....Because I need the 2....


:)

«I can drink my wine in any glass, for sure I prefer crystal one» -Groucho Marx

isochronism
2,893 posts
 
The end justifies the means. The music is the ultimate intended goal. The gear is an interesting journey to the destination.
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hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
5,164 posts
 
If your kitchen radio could make it sound like there were musicians in the room with you, would you miss having the system that you do? If the answer is yes then you are not 50-50, you are closer to 100/0.
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