Hi Fi and I mean all of it is just a tool, a tool to play music. Most of the music I listen to from a time perspective is on Sonus remote speakers in my office, garage and workshop as back ground music. I am always humming and tapping along even though I am not listening seriously.
It could be a transistor radio for all I care.
I play records because I have thousands of them, it is tradition and it is much more of a challenge to set up and make really sing than digital. It is more rewarding. I had thousands of CDs. Now they are all happily living on a hard drive. Records make much better collectibles. Now I get Hi Def files online. I got into computer music at the onset and I really like it. It is relatively easy and trouble free. But it is all just tools, tools to keep the music going one way or another. Arguing that one method is better than the other misses the point. You can argue that when cost is an issue it is cheaper to set up a good digital rig than it is to set up a good Vinyl one but that would depend on your definition of what good is. Good is any way to keep the music going when it comes down to brass tacks. Yes, the audiophile in me wants to recreate the live experience particularly the visceral sensation you get from live music, even an acoustic guitar (Richard Thompson). Nothing beats that bass drum in Stravinski's Firebird or Dave Weckl beating the crap out of his kit. I want to be 20 feet away from that drum kit just as I was at Boston's Reggata Bar. That is the real challenge, making music sound live. I don't care what cables you use or equipment you have if you can close your eyes, see and feel the band in front of you, you are in business.
