Why do some think "music" (not gear, trading, etc.) is the ultimate end?

I've always been pretty meticulous and particular when auditioning new equipment for purchase. I do so to avoid buyer's remorse about installing equipment into my system that doesn't provide the sonic benefits or improvements I was expecting. Though I can appreciate that some people love the thrill of trying out something new, auditioning equipment by doing A/B testing and having to switch equipment in and out of my system is frankly a pain in the butt for me. But, I continue to do it every so often when I make a change to my system. My philosophy on getting new equipment is do it once, get it right, and move on.

With equipment in place that sounds good to me, hearing both music I know and new music provides me with both the enjoyment and novelty that I seek. As an example of my preferences and typical equipment purchase pattern, high quality music streaming has been a revelation for me and is motivating me to build a new digital front end to play streaming music at least decently well. I've never owned a great CD player, but the ability to listen to tens of thousands of new artists via Qobuz streaming is a radically different and valuable new experience for me. Some people may be most excited by getting and trying new equipment; I am motivated by listening to music reproduced more insightfully. I wouldn't claim that one is better than another...we are all wired differently.

@hilde45- I think thread has transcended the usual banter here, and asked some hard questions about the "why" of it-- our universe, small as it may be within the world at large, offers a huge number of paths to pursue.
To me, the issue is exposure. To music, to systems, and the process of learning. I was struck by a book I happened on while killing time in Boston one day, called "The Perfect Wrong Note." It’s really a meditation on why musicians are taught by rote and calls into question how music is learned by students, suggesting that a player who has a tendency to play a wrong note can learn from that experience. It’s a little "zen" but a worthwhile read.
I started in this hobby’s first (or second, depending on how you count it) golden age- in the late ’60s when solid state was replacing tubes and records were still a mainstream medium. Even at that time, there was a tier of equipment that was priced beyond what most could afford, but promised a level of performance that was revelatory. Much was promoted in the U.S. by Harry Pearson of The Absolute Sound fame, and in a slightly more grounded way by J. Gordon Holt, of the original Stereophile. (There were many magazines available at the time, some quite good, that offered more technical articles as well as consumer fodder for the casual or aspirational reader). The goal, as it was stated at the time, was to assemble something that resembled real music and short of that, something that accurately reproduced the recording.
The first goal is almost impossible in my experience. It works best with small scale stuff, not full orchestras and with fairly simple, uncluttered musical passages. In my experience, a lot of systems suffer some form of congestion when things get busy or complex and the illusion of "real" falls down.
The alternative, being true to the recording, is equally elusive. Few of us have had the opportunity to sit in on an actual recording session and compare it to the resulting recording, particularly after it has been mixed down and made available as released product. (Listening to playback in the booth over studio monitors from the rolling tape-- and here I date myself-- isn’t the same as listening to the record). And a lot of records sound good not because they are made simply- to the contrary, there is a fair amount of studio gimmickry that goes into making something that sounds "natural."
Jules Coleman, who was a professor of jurisprudence (the philosophy of the law) wrote some interesting things before he retired, one of which questioned the primacy of "accurate" reproduction as a false ideal. I refer to him here only because I think he tries to unravel an assumption most of us have about the role of accuracy in hi-fidelity reproduction: [url]https://thevinylpress.com/listening-to-recorded-music-a-rumination/[/url]
Coming back to the choice of paths, there are many-- with the current plague, we aren’t free to visit showrooms, people’s homes or take in live shows, but that will pass. Listening to as many different systems as possible is not only revealing of strengths but of weaknesses of various systems and that’s instructive too.
We used to have audio clubs, which do still exist in a few cities in the States and perhaps abroad, but much of the kibitzing is now done on chat boards like this, rather than in person. (We didn’t necessarily accomplish much at this meetings, apart from whatever the featured demonstration was-- it was largely a social thing, a chance to swap records, and casually chat and see folks that shared a common interest). The Internet has many advantages, one being worldwide reach and the ability to find things that are not readily within your immediate circle, geographically or socially, but it does have a certain flatness to it, compared to meeting in person.
I know of no one who is expert in all the things associated with our hobby- there are so many niches just to Western music alone that one could devote one’s life just to the study of one performer or composer (not an entirely uncommon thing).
I guess, at bottom, my point is that if you are just really starting out in this hobby, the best thing you can do for yourself once this Covid thing passes is to get out there and experience as much as you can-- by way of prerecorded music, live performances, attendance at seminars, trade shows (a good place for the audio minded to socialize and meet some of the manufacturers). I was never particularly skilled at mechanical and engineering things, so that’s another deep dive. I can read technical papers with some modest understanding and ask questions of people with more knowledge than I have. 
You could look at it as acquisitiveness, but the acquisition of knowledge, rather than "things." (Though I have lived life as an ardent materialist and still have a substantial record collection). Indeed, that takes us to yet another branch, the collection of recordings, which is yet another aspect of this hobby or overlaps with it. And is itself a vast subject, with many different niches of knowledge.
I treat all of this as an adventure at this point, given my stage in life- I’m retired, my systems are relatively mature, and I have the time to explore and learn. It’s hugely rewarding and I wish the same for you.
regards,
Bill Hart

@whart Thank you for your eloquent post, and the reference. I’m wanting to write about the experience of listening in an age of technological distraction from the point of view of philosophy, so this is an important thread on which I can pull. My question here is meant to elicit statements which may limn the different value systems people bring to the hobby. In part, it helps me reflect on the excitement and curiosity I still feel for the gear, even though my system is assembled. (E.g. "Why do I still care about the gear? I'm done!" That kind of question.) 

@musicfan2349
It seems in your experience, you found something that was most important of all. 

I would really have loved to been in that room with you for that 2112 spin I'll tell ya.

@hilde45-- You are asking a question that I’m not capable of answering-- it seems to deal with psychology to a large degree. Why are some people deeply engaged by a pursuit and others only have a passing interest? I’m excluding the "I’m not interested at all" but instead focusing on why one person may shop for a stereo, learn enough or rely on advice of friends or a salesperson and be done with the pursuit, happy to utilize the equipment ---as in your example of a toaster-- (I have yet to find a good one these days), where others get bitten by the bug and really do a deep dive into the particular field where it becomes a hobby or passion.
I think in many past threads we’ve already excluded attention getting as a factor-- having a cool car as a poseur is certainly an easier way to attract attention than "wanna hear my stereo?" So, in some ways, the analogy to cars, and perhaps to other hobbyist pursuits fails. (Most car guys I knew were hardcore enthusiasts, not
poseurs, and a lot were capable of turning a wrench).
I suspect it has something to do with a passion that gets fulfilled. There was a guy who collected model trains- his entire basement in Pasadena was walls of enclosed glass shelves with various trains, along with a large model railroad set up. I doubt he did this to attract a mate, or draw attention to himself. There was some need that this fulfilled. Perhaps somebody qualified to speak to this aspect of the human experience can offer insight. I tend to go overboard on most things I do-- it’s sort of my nature if something draws my attention enough.
Of course, there are many things about which I’m completely ignorant. I enjoyed watching Queen’s Gambit knowing I can’t remember even the basics of chess.
My interest in music goes back to my earliest years. I can read, and play but these days rarely do so; I was involved in the industry but at a remove (as outside counsel) and do like gear. So, I can answer the question for myself. But, for others? I think we wind up back at the personal history/background/exposure thing-- and truth be told, both my profession and my interest in this hobby happened to coincide because of my fascination with music. I heard music in my head that I wanted to play but I never considered myself gifted in the way some musicians are--and if you asked them, I’m not sure they could give you a clear answer as to their prowess. Their ability to express themselves came through the music itself (though some are quite articulate).
Not sure most of this is on point, but it’s kind of hard to sum up humanity, passion and creativity in an Internet post. It’s an elusive thing--and one that is endless in the sense that a creative person is always looking forward until they reach an age where they are unable to call upon their gifts anymore. (I had the pleasure of hearing Glenn Campbell on that Goodbye Tour or whatever it was called and it was apparent that he wasn’t all there mentally, but he still had the muscle memory-- his playing was inspired). Sorry to leave this on a bittersweet note- but we all only have so much time-- and that may be a driver of passion too-- the knowledge that all of us are mortal and can only have so much time and energy to pursue whatever it is that makes life worthwhile.