Who has the Sickness, the Phile or the Non-phile?

@tonydennison 

I dont watch movies

Try concerts, Plex is free and they have around 10 concert channels with anything and everything such as Quincy Jones QwestTV:

https://www.qwest.tv

Qello

https://qello.com

And many more.

https://www.plex.tv/tv/

And sometimes an audiophile doesn't know that they're an audiophile.  Growing up, one of my friends in grade/ high school's dad was a stockbroker.  I think that he was earning a six figure income in 1968.  Certainly had the toys, but one thing I remember was in his study office at the back of the house he had this built in system.  The speakers were three way horns on either side of the entrance to the study(large six foot wide) with what I think were six tube amps.  I don't know any of the brands but the sound it created was fantastic.  Wide, tall, and deeeeeep.  He just liked music and never talked about the equipment.  It was so much better than anything, anyone we knew back then systems.

There may be something to this theory. I was exposed to HiFi as a young child by my biological father and some family friends. But I didn’t have a serious interest in it until I was in my teens even though my mother and stepdad had zero interest. It sometimes does feel like it’s in the genes and I see my daughter is developing some interest. There are other bizarre traits that appear to have been inherited on my father's side, like zero fear of all herpetological creatures and an appreciation of all music genres. 

It's a hobby. Different folks have different objectives. That some like to Barry details used to drive me crazy, but the fact is that we don't universally like a particular genre, are those who listen to classical snobs, those who listen to heavy metal or country knuckle dragging Neanderthals? The hobby is personal, that X thinks spending $300 for interconnects is crazy, and Y thinks $300 for ICs only buys garbage is irrelevant if $300 ICs make the buyer content. Respect the opinions of others because this is all just opinion based, and ones opinion for what pleases themselves is just fine. When it comes down to personal preference and either choice hurts no one, there is no universal right or wrong.

When did I get the passion to experience music?

Was it at a certain age and being able to experience Shellac replays owned by Parents, maybe not.

Was it as a result of being able to experience music replays on a Radio, definitely something stuck from such early experiences and still remains with myself to date. 

Was it experiencing how a Musical Encounter can impact on oneself through seeing it as a replayed happening on a TV, definitely a biggy this one, and has a great influence on my developing a interest.

Was it going out and experiencing live music being replayed of Bands I had become very influenced by and discovering New Music Encounters as a live performed music, this is substantial and possibly the most influential. This is now a lifestyle, a personality is developing and friendships are evolving through shared enthusiasm for the same attraction. Merchandise of the influential performers is being acquired and the desire to experience the merchandise replayed is a big attraction.

Replaying merchandise requires a few simple tools to get a end result, the tools at some point can become of importance and hence the pursuit of learning about audio equipment becomes a secondary interest.

I believe without any reservation, that when a intense focus has manifested on the audio equipment side of the equation, that music and the enjoyment it brings becomes a out of focus area in the individuals life. How the audio equipment is said to perform is to become much more important than the Source Material containing the recorded music.

The focus on audio equipment becomes even more deranged when individuals become solitary and have very isolated experiences with their pursuit of the equipment nirvana. There take is all that matters, and their experiences are mainly gathered as interpreting Manufacturers Sales Spiel and reviewers assessments.

This gets even more interesting when such an individual becomes in their own mind a authority not to be challenged, on the basis they are now with a unusually deep insight into how a publicly presented measurement for a audio devices designed parameters impacts on the end produced sonic.

I have learned to keep myself steered well clear of this mindset and avoid any extended communication with such types, the most basic exchanges are to me exhausting, life is way too short.

The two types that occasionally cross paths are easily defined, the following is a very basic outline.

One type really enjoys musical encounters, as a Live experience or as a Recorded Music Replay, or there is a alternative, where the music being produced means little, but the Obsession about the Audio Equipment has taken on such a controlling influence the pursuit has become extremely sapping of the individual.