We all have different priorities, I’m happy listening to my clock radio in the morning, a mediocre system in the car and budget speakers off the computer in my shop. Because I have no expectations sound wise I normally enjoy the music.
When it comes to the a dedicated audio system my priorities change, probably like many here, I want my system to recreate the original venue, or at least pass on the original recording without alterations.
Adding colorations, warm, dark, cool, is not something I value, a system being more musical is also another term thrown around.
Yes we can put together a system that is always enjoyable, and, is usually the goal of the basic consumer. For me that defeats the purpose of an audiophile system, as I stated I get my most enjoyment out of knowing my chosen components are passing on an unaltered signal. When a recording is well produced and engineered it will come through.
An audio system takes on another value also, one in terms of pride of ownership, some put together a system to hopefully impress their friends. I like mine to be well engineered and reliable, knowing that if a recording seems different it’s probably me and not the equipment; my system becomes my reference showing off warts and all.
What is interesting that outside the audiophile community I can probably count off less than a handful of friends and acquaintances, over the last 40 years I’ve been into this hobby, who have any interest at all in what equipment is being used as a transducer of the music they are listening to.
