Observation: Passion vs Obsession

I’m on the Passession side.

Millercarbon says "  I am the furthest thing from "consumers buying things". 

Except for a Raven integrated amp, Moneoone Supernova and Nova, Krissy's RF filters, Origin Live turntable, Townshend podiums and pods and other components.

I ain't saying you aren't an educated consumer nor buying stupidly. You are on top of the intelligent purchase hierarchy(and have educated me more than anyone).... but c'mon, you're a bloody consumer my funky friend. 

It's about intelligent consumers buying worthy things. 

I hope he will still talk to me!

The meaning of consumer being here clearly understood as buying for the sake of buying, the fact you admit I am educated and buying intelligently shows you know I am indeed the furthest thing from "consumers buying things". Anyone can lapse in judgment, we let it pass. Feeling generous since I have a Strain Gauge coming.😳

Obsession = The joy is destroyed. You have sabotaged yourself by telling yourself "I have to get it". All you want are results, it serves an end.

This conclusion is not corroborated with any evidence or analysis.  It is a thought bubble conceived amongst the feeling neurons of the OPs brain who were sitting around making a bet.

There seems to be a tendency to pit music and the Hi Fi hobby against one another. IMHO they are two entirely separate entities that obviously have a relationship to each other stronger or weaker depending on the person. Many musicians love music but could care less about Hi Fi.
Hi Fi is about the sound and it does not have to be related to music. It could be related the spoken voice or various sound effects. 

Are not all hobbies obsessive? You are either into something or you are not. Everybody here is obsessed with Hi Fi or we would not be here.

For some reason egos get attached to this hobby in a way you do not see with other hobbies. Most hobbyists enjoy helping each other and you do see a lot of that here but there are too many times when discussions get adversarial. I'm not sure but I think it is because of the variety of ways to interpret issues and the frustration some of us have with the mythology perpetrated by much of the industry on unsuspecting individuals not educated in a way that allows them to interpret claims correctly. Add this to the miss-understanding of the way our central nervous systems interpret hearing and you have a serious mess. 

@millercarbon 

I never heard of a strain gauge cartridge before. Had to look it up. Looks interesting. And no phono preamp necessary...

Are you getting the Soundsmith SGC?