I’ll go first.
Speaking for myself, I invested in my system because I’ve always loved music. I think there are many people in the world who are indifferent to music. There are those of us, however, whose lives have a soundtrack to them. We associate music with time and place. Our lives develop a soundtrack that mirrors our feelings and journey. It’s deeply personal, emotive and anchored in our identity.
That’s where I started.
I think we become sort of obsessed with “sound” when we realize all these small variables that can make that music even more emotional, poignant, and meaningful. Admittedly, it becomes a bit of a razor’s edge when we start fixating on the sound and equipment. We can lose touch with the unadulterated enjoyment of what we purportedly wanted to enjoy in the first place.
Over the last few years, I’ve unfortunately found myself guilty of this.
In the end, the equipment should just be a means to an end: a soulful enjoyment of art. Music is art.