What do you say to your audiophile friends who say you just listen to your equipment more

Its a fascinating subject, Mike. So many times I’ve caught myself being carried away by the music .... in the grocery store... So its the music, much more than the system.

But we want a good system, and this just does not ever happen by accident. Especially not when so many designers and manufacturers are out there making stuff specifically knowing and with the desired intent of hyping stuff up in order to get your attention enough to make you buy.... what it will only later on dawn on you was not the revealed involving detail you thought it was but ingratiating now turned tiresome hype.

I just covered the vast majority of everything out there.

So in defense we make these checklists: tone, dynamics, imaging, etc. This of course is an endless rabbit hole as we go from tone to timbre to harmonic development to timbral balance until before you know it we’re like Michael Fremer talking about how much there is there and how the presence is present but is it palpably present?

Which I say only halfways jokingly as you know I take this stuff very seriously myself.

The way I got out of this trap years ago happened quite by accident. I was auditioning a McCormack DNA1 vs a Krell and being a bit perturbed because in spite of not caring for the Krell it was very hard to find anything really technically wrong with it. Until it dawned on me while enjoying the DNA my foot was tapping. While listening to the Krell I was happily checking off my audiophile to-do list. While listening to the McCormack I was happily tapping my foot.

But wait! Not so fast! Because, next thing you know, foot-tapping becomes just another item on the checklist.

Like I said, fascinating subject.

My friends are smarter than that. If anyone did say that more than once, they likely wouldn't be invited back. I don't need mindless negativity. :)

I listen to the music because of the way a piece can move me. The gear exposes all new layers I never fully appreciated until now. Whether it's an SG, French Horn, voice, or the decay of a cymbal, I'm hearing old favorites in a completely new way. Attention to the gear has provided me with a sonic kaleidoscope to examine. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

I tell people that I not only listen to the music, I listen to the "sound of the music" and the equipment facilitates this.

I was told by my mentor at least 20 times, now He stops after 20 yrs.I just kept quite whenever he tells me I only listen to my cables and gear.I learned a lot from Him.