You know you have audiophile system when...

@wyoboy - Sounds like you got a good deal and a solid value.

If I had it to do over I'd have gone with Golden Gate as a first step and then would upgrade to the Sydney.  The first step was an inexpensive step to prove to myself that upgraded interconnects would make a difference in my system.

I think of the attitude people have about High Fidelity along similar lines as the attitude some Americans have about the education of their kids. Some people think that they should have a say as to what their children will be taught. But those same parents often want their children to be "better educated" then they were themselves. So what if the parents are ignorant and under educated? We all can always learn more about audio and more about the world. Why draw limits? I would like to learn MORE about audio and MORE about the world.

A music lover uses audio equipment to listen to his recordings. An audiophile uses recordings to listen to his audio equipment!

@whitefishpoint1175 

This is a quote from Allan Parsons, and he was wrong when he originally said it, and the quote is still wrong now.

First of all, there is a "no true Scotsman" fallacy in there. As well as a false dichotomy.

Of course, there are a small subset of audiophiles who do care more about the sound of the equipment, than the music. But why should anyone care if that is how they get their enjoyment from their systems?

But the vast majority of audiophiles that are ’music first’ audiophiles.

The vast majority of my listening, I couldn’t care less about the gear. I just listen to the music.

But this doesn’t mean, there are other times, for a couple hours every couple of weeks, that I can’t have loads of fun, just paying attention to the gear, playing ’approved’ audiophile recordings, tweaking my system, etc. And not paying to much attention to the music itself.

So, by the above (bogus) definition of audiophile and music lover, I guess I switch between the 2 on a regular basis. But I always consider myself an audiophile AND a music lover.

I hate the tag Audiophile. Who coined the phrase?

It’s all about musical entertainment, nothing more, nothing less.

@bobpyle 

The term was coined in 1951, and I think it is a perfectly fine term.

Sure it is all about the music first. But that doesn’t mean the gear is not also fun as hell.

I guess audio enthusiast is synonymous, which I am also fine with.

But just because someone is an audiophile, does not mean that the music does not come first.

@simonmoon Agree it's just fine and right in line with what you've said.  Broken down into its Latin and Greek roots audiophile simply means a "lover of sound"--doesn't mean " lover of sound equipment"...Although reasonably good equipment is generally necessary to make that sound as close to live as possible, being an audiophile does not mean you must own high-end gear.