Music lover or audiophile?

Music lover first- which is why much of my music listening is now blu ray concerts in full surround sound and big screen visuals. I have had a very audiophile oriented system (VPI turntable and record cleaner, bi amplification etc) that I listened to in the dark, but at this point my enjoyment comes from life like scale and impact more then highly resolved inner detail. Maybe because I am old and deaf. 

Music lover all the way.I would much rather discover new music music than a new piece of equipment, just as a true musician would rather create a new piece than buy a new guitar. Some people get too hung up on buying tools and never really use them.

If i go to a concert and i’m In the very back behind a column, I can hear the music, but I don’t enjoy it as much as I could.

If i’m right up front, I hear the music in all its glory and I enjoy it infinitely more.

This is why I spend money and time on my system. I believe all audiophiles are music lovers, but not all music lovers are audiophiles.

If I did not love music, I would not care how well it is recorded nor would I care about getting the best sound I can from my equipment to listen to it.  It is true I am never satisfied because most recordings do not sound all that great. And the ones that do are hindered by the shortcomings of my system.  

Most hobbies have two types of participants. One goes for quantity and the other goes for every increasing quality.   For example, when I used to restore cars for a hobby, I would strive for my next project to improve upon the previous project.  

 When I was around 10 years old, I went to a friend's house whose dad had a decent stereo. I was shocked how good music could sound. I was hooked. But I started out years earlier playing music on a little portable record player. I loved music since I can remember (age 3).  And I have been striving for better sound since I have been making a living and affording to do so. 

Why in the hell would I give a damn if people think I am an audiophile?  I have been called much worse. I proclaim who I am. I AM an audiophile. Others may consider it a pejorative so what?  I do not.  If I could magically hear my music collection via telepathy and not require equipment, I would.  My goal is to have equipment that totally gets out of the way of the musical experience. It is a mean to an end, not an end in itself.