The Sound or Music


I listen to all genres of music but really enjoy it with good sound. I know of people who just love one particular type of music but don't care at all about audio. My late relative just loved classical music and had hundreds of good records but his system was like bad transistor radio. He had means but was not interested in better system at all. Music, for him was 99.9% and sound 0.1% of the pleasure. He was most likely missing half of instruments of orchestral music, he listened to - either by limited frequency response or very poor resolution. He was a music lover. Am I a music lover or just only an audio freak?
What about you?
kijanki
I am a realist when it comes to balancing funds between albums, cds, etc. and audio equipment. I am quite satisfied with my mid-fi setup that took me many years of piecing together. I am even more satisfied with my 7,000+ cd collection with just as many records.
The boombox to state of the art comparison is easy for me...I want the music. If you add up just my Steve Roach and Pete Namlook cds then that's already over 300 that I couldn't live without.
Synthfreek - 7000 CDs is incredible. How long are you collecting?

If you chose Boombox you are a music lover. Sadly, because people pay more attention to music producers pay less attention to quality. As long as people buy poorly recorded CDs nothing will change. Audiophiles don't represent buying power anyway but it has to start somewhere.

Mapman - Thank you.
I just turned 40 and I have been collecting cds since '87. I have sold many MANY thousands over the years though. I used to get plenty of free promos while I was running or working at record stores. Here's a video I made last year showing most of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUk8MSIn9cA
This debate is quite facinating. I have come to the conclusion that we realy don't know who we are; we only think we know. We act and then we give a reason for our actions; as opposed to having a logical thought out reason for taking them in the first place.
"Midfi" people have to accumulate music at a rapid pace because the best music quickly becomes boring on that equipment and must be replaced with something new. I know, I was once one of them.
"Highend" people, on the other hand, discover the old LP's they bought 30 years ago are brand new all over again, consequently; they have no need to rush to the record store.
Orpheus10 - You are right but it doesn't have to be LP. I listen more to violin solo CDs that I was avoiding before because sound was flat and screechy - not interesting (even annoying). I cannot separate sound from the music - it is one whole experience to me.