How do you negotiate a cure for wrong audio view

One thing that prompted this thread was another thread entitled somerhing like "how do I get off the merry-go-round". The use of the word 'hobby' also factors in. Is it a hobby? Is it an art? Where is the line?

My personal opinion is that music is spiritual and not material, despite the physics. It is mind to mind, and mind is not dependent on brain. My 2 cents.

Thanks,
Dave

Reylon, it's very interesting that you should place "color, or harmonic complexity" at or near the top of the list of requirements. I had not thought about it, but this quality is what my systems have gained through numerous swaps and upgrades and it is probably fair to say that's what I'm looking for. I had thought that detail was most important to me, but you lead me to believe it may not be so.

You can equate this hobby with others. I know people that are into cars (hot rods, or other fast cars). They spend great amounts of time and money tweaking their hot rods.

Well, our stereos are our hot rods...and our sound rooms, are our garage.

I agree, it's about the music....but for many, it's about the other parts of the hobby too.

If you don't want a hot rod?....you don't need to invest as much?....you nan still have a nice car (stereo in this case). Point A to point B, is good enough.

Dave

Dave

Chashmal, I understand your perspective and agree with it in part. I was a music lover long before I was an audiophile. But, when I'm listening, I'm not confused about the objective. I really have not experienced this problem.

The thing is, there are many who really, really are fascinated by the gear, and assembling/tweaking it. I'm one, and I buy it to see how it differs from other gear, and take it apart (sometimes) to see how it works. I enjoy this as a hobby. IMHO, there's nothing slightly problematic, much less sad about that. (ok, insert your geek, or propeller head joke here). Maybe I don't see the problem, because I don't see playing with my hobby (the gear) as a distraction from "appreciating the art". When I'm listening, I am listening.

The fact is for some, Gear will indeed MAKE YOU HAPPY!

And, for those who don't like gear because it interferes with your listening experience, well, you should just get off the merry-go-round.

I think it is highly doubtful that audiophiles can ever reconcile the audiophile and the music lover within themselves. Having said that, I believe the audiophile and music lover functions within our minds are a continuum rather than a static function. Therefore, some may be more audiophile than music lover, and vice versa. These predelictions are also subject to change over time, ie. we can become more or less an audiophile or music lover over time (either short term or long term).

I think we audiophiles have to accept this conflictive process within our minds, only then can we learn to accept both of our natures. You need to feel free to be the music lover or audiophile, not muck it up by feeling guilty about audiophile concerns while listening as the music lover, or vice versa. If you listen with this attitude perhaps you can relax your mind enough to let it go where it will go. You take your chances this way, an audiophile listening session when you planned on being a music lover, a music lover on a night you intended to listen as an audiophile.

I now listen with this attitude, it helps me be more relaxed about things. I still have frustrating listening sessions, especially when introducing something new into my system, but I now also have more listening sessions with the music lover in control of my mind.