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Music lover or audiophile?

I think you have to decide, are you a music lover or audiophile?  I know the majority will say, both.
 I’m not so sure though. The nature of audiophilia is to get in there and fiddle with the tools, like any other hobbyist.  The difference in our hobby though is that presumably, our ultimate goal is to have the best musical experience we can get. The hobbyist is never really finished. The manipulation of the materials is the fun. The music lover, however, wants to get the most out of that esthetic experience.  
By continually plying materials, the audiophile is on an endless quest for better sound.
 After years of this quest, I’ve decided I can be a music lover or an audiophile.  I’m happy listening to my system now the way it is.  So, I’ve decided to be a music lover once again.
rvpiano

Showing 1 response by mitchagain

mitchagain
481 posts
 
The definition of an audiophile is: "A person who is especially interested in high-fidelity sound reproduction."

Is that a bad thing? I think not. I agree with many of the posters who see no issue with being a music lover and an audiophile; and, they understand that one is an extension of the other. I personally find it painful to listen to an MP3 thru a cheap boombox. 

I think the real issue is with the folks who inhabit the extremes of being a music lover or an audiophile. The extreme music lover becomes an obsessive collector who has to own everything ever released by their favorite artists, including boxed sets, remasters, colored vinyl and bootlegs. I have a couple of friends afflicted with this condition and they have massive credit card debt as a result. On the other hand, the extreme audiophile tends to own a turntable that is worth more than my entire audio system, car or even my house. I guess these folks have lost sight of the "law of diminishing returns." 
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