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

I know a lot of hi-fi enthusiasts who seem to have poor taste in music but can talk all day about their audio gear. I got into the high end audio hobby because of my love for music first and foremost, and this has done a pretty good job in guiding my decisions around what equipment to buy. Don't get me wrong, I Jones really hard on gear, but at the end of the day it's not about the gear but how great the music I love sounds on the gear I buy. I study music and learn all I can to discover new music to enjoy, regardless of the genre, but I am certain that I will not be investing in the latest Jennifer Warnes vinyl re-issues. I also wonder why Mo-Fi issued the first three Foreigner albums on vinyl. Are there really that many hard core audiophiles asking for this? There are so many great recordings that are begging for the high end vinyl treatment, it makes me wonder who these people are making decisions about what to release on these labels? I'm sure the entire Don Henley catalog is coming soon from one of these labels.
OK, I'm done ranting, but I really do want to hear what others think about this. Or is it just me? Is it about the gear or is it about the music for you?
128x128snackeyp
tmsorosk
1,013 posts
 
It's you. My midfi system turned me onto a lot of music I didn't really notice.
samhar
1,048 posts
 
" Do You Love Music or Do You Love Hi-Fi?"

Yes!!
jwglista
206 posts
 
I think that most of us, prior to getting into hi-fi, are obviously mostly concerned only with music, because we haven't experienced hi-fi. Love of music is the prerequisite for entering the world of hi-fi, but I think for many of us, the hi-fi aspect eventually takes hold too firmly, and we quickly forget why we got into the hobby in the first place.
palewin
58 posts
 
Here's a test: how many A'gon members subscribe to either Stereophile or The Absolute Sound, which are primarily about equipment, versus how many subscribe to Gramophone or another publication which is primarily about music recordings?
sonicbeauty
324 posts
 
"Good music can't be delivered without good system..."

I cannot be in agreement with this statement. Good - and great - music stays good and great no matter how you hear it.

In the car, on cheap earbuds, through shopping center el-cheapo speakers, and of course, at home on our "expensive" systems.

Good music is about ENJOYMENT. Great gear can of course help, but it is not essential to the enjoyment of music - unless you love gear more than music - (here we go again!)

I once heard Brown Eyed Girl on Bourbon Street played through crappy speakers full blast in a bar. Man, the energy and the FEELING was incredible. Good music will be crappy sound most times over bad music and terrific sound - at least for me. Your pick, Satchmo over an old Marantz with PSB speakers or Lawrence Welk over a Boulder-Wilson 100k system? (no offence about the music).
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