Are all Audiophiles masocists?

No pain, no gain.

"Anything worth doing, is worth doing right" - Hunter S Thompson

My better half may say otherwise, but I don't consider myself a masochist on any level. If I love something I work at it. When I reach a level of satisfaction I kick back and enjoy.

Lets change the definition to "Things you pursue in your spare time." That will get that hobby/sport hick-up out of the way.
And yes, that was in nice flat Florida with a pace-line group in our cycling club ride. I did compete in an amature Crit event one time. Figured out real quickly how dangerous that was and never did it again. Also did some time-trials. But that’s basically you and the clock.

Its still nothing to do with it. Willing to bet that however many road miles he rode not one was racing. Every racer knows average speed has nothing to do with it. They all cross the line with the same average speed. Sometimes depending on the race the group even gets the same time. Only one however wins. Racers know this. Well the ones who have actually crossed the line first anyway.

Sounds like a Ray Stevens song - Mr. Hobbiman

People need to just slow down a bit sometimes and smell the roses. 

Sport vs Hobby? A sport is when you participate in organized competition. A hobby is when you do something for the love of it. Not organized competition and not professionally. I.E. pretty sure drag racing a car at test and tunes is not a sport. It’s a hobby.
knotscott: I bought a Bob’s CNC router last month mainly to build speakers. Lots of my hobbys bleed into each other. So for woodworking... I’m already there.
Also into photography. First camera was an OM2n. In fact combining hobbies, I am building drones with photographic capabilities now. So I have that covered. But no boats. Growing up in FL everyone else had one so I didn’t need one.
And actually my best century was at 22.3mph. That’s really not competitive professionally. Not bad for a hobby though!

Yes honey .... the only thing good enough that I can't upgrade is you 🙄 See if that work's. 😄

You still have woodworking, photography, and boating to try! Lots of rabbit holes to go down with all of those! :-D

Maybe you are not me and most Audiophiles.Good luck though.

Isn't that part of the definition of hobby?

bullitt5094, those are sports not hobbies but they take up time just the same. Sometimes I think audio is a sport as it does seem at times we are competing with each other. It is that competitive streak that runs in us that is the problem. We can't just enjoy the ride. We have to get there first. 
I think just like vanity your competitive instinct gets whittled way until you lose it completely, just an effect of aging. I cycle with my wife and we do some very challenging rides like the Mortirolo and Stelvio passes. Just getting to the top is a victory. Nobody is racing. I love woodworking. The drive is to do things better and conquer difficult constructs. 
I have noticed that audiophiles tend to be very active, involved people. Perhaps we are using music as our tranquilizer of choice, our way of putting on the brakes or keeping us grounded. We know for a fact that people who listen to music daily live longer. This is an interesting association. Is it just the music or the fact that many of us also are very active, or that as a group our diets are better? Are we better educated? Perhaps it is all of these. Are we intentionally trying to hurt ourselves?
I do not think so. Some of us just like "better." Some of us are trying to one up the other guy. Most of us love music. The only time I hurt myself is when I get burned by the soldering iron and trust me on this one, I do not do it intentionally:)