What is Musicality?

An audio buddy once said to me long ago that someone with a large record (music) collection that overshadows his system is someone into the music. Someone with a stereo system that overshadows their music collection is into the electronics. His record collection was enormous. His stereo also sounded very good. He must of had an oil well somewhere (just not in the Gulf). No reason to disdain one type of person or the other. I enjoy the music very much, but I also enjoy the hobby/art of reproducing music. Over the years I have trended from one side to the other. When I get the bug in me, I start analysing the music and generally walk away from my system unsatisfied because I didn't hear the music, just the bass, imaging, highs, soundstage, etc. When I get through those phases and back to just enjoying the music, then the stress from work goes away and I finish the evening with a smile and the anticipation of the next listening session.
I remember one time years ago wandering around a nice stereo shop wondering why I was there. My system sounded good and was giving me musical pleasure when listening to it. Nothing in the store sounded better to me than what I already had. Then suddenly, most of the stereo shops disappeared. It makes it hard now days to listen to different systems to compare and contrast how my own stereo is doing.

I used the word bored for lack of a better term. I do not mean it in a negative sense. I would venture to say that most of us in this hobby are highly motivated, driven to excel. This hobby, a mixture of electronics and music is a way to express ourselves. We are driven to reproduce music the best ways that we can. It is not all about buying either. Some parts of this hobby require great effort, time and patience. How many of us have spent weekends under the house running dedicated powerlines, or hours cleaning every connection? This is not my only hobby but it is my favorite way to forget about the stresses of the day and unwind. Distortions, lack of bass or other such issues causes me distraction that drives me to make changes.

Music appreciation and the audiophile are mutually exclusive. Aquiring the electronics and building a sound system to reproduce sound is a materialistic hobby. Sure the basis for an audiophile is the love of music but when many of us have stereos costing many times that of our music collections, our priorities become obvious. My wife is perfectly happy walking around the house playing her music out of the tiny speaker built into her cellphone. Of course, she can hear the difference with my nice stereo, but it does not matter to her. I know people with music collections far exceeding the value of the stereo they play them on. btw- some are musicians, and some are not.

Why do we keep upgrading/tweaking our systems? Simple, we get bored with the music side of it and need a change to spice things up. I liken it to the day I got an HDTV and HD Cable. I was sitting there mesmerized by the detailed, crisp picture of a baseball game. My wife walked in and asked why the sudden interest in sports? I said, it's not about the game, it is about the picture quality. She just shook her head and left.

I know I enjoy the music more through a better sounding system. That's why we are here. The rest of the world doesn't care. Perhaps the live music experience is more preferred by others. I enjoy both, but I enjoy listening at home more.