I lately wonder why I’m an Audiophile.

Food for thought, you can be an obsessed audiophile and still enjoy the music as it is and always will be about the music and the pleasure it brings to our troubled minds. Enjoy the music

Could it be that you have reached nirvana . Seriously though, I think you are right. It's about percentage. How faithful and realistic the sound has to be to transport you to a domain where you can enjoy the music without asking for more realism? Maybe that "place" is different for different people. Enjoy it.

In addition to yourself, who else has labeled you “audiophile?”  You might be the only member of your club, in which case you are more than entitled to create endless meaningless distinctions.  Carry on, sir.

You don't have to obsess over sound quality to be an audiophile.  If you care about good sound and work on a system to provide good sound, you're an audiophile, no matter what level your system is at.

You're back on the right track now. Audiophilia is about enjoying music, so keep on enjoying!

Any pursuit can become an obsession.  Now that you know that watch out for it and stop yourself before a different pursuit becomes a problem.  You can do a lot worse than obsessing over sound.

Listening to sound qualities of one's carefully curated system should be enjoyable, I don't feel the need to ignore it, I also very much enjoy the music. Perhaps its a learned skill to happily allow both listening modes to coexist. The only times I'm able to completely ignore sound quality is when listening to my mid fi work system and car systems. While I''m content listening to mediocre or lesser systems I derive much more pleasure from my audiophile system, the added bonus of fine sound quality adds much to my pleasure. 

I was exactly as the OP  but with no budget devoted to audiophilia save very low cost...

I learned acoustics and many "tweaks"...

i am lucky in a way, if i had money i will had bought a very costlier system, i would had learn nothing  and i will waiting with  my 50,000 bucks system to be upgraded by a 100,000 bucks one...

Now after learning i am in heaven with a low cost system (1,000 bucks) ...

 Acoustics knowledge rule audio  not prices...

Don’t overthink it. Just do it! 

With the endless music availability through streaming, there’s no shortage of well recorded music. Good stuff. 

Allow me to use Zen Buddhist notion to describe three stages of perception or understanding.

At first, seeing a mountain is just seeing a mountain; seeing water is just seeing water.
Later, seeing a mountain is no longer seeing a mountain; seeing water is no longer seeing water.
In the end, seeing a mountain is once again a mountain; seeing water is once again water

I think you are in the second stage and, depending on the individual, it may take you another year, three years, or even ten years to reach the final stage - or perhaps never. 

Climb every mountain……

That sounds good.

On average my upgrade cycles are about seven years apart. In between I enjoy the music. Often being struck and / or getting chills from how incredible great the sound / music is on a daily or at least weakly basis. I can’t tell you how many times after a listening session going up to talk to my partner and exclaiming how incredible my system sounds... This has been going on for four years now, since my last upgrade..  

If you a not finding your system incredibly engaging... so it is  difficult to turn off and go do something else. You may still have work to do. It’s easy to put a system together that sounds very good.... it is another thing to put together one that is deeply emotionally engaging. A highly detailed, but dry sounding system will sound great for a while, then you'll loose interest. An emotional engaging one will be difficult to tear yourself away from after several hours of listening. 

In my experience if the basic piece of gear are well chosen for synergy, if you do not enjoy music enough to forget sound it is because you lack  an element or many elements  or miss a factor or many one...

It could be mechanical, electrical or acoustical...

Price has nothing to do with pure musical and  good sound experience...

 Any system at any price must be optimized...

And no factor can replace the other factors at play... At any price...

For example controlling vibrations or the room will not replace equalization, or a too higher noise floor... This is true for my 1000 bucks system as well as for a 100,000 bucks system...

I enjoy music without being bothered by sound defects...I control them if they manifest ...I dont suffer upgraditis at all like in this era 12 years ago  before i learned what to do...

i then go from one joy to the next with the same system/room from one optimization to the next if there is one which seems possible or necessary  at peanuts costs...

@ghdprentice 

You are so right. An engaging system is quite desirable to listen to music. Luckily my CJ  preamp provides the warmth that blends with highly revealing other components to produce a very pleasurable result.  Even so, that is not the ultimate goal.of my listening, which is to be fully engaged in the music itself.
 

I got to a point several years ago where two very good, but different, systems have been fully optimized to reach their potential. I spent the last twenty or so years curating a very large record collection, which I found rewarding in several respects: first, I opened my ears to music that would not have crossed my path when I was stuck in listening to audiophile spectaculars; second, I learned a lot about label histories, and the stories behind a lot of records that were not on everyone's radar. And in the process, I learned more about music--not just from a technical or musicological perspective, but what scratches my itch- I can go from free jazz to "proto"-metal to disco to funk and popular music and find threads in all of it that appeal. Yes, there is considerable variation in sonics, but my mainstay is the "common" LP, not some special "audiophile" release. It's been a great learning experience and an adventure-- a process of discovery that no matter how many hours I devote to it, fills me with a sense of wonder -- the musicians, producers, sidemen (and women), the recordists, mixers, mastering engineers and all the people that contribute to these recordings give me a sort of faith in humanity that is restorative and feeds my soul. May you be blessed with the same sense of joy and wonderment at whatever music moves you.

Expense for added fidelity but small gains for much more monies after you  spend over $60 k on up  from my experiences  if  streaming for an extras few grand 

you can even improve so so recordings.

One of the beautiful things about being an audiophile is that, it’s like when you go to Burger King, you get to have it your way.  Happy listening.      

I no longer care about music, but I still like gear. Looking at it when it's just sitting there is enough generally as I like quiet and it really makes the tubes last if you don't use them.

I almost never do critical listening anymore. My humble system is now an over-priced Echo streaming device.

@sns    +1   Spot On!

@wolf_garcia - 

After retiring, I soon figured out that spending too much time listening to music is detrimental to other aspects to life.  Find something else for a couple days of the week.  I volunteer some time to a local nonprofit.  Just being away for a day or so makes you appreciate what you have.

I have a single night set aside each week for five hour or so listening session, never listen casually. These days all streams or cd rips, let Roon randomly choose from my huge library either from within specific genres or from entire library. Random play means only one track per album  played, the variety in sound staging, resolution, transparency, tonality, timbre, dynamics, etc. is incredible, can't imagine NOT being attentive to this. I'm also not particular about ultimate sound quality of recordings, I'm open to pretty much anything. While I maintain awareness of all these qualities in regard to sound I mindfully maintain a non-judgmental perceptive listening state.

I believe the key to maximally enjoying one's system for both the music and sound is found in turning off the prefrontal cortex of brain where judgment is primarily located. Simply acknowledging these sound variables rather than evaluating and analyzing is key to a relaxed state of listening. I do like some of the previous allusions  in this thread to Buddhist philosophy, lessening desire allows one to see things as they really are, analyzing, comparing, evaluating comes from the wellspring of desire. Relax your mind, let the sound and music flow, you'll be a much happier audiophile.  

I was a poor audiophile in my 20s and 30s.   Pretty much coasted for 35 years and taken up the addiction for the last 5 years or so.  The one constant is the music.  And struggling with a buzzing cable in my home office.  The music brings back fond memories and soothes my nerves at night.  Much healthier than watching cable news.

@sns 

Wonderful post!  

I agree exactly with every thing you said.

Congratulations!

I have always listened to music.  Whether it was AM on a tube clock radio to my current system.  When I’m in the car, I don’t expect the same quality sound as my home rig,  but I tap my toes just as much as. 😁

Simply acknowledging these sound variables rather than evaluating and analyzing is key to a relaxed state of listening. I do like some of the previous allusions  in this thread to Buddhist philosophy, lessening desire allows one to see things as they really are, analyzing, comparing, evaluating comes from the wellspring of desire. Relax your mind, let the sound and music flow, you'll be a much happier audiophile. 

Members over the course of the past year have alluded to this state of listening which mirrors aspects of meditation - acknowledging and letting go of passing thoughts and observations, staying within the moment and focusing on one thing at a time (breath, music, gardening, exercise, whatever it may be).

One could successfully argue that there's similarities and overlap between these approaches - meditative state vs critical listening. But the key difference which was mentioned is "simply acknowledging these sound variables rather than evaluating and analyzing [which] is key to a relaxed state of listening." 

Personally, I've found posts like this of value and somewhat validating; maybe I'm not alone in my approach. So +1 @sns even if I took your statement further into the stands in left field. Listening can be more than just listening for both the audiophile and general listener. 

spending too much time listening to music is detrimental to other aspects to life.  Find something else for a couple days of the week.  I volunteer some time to a local nonprofit.  Just being away for a day or so makes you appreciate what you have.

@boxcarman +1: I've experienced this as well and something that I've become very conscious of over the years. Striking a healthy balance with other activities helps promote greater levels of gratitude when relaxing with the audio system. For myself, gardening and landscaping has been my counterbalance. 

@rvpiano I finally understand where you're coming from! I don't believe you should distance yourself from being an audiophile, rather you should consider yourself a happy audiophile. 

I also understand why some feel the need to distance themselves from this hobby/obsession. In our family business I regularly encounter a couple individuals who've interacted with audiophiles in their line of work. One was a former salesperson at one the the local high end audio dealers (now a custom woodworker), this guy absolutely detests audiophiles, he perceives them as angst ridden, insecure, obsessed, absolutely anal in their audiophile quest. He's happy with what many of us would consider just above mid fi system. The other individual is a musician that works for a local custom room treatment manufacturer (we help in the manufacturer of these treatments). He simply doesn't get the whole obsession with chasing down the last iota of performance- from a home system, this both audio and home theater installations, again he perceives them as angst ridden people fixated on concerns he'd never have. He gets his audio and music 'fix' from performing live music for an audience. 

Point in all this, based on outside, and 'inside' perspectives audiophilia often seen as an affliction rather than something enjoyable. Doesn't have to be this way, I've seen both happy and angst ridden audiophiles in my lifetime, contentedness comes from within when one learns to allow it.

Goldilocks and the three bears story works for me. Papa bear - sound of the system; moma bear - sound of the recordings; and, Babybear - the music itself.

As we get older it is said we start to return to our infancy. Or perhaps, we begin to sense the importance of that which brought us here in the first place, the music. 

Personally, I think that being obsessive about the audio illusion has ultimately done more harm to the enjoyment of music than either deficient recordings or poor performances. 

@newbee 

 “Personally, I think that being obsessive about the audio illusion has ultimately done more harm to the enjoyment of music than either deficient recordings or poor performances.”

Totally agree!

I am really close to where I want to be.  My wallet told me so.

Seriously, it is just nice to hear all the things in an album.  The radio or my crappy system just wasn't going to do it.   Now I pay better attention since I'm not sitting there thinking,  What do I need next?

Wake of Poseiden is sounding incredible at this moment.  Fripp and the mellotron...

You have a very nice system, however the Benchmark gear is very detailed oriented. While your CJ preamp is warm and emotional the Benchmark gear is not. If you want to link in the the emotional side of the music, I would recommend replacing replacing your amp with CJ... and get a much more natural sounding DAC. Your Tritons need a very natural midrange bloomed signal to sound their best. 

I remember when I had Cambridge Azur separates with a built in DAC and streamer and thought it was incredible. I later upgraded to a McIntosh MA12000 integrated and then to Accuphase separates that include a separate DAC. Sure the music is better but I spent a lot of time and money chasing audiophile bliss and sometimes reminisce how simple and enjoyable life was with my cheaper Cambridge. 

@ghdprentice 

I have connected with music heart and soul as a musician since I was a child. What I  get from in my system now is essentially the same emotional response as when I was performing.
The quality of the sound is not at question here.
Indeed, I’m totally smitten by it.

The point of this post is to warn others of the danger of audiophilia in sabotaging the listening experience.

I lately wonder why I’m an Audiophile.

It’s good to wonder.  Maybe listening to a decidedly non audiophile recording will help (or not).

Eden’s Children - I Wonder Why .1968 - YouTube

I enjoy listening to music through the system I’ve put together most every day. It’s fun and relaxing, particularly on those special days when everything clicks. Really clears the mind. It seems that we’re supposed to say that we really don’t care about the gear. It’s only the music, but I’ll admit that I also enjoy researching the gear, doing the auditions, Learning what little my feeble mind will allow about the science of it, the room acoustics, etc.  I also enjoy hearing the ideas and experiences of others, at least the ones who are housebroken when it comes to civility. Good natured discussions, and even disagreements sharpen the mind.

To me, it’s all part of the hobby, and not dependent on the price range in which you play. I suspect that most people on this forum are like that, maybe more than some like to admit. If you’ve managed to rack up several hundred posts, not to mention several thousand, about audio gear on an anonymous Internet forum, there’s pretty good evidence that you’re a gearhead just like me. In my law-enforcement days, we would’ve called that a clue. 
it’s all great fun, and meant to be enjoyed, it’s not religion or politics and we shouldn’t make it such.

happy listening.

@sns  I have a single night set aside each week for five hour or so listening session, never listen casually.

This seems quite sad to me. I guess I am not an audiophile. 

In our house we listen to music all the time. In every room and outside using the built in system (not bad but NOT HiFi). In the cars (love SXM radio). From a $300 B&O BT speaker travelling (low res Qobuz on the road!). And listening sessions when we feel like it -  I play DJ, creating a mood/theme and see where it leads.

Doesn't mean I don't work on getting the best I can out of my HiFi system/room.

RV - seems like you have achieved a healthy balance - now just enjoy it.

What @macg19 said.   Hobbies are for enjoyment so…..

I never refer to myself as an audiophile.  Lots of baggage there!   I prefer hifi buff or or better yet music lover. 

I bet that with 23,000 posts about all aspects of audio you are an audiophile as i am...

But why do you reject the word?

Why being afraid of what we are ?

 I am a failed or sad  audiophile  since i had 23...

I am an happy audiophile since my retirement because i solve my acoustics experience problem and my gear problems...Not by upgraditis but by thinking...

I am not afraid to be called an audiophile ...

I was because sound matter in my music appreciation even if i could enjoy music on battery transistor radio under my sheet at night when i was 13...

I am first a music lover and last a music lover...

But i was an audiophile  because solving the S.Q. problem was a real problem for me...

What @macg19 said.   Hobbies are for enjoyment so…..

I never refer to myself as an audiophile.  Lots of baggage there!   I prefer hifi buff or or better yet music lover. 

Please.  You took effort to put together a nice system and now you enjoy it.

This is like photography.  A razor sharp digital image is perfection and many people seek that. Then you seen a grainy Henri Cartier Bresson image that makes you realize it's NOT about the gear but about the vision of the photographer.  So, listen to the music not the gear.  I am only coming back into this after a decade of hanging it up after listening to gear not music. I just got frustrated.  I'm ready to listen to music again because music heals the soul, gear does not.  

As the old saying goes, when you're sad you listen to the  words, when you're happy you listen to the music,  Listen to the music.  

Given the posting history of the OP, I suspect that his latest conversion to “The music is the thing, the gear doesn’t matter “ school of thought will be short lived.

  The only new component that I’ve bought in the last few was the $100 Wiim Pro, because I am pretty happy with how my 3 systems sound.  I still consider myself an Audiophile.  It is possible to say “This is good, now let’s play some music “ and not have FOMO that there is 0.005% of improvement that I can make 

@mahler123 

Mahler was also a pessimist.

@laminarman - I'm a photographer and I know what you're saying about gear; a good photographer with an iPhone will get better pictures than a poor photographer with a Hasselblad. Cartier-Bresson of course used a Leica, so he wasn't exactly slumming it.

But I would also say that gear makes a lot more difference to the end result with sound than it does with photographs. 

OP in the beginning you love sound, and music. Then you discover there are gear to be able to transform the sound and music? You got excited by the sound of high end components, and even how they look. Unfortunately it cost your time money and etc. you went for the journey of this hobby, and you enjoy it. Are you audiophile then? It’s up to you to do the labelling if indeed you are audiophile. After putting up good system buy more music you like and enjoy, This hobby has no end.

@macg19 Not sad at all. I listen to music all day at work, this a wonderful student run station at the Univ. of Michigan, WCBN. All genres of music, each dj has a one hour show, brings their own unique play lists and favs for all of us to hear. And then I stream music exclusively in cars. The audiophile rig is meant solely for a totally immersive, transcendent experience, wonderful SOUND and music makes this a totally unique experience. 

As for evaluation, judgement, angst, etc I experienced more than my fair share of this in my audiophile journey. I'd hear these wonderful systems at shows and dealers and want my home system to sound similarly. There were years of equipment chasing and regressive, lateral and progressive movement. In spite of all this I was able to derive listening pleasure, at least for limited time frames from  the systems I did have. This came from both trying to remain mindful of the idea of enjoying the journey, and the fact my system did indeed do some things quite well. 

I'd posit it may not be possible for audiophiles to never experience this evaluation, comparison, judgement phase in growing their systems. Perhaps this all depends on what uses as their reference, my references were very high end so the journey was difficult, I assume a lesser reference would make the journey easier. Perhaps the non-audiophile has it the easiest, no reference for comparison, no evaluation and judgment, this at least for sound. The funny thing is, in conversation with the musician I discovered his achilles heel in listening to music is always evaluating performance, as Roseannadanna so eloguently stated, "Its always something."

I like a lot your post...

In the case of audio this metaphor is well understood if we observe that our ears/brain/ learned biases  correspond to  the Cartier-Bresson perspective and limits : what appear as apparent flaws (grainy) becoming the main element of perception and art itself. (similar of the distortion controls trade-off in audio) 

This is why music is more than sound, and sound more than physical linear waves...

Then the gear pieces choice cannot explain Cartier-Bresson ways of perceiving...The gear piece gives only necessary  constraints and possibilities...

«The window is not the countryside»-- Groucho Marx

This is like photography.  A razor sharp digital image is perfection and many people seek that. Then you seen a grainy Henri Cartier Bresson image that makes you realize it’s NOT about the gear but about the vision of the photographer.  So, listen to the music not the gear.  I am only coming back into this after a decade of hanging it up after listening to gear not music. I just got frustrated.  I’m ready to listen to music again because music heals the soul, gear does not.   

@sns My incorrect interpretation of the post I quoted was that you only listen to music once a week and only on your main rig. Thanks for the clarification.