"audiophiles listen to their equipment"

I think some of you are thinking about this way too much! Why even differentiate? 

@onhwy61 

live music is different than reproduced music

Not necessarily. I love live classical music, and I love reproduction that gets close to the characteristics of live. I know a recording engineer and musician who wrote a book on recording as a way of practicing, aimed at other musicians. He said, "Just listen to the recording the same way you listen to live music. Some engineers will tell you it's not supposed to sound like live music. Don't believe them."

@audition__audio 

I don't spend a lot of time thinking about it, but I saw it on Audio Science Review, in a post in which dozens of "engineer-types" chimed in to mock audiophiles, so I think it was worth thinking about it long enough to give an answer. Plus, it actually connects with my philosophy of listening and music-making (i.e. the sound is inseparable from the music) which is worth some time thinking about.

Everyone has their own taste. Some people like tubes, some don’t. Some people like speakers that are warm and musical while others find those same speakers to be veiled and muffled. Some people take their joy from putting together the best equipment they can while others are not so particular about that. Trying to define for someone else how they should listen to music doesn’t really work 
 

@kerrybh 

I agree. But I think the measurement-loving types who hurl this insult at audiophiles are not just criticizing someone else’s taste, but making a wrong implication about some nearly objective facts about music listening and music-making.