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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

Showing 3 responses by sarcher30

sarcher30
596 posts
 
Most people get into Hi-Fi because they love music and they want to hear it reproduced as well as possible. I don't understand why anyone would do it for any other reason. If someone has another reason they do this please enlighten me.

Can someone love music and not care to hear it at its best? Of course. Can someone dislike music but want to hear it at its best? Maybe but would you listen to that music on a regular basis because the sonics are good? I know I would not.

Sean
sarcher30
596 posts
 
Tubegroover,

I agree some people overlook the rooms contribution but it is not feasable to move to a better room or improve the room in some cases. It is possible to improve a sub optimal rooms sound by changing your gear to suit the room. That does not necessarily mean they need more expensive gear just more appropriate gear for their room.

Unfortunately it is hard to tell what gear is right without some trial and error. But it is possible to get great sound in a lesser room if you choose well. Will it be as good as a good system in a good room? No, but some people do not have that option.

Sean
sarcher30
596 posts
 
Tubegroove,

I agree that if you're into large scale music a large room is the way to go. I also agree that it is worth the investment. I'm just saying that if it's not in your budget or there is no possiblity for expansion it's not the end of the world.

As for knowing when to stop upgrading and just enjoy the music that will be different for everyone. I personally am quite happy with my system and have had my current speakers for almost 4 years. I have no desire to change anything downstream of my turntable. I also don't really need to change anything in my vinyl setup but I am not done exploring what is possible with analog.

Sean
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