Can the need for novelty and change be mitigated by rotation?


There is a not too serious term audiophilia nervosa; it may be a joke, but it builds on a valid observation: there are people who are never content with their equipment in medium term.It is not the initial period, when one does know much about gear and learns; or the question of disposable income, when one gets the best they can afford, and upgrades untill he (or, probably less often, she) buys the dream system. Audiophilia nervosa is a state later on, a plateau, when a desired piece initially gives much satisfaction, yet it wears off, and the person gets uneasy and looks for smth. else.
To give a personal example, I was on a quest for my ultimate power amp. Had to be Pass Aleph; happened to find Aleph 4. Did not suit the speakers (Lowther Fidelio) too well; got other speakers (MBL 101b or c) ; still not there; got ML no. 23. Much better; but still uneasy about Aleph and speakers for it; got Gradient 1.5; fine with ML, Ok with Pass; exploring options, got Parasound 2200 mk2 (and a couple of PA amps). And I needed a preamp. Seller insisted on only trading ML no. 28 together with no. 27, — another power amp.
Now the ML 28 is there to stay; Gradient 1.5 are keepers too; but I’d keep old MBL101 even if they stopped working (I’d probably use them as garden sculptures), so they stay, too. But I have way too many power amps (the listed, and a few more), I would need to sell some.
The trouble is, I cannot decide. So, in order to decide, I rotate them. ML 23 is very good with MBLs, fine with the Gradients. ML 27 is very good with the Gradients. Parasound 2200 2 is very good with the Graients, - but in a different way. So I swap every few weeks, and I still cannot decide.
And after each break I [re-]discover things I like about the particular amp / amp-speaker combination.
Again and again...
Which made me think:
— What if this ‘rotation’ takes good care of my need for change and novelty?
After a while I will decide which one(s) to sell, and later on I will probably want smth. new. But for the time being, keeping and rotating them slows down my pace - and I see it as a good thing, as in the aftermath I do not think my decisions have been sufficiently well informed (for instance, I am getting used to the fact that I actually do not like sound of Pass Alephs as much as I thought I do, and my Aleph 4 may be the first to go).
inefficient

Showing 2 responses by douglas_schroeder

Congratulations! You have discovered an aspect of audiophilia that is quite appealing to a subset of enthusiasts! These are the listeners who as a pursuit, a goal, seek variety.

Some of this is in my character, and I see it expressed in my life also in terms of motorcycles. I would rather have two fine motorcycles of quite different genre (cruiser/sport) than one considered higher pedigree. The excitement of the distinct difference in experience is better imo than being held to only one experience. I have no doubt that in the moment, riding a higher level bike would provide some unique experiences, however it cannot provide the variety of experiences. That is the crux of the dilemma; if you put your money to work in a restricted fashion, then you will not get the variety of experiences, or at least not when you wish.

I spent a long time searching for "The One", the one speaker, the one system that would ultimately satisfy. Because I always heard deficiencies in the sound regardless of what equipment was used, I finally realized the performance spectrum is SO wide, and the inability for any rig to capture a nearly perfect sound internet, that I started to expand my components and speakers. Over the years, the focus has turned solidly to speakers, because their physical characteristics are so varied that one simply cannot get similar sound from a different genre of speaker. I also learned that this does not change as one moves up in the quality of the electronics.

This has brought FAR more contentment, enjoyment, exposure to the experiences of the High End than any pursuit of The One. Variety is not a problem, but a great passion and pursuit. It is a legitimate means of enjoying the music, of course not for all, but every bit as valid as any other expression of involvement in the hobby, i.e. being a Mediaphile and focusing on collecting and curating media.

What level of equipment does one need to attain in order to not be plagued by perceived imperfections in the sound quality? That is for you to figure out; it’s personal. But, I attest that when one reaches a high enough level of sound quality with the capability of swapping around systems, it is a pleasure that nothing else in this hobby for decades provided.

Concluding, then, your post as stated in the title suggests that variety is a sign of some issue, problem. Not at all! It's only a problem if you are unaware of the vast spectrum of performance, cannot accept deficiencies in systems, and do not want to spend any money! If you address the realities of the process of setting up rigs and accept that it is a great alternative to anchoring to one expression of sound, pursuit of variety is fantastically fulfilling! 
Bill,
"Peregrinations", nice.

Wow, 17K in media. My first thought is, "Oh, man, what a system that could have bought!" I have mastered the Mediaphlie impulse, and it’s a good thing, because my budget won’t support both the love for the variety of systems and the desire to curate a prodigious collection of media. Kudos if you can pull off both! Well, more accurately, I have chosen not to support a large media collection in favor of pursuit of the variety of systems. I do, however, budget monthly and have reasonably built up the system over decades. Like you, it has been a labor of love and consistent progress. :)

Imo, variety is a function of one’s budget. It’s tougher to climb the ladder of sound quality - I see you have your ladder in place! - when allocating the funds across several potential systems. Budget audiophiles are particularly constrained in that endeavor.

The Audiophile Nervosa that I suffered was due to not building a high enough quality rig; it was a byproduct of my artificial budgetary constraints on the system, yet hearing significant shortcomings. I sensed that it was a result of my artificial ceiling on spending, too, but did not wish to admit it at that time. It was self-fulfilling nervosa! LOL

Then, when one gains higher end sensibility, it becomes even harder to scratch the itch for variety because every form of system has to be of the same caliber! Consequently, two variables, both potentially impinging upon the wallet, are in play (But, I like a self-imposed challenge)! :)

In several respects, the quest for variety has been a quest for audiophile truths, and a test for myself to see how far I can progress within my budgetary constraints. I suspect that is a latent variable in most participants’ activity here. For several years I have kept a system diary wherein I meticulously note the systems so that I can return to the reference for any speaker. It also ensures progress, as I can return to the actual previous reference for comparison. My flavor of listening is actually a fair bit of physical work, as I am often moving speakers, amps, etc. It’s not a couch-potato experience. I’m not active enough to replace workouts, but perhaps switching speakers means a minute or two less on the elliptical. Really, that’s the only reason I do it, for exercise. ;)