The more you spend on gear, the more you lose touch with the music!

[microstrip]

Music and gear are hobbies. Sometimes I can spend a few weeks caring mostly about gear and room, with little listening. Other times I can spend a few weeks just listening to music. One thing is sure - a good system properly tuned makes music much more attractive and enjoyable. And for me background music is just noise!

I have other hobbies that also take part of my little free time - reading, cinema and gardening. I love it, but I am not obsessed with music.

 

[beaur]

All the money you spent; your friends they all think you're crazy.
All the time you spent; your wives they all think they married the wrong guy.

* AAA (Addictive Audio Activity)...dangerous for your entourage...and sanity, very.

So far that's not the case. Friends with the audio bug understand, and those that don't seem to want to come over and listen. They all have hobbies that cost them proportionally more than normal people!

Beau

 

[spiritofmusic]

The only upgrades that stick w/me now and that I'll spend hard cash on, are those that give me that goosebump feeling, and upon waking the next day, I can't wait to hear again. Atm, this is a full GIK acoustics treatments package that is giving me a whole new music library.
Now, if this is love of the gear rather than the music, that's a bit mixed up. But I won't deny there is a parallel buzz re the pride of ownership, and some snob factor appeal. For me, other than my 1968 classic Citroen and my SOTA crt projector AV system, my hifi and how it connects me to the music is what I have most pride of ownership in and is my max happiness provider (oops, forgot to mention the GF, sorry!).
Tbh, don't we all know sports fans who go on more about the seat/box they were in and spent big bucks on than the game itself? How many guys spend more time in their pricey seats not watching the game, but tweeting about their circumstances? Are they really enjoying the game more down to the cash they've spent to get the best situation?
But I'll still argue the giant steps I'm making twds fuller musical enjoyment justifies where I'm going w/my buying.
For me it's only about one thing. The music. And the gear !

 

[Bill Hart]

Miller: "The more you drive, the less intelligent you are."
from Repo Man

I don't think there is a correlation between money spent and the passion for, or enjoyment of, music; if I could reframe Johnny's comment, it would be that the more you get caught up in chasing the gear, and focus on that to the exclusion of enjoying the music delivered by the system, the less it's about the music. You can thank me for another blithering insight into the obvious.

bill hart

 

[bonzo75]

I am a music lover first, and sarcastic second. For other people, this order can be reversed of course.
Don't forget to mention that I'm spending money on Mooks and GIK acoustics as well.
As for those that spend a small fortune on air fares visiting systems, and endless hours getting to these demos, when they could be listening to more music, maybe they're an air travel lover rather than a music lover.
Yep, I'm on my third analog front end, my fourth digital, my fourth set of amps, and my fourth pair of speakers. Five changes of cables, third equipment rack, third power product, and jump into the grounding pool.
Recent changes are getting out of the way of the music. Maybe in the past, the gear was the object.
As the person who got me to finally buy GIKs I would hope would understand.

No because you will soon buy magnetostat. Than the SE. A music lover will be attending Bruch's violin concerto tonight. And not be on this forum. You are a gear head. I am too. Nothing wrong with that. Just for some reason you don't accept what you are.

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

a few years ago I ran some numbers on my actual spend of money on music.

it's a number north of $150k over a 20 year period. I've tried hard to just forget about it.

I've spent plenty of money on gear, but money spent on music has also been significant. and just the sheer effort and time it took to acquire the music has been monumental.

trying to infer some sort of 'correct ratio' or 'moral high ground' on spend for music as opposed to gear is just silly.

I noticed the yard was looking a little shabby, but hey I was the guest and not about to wear out my welcome before we got started!

If I had the vinyl collection you have I would never go outside either! I can only imagine the amount of time and research that went into that library. When I started poking my head around while your buddy's daughter sat in the back of the room an shook her head in pity for us, all I kept repeating in my head is, Ooohh I want to hear that, over and over. HOWEVER, in all that splendor, not a single round of Rush!

For me it's about the music first. When I find myself getting frustrated with chasing the perfect sound I make myself stop and just listen and get over it.

Some/most times its the listener getting in the way of the music, not the system.

Yes the pleasure/involvement level goes up as the system resolution goes up to be sure, but my music collection costs will always be up there with equipment costs. At this point it's way more.

 

[Rodney Gold]

I think the more you spend to optimize the room and system , the more you need to get "value" out of it and the more time you feel you should spend listening to music..
Most folk I know with high end systems are major music fanatics.
I do however know one or 3 of em that spend on the system for bragging rights more than the pursuit of the elusive eargasm.
In general , the more the system appeals to my ears, the easier it is to be emotionally moved
At some point music ownership becomes a burden.. I have in excess of 5000 albums and what with services like tidal..Im basically sorted out for the rest of my life with new stuff and old..ripped all to HD and am now contemplating giving all my Ceedees away.
Biggest thing that made me listen to MORE music was going computer audio along with it's amazing user interface.

 

[Atmasphere]

Audiophiles are a diverse group. I'm in it for the music and nothing else really matters. I'll put up with any system if its the only game in town. But I have engineering skills so I know I can make it better. I started by learning to play the piano when I was maybe three. Later in the 6th grade I took up string bass (because the orchestra had too many cellos already). At the same time my parents gave me the old family stereo which was a 3-tube AC DC thing. I got zapped on that a few times... so I had a fascination on both sides from the very beginning.

These days I play in a band (analog keyboards, space rock), run a recording studio (with an LP mastering operation no less) as well as run a high end audio manufacturing operation. So there is not much in the world of music that I have not done it seems. I have a lot of LPs... ultimately I just like to hear cool tunes- when I hear my employees playing something cool on the shop system I try to find it and get it...

But I know for others it does not work that way. We had one customer whose big deal was to horse trade audio gear. That seemed his main obsession- it was years before I ever heard him talk about a recording. He just loved to buy stuff cheap and sell high after playing it in his stereo. Not surprisingly, he runs a high end shop these days (after having retired early from his day job). Its not my gig but it works for him.

Others obsess about the LPs. I had one customer that was really into the matrix numbers of all the classical record labels of the Golden Age (1958 to 1963 if anyone is curious). He would call overseas to get original EMIs (this was back in the early 90s when classical was still going for megabux). From. A. Pay. Phone. But does he ever play the records? He has no stereo...

Literally its whatever floats your boat as they say.

 

[cjfrbw]

I am away from my main system in Pleasanton for a couple of days a week now. Love getting back to it.

It is educational to hear what some guys listen to on their mega expensive systems. Some of the music makes me blink and blanch, what's the point.

I accept that the spending and the pursuit is a variation of OC disorder, but it is a rather sublime and inspired kind of OC disorder because of the endlessly fascinating interface of art and perception. I have been around long enough to have cleared up the cost vs. value vs. sound quality side of things.

I won't disallow that there are a few of the tippy top expensive systems that are the best, however, mostly through the owner's attention to detail rather than actual costs. Some things you can do on the cheap, like isolate with bubble wrap, and some things are just going to cost if you want them or what they provide i.e. specialty transformers, tubes, power supplies etc.

 

[bgupton]

I believe this to be an accurate observation that applies to many audiophiles, but obviously not all. I honestly believe that many have lost the ability to immerse themselves into the music, and are instead focused more on the sound (detail, depth, scale, accuracy, etc.) which their system portrays. When they say that a particular recording is the ultimate, are they referring to the music or the sound? Yes, sometimes (many times perhaps) it's both. My guess it that music is only secondary and system performance is the driving theme behind their claim. I'm not saying that I am completely immune to this myself, as surely I'm not, but when I sit down for a session it is because I want to hear the artists and their creations. I would say this is 95% of the time. The only time I don't is when I've added or changed something (gear, tweaks, room changes, etc.) and I want to identify the result of that. I then make the appropriate changes (if any or if needed) and I'm done with it.

Am I off my rocker or is there some validity behind my observation?

I think we too often believe there are way more "bad" audiophiles out (e.g. those who care more about their equipment than their music) than there really is. In fact, I'd argue that the "bad" audiophile is largely a straw man we create to convince ourselves that we're "good" audiophiles.

This is not to say that we don't all go through phases where we are indeed listening more to what is going on with our system to the point where we aren't enjoying the music the way we usually do. But, in my experience, that tends to happen when there are Gremlins in the system. Typically when this happens to me, it's because there is indeed something going on with my sound. Something is causing me to not enjoy the music. It isn't just my imagination or desire to own more/better gear.

In fact, my biggest source of frustration in this hobby has been frustration due to inconsistent sound. I seem to have finally solved this with the electrical work I did recently (fingers crossed) and I'd recommend this to anyone also frustrated by inconsistently great sound.

My point, if I have one, is that it's easy to assume there are massive quantities of "bad" audiophiles out there who are obsessed with gear to the point where they aren't enjoying the sound. I mean, these forums obviously amplify the negative. I mean, a large number of posts are people trying to solve problems so it's natural to assume that we're all too obsessed with equipment and aren't enjoying the music.

In reality, I think most audiophiles are all about enjoying the music and it's only when those Gremlins rear their ugly heads where we become frustrated. I do, however, agree that the more money one spends, the more frustrated one can get at the Gremlins since we rightly believe that the money we've spent ought to have solved these problems. Truth is, most of us are probably spending too much of our money on the wrong things because it is very difficult to diagnose the root cause of the Gremlins (e.g. it's almost never our speakers, amps or other main components and more likely room setup issues or power problems).

 

[CSG]

I believe this to be an accurate observation that applies to many audiophiles, but obviously not all. I honestly believe that many have lost the ability to immerse themselves into the music, and are instead focused more on the sound (detail, depth, scale, accuracy, etc.) which their system portrays. When they say that a particular recording is the ultimate, are they referring to the music or the sound? Yes, sometimes (many times perhaps) it's both. My guess it that music is only secondary and system performance is the driving theme behind their claim. I'm not saying that I am completely immune to this myself, as surely I'm not, but when I sit down for a session it is because I want to hear the artists and their creations. I would say this is 95% of the time. The only time I don't is when I've added or changed something (gear, tweaks, room changes, etc.) and I want to identify the result of that. I then make the appropriate changes (if any or if needed) and I'm done with it.

Am I off my rocker or is there some validity behind my observation?

I think you're spot on. I find reading a few audio forums affirms my belief that most audiophiles are more about the equipment than the music.

 

[bonzo75]

Frequent posters on such forums who claim they are not about equipment are delusional. Accept your hobby and get on with it

 

[the sound of Tao]

We all go through phases. I find my focus drawn to the system when it's not easily connecting me to the music. At this point it usually relates to some system imbalance rather than necessarily a personal one... well mostly at any rate.

I do find when exercise and general wellbeing is in check the music is usually even better.

Our innate desire to improve the quality of that experience leads us in and out of balance. Chasing resolution endlessly is a tricky pathway tho. The more you reveal the more you have to deal with and the higher the risk you temporarily lose rather than gain connection to the music. We have to go occasionally off the track to find our way back to the centre again. Having holistic benchmarks especially on balance and some basic sense of big picture purpose is the ultimate test. For me this is a reflection on whether I am listening to more diverse types of music in a range of complexities and spirits and am loving the connection and the musical journey.

Even on days with an average vibe do I still want to turn the system on to hear music and does the music speak directly to me physically and emotionally, does it lift my spirits and reach into the soul. If so the path is still whole and on track.

 

[bonzo75]

I met someone yesterday who owns koetsu and lyra cartridge and has had a few, he is loaded, but for the past few years prefers to use his denon cart as it allows him to not think much and focus on the music. He is not on such forums and guys like him are really only into music, and not into gear. On a vintage EMT 927 TT, he has had Bergman, micro seiki and raven before, but gave all that up

 

[the sound of Tao]

Ked, the renouncing of the crazy hi end at times is good for the soul. It's like fasting and a cleansing diet.

Every now and then its great to just get back to basics to double check your humanity. I love the music in my car and it's just a stock v-dub set up.

Short bursts of hard core analysis when listening occasionally in system problem solving is bearable but after a day or so it does your head in. Music should also make you want to dance as much as it steals you for the listening.

 

[bonzo75]

Agreed, my point is there are some who analyse gear a lot and then claim to be here only for music, and look down on gear heads, which I find delusional

 

[GaryProtein]

The greatest variable in the perception of differing sound quality coming from your system are your ears and your state of mind at the time.

 

[microstrip]

Frequent posters on such forums who claim they are not about equipment are delusional. Accept your hobby and get on with it

I did it long ago, even before audio forums existed!

 

[andromedaaudio]

No the best gear is both well made and sounds good , i think my next hifipurchase might be a ML 32 preamplifier and some 33 amplifiers , so i will have both a solidstate and a tube system , not for the gear but for the sound

 

[FrantzM]

The greatest variable in the perception of differing sound quality coming from your system are your ears and your state of mind at the time.

+1