Do You Love Music or Do You Love Hi-Fi?

Isn't that akin to asking, Do you love taking road trips or do you love the automobile? Can you love one without the other? I've taken 500 mile road trips in a 72 Pinto wagon, a Yamaha XS11 Special motorcycle, a 1973 Chevy pickup truck, an 83 Buick LeSabre, 97 Chrysler LHS and an 06 Toyota Avalon Limited.
I can tell you this. After discovering how nicely the 83 Buick LeSabre made the trip, I made the decision that I would have nice big comfortable cars to make those trips thereafter. They cost a little more and some may have thought I was trying to make a status statement. But all our family lives 500 miles away or more. No more butt busters for me.
In the same way, I have listened to music on just about every conceivable music system available. Some really good. Some not so good. Since music has always been a vital part of my life, why shouldn't i put as much thought and concern in my music delivery system which gives me pleasure and comfort as I do my automobiles which deliver me and my family safely and comfortably?

Artemus_5:

You missed the point. If your are into music, then there is nothing wrong or unusal with speanding a lot of time and money on equipment. But, some people, and I have known several, speand a lot of money on equipment, changing very often, and maybe purchase less than a dozen CDs or LPs. Which is everyone's right, I just don't understand the isolated attraction of stereo gear, without a corresponding interest in the function or purpose of the gear.

I love music. Sometimes, I think it is my life.

I also am fascinated my machines. I suppose that's why I make turntables. I always want to break new ground, and sometimes it works, sometimes not. In the end, however, the main passion is the music, not the equipment.

"I love music. Sometimes, I think it is my life"

Same here. I have three complete systems to ensure I am never without music in case of a failure. However I have never had a failure. I guess there is some positive aspects of sub lo-fi equipment, besides the price.

Rok2id...you mention ''I just don't understand the isolated attraction of stereo gear, without a corresponding interest in the function or purpose of the gear.''

You are only partly correct. And what is really for many the purpose of gear? It is not to hear music as a whole, but as superficial elements:

Soundstage
''Air'' around instruments
Top end
Low end
Midrange
Roll off
Balance
''driver'' integration
Sweet spot
upfront voices
Transparency
PRAT
tubelike
edgy

This is the language of the audiophile, and the above are just some of the many elements to distract from the artist performing in front of us through our system. And that's just sound.

There are even more elements concerning the gear...

Faceplates
Built-like-a-tank
tubes and tube rolling
the endless variations concerning cable

ok, enough of this.

No wonder the musical message takes a back seat. I don't want to make enemies here, but still, I would seriously doubt most of the postings claiming it is all about music. If it was, most Audiogoners would have just a few transactions to get their system rolling then stop it right there and just enjoy the music instead of enjoying the transactions and resulting ownership experience of gear.

Nothing wrong with that of course, but let's call a cat a cat!