Do you spend more time analyzing the sound of your system, worrying it could be better?

The better lt sounds the less fretting. Had a bit of work to do to get there. Now that it sounds great I'm happy. Had a goal and spent time, money, lots of what I suppose was critical listening, now I  can enjoy. It wasn't easy.

Il maestro è sempre il maestro!

please elaborate on acoustics and Hemholtz, I checked on Wikipedia but didn’t find much, also I am curious about your favorite readings. 

I am as excited when I get a new interconnect as when I get a new vinyl.

Appreciating gears and sonics is the nature of this hobby. No one can claim otherwise while discussing on "audio"gon😀

That doesn't mean music is less important. It is the blood of this hobby.

No.  Too busy enjoying all the unique and sonically intriguing  music. 

I like to experiment. What that ends up meaning is that I heard unbelievably good music in my system. OTOH, while I was testing a new integrated amp that I built, oscillation occurred in the left channel. Crap, um yah, not the best sound that I can have. In the end, it is worth it to me to enjoy music in new ways than before even at the risk of not getting it right the next time around.

 Now while this runs true for electronics, speakers are usually kept for years before I decide to change out.

 To answer the question wondering 'what if'? Why yes, yes I do.

It sounds good to my ears in all ways. Who needs a spec sheet written on it? Be happy!

Nope. I absolutely know my system *could* sound better - they always can, but in my case, for far more money than it would be worth. I'm never aware of any system deficiencies when I listen, so hey, I'm done and happy.

The only thing that makes me unhappy is when I play music that I enjoy, but it's only available on a recording that fell victim to the loudness wars era. Those I listen to in the car...

@russbutton Very nice!

I got into some Linkwitz Orions about 16 years ago and fell in love.  I'm still in love with them.  They're my "forever" loudspeaker and now I don't have to worry about all the little nits and details.  There are other loudspeakers I've heard that sound great, but my Orions still make me smile.

no

I think it applies to just about every hobby, music, cameras,musical instruments, etc the list goes on and on. But we all do it in slightly different ways. Some do it all the time, in constant striving for that elusive sound they are looking for, some get new equipment and are satisfied for awhile, content to just enjoy what they have until some outside force or opinion affect there choices, and I'm sure there are other ways as well. All are OK, we all do things differently.

 I wonder though are we ever really satisfied ?

The one thing I don't think most really consider is our actual hearing itself. While we are chasing that certain sound, our actual hearing is slowly but certainly going downhill.

So as has been said, just enjoy the music.

Great thread BTW.

This is a good place to vent. I started the year with a Marantz SR6014 receiver, Fluance turntable, ortofon bronze cart, Vincent PHO 301 phono stage and Polk LSi 703 speakers and all was part of a modest home theater system. I was never quite satified with the sound for vinyl listening and it was ok for movies and such and it wow’d most people who listened. It started with upgrading my cart to a ortofon black and it got away from me chasing sound. I have ended with the same receiver but now have KEF R3s with all KEF surround, Rega Planar 3, Hana ML Microline cart, Rega Aria phonostage, Rega Elex-R integrated amp to separate my hometheater and vinyl listening. I went down a rabbit hole chasing this "audiophile" sound. It sounds AMAZING but then I was in a audio shop just the other day and the guy put on Eric Clapton playing through a McIntosh amp and some gear that was easily $20,000 or more combined. One has to stop and say, just enjoy the f**king music.

No complaints here, but it’s always fun try new stuff…

I enjoy merely listening to my pile for the most part.

It's only when I'm into 'serious listening hour' with my diy efforts that I get picky.

That's also done when spouse is 'elsewhere', since listening to test tones, sweeps, or the same passage X times can make her crazy.

SAF around here has an expanded definition....;)

Analyze everything? Awareness? Doesn't mean you have to buy new stuff but what audio geek isn't listening carefully? 

@jerryg123 , my racing days are over but we do have a bunch of tracks in the area.  Yes, it does look like Audi has positively influenced Ducati's quality but my 999S never gave me any trouble. IMHO the best looking bike Ducati currently makes is the 950S. 

My Diavel is faster in a straight line than your Panigale V4! Old men can still go fast! 

@mijostyn yes my Panigale V4 requires a lot less tinkering than my 1988 Ducati 888SP5 as the quality of the new Audi owned Ducti is much better than the Ferrari and Cagiva days.

Enjoy that new machine and be careful on the street. I only ride on the track my man. And I am spoiled have Elkhart, Mid-Ohio and other close.

@bpoletti Understood. I also like information.

Generally information in audio forum is about "sound" more than about the best interpretion of Barber Quartet adagio , which is by Bernstein by the way among all other versions ...Try it....

You cannot listen music without listening to sound at some point for some time , ask a maestro, or a musician and you cannot assess what a good sound is without knowing how a natural sounding instrument timbre or voice can sound...This is acoustic matter....And musical knowledge can help....

When the relation between your sound speakers/room is tuned, and the right pieces of gear well chosen for this acoustic process , we all listen music in ectasy forgetful but thankful to our acoustic well working installation...

Before that , we are obsessed, frustrated, and embark in an upgrade chasing of the tails...Because it is more easy to give money than study acoustic...

And because we dont know what is "timbre" or listener envelopment/sound source ratio, or imaging soundscape , or Schoeder time we speak about bass and highs or mid range appropriated for this musical style or this other favorite styles not knowing that a good acoustic , and well designed pieces of gear must be GOOD when they are acoustically optimized for all musical genres anyway heavy metal included...

Then "listening music" or "listening sounds" does not means the same for all people at different point in time in their audio acoustic journey....

I listen music now after i got married with "sound"... One is the bride, the sound, i spend all day with her; the other is my mistress, the music, and my nights are for her ...They are my twins... 😁😊 The taste of bread is better cooked by my bride but making love more exciting with his sister...It is impossible to choose between one of them and they know it, the little rascals i love so much....

@hilde45 

I spend time listening to music. The system disappears in the room and is replaced by musicians all in their proper position on stage. The original performance reproduced.

What do you come to an audio forum for?   

To share information.

@bpoletti 

I spend time listening to music. The system disappears in the room and is replaced by musicians all in their proper position on stage. The original performance reproduced.

What do you come to an audio forum for?

@jerryg123 , I ordered a Ducati Diavel 1260S in Black and Steel! Its due in end of May. I got the touring package and the racing exhaust with it. I'm going to put it all on myself. Nothing like Italian tinkering........well maybe British tinkering:-)

Listen to the music dammit.  NOT the sound.

Lean back in your chair, put your feet up.  Relax, enjoy, and try to stop worrying.

To point to what bpoletti just said, I became involved with hi-fi audio to become more engaged and satisfied with this beautiful, precious thing called music.  If I then engage in inordinate fretting and anxiety, that’s on me.  I’ve accepted that this is my personality and that I need to balance these proclivities with healthy gratitude  for what many would consider indulgent extravagances.  
 

There’s nothing wrong with people whose enjoyment is the “process” itself: analyzing, tweaking, experimenting, etc.  If people do what they want and it ain’t hurtin’ anybody, no harm no foul.

I spend time listening to music. The system disappears in the room and is replaced by musicians all in their proper position on stage. The original performance reproduced.

Isn’t everyone’s system like that? Isn’t that the reason we have good systems?

That’s about as concise as a version as the false-dilemma driving this thread can get.

False dilemma: Either you love your system’s sound (and are just agog, all the time, passive) or you are neurotic (frantic, chasing the dream).

The third option is the happy tinkerer. The experimenter.

Very clear thinking!

Thanks...

This false dilemna is related to another one...

FALSE DILEMMA:

Either you make of your gear brand name a fetich, claiming that it is your subjective TASTE,

Or you claim that the measuring specs tell all there is to tell about your gear, and then the objective measuring process and tools are the fetich...

the third option is acoustic/psycho-acoustic process where the SUBJECTIVE EARS and the OBJECTIVE MEASURES are CORRELATED continuously in acoustic experiments and tuning...

It is the reason why i became an experimenter in acoustic...

We listen to the system/ room relation not to the gear ALONE or DIRECTLY , and the acoustic measures are AT LEAST as important as the electrical one because in acoustic we LISTEN to assess and test what we just measure in the room ...

@hilde45 I like to tinker. That is why I ride Italian motorcycles and cars. 

@mijostyn Thanks. Appreciated.

NO! I stopped being neurotic about sound quality long ago!

That’s about as concise as a version as the false-dilemma driving this thread can get.

False dilemma: Either you love your system's sound (and are just agog, all the time, passive) or you are neurotic (frantic, chasing the dream).

The third option is the happy tinkerer. The experimenter.

That’s what makes this forum fun. Anyone who is just happy with the sound of their system should prove that by going off and listening rather than telling others they’re neurotic.

Most of my time spent in finding new music preferably outside of RR hall of fame.

@jasonbourne52 

NO! I stopped being neurotic about sound quality long ago!

I'd like to think I'm gradually getting there too.

Of course some of the seismic events of the past few years might also have something to do with it.

Perspective, whether you seek it or not, has a strange habit of imposing itself upon you as the years roll by.

+1 @hilde45 

No. 

I know of all the problems of my system.  If it had bothered me too much, I did something to cure it.  Now just enjoy the music.  Lucky me also, to live somewhere that does not have any stereo boutiques to entice me with better.  Reading words is one thing.  When you hear it, it is a different dilemma.

I went the same way (got something that I could play my TV through) and am now enjoying better sound from all my sources. Removing the soundbar and it's stand not only got me better sound but better looks, to boot. A lot less clutter. 

I'm also enjoying FM on a level that I never thought possible.The sound is so clear, full and enjoyable that I turn it on first thing in the morning and leave it on until I choose something else. That can sometimes take hours and it's simply lovely to have it in the background again, after way too many years of going without it (the reason being it never sounded this good with my precious set ups). 

No need for room acoustics here. To me, it's a waste of time and kind of self defeating. Talk about chasing the dragon. I listen in the near field (7.4' from the plane of my speakers) and the sidewalls are far enough away to not worry about 1st reflection points. I've even had a sound engineer and a high end audio dealer over and they both said the room is great the way it is and not to waste my money.

For me, the process has always been one of synergy (I don't like that word but it's apt) and after being in this hobby for some time now I can (mostly) ferret out the BS and pretty much hit on what I'm after. It takes a while. Sometimes a long while, but I get there. The thing is to be patient. Let things settle. Experiment a bit if needed but don't go down that rabbit hole and buy one thing after another. This "last piece" of mine (my new integrated) took 8 years of waiting (with one misstep) to finally get it right. Ignore the naysayers who advocate their special way and please discount their claims. They just like to bloviate.

All the best,
Nonoise

I have an ARCAM AVR 550, Paradigm Prestige AVR, BlueSound Node 2i, OPPO 105, two REL SHO's.  I have a dealer that would sell me a brand new Luxman 509 for $7,000 ($3,000 off).  He would also sell Focal Kanta 2's speakers for $6,000 brand new.  The reason why I purchased the ARCAM was to be able to watch TV and movies through speakers.  I have not added the rear surround speakers yet because my wife won't allow me to buy them.  I thought at the time the ARCAM was more audiophile quality than the large Murantz I have in the family room.  I have been thinking of adding the Luxman to my ARCAM for 2 channel listening.  However, is it better to upgrade my speakers to the Kanta's.  When I first started I listened to Focal Aria's and even the 848's lack bass.  I think my REL's would fill in the bass now.  Who do you believe?  What makes the most sense.  So far, the majority in the group feel spending money on the source is better than adding speakers.  I have always thought the opposite.  What ever I do, when upgrading my speakers, I will be searching for the most efficient.  This group is certainly knowledgeable.

Once a system is thoughtfully put together, dialed in, used for a length of time and sounds good for what it is - no.

Aside from tubes/styli I have not made any changes to my main setup in over a decade (I like it as is).

I recently (5+ weeks ago) put together a mini system to listen to CD’s while at the computer.

As the new setup was made from both new and old electronics/speakers/cables (didn’t sound too hot for the first couple of weeks) I "am" listening for changes in the SQ.

Two new/unfamiliar to me parts of the new setup are a Tripp-lite surge protector and Canare 4S11 speaker cable.

If I’m not satisfied with the sound after six months, or so, I will probably start by replacing the Canare with some of the 47 Labs OTA cable that I have been using in two other systems for the past 15-20 years (I have @ least 100’ left), or maybe try some Neotech 22 gauge solid core copper hookup wire (save the OTA for a rainy day).

If that doesn’t do it I’ll borrow a power conditioner/surge protector from the main rig.

I’ve been using a pretty much the same mini system in the living room for 15 years (duplicate Sharp SD-EX111/Polk RT15i speakers) so have an idea of how it should sound.

http://www.laaudiofile.com/sdex111.html

DeKay

@mijostyn and many of us males are tools. Present company excluded.

 We like tools, tools to do just about anything. A car is a tool to get places. A saw is a tool to cut up wood, a stereo is a tool to listen to music.

I forgot to mention, "sounds good" is defined by the listener, not the system. 

@hilde45  I like your philosophy.

Has anyone noticed that there is a preponderance of men in this hobby? It is in part driven by the instinctive nature of men. We like tools, tools to do just about anything. A car is a tool to get places. A saw is a tool to cut up wood, a stereo is a tool to listen to music. Aside from being extremely vicious creatures it is one of the main reasons humans are so successful.   I think some of us are miffed by the extreme cost of some equipment and feel they could never have a great system because they can not afford a SAT arm. We come up with creative reasons to justify the system we have. This is IMHO a defeatist aptitude. Anyone can build a great system for reasonable money. It takes knowledge and creativity. What makes it difficult is having to wade through the mountains of BS that surround this hobby.

You can get off the train at any time you want. I like the ride and prefer to stay on it. But, most of the time I am analyzing now it is not so much the system as it is the recording. I know exactly where the weaknesses in my system are and have a plan to correct them. It should only take me another 20 years or so. 

@chayro +1

Thank you.

I have been a member of this Forum for many years and have read posts by many audiophiles to whom I believe their systems are nothing but a source of grief and anxiety.  I know 1 or 2 people like this personally and I don't think there is a cure for it. As audiophiles, we all think about how things might be improved, but for some, it seems to be a constant voice in their heads that cannot be silenced.  As someone who has owned some relatively expensive gear, i.e., $15k preamp, $10k CD player, the solution was actually downgrade to a less expensive system, which just sounds good for what it is.  I don't expect miracles and I don't get them.  I just get good sound that I find pleasing. Life is easier once you lower your standards.  Not saying you should do it - it's your life after all. 

I spend time finding new music and artists that I enjoy.  I'm done spending money on the system. 

It's like someone spending too much worrying about their cameras equipment and not looking for wonderful things to photograph. 

I design audio products so I have to do a lot of analytical listening. But I know when I have it right because I will just enjoy the performance without focusing on anything but the music. If I stay in analytical mode I know it's time to make a change.

Yes,

 I have tunes on at least 4 hours a day, but I’m still putting the final touches on the new system, but a streamer might be coming and if so, what cables will I use?  than what streaming service will I use? Then…

JD

NO! I stopped being neurotic about sound quality long ago!

Sometimes consider, but never worry.  Having too much fun listening to music.

Well said baylinor...

My experience is the same modulo acoustic...

😊

Not lately.

It must sound REAL good!

But I only got here because I did obsess over sound for a couple of years on this particular house of stereo system of mine. It was all worth it. I have to say my listening sessions are much more satisfying now that I don't spend anymore time analizing every sound that comes out of my system. Plus I don't have to listen to the same couple dozen reference albums over and over. In fact I hardly ever listen to them anymore because I can't enjoy their music anymore. Overload. Sound obsession ruined them for me. So I listen to thousands of others 😇

No

NO

I wish i could explain myself so clearly and with few words as you...

This hobby is about " plurality" yes, (not universal perfection, with a universal recipe, and some universally good gear) because of the acoustic specificity of any content in a room , of any gear and of any particular ears... And it is about fun learning of acoustic or /and electronical design yes...

Music was fun all along....From my few bucks battery radio at 13 years old till my system/room now...

Thanks to say it so eloquently...

In other words, the challenge of upgrade-itis isn’t about material after all; it’s about a dogmatic and myopic idea -- that "perfection" is singular and final. If perfection is about plurality and change, the "disease" of audiophiles goes right away, with the hobby left intact.