Is there such a place for us audiophiles: Audiophile's Anonymous? I feel that at this point that I am showing all signs of an addict and I am no longer a functioning addict, unfortunately.
The only upside is that it is distracting me from other harmful activities such as watching the news x hours a day.
I also like Haroun - A British Audiophile's rule of thumb when upgrading: UPGRADE. Spend >3x as much, otherwise it is just shuffling deck chair on the Titanic.
That is why I treated myself to a Rega Naia for early retirement after about 2 years of looking around. It's an endgame component. If you are curious what else is in my system, I posted in the "System" section. https://www.audiogon.com/systems/users/oberoniaomnia
Has a picture of the Naia with DIY leveling base :-)
"We should consider our gears as music instrument .
Once we buy a piano or a violon ; we keep it a very long time . We don't sell theme after two years , just because there are new ones on the market ."
I don't have my 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, or full violins anymore. Those were starter instruments. I still have my viola from high school, and bought one/commissioned two violas d'amore, and certainly still have those.
My starter audio gear is gone, but will keep most of my current stuff for a long time. Only looking for a phono stage commensurate with the Rega Naia/Aphelion2.
@rock-onyou have an approach, discipline and not a flawed OCD personality like mine. Still, your suggestions are golden and I will heed as much as I can!
One note: I am not affected by marketing. HOWEVER, I am sucker for aesthetics so in a way that is marketing too, and in that sense, I am swayed - I am a collector of beautiful objects.
I have tamed my obsessive/compulsive hobby proclivities by re-framing what I wish to accomplish. Stated simply, I aspire to be content versus happy. I also strive to be wise versus omniscient in my decisions.
The consumer market and advertising is geared toward "You can never be happy unless ... (fill in the blanks)." I certainly benefit from the experiences of fellow music enthusiasts. However, I stop reading when perceiving hubris or people asserting anything other than their equipment or experience is inferior.
The foregoing perspective allows me to keep an open mind, evaluate alternatives, and take my time in making decisions. Also, I keep in mind that all material items are a limited edition. If a desired item goes out of production or is sold out, one can be assured that -- at some point -- it will be upgraded, replaced, or available in the used market place. In the interim, count your blessings and enjoy the music.
There is one aspect of this that is a new experience for me. I previously had equipment that had basic tone controls and a manually adjustable graphic eq for low frequencies that gave some control over room modes with a db meter and some tweaking time.
But now with a brand new Emotiva MR1L processor with parametric eq in the mix and this so called automatic room correction I listen to the results of the auto eq and it sounds awful. I have gone back and removed all the eq and done some manual adjustments with PEQ and like the sound much better. It still needs tweaking more but there is so much range of adjustability and in such fine detail it makes making any changes unwieldy and awkward. I would prefer, I think, standard treble and bass controls with PEQ below 100 hz. Some people I think really get off on eequipment with a very high fiddle factor. Me, not so much. I want adjustments but for God's sake make them easier and more effective to use...
Like the cowboy that stopped smoking by switching to dip......I have been focusing on the record collection. I don't recommend going off trail in this manner. Do you have any idea how many variants of DSOTM are out there?
@deep_333we don't need to put a number on it, that's when it begins to spiral - I just need X to have a nice system but then what about 1.2X... and then 1.5X?
Nothing wrong with a persistent laser focus on a hobby of interest as long as you can afford it and it does not interfere with other more important aspects of life. Live and learn. It’s either enjoyable or not. If not, then there may be a problem.
Maintaining a focus on value helps a lot Some products offer way more value than others. I tend to seek those out. It need not cost a lot for top notch sound in most people’s rooms. Addressing room acoustics first before spending another dime helps. Invest in DSP and learn how to use it properly. DSP is the great modern “equalizer” when it comes to how things sound in your room. To not do that in this day and age can be a crippling handicap.
Personally, I have no good reason to pursue more gear at this point other than the fact that I am always interested in the technology and wouldn’t want to miss out on anything new, innovative or just plain different that might add value for me.
Paying less attention to the “news” is a big benefit the value of which should not be discounted.
@deep_333 I hope to avoid getting addicted to medication. Man this is a deep hole :)
Some addiction is ok as long as its not abusing your wallet, i.e., if that’s the core source of anxiety.
I have heard every kind of rig at every pricepoint and stuff exceeding a million dollars. But seriously, approx 3000 bucks will get you a good sounding no frills rig these days.
If you want to satisfy the joy of incessant tinkering (addiction) for cheap, get on aliexpress....lots and lots of dirt cheap unheard of kits that sound golden.
Aliexpress has been one rescuer of my marriage for years. The other rescuer would be the other audioloony friends. Ya loan them your things, they loan you theirs, i.e., mutual satisfaction of curiosity/tinker cravings (without wallet abuse). It’s kinda like AA, i suppose.
What is your system now? It isn’t in your profile and I don’t see it in this thread. It would be really helpful to see it. I know you know about virtual systems. If you would show some photos and ID your current components I am sure we could help point you in the right direction… or let’s talk off line.
do you actually know what sort of presentation(s) you prefer?
not insulting at all. I have a smallish room, I am close to the speakers and I like a relaxed but big sound, on the warm side - nothing fancy.
@dekaymy gear is mostly vintage, what other people would store in the garage, boxed up.
@ghdprenticeyou are right, the issue is my process, not very pragmatic, just impulsive. It wouldn't even call it a process. But if I learn along the way, I should be to make smarter decisions. I am in the negative feedback loop where I feel the more decisions I make the dumber they are that make me unhappier, with my budget spent and reduced, and then I end up with doubts and a lot of lessons learned at my own expense. The opposite of rewarding...
OP… “I am stuck in the sound quality deterioration spiral.”
This can happen. It is unlikely in your head. There are so many variables and emotions involved… and the decision making process can become super load the decisions you make. If you have calibrated your thinking to the wrong set of parameters… let me just make something up… you carefully read / reread marketing info, and make decisions on measured specs, and actually like warm natural sound and are increasingly investing more… you are likely to be repeatedly disappointed.
The real trick is to recognize that there is a problem with either your decision process or the variables your track, or sources of info… etc.. Each step should be a significant advance… every one, and proof of process.
So, the only rational thing to do is stop where you are and deeply examine your decision making process… where is the process not working.
I would start by listening to other systems… dealers, friends, Audiogoners… cheap, expensive… etc. you want to find some that you really like and hate. Look for venues to listen to live music. You know you are smart… you can figure this out. Then read pro reviews on these. This will be your pursuit for a long time. You want an epiphany. “Oh sh@t!, that is what I was missing.” Take all the “addictive dedication” and invest it in figuring out why the expected outcome of sound quality is not what you are expecting, and what is your desire.
In the first years of my pursuing the high end I made some mistakes and some great purchases… I had to spend a lot of time figuring out the difference. After that my purchases became very satisfying and generally exceeded my expectations.
Along the way I made up little rules, like always invest at least 2x or more, or it is likely to just be a sideways trade of one set of strengths and weaknesses for another.
@stuartkthe more comments on this post, the better I define my problem, and realize that even if I moved into Alma Audio permanently, I still wouldn't be "over it". I need to find the OCD cure.
I'm 100% guilty of trying to obtain the best sound possible, but I put limits on how much I will spend. Not how much I could afford, but what I feel is approaching the area of diminishing returns.
When I got seriously got into this hobby, there were no forums, etc. The best I could do was read magazines. My goal given limited funds was to obtain the highest rated equipment in Stereophile's recommended components. Mostly class C, occasionally class B. My first decent system was an Adcom GFA555 amp, NAD 1300 preamp, and Vandersteen 2C speakers.
While I certainly read reviews and forum posts, most of my gear choices have been based on my own research. I've had a few duds, but for the most part, I think I've made good choices.
I'm now tweaking with cables. Nothing crazy expensive. Mostly used because it seems to be a great value.
But, the music is the key. It all started with jamming to 8 track tapes in my 1970 Dodge Super Bee..
I am not just stuck at B, I am stuck in the sound quality deterioration spiral. It's probably just in my head. The more things I change or try, the worse it gets - I think.
To get off the merry go round you have to become immune to the hype. Some ways to do this:
1) Avoidance: Don’t read audio mag’s or go online.
2) Go about your search in an objective manner as much as possible. Do you like solid or stranded wire? Do you like the smooth sound of poly cone speakers or the punchy, clear sound of metal? It’s a good way to narrow down your options and eliminate most of the stuff out there.
3) Use money, or convenience, ergonomics, set-up, as a deterrent. You will often see people get to the point where they say "My stereo sounds so good I would have to pay 3X the price to improve on the sound" (the improvements are not worth the price).
Looking at it from the perspective "I have $10,000 to spend, what should I get?" is kind of missing the point IMHO. Are you trying to spend a lot of money or trying to get good sound?
4) Realize that deciding your preferences can take a long time. It is relatively easy to hear, or read about, differences between components. But not easy to decide if that is the sound they describe is what you are looking for.
Most people don’t care and just buy something and don’t think about it again.
As Bruce Lee the audiophile, not to be confused with the martial artist, said "At first a stereo was just a stereo. After I became an audiophile a stereo was no longer a stereo. Now that I understand the art, a stereo is just a stereo".
You want to get from point "A" to point "C". Right now, you are stuck at "B".
"Addiction" can be a valuable tool when it comes to finally achieving the goal of owning a fine sound system. Wouldn't have it any other way. It was worth the trip. Some accomplishments require obsession.
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