[DaveNote]

Because I'm retired, I am in the fortunate position of being able to listen to music throughout the day. I'm also fortunate in having a very good, Bryston-based audio system, which is the culmination of being an audiophile for many years.

I'd like to think that my motivation in being an audiophile is my love of music. I do love music, but I also love audio gear. So as I listen to music, as no doubt most audiophiles do, I find myself listening to the gear as much as to the music, especially when I've introduced something new into the system. So if at times I'm carried away by the music itself, I'm often just as carried away by how well the gear is working to produce this or that sound. It is not unlike my love of cars - I love driving and often am as thrilled by how well the car performs as by the thrill of the drive itself.

My confession, if that's the right word, is that on balance the ying of the gear is more often a thrill for me than the yang of the music, notwithstanding the fact that the gear is meaningless without the music. If as my profile personal text says, life without music would be a mistake, I'm struggling to epitomize what music would be like without my gear.

So I have two questions for members of the Bryston Circle:

1. When listening, where are you most often on the continuum between the love of your music and love of your gear?

2. And how would you finish this line: "Life without my audio system would be...." ?

 

[jjc1]

Because I'm retired, I am in the fortunate position of being able to listen to music throughout the day. I'm also fortunate in having a very good, Bryston-based audio system, which is the culmination of being an audiophile for many years.

I'd like to think that my motivation in being an audiophile is my love of music. I do love music, but I also love audio gear. So as I listen to music, as no doubt most audiophiles do, I find myself listening to the gear as much as to the music, especially when I've introduced something new into the system. So if at times I'm carried away by the music itself, I'm often just as carried away by how well the gear is working to produce this or that sound. It is not unlike my love of cars - I love driving and often am as thrilled by how well the car performs as by the thrill of the drive itself.

My confession, if that's the right word, is that on balance the ying of the gear is more often a thrill for me than the yang of the music, notwithstanding the fact that the gear is meaningless without the music. If as my profile personal text says, life without music would be a mistake, I'm struggling to epitomize what music would be like without my gear.

So I have two questions for members of the Bryston Circle:

1. When listening, where are you most often on the continuum between the love of your music and love of your gear?

2. And how would you finish this line: "Life without my audio system would be...." ?

 

  I love my gear partly because I went so many years without really good components (raising a family came first, then college tuition, then weddings,etc.). I always loved music..listening and playing... since I was just a mere babe. But now with good gear, though never as great as I want,(seems like the famly responsibilites never go away ...but I'm not complaining) I can appreciate my music a thousand times more than in the past. But if I didn't love the music and what it does to me, what good would the gear be? I guess what I am trying to say is that the two have to go hand in hand. I probably love to listen to a new album or hear some new nuances in familiar songs as much as playing around with gear that is new to me. I get as much of a kick out of going to Princeton Record Exchange and getting a stack of new/old albums and downloading some hi rez stuff from HD Tracks as going to visit my friends at Audio Connection to listen to some new equipment.
  As for number 2, I think what I have just said answers that question.

[Mag]

So I have two questions for members of the Bryston Circle:

>>1. When listening, where are you most often on the continuum between the love of your music and love of your gear?<<

If all I had to listen to was crap music and I have lots of that, I wouldn't need more than a clock radio. But I have lots of good music too, and the music was the motivation for home audio. I want to hear music I like as good as it can be, short of an actual live band in the living room.

The gear makes the high level of enjoyment possible. Being an audiophile is an activity for me. So I spend my money on that activity. Much like lets say a golfer buys a good set of clubs to improve his/her game.

>>2. And how would you finish this line: "Life without my audio system would be...." ?<<

... Boring. I'd be doing something else with my leisure time, not sure what that would be.
 

[SoundGame]

The music is the journey...the kit is the ride.
 
You can have a lovely journey on a moped but the same journey on a Harley would be in a different league.  In both cases you would probably appreciate the sites, sounds etc. but in the first case, you would probably remember the poor ride and near death experiences where in the second case the journey would just be enhanced.
 
Another analogy would be a pair of glasses.  If you're eyes are slightly bad you may go through life enjoying visual experiences but not knowing any better - then you put on a corrective pair of glasses and now everything becomes absolutely clear - you see more beauty and more ugly.  And, you'll catch yourself removing and putting on the glasses and saying man these glasses are great! 
 
The system is the looking glass to the music.

[drummermitchell]

And another way:
Looking out your living room window and then you go outside

[WBimmer]

1. Definately more toward loving my equipment than my music.  If I played the same music on a much cheaper system then I definately would not be as interested in it as I am.  For me the clarity and presence are everything and Bryston gives me plenty of what I love.

2. ...quieter...  ...cheaper...  ...not as fulfilling...  ...just plain boring...  and maybe my dog wouldn't be deaf already...

Wayne.

[Elizabeth]

Nah. I spent money on gear because i had a spare pile.
So now i just listen to the music. i find the gear a means to an end.
Any brand, and stuff that is decent is fine by me.
At times i get into trying to putz around with the gear, to see if it can sound better, but none of it is on an altar, and  i would swap out any bit of it anytime if i ran into some other kit that was a lot better.

I bought the Bryston because it was 'good enough' by my ears, and it came with a 20 year warranty. So now i do not much have to worry about it.

[PierreB]

1. When listening, where are you most often on the continuum between the love of your music and love of your gear?

2. And how would you finish this line: "Life without my audio system would be...." ?

1. For me it's the music in the first place.

2. Life without my audio system would be OK. I will survive.

[amblin]

>>2. And how would you finish this line: "Life without my audio system would be...." ?<<

... Boring. I'd be doing something else with my leisure time, not sure what that would be.

There are three empty seats on my goose boat, free 'my first explorer kit*' included, let's pedal to the center of Amazon jungle and hear a zillion bugs squeaking.

*my first explorer kit = a whistle with built in compass,  a 1:1 zillion pocket world map ,one can of kiwi shoe polishing wax , swiss army knive , a pocket size flag of your choice and a bottle of classic coke.

[DaveNote]

Lots of interesting replies to the OP, ranging all over the continuum between the ying and the yang. What interested me were the comments by some members who under other topics would appear to have spent many hours listening to the difference between one effect and another on their systems and say that they listen mostly to the music. Naturally, I take that as being true, but I genuinely wonder how they can do it.

Dave

[JohnR]

I think (if I may be so bold) that it is not a continuum at all, but two different things, and that some practice may be needed to learn to focus on one or the other. Like, say, food and wine - either can be enjoyed independently, and together the experience is enhanced, but no-one would ask where one fits on the continuum between food and wine.

[amblin]

Lots of interesting replies to the OP, ranging all over the continuum between the ying and the yang. What interested me were the comments by some members who under other topics would appear to have spent many hours listening to the difference between one effect and another on their systems and say that they listen mostly to the music. Naturally, I take that as being true, but I genuinely wonder how they can do it.

Dave

We buy our gears so we can listen to some music, that's simple and i belive not many ppls out there buy expensive gears just because they can 'connoisseur' the gears, touch the metal, feel the weight etc. Yet we want more than just the 'everything-in-one-box-and-it'll-do' solution.

 So it's essential that we were able to 'hear' the difference, distinguish good and bad, good and not so good, very good and quite good. It's through this process, we enjoy the music, AND the gears ---- Different gears and the differences of 'effects' ,all just part of the experience. Music is wine. The effects, they are the different fragrances of wine that's waiting to be discovered. Wine without the fragrances, it'd be an in-complete experience. And vice versa. 

[DaveNote]

John, by continuum, I meant, which do we do more of - listen to the gear or listen to the music. My confession was that I find I listen more to the gear. The continuum was, therefore, a misnomer (my apologies) and my point would have been clearer had I asked, “Do you spend more time listening to your gear or listening to your music?” I like Amblin's point about enjoying both music and the gear. The two hobbies - music and audio - work hand-in-glove to amplify the enjoyment of both. I think this is why, so far, I prefer Mag's answer to my second question, life without my audio system would be boring.

Dave

[jjc1]

I think (if I may be so bold) that it is not a continuum at all, but two different things, and that some practice may be needed to learn to focus on one or the other. Like, say, food and wine - either can be enjoyed independently, and together the experience is enhanced, but no-one would ask where one fits on the continuum between food and wine.

Very  good analogy.    Although the wine almost always tastes better with the food.

[1oldguy]

Personally I would have to wonder about anyone who goes to  the extremes  and expense we do and be able to totally forget about the gear completely.
I am beginning to really enjoy the gear as much as the music for different reasons.So for me it's a two fold perspective.
I enjoy the music more because of the higher level of performance I am experiencing.
So it's win/win for this oldguy.

[DaveNote]

Personally I would have to wonder about anyone who goes to  the extremes  and expense we do and be able to totally forget about the gear completely.
I am beginning to really enjoy the gear as much as the music for different reasons.So for me it's a two fold perspective.
I enjoy the music more because of the higher level of performance I am experiencing.
So it's win/win for this oldguy.

From one old guy to another, win win exactly! The problem is the expense. When I buy a new piece of gear that makes the music sound better, that makes me want to buy more music - and more gear. Which then raises an altogehter different and troubling question: Is this a hobby or an addiction?

Dave

[RLL1]

From one old guy to another, win win exactly! The problem is the expense. When I buy a new piece of gear that makes the music sound better, that makes me want to buy more music - and more gear. Which then raises an altogehter different and troubling question: Is this a hobby or an addiction?

Dave

You can also add "obsession" to your question.....lol

Rick

[amblin]

From one old guy to another, win win exactly! The problem is the expense. When I buy a new piece of gear that makes the music sound better, that makes me want to buy more music - and more gear. Which then raises an altogehter different and troubling question: Is this a hobby or an addiction?

Dave

It's the human nature. If you really liked one thing, you'll also like all things that can make it 'better'.    We know there'll always be better things out there, there'll always be another combination and the endless 'another room for improvments' .

I always buy the best thing (usually the most expensive one)  i can afford while considering an upgrade, i empty the pocket, search under the sofa for the very last penny, make the wife scream and look for the loudest bang. Then i'll be settled for a long time. I know there'll be better things, i can see James counting his 28Bs ,   but i'm still happy with my 14B because i did my best and i even cracked my son's secret treasure box. Yeah, i know where it is..or was. 

[DaveNote]

It's the human nature. If you really liked one thing, you'll also like all things that can make it 'better'.    We know there'll always be better things out there, there'll always be another combination and the endless 'another room for improvments' .

I always buy the best thing (usually the most expensive one)  i can afford while considering an upgrade, i empty the pocket, search under the sofa for the very last penny, make the wife scream and look for the loudest bang. Then i'll be settled for a long time. I know there'll be better things, i can see James counting his 28Bs ,   but i'm still happy with my 14B because i did my best and i even cracked my son's secret treasure box. Yeah, i know where it is..or was. 

Thanks Amblin for answering the question of whether or not our hobby is an addiction. When you rob your child's piggy bank, that's a pretty good sign that what you have is an addiction. Suggestion to all audiophiles - do all you're banking online. That way there will be less temptation to rob one.

Dave

[HsvHeelFan]

For me, it's the music.

If I didn't have an audio system, I could get by practicing for hours or playing duets, trios, quartets, quintets or join some local bands or wind ensembles to get my music fix.

The downside to live music is the group may not be playing what you want to hear ( or play).

There are some Orchestral works that I just don't care to play again.  Once was enough.  Do I have recordings of those?  Yes.  Do I listen to them?  Never.

For me, decent, higher-end audio is an adequate substitute.

HsvHeelFan