My audio dealer, Jeff Harris of Reference Analog in Oklahoma, has summed it well, imho:
"I really like experimenting with different playback equipment and setups. The gear does bring me as much joy as the music. I don’t own the gear simply to recreate the music, but I don’t play music simply to test gear either. My passion for the gear has opened up a lot of music and my passion for music has opened me up to a lot of different gear. I can’t say I would be as into either without the other."