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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?
snackeyp
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
The equipment is fun. The read about, fiddle with, ignore, hate, upgrade, change around..
Just a hobby-time waster.
The music, on the other hand, is essential to my being happy.
I tend to go in cycles over the equipment. Being interested in doing something with it besides listen.
But the interest in listening to music is very steady.
Sometimes my tastes change in the kind of music i most want to hear, but the fact remains i want to listen to music (at home)

(I HATED listening to 'muzak' if it was at work, like if some other employee(s) brought up the 'idea' of wanting to play thier FM boombox quietly. no way... I was lucky this issue seldom came up. As earbuds became the standard for those who wanted to listen to musical dreck all work day...) I preferred silence to musical crap...

So the two things are both together and separate.
I do NOT have to have perfect recording to listen.. So I am 'lucky' I can listen to tons more music than those who will only listen to audiophile quality recordings.
ladavid
67 posts
 
Was actually thinking about this question in the book store at lunch today. Was supposed to be xmas shopping but went right to audio magazine section to check out the new stereophile and then thought if I love music more than gear I really should be going to the music section first and checking out Jazz Times, or Mojo, or Grammaphone....curious I didn't and was more interested in the gear reviews in Stereophile than the new Shelby Lynn album review in Mojo. Not sure what this says other than I really do like the new Black Keys album but think I like my speakers more.
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
4,494 posts
 
I don't understand the attraction of audio gear, without a love of music. Could someone speak to that? Maybe someone could start a business selling amps, CDPs and speakers minus the electronics and drivers within. Just empty cases. That would be cheaper and they would look just as good as the real thing.
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5
412 posts
 
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?
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
4,494 posts
 
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.
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