Audio Hype!!

Matrix, you are right. We are all willing victims of the audio magazines and manufacturers who conspire to take our money. Unfortunately for them, sites like Audiogon return the power to us. Here, we are able to share information outside of that supplied by the Audio Gods and we are able to sell off our "mistakes" at a reasonable price instead of selling back to the audio establishment at fire sale prices. I have been able to buy much more intelligently since becoming an Audiogon member and while the internet fuels the addiction, it also prevents a lot of mistakes and has lead me to acquire a system I am extremely happy with.

I know what you mean guys, but I think that the complexities of putting a good system together are so great that there is a degree to which we have to go through a long series of mistakes before we can gain the appropriate wisdom - rather that than just deny anything other than speakers makes a difference and never try anything. But I reckon that learning from others' mistakes is a good thing and so I try to get to listen to lots of other peoples' systems too.

I agree with the previous posts. You know the drill--read a raving review on a piece of equipment, then go search different web sites for user reviews to (hopefully) confirm the positive remarks on the equipment, then go find one used on audiogon and buy it. Then when the equipment arrives, be a bit disappointed because the equipment didn't give you boosebumps all over and lift you out of your listening chair. We all have some degrees of upgraditis--as so many of us are familiar to that syndrome. I think even sometimes when we do get lucky and find a musically satisfying system, some raving review of a piece of eq will make us think--"hey, my system could be better!" Like Redkiwi says, system matching is rather complex, and I believe it involves some luck to have a synergistic system (if you are not using all eq from the same manufacturer). I think it's a good idea to have a piece of new equipment (whether bought new or used) in your system for at least 3 months before deciding whether to upgrade, instead of after a week thinking buying a more expensive product will give you that goosebump/chair-lifting experience. But all in all, through countless swapping pieces of audio equipment, when that first note of goosebump city sinks in, it's all worth the effort...

There is no doubt that this site has helped very much in making certain decisions, and many good ones on gear, but man does it have to be that expensive to make a mistake on a power conditioner or cables, I am lucky enough to not to lose huge, but I believe that the real tweaky stuff needs to come down considerably in price before I can totally believe in the industry again--and ive noticed that this trend has added to the sickness even more over the last few years with the access to the internet. however,I have to stick with the fact that it is the music we strive for not the brand name of the equipment. Maybe we need to go on audiophile strike or something to bring the price of brass spikes and such things down from 200$ a set to a more resonable amount for a couple of chunks of brass it just seems semi-ridiculous at some point.

In the best of worlds we could audition gear we're interested in in our homes, A/B'ing against the piece we're looking to upgrade. Then, paying at or near MSRP would be at least palatable, given the piece will probably live with us for some time to come. Unfortunately not only is this rarely possible, after reading reviews/ others opinions about some piece of gear, then briefly listening and perhaps talking oneself into "it's as good as my preconcieved idea" an impulse buy ensues. Then after living with it for a while, well..... At least sites such as this allow us audio malcontents a place to recoup some of our $$ and to try new gear without losing the farm. And I personally have found this particular site to be extremely educational.It's an expensive hobby, and high markups go with the territory. Paying professional athletes millions is possible because we buy tickets to the games and watch the commercials in between innings/periods/quarters. Audio prices will remain inflated as long as we buy and listen. Now, if you will wxcuse me, I'm going to put a bid in on that titanium treated, zircon encrusted spent uranium exposed toothpick that's supposed to rid ones tube traps from the effects of jitter resonating from my new Magnawatt Deluxe Mark XI window reflectonators. If I can just get him down to $1100......