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Do Audiophiles really like music?

Or is this more of a hobby where they can over analyze the most minute details and spend more money to "get where they want to be". I have been in this hobby a long time now, and have been around live music for a greater part of my life. I've had a lot of equipment and have heard more systems and tweaks then I'd like to remember. But does any of this allow us to "get closer to the music", the reason we go to such lengths as most would admit. I've discovered the only thing that allows me to get closer to the music is to listen to more of it. Maybe I am growing up, or losing interest in losing even MORE hair over a hobby that's suppose to be enjoyable, but I'd rather listen to music then think of how I can improve my system.

What do you think? I briefly mentioned this in the past, do audiophiles really enjoy music, or is the music just an excuse to get better gear so they can "get closer to the music"?
tireguy
gammajo's avatar
gammajo
849 posts
 
I am a musician of sorts but when I play I am often distracted by monitoring how well I am playing (piano), therefore I like to relax and listen as someone else performs. But when I go to live concerts I often have to contend with unskilled performances, people coughing and opening up candies etc. Though I admit many times live performances bring me to tears of joy.
Which brings me to listening at home, at night when everybody else is asleep. On good gear I can really get into it. The audiophile part of it comes in becuase it is exciting to hear an improvement and then be blown away with more treasures of detail and dynamics found within the music collection that I already own. I personally dont have much trouble shifting between music lover and sound analyst. Years will go by as a music lover and then there will be a flurry of equipment focus for awhile, then back to music lover.
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robm321
932 posts
 
What else do we listen to on our 2 channel systems? I didn't put this expensive money trap together to listen to books on tape??
mdhoover
695 posts
 
I enjoy the music a lot, but am extremely picky about getting it to sound right to my ears.*
*Footnote: For example, it bothered me a lot when I heard speakers that sounded better than what I had. BEFORE hearing those, my own speakers sounded fine. AFTER hearing those, I got upset and eventually went on an upgrade binge to get where I am now, which is near perfection (for me).
cdc
1,929 posts
 
Once you get an ear for critical listening, how do you turn it off? Everywhere I go - shopping mall with violinist playing through Bohlender Grabner 6 foot ribbons or town meeting with speaker going through crappy mic - all I hear are peaky highs, mic reverb, sibilance, and on and on. What happened to just enjoying the music? Can't put the Genie back in the bottle as Don Henley said.
It's a continuum. With a clock radio all there is is music. The higher the resolution you start hearing the sounds (listening to the system or quality of the recording) more and more and it's harder (for me at least) to hear the music.
Still, it can happen when all I focus on is the music. I enjoy music immensely with Curve's "Cuckoo" CD. It has a song "Unreadable Communication" which is absolutely surreal musically. Curve knows music.
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