I don't think loving music results in *any* kind of mandated behavior when it comes to chosing gear, indeed. You could love music, but then you just whistle it at home or sing in the shower without ever touching any electronics.
Cool. We do indeed agree.
So to take vinyl as an example, apropos of this thread:
When it comes to one's love of music, take 3 possible examples:
1. Someone who loves music, but just listens to music via streaming.
2. Someone who loves music, but buys much of their music on vinyl because they ALSO enjoy the non-music features of records: the artwork, physical object, collecting, turntables etc.
3. Someone who loves music, but buys much of their music on vinyl, and who likes the aesthetics, physicality, collecting, turntables in part BECAUSE those seem to increase their music listening experiences.
All 3 love music, and get there using their own method. There should be no judging as to who is more committed to loving The Music.
(Nor do I think should someone who happens to be more in to gear needs to be judged negatively about that either).
That said, when it comes to diagnosing or disclosing what we are interested in....
I disagree with that. I have participated in many discussions about music. Even food and motorcycles and cats. That's what makes this forum the only audio forum I participate in.
There are plenty of topics discussing piano recordings, best jazz albums, modern classical composers... if that wasn't the case I would not be here. If you haven't seen those, it says more about you than the overall forum participants... The gear discussions for the most part are repetitive and -honestly- kinda boring. It's when the rubber meets the road (aka *listening* to music) that things get interesting.
We've all had off-gear conversations (I've had music discussions too and other things). But that is not what brings most of us here: we are enthusiastic about audio gear.
I've seen you engage in enough such discussions to know you are interested in audio gear far beyond the average "non-audiophile."
I just don't find any issue with admitting to being interested in the gear as well as the music.
It reminds me of when I visited a well off audiophile in new york. He had a classic Golden Eared subjectivist audiophile set up, huge expensive speakers, python thick audio cables on risers, ultra expensive amps and preamps, power conditioners, various tweaks around the system. I'm looking at this classic Absolute Sound Audiophile type set up and he declares "but really, for me it's All About The Music."
I think I was entirely justified in thinking "yeah. right."
He could make the exact case you could for your system. That every single choice he made in his system was serving the purpose of listening to the music. But the thing is, once you become fascinated with how audio gear affects the presentation - whether you are seeking accuracy or colorations you like - and if this becomes a hobby of sorts to keep interested in audio gear, trying various stuff over the years and/or participating in audio gear forums discussing the performance of audio gear...you really are interested in more than Just The Music. Seeking "accuracy" doesn't change this dynamic - it's still about being interested in how audio gear performance affects the music presentation, making your own preference - eg. a more accurate piece of gear vs perhaps a more colored piece of gear - and continuing to have a fascination with the gear, on audio gear forums like this.
And....
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