Am I right for this forum?

@snilf, we are kindred spirits; I identified strongly with your post and have wondered the same thing, though (like you, I imagine) I don’t lie awake nights agonizing over it. Based on my observations, there are many layers to this thing.@ghdprentice has defined very well the most extreme, to which he belongs, and I am thankful for those like him who have great knowledge gained from deep experience (and expenditure) and who are, at the same time humble, being both willing and able to share with others less fortunate or just less fanatic.

I, like you, have a system with which I am very happy and with which I do not fiddle.  My friends would certainly consider me an audiophile.  I put some serious time and money (but well less than $50k overall) into building my system and am very pleased with it every time I turn it on.  I love music of (almost) every variety, and I am preoccupied with the fidelity of its reproduction, but not to the point of obsession. As a music lover and engineer, audio reproduction both interests and touches me on multiple levels

I find myself daily reading selected posts here, but by no means all. But I do come here almost every day.

If I had considerably more resources, I could certainly see myself moving toward “more than the cost of two cars” systems housed in a purpose-built structure somewhere on a beautiful site with a picture window onto breathtaking scenery. That, however, is not my lot, and I consider myself very blessed to both have some understanding of what is possible and still be happy every time I listen to my rig. 

Thank you for provoking me to thought this morning. 

@tomic601 ... I'll put that on my dance card, but the Pac NW is most likely when we @ AshPlay get a client with taste, money, 'a Vision', mo' money, and a desire to take the Treehouse Master Mob to task.....and even more $s' ....

(We'll need someone to shoot vids and droning.....ley lines in the land...*mystic move*....."....always wanted to 'do' a FLW in the trees...." )

We shall Do Better than th' Peel, yezz....but, if we must....a round, a fat rounder, and off to see what one sees 'round here....

Intermissioned under Interlude 

Bring the car comfy 'nuff to make the Real Road Rallye 2X and you can meet The Dragon and some other nifty drives....

Bear in mind (got those, too) that AVL was once called "A Cesspool Of SIN!" by a NC House rep during an election run-up 'while back...

...which we'all thought amusing and printed shirts... ;)

C'ya on the pm

@deep_333 ....I've refrained from posting pics since imho most would be bored and unimpressed....  'SOTA' only in the State Of That Affordable v. Stuff Of Transient Admiration. ;)

Due to changes, the space occupied by it, me, and the speaker array has been shrinking due to growth in our company.

Since we've a 'live/work' situation, the 'less essential' gives way, the 5 pairs of speakers become a 'fat line array' with the LG 55" betwixt...

Ever wall hang a pair of SMGa Maggies' upside down?  Since they're not known for their bass qualities, no huge loss.... :)

The only pairs (2~3) left to 'roam' (kinda) are the omnis', which vary in intent and their elements......and the driving elements of which, my Gratefully Undead Wall with it's A+D Divide....

"Where the digitals and the analogs play..."

I try to enjoy where I happen to be; that which I collect to move that along doesn't absolutely have to be Perfect to make me smile.

Overtime, things change, additions, deletions, and the irrational 'fondness' for the concept of 'retirement'....

Long time local biz contact came by to check out some stock logs, asked 

"So....how'du ya like retirement?" *big G*

😏 "...'Bout the same way you do...'When the *uck does it start?!' "

I can relate to Marvin's ("Your Friendly Robot Pal!") lament onboard the Heart Of Gold some dayz......

"Brain the size of a planet....and they have me opening doors...." 🤖😒

to the OP… great thread…always good to ignore the instruments and taste the wind for yourself now and again….

I see value today…. maybe not as much as when Almarg was here… but not zero… but there are a few hours left in the day…..

@asvjerry Yes…it has changed…i’ve spent considerable time in LB and assorted zip codes since 1987 mucking about w jets and stuff that goes higher… You are right…changed….

You know IF you get back here Winters, you are welcome. i expect in the future i i shall be blessed to keep a bottle at the Orange Peel in your neck of the woods… i pray that happens… keep being YOU :-)

I understand why you like to play with the gear...😊

Myself i am not someone who like to play with things at all ... I am more of a books worm...

But i get in the obligation to learn about acoustics because i was going nowhere buying audio gear...😁

My 9 headphnes where trash...😁 even after my improving modifications they do not satisfied me ( save the AKG K340 the best headphone ever created probably but even it need my help 😊 )

I disliked even My Tannoy dual gold concentric...Because during the 40 years i owned them i was ignorant of acoustics science basics ... 😁

After reading acoustics books and articles i felt compelled to experiment... I do it full time 2 years because i was retired and i disliked my audio system , nevermind the upgrades... Things improved a lot when i discovered how to decrease vibrations/reasonance, how to shield my gear from the main panel up, when i played with various minerals to use on my connectors, when i experimented with Helmholtz tuned resonators in a specific grid distributed in the room and the right balance of reflection-absorption-diffusion in my room. i used other controversial devices as shumann generator i modified , at the end the same system was so transformed that they were no comparison between before and after...

Unlike most people who dream only to buy new gear pieces, i learned how acoustic knowledge improve the gear way much than most upgrades , the only exception will be to go from cheap speakers to way more refine one , but even this upgrade will not compare if you put these speakers in a living room and then in a room dedicated to the speakers specific properties... Acoustic rules for me the rest is marketting mostly ... 😊

Now i own an headphone able to project the soundfield out of my head with deep bass and natural timbre...

And the cheapest speakers i ever owned which i disliked for 10 years became my best one AFTER my modifications ...Thanks to Helmholtz...

Then i became a book worm anew, no need to tinker anymore and i can listen music 5 hours a day in sonic heaven ... 😊

@mahgister , You found it! I was mostly just joshing/joking with you on my earlier post. It came in today btw. On these type of cheap chifi speakers, I usually add bracing, put some no-rez (sold by GR) and I will spend a considerable amt of time with the crossover. I have a stock of the good parts GR sells. That’s the extent of it for me, typically.

I have tinkered with many similar cheap speakers, amp kits, etc from AliExpress, e-bay, etc. After it meets my fidelity requirements and I don’t feel like dealing with it anymore, I give it away on FB, artist groups, etc ( possibly creates a few new/young ’audiophiles’ or not....but, keeps the audio stuff cluster in my hoarder’s paradise under control).

The Sony (sscs5) was one i couldn’t let go of in recent times, especially after I put the GR upgrade on it...that one’s staying for a bit.

It seems like you would enjoy some of the content in the diy audio forums.

@mahgister , You found it! I was mostly just joshing/joking with you on my earlier post. It came in today btw. On these type of cheap chifi speakers, I usually add bracing, put some no-rez (sold by GR) and I will spend a considerable amt of time with the crossover. I have a stock of the good parts GR sells. That’s the extent of it for me, typically.

I have tinkered with many similar cheap speakers, amp kits, etc from AliExpress, e-bay, etc. After it meets my fidelity requirements and I don’t feel like dealing with it anymore, I give it away on FB, artist groups, etc ( possibly creates a few new/young ’audiophiles’ or not....but, keeps the audio stuff cluster in my hoarder’s paradise under control).

The Sony (sscs5) was one i couldn’t let go of in recent times, especially after I put the GR upgrade on it...that one’s staying for a bit.

It seems like you would enjoy some of the content in the diy audio forums.

@tomic601...regards to my hometown city, the 110, 105, & 405 when in LB....not sure when/if I /we ’get back to where I once....’

....the more it changes, the more it stays the same.....😏

But most of that I'd recognize likely doesn't exist anymore.....

my speakers are modified and go way beyond their price... ! 😊

i would be very thankful if you could give me the name of this chinese speakers you spoke about ...

Thanks ..😁😊

In fact, i just bought another 100 dollar speaker...the last pair of this 100 dollar unknown Chifi miracle as soon as i read the Amazon reviews. As soon as it gets delivered, I am sure it will sink your speaker (when i upgrade the crossover)! 😏

Ok it is these one :

https://www.amazon.com/SAMTRONIC-Passive-Bookshelf-Speakers-Tweeter/dp/B0CBYVK7Z1

There does not seems to have so much review...

And they are passive speakers with ribbon tweeter ...

I already go to a deep clear 50 hertz with no boominess at all in the mids and perfect highs natural timbre... my imaging is superb the soundstage include my listening position and exceed way over the speakers space and plane ...I used a tube preamp... I isolate them mechanically with my homemade sandwich of materials ... I used a tuned damping load of concrete on top of them ... I use my own homemade shielding tweaks... I use my own homemade cables enhancement ... I use a tube preamplification with my active speakers..M-audio AV 40... And i used them in their dedicated acoustic corner ... 😊

i modifed the porthole with a complex bundle of various straws of various diameter from few inches to more than three feet behind the port hole ... And i improve the tweeter wave guide ...

To beat mine you will pay way more than for those ribbon passive speakers ... And you will do more than changing only the crossover ... Any speakers produce resonance and are very heavily affec ted by vibrations... I did cure the problem and as i said many others homemade recipe ... I even use modified Shumann generators ... Sorry i am not convinced by buying these and plugging them i a wall after crossover change ... Not enough measures in my book .. 😊...

But i am pretty sure they can be good by themselves... Chinese engineer do a good job in all case for me...

But i never was satisfied by piece of gear not modified including my top headphone i modify also ... Only vibrations and resonance affect all speakers and people dont even know it ... I fine tune damp all the speakers i had used ... Only this change is staggering in his effect ... Add to that all the others...

Most speakers with a porthole are badly designed because it will be too costly to design a good porthole and unesthetical if the labyrinth of tubes is external instead of being inside as with my modification .. Each speaker is an Helmholtz resonator...

You must learn to take a few of the posters here with a grain of salt. Many of them don’t or never will have the gear that they claim to have. Did you ever notice that they never show their systems? My guess is that they are full of Poop!

The reasons I've never posted pics of my system is:

a) compaatively speaking, I've never considered it anything to brag about

b) I am functionally illiterate as far as internet technology goes, and I don't know how.

@tomic601 wow :)

hope to see you soon, just for the stories alone!

@grislybutter , lets reprise that loan next week as i didn’t provide you with the HRS Nimbus couplers, chassis damper block…. and so very critically the NOS Amperex tubes….

Van said it well ; “ No Guru, No Method, No Teacher “…..

@tvad

+

6) lends expensive gear indefinitely

7) has epic stories about audio/hifi history

@tvad Ditto to you….. I’m back in California soon…. how bout halfway Java as i’ve got a music buddy to visit in Long Beach to visit ! You are welcome any time.

Jim

@danager My question was to …perhaps…get you to compare and contrast the real MC ..label that any way you feel comfortable vs. his online persona… frankly, I have read many of your posts over the time you have been here - they strike me as quite genuine. My apologies are due.. especially as i see your thumb comment….

I find it rude… but i can ignore that going forward. it seems below your intellectual capacity… but i guess… this is the online world… eh ?

Lets clear a few things up, in general post count might be best consider over the duration of membership. It’s not a contest…of course i’ve got gear on loan to others - globally. Yes…. we should do our best to host gatherings - including complete strangers - on average I get that done host or travel 2x a month…. yet i aspire to more….. Like i said, visit…. I’m Summers in Seattle.

Jim

I like your opinion and experience a lot ... Thats confirmed my more limited one with the gear ...

Thanks

An audiophile is someone who cares and learns about improving the fidelity of playback, no matter what the budget is...even if it’s a 100 bucks. If his budget is small, he hopefully learns trickle down concepts, knows who the max bang 4 buck designers are (the really smart ones) etc...and gets smarter about purchases than the guys with bottomless pockets. He will also figure out room acoustics hopefully! An audiophile is also a guy who has the humility to constantly learn things and doesn’t sit on a pedestal thinking he’s got it all figured out in life.

@grislybutter In my post I stated have not heard!!

@yogiboy how is not showing the system proof that poster never heard XY gear?

@snilf 

You are absolutely an audiophile in my book. I’ve only been doing this for three years. I figure at my level of knowledge  I’m a junior audiophile at best and will probably stay that way as I just want to enjoy the music and not spend many years swapping out gear. 
 

Happy listening! 

The issue is...once a typical audioboo snob goes up in price, he will never look at anything cheaper lest it beat his high price junk, somehow. So, you will never get a fair comparison, feel for what you get as you go up in price on a speaker in the same room with the same electronics. 

For example, there is the question of at what point is a speaker just getting carried by the electronics? A guy will put a 15k or 5k speaker on 10k, 5k, etc cheaper electronics, a 60k speaker on 40k electronics and so on. He will never give that 15k speaker or a 5k speaker the same chance (i.e put both the 60k speaker and the 15k speaker on the same 40k electronics). And then, he'll claim that the carried 60k speaker beat the 15k speaker or 5k speaker. When you level out the playing field, "interesting" results emerge.

It you are in the KC FB group, swing by for a demo/comparison of gear at drastically different price brackets (see what you get as you go up in price or not), some good ol' fashioned myth busting and acquisition of 'disruptive' knowledge.

You must learn to take a few of the posters here with a grain of salt. Many of them don’t or never will have the gear that they claim to have. Did you ever notice that they never show their systems? My guess is that they are full of Poop!

@mahgister  ...there's a variant of the FFLS that expands upon it. *S*

I'll dredge it up and see if I can get the pdf to stick....

... even the afflicted can grasp it.... ;)

“Am I right for this forum?”

Hm, rather unique way to frame the notion.

”Ask not what your forum can do for you - ask what you can do for your forum.”

In the 90s and the ’00s, I used to buy the most expensive speakers out there. I just didn’t know enough. I used to have one of the original Wilson Wamms, TAD Reference, the top JBL, etc.

As I become knowledgeable, I was starting to match or beat the sound of such speakers at much lower prices. For example, a guy who doesn’t know what a Killer sub is or what to do with it will only have sucky sound with a million dollar "full range" speaker, etc, etc. it is just the nature of how speakers work in rooms folks. The only guy who even admits things like that in recent times is Paul McGowan perhaps.

I recently sold a 60k Schwikert to fund a 15k Yamaha and will soon get the Borresen X6. Can I eat the Schwikert ’s lunch with a cheaper Yamaha and a Borresen. You bet I can...Did I eat the TAD reference’s lunch with the trickle down TAD E1TX and some killer subs. You bet I did....Did the eat the JBL’s lunch with PA speakers? You bet I did...

An audiophile is someone who cares and learns about improving the fidelity of playback, no matter what the budget is...even if it’s a 100 bucks. If his budget is small, he hopefully learns trickle down concepts, knows who the max bang 4 buck designers are (the really smart ones) etc...and gets smarter about purchases than the guys with bottomless pockets. He will also figure out room acoustics hopefully! An audiophile is also a guy who has the humility to constantly learn things and doesn’t sit on a pedestal thinking he’s got it all figured out in life.

You belong if you want… or not.

As for MC ? Small sample juvenile… @danager who are you in real life ?…. my opinion…. it helps to be the SAME person.

Stop by, i can feed you anything but a $300 “ Hot Stamper “…..

To be fair, people with expensive systems are often a lot less useful here than the ones who have to use their brain and are on a limited budget to put together their rig. (Of course it’s not either or, there are a lot of smart people here with expensive systems, who understand the synergy)

In that sense, with my budget, I always get a fair share of practical advice from low budget hackers, geeks (who would not call themselves audiophiles) more so than from people who are obsessed with how much they spent. It’s annoying when someone says "give me speaker advice for a $1000" and the comments are pouring in for price no object, expensive speakers.

Whether one is an audiophile or belongs here should be self determined. At present I'm vacillating on whether I consider myself an audiophile anymore. My system is truly finished and I'm not deluding myself on this. I've been through many systems over forty years in this, and I now finally have the sound I always dreamed about, and I'm too old to start over. The thing is my curiosity in regard to new equipment and all the tweaks has diminished to the point I rarely check out audio forums and audio publications. So, I have an audiophile system without the curiosity I previously had. Devoid the curiosity, I'm now doubting I'm an audiophile. My take is an audiophile is one who is part of the audiophile culture. Curiosity born of interest brings you into the audiophile culture, merely having an audiophile system doesn't mean your an audiophile.

sniff:

I like your relatively inexpensive posted system, but am WAY jealous of you being so close to The Splash.

I also mourn the loss of The Clam Digger.

DeKay

it is very characteristic of trolling method too to use extreme comparison to disparage someone experience and stir a pot as you just did ...😁

By the way it is not the OP who use 100 bucks speakers , it is myself , i heavily modify them thanks to Helmholtz observations... And i am perfectly happy with the balanced natural results... I feel more wise and creative than buying a costlier pair of speakers as such and plugging them in the wall , is it a problem for your refined "taste" ?

No, they’re not extreme comparisons...

And i really do have/enjoy a 100 dollar speaker....Actually, it was more like 73 dollars on sale, the Sony SSCS5. It was quite pleasing and enjoyable on its own. At some point, i modded it with the GR kit and that sounded great too.

So, you’re not the only one. In other words, I already beat you on price with my 73 dollar speaker!!

In fact, i just bought another 100 dollar speaker...the last pair of this 100 dollar unknown Chifi miracle as soon as i read the Amazon reviews. As soon as it gets delivered, I am sure it will sink your speaker (when i upgrade the crossover)! 😏

My 30k TAD also does something good. My 15k Yamaha sounds good too...etc, etc

No biggie, whatever

"Do i belong?.....Do i not belong?" (facepalm)...

If we want a healthy forum we must welcome people, listening to them and discussing without sarcasms when it is not necessary ...

It is better to be helping , empathic and then we can exhange in good faith ...

I like all people here for what they are , music lovers interested by the way a system/room/ ears can give us ectasy...

For all of us concerned the first definition of individual stupidity was given by Carlo Cippola an italian economist read attentively his laws and pay attention to the third one :

«

These are Cipolla’s five fundamental laws of stupidity:

1. Always and inevitably, everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.
2. The probability that a certain person (will) be stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person.
3. A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or to a group of persons while himself deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses.
4. Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals. In particular, non-stupid people constantly forget that at all times and places, and under any circumstances, to deal and/or associate with stupid people always turns out to be a costly mistake.
5. A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person.

Corollary: a stupid person is more dangerous than a pillager.

😊

I hate to say it but you probably don't belong here.  For the first thing your stereo setup was WAY TO NEAT  Where are the jumble of wires the size of fire hoses strewn all over the house?  Where are the special power plugs "required" to provide pristine electricity to your components?  Where are the snarky responses to your choices in music?

Look at who's here and who's not.  I actually met with Chuck "Millercarbon" at his house for an extended listening sessions.  I mean I was there all day.  He fed me, talked music with me and actually demonstrated the sound difference power cables made.  He took his speaker wires off of the lifters while the song was playing so I could and did hear the affect they had on the overall sound.  He hosted a meet with whole bunch of other hobbyists and we spent the day totally immersed in the hobby.  If he doesn't "belong here"  who does? 

Like Chuck you appear to be willing to enjoy your system and wish to talk about it.  I'm not sure that kind of talk is appreciated here so yeah maybe you don't belong.  As for being an AudioPhile  If you break the word into it's components

Audio:  As pertaining to sound
Phile:  An affinity for something

It looks to me that you fit the description but apparently that doesn't mean you should be a part of this forum.

Cheers and you're doing better than me as I had to look up who Stuart Smiley was.

- Are you the type of troll who goes to some food enthusiast forum and says..."i’m very happy eating a wendy’s sh-burger. Any sympathy for me?"

it is very characteristic of trolling method too to use extreme comparison to disparage someone experience and stir a pot as you just did ...😁

I am here to socialize around sound and music interests ... The OP too ...

I think it is better to look less "smart" and suspicious and more empathic...

By the way it is not the OP who use 100 bucks speakers , it is myself , i heavily modify them thanks to Helmholtz observations... And i am perfectly happy with the balanced natural results... I feel more wise and creative  than buying a costlier pair of speakers as such and plugging them in the wall , is it a problem for your refined "taste" ?

I dont like sarcasm aimed at other people expanse...

And yet...my system cost me less than $3,000 in total. I don’t lust after any particular "upgrade," even though I read reviews and all the many accounts of improvements in "SQ" documented in this forum.

So...am I an "audiophile," or not? Do I belong here, or not?

I’m listening right now to a wonderful bit of Mozart. I also love Tool. And Christy Moore. And Eva Cassidy. And so many others. I agree with Nietzsche: without music, life would be a mistake. But am I an audiophile? Do I belong on this forum?

Any sympathy here? Anyone else feel alienated from the "audiophile community" despite loving the miracle of audio technology?

Hmmm....I can really enjoy listening to a 100 dollar speaker on my deck. I can also enjoy listening a to 30k speaker in my listening room. But, since my 100 dollar speaker is so enjoyable, it didn't make the 30k speaker real stupid. I could give a rats-behind if some forum shrew  thought i didn't belong because i am able to really enjoy a 100 dollar speaker.

Nevertheless, this is an enthusiast forum. 

- Are you the type of troll who goes to some food enthusiast forum and says..."i'm very happy eating a wendy's sh-burger. Any sympathy for me?"

- Are you also the type of guy who goes to some car enthusiast muscle car forum and says..."I have a Pontiac Sunbird and it runs great, takes me from point A to point B, easy to fix. I don't wish for anything better. Any sympathy for me?"

In that manner, it kinda sounds like a trolly post. But, if it wasn't, why do you need some internet audio nerd's acceptance so badly?

Why don't you quit worrying about nothing and  get better at playing your cello instead??

P.S.

Eva Cassidy? kinda boring...Tool? kinda untalented...Seems like you need better taste in music dude... Add that to the getting better at cello 'to do' list. 😑

I came to Agon without a working system.  I don't have much selection in this town.  I kept some stuff I got from my friend.  Modified pro stuff. I started there. Also had some Klipsch RF3.

So I got lots of help here and reading around.  I enjoy my system now.  Any mistakes along the way were not major.  I will not be changing anything unless I move to a smaller place.  Yes, I stick around, whatever I am.  I hope you do too.

OP, of course you belong here. Room would be pretty damn boring if it only had one kind of person in it

@snilf  the # of responses to your post should indicate you belong on the forum.  Lots of responses and opinions. 
 

Are you an audiophile?  Ask for the definition and you’ll likely get as many as you got responses to this post. 
 

Based on your love of music and that you can make music with the talent you have playing instruments and the obvious interest you have in enjoying listing to recordings of songs, music, that checks a lot of audiophile boxes.  The fact that you love music but you’ll still pick tracks that highlight your systems sound over music you already know, like, that’s for sure an audiophile thing, check.  The time you have spent building out a network of fellow audiophiles, check.  The price you paid for your gear is irrelevant, from the sounds of it you took advantage of opportunities that presented themselves, allowing you to collect some great gear that you love, with little expense, relative to the quality of the system, check. Money spent isn’t the precursor to being an audiophile.  
 

The definition of what makes you an audiophile is subjective, just like comparing 2 sets of speakers, both can be incredible speakers, they’ll have a sound signature, if they are your speakers, the only person they need to sound good to, is you. 
 

I’ve cycled through gear, spent way more than I would ever want to admit to someone who isn’t into this hobby, obsessed over the equipment I’ve bought, what I want to buy, had my family question my sanity more than a couple times.  That doesn’t make me anymore or less of an Audiophile than you.  What I think makes me one, since I was little, I always was really particular on how music sounded when I listened, I could hear differences others couldn’t or that didn’t matter to them.  I’ve always wanted to find that perfect sound, to me.  I’m still searching…. 
 

You lost me at millercarbon.

@jastralfu

I was wondering if anyone would get that.

Yeah, I think hearing natural, real instruments from an acoustically good hall will always trump unnatural steely processed sound. Kind of the point… 

Acoustics science is the only efficient exorcism of the demon of consumerism conditioning...😊

I’ve spent well over 3k on cables alone! 🙄

If your system @3k sounds good to you, then that is what matters. Pat yourself on your back for not falling into the proverbial rabbit hole.

@ghdprentice

The music was very severely compromised...so it goes.

Are you a Kurt Vonnegut fan?

That's too bad that the new conductor felt the need to change things so drastically, at least relative to what you liked.

I too miss @millercarbon. And agree with @snilf that he was what I call a character. A great balance of bluster, knowledge and even humility when it came to admitting that he only knew what he liked. He also helped me in my audio journey.   I will add that I read this forum much quicker than I used to. Yes very good info still here, but not as fertile as it once was.  Thank you @erik_squires ​​​​@mahgister and many others that escape me pre-coffee for your knowledge. 

We were at a party last week and I was talking to my girlfriend’s uncle from FL who I just met. We were talking about music and my lady said " Steve’s an audiophile" I kind of just cringed... I thought , oh I hope this guy doesn’t think I’m a douche

I really didn’t want to talk about gear, just music.

@snilf 

I'll do my best to save you the labor pains, and just give you the baby.

"Yes!"

Just because you don't own a turntable that appears to be robust enough to have machined WW2 bomber parts doesn't mean you can be a contributor. 

My daily search for intelligent life on this planet often begins (and, ends) on this forum.  I am rarely disappointed. I'm  honored, and humbled when I am allowed to post something here and not have it taken down due to its absolute obscurity and lack of relevance to anything. 

Now...about that dedicated/attached power cord on the NAD 7600 ....

@snilf, to me, being an audiophile is your state of mind. It isn’t a currency threshold of your system. Interest in audio gear and seeking of related information is what drew everybody to this site so if you’re here then you belong.

Of course there are a lot of different forums to get information. When I resurrected my system in 2019 after a 15 year hiatus, I started a Facebook private hifi group to get information about gear and music. It has slowly grown to over 800 members. One of the unforeseen benefits to me has been the friendships I’ve developed with some of the people that have joined the group and YouTubers that I’ve shared their content on the group, also manufacturers and distributors.

You also have another positive thing going for you which is being a musician. Isn’t it great to not only appreciate the music and the gear but also be able to create music?! Once again, resurrecting my rig lead me to resurrecting my long lost love of playing the drums! I hadn’t played for 40 years! Another long story I won’t get into here.

The bottom line for me is: life is short, stretch to do everything your mind endeavors and enjoy the journey!

This philosophy has yielded enjoyable results for me. My main system is at a level that’s definitely high end. The 2nd system is vintage, except when I use my DAC/streamer in it. The vintage rig may be worth 1k or so. However, I enjoy and look forward to listening to it as much as the main rig.

I’m also making music again. I discovered that making music with other musicians is a passion that slightly exceeds my love of listening to my systems.

The Facebook group I created is named: HiFi and music media releases. Everyone is welcome to join, post and contribute information.

@snilf 

Being on Agon is more than talking about equipment. I generally spend more time on the music threads than the equipment threads. Jazz, classic rock and classical music are 99% of what I listen to.  Poke around, there’s a lot of diversity. Have some fun! 
 

All the best.