Music first or sound first?

+1 @layton64 

I am both equally. Being very honest here - I have found that as the music system gets better, I have started liking genres of music that was "meh" to me before. It may be the age - who knows. But I like the eargasms my system is able to provide. If I was all about sound, then I would have changed components frequently. I have been wanting to change my DAC for quite some time. But the music drives me so much that I stick with my components for a long long time and am never in a rush.

It's always the "sound" to start, but it doesn't last long.

I started out listening to the sound until I got my system where I wanted it.

These are some of the honest feedback. I am in the same boat.

I think that many  audiophiles feel that they will be looked down upon, if they claim that they are moved by sound rather than music. It's almost like "audiophile" is a derogatory term and "music enthusiast" is the acceptable norm. And yet we try to make our sound/music as close as possible to reality. Strangely 1% or less of the entire human population are the people who care for their music to be reproduced as accurately as possible, trying to get the best (within budget) DAC, amp, loudspeakers, etc.

So true @pcrhkr .