You know you have audiophile system when...

@natman 

I auditioned it for my wife. She listened and said "It sounds like they’re in the room with us." Now inside my head I was doing my happy dance, because that’s exactly what I was going for. Then she said "It’s creepy. I don’t like it."

I'd rather have someone say, "It sounds just like we've been transported to the concert hall, jazz club, rock club', than it sounds like they are in the room with us, when they hear my system. But that is my preference. Even with a singer with an acoustic guitar, I would rather be transported to the original recording space.

Just how does on get a simulation that there is an 80 piece orchestra in the room with me? But having it sound as if I am 15 rows back at Disney Hall, sound more attainable. 

But then, I am probably just being pedantic. 

I hate the tag Audiophile. Who coined the phrase?

It’s all about musical entertainment, nothing more, nothing less.

@bobpyle 

The term was coined in 1951, and I think it is a perfectly fine term.

Sure it is all about the music first. But that doesn’t mean the gear is not also fun as hell.

I guess audio enthusiast is synonymous, which I am also fine with.

But just because someone is an audiophile, does not mean that the music does not come first.

A music lover uses audio equipment to listen to his recordings. An audiophile uses recordings to listen to his audio equipment!

@whitefishpoint1175 

This is a quote from Allan Parsons, and he was wrong when he originally said it, and the quote is still wrong now.

First of all, there is a "no true Scotsman" fallacy in there. As well as a false dichotomy.

Of course, there are a small subset of audiophiles who do care more about the sound of the equipment, than the music. But why should anyone care if that is how they get their enjoyment from their systems?

But the vast majority of audiophiles that are ’music first’ audiophiles.

The vast majority of my listening, I couldn’t care less about the gear. I just listen to the music.

But this doesn’t mean, there are other times, for a couple hours every couple of weeks, that I can’t have loads of fun, just paying attention to the gear, playing ’approved’ audiophile recordings, tweaking my system, etc. And not paying to much attention to the music itself.

So, by the above (bogus) definition of audiophile and music lover, I guess I switch between the 2 on a regular basis. But I always consider myself an audiophile AND a music lover.