I’m assuming this is a rhetorical question.
Perhaps examine your expectations and carefully consider whether they were/are realistic.
Perhaps, at present, you are seeking "something else" that simply cannot be achieved via audio?
Has it all been worth it?
I recently turned 63, and I've been into all things audio since the mid 70's. In that time I've spent countless thousands of dollars chasing that damn rabbit down the hole. Solid state, vinyl, cassette, CD, tubes, big speakers, small speakers, pricy gear, cheap gear...been there, done that. Sitting here in my less than acoustically friendly office listening to a Hi-Res version of Angie by TRS this is probably the nicest stereo I've ever had. And even with my compromised hearing (bouts of tinnitus, and a stroke) I know the music sounds as good as it ever has, but yet I can't help but ask myself - has this journey all been worth it? The money, soul searching, reviews, disappointment in the review when it didn't live up to the hype, "am I missing out by not owning _____" etc. Sometimes I wish I were more like my wife who just bought a cheap shelf unit to listen to her CD's and is perfectly pleased with what she hears.
Anyone else find themself at this point sometimes?
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A hobby is always a discovery journey, and there’ll be moments of joy as well as of disappointment. We’ve all been there. I have gone the opposite way - about 4 years ago one of the components in my expensive setup had to be serviced. So I set up a system that was 20% of the cost with spares I had. I decided it sounded fantastic. When the other component came back, I didn’t bother to put it back together. I haven’t sold the more expensive system components yet, but shall do so soon. I still care about audio, but found out I obsessed about it too much for too long. Now I just enjoy music that sounds amazing, and feel free having unburdened myself from the audiophilia nervosa that still lived on in my system. |
Other than pissing away money on cables, I think the upgrades that I've made have been worth it. I listen to music for a couple of hours every night. I've got other hobbies that don't produce the satisfaction that I get from listening to music. I do, however, feel that I'm at a stopping point. I'm happy where I'm at and don't feel like investing any more money to get that tiny bit of improvement. You didn't mention 8 track tapes. Surely, you didn't skip those. I didn't. :) |
I think it has been. I've been on this Merry-Go-Round for only about 25 years, so a lot less than many people here. But an important point to remember is that this hobby is for a very select few for whom auditory satisfaction is a source of contentment. We're also Gearheads to an extent and we just like tinkering with things. We get an aural pleasure that the vast majority of people don't really care about and find elsewhere. Having said that, as I've posted earlier, I restored, refinished, and rebuilt a very old pair of coral speakers several months ago and only the other night did I finally take them off my listening stands and put my reference 3A's back up. I just would have been very happy with these essentially free speakers as opposed to much more substantial (and more resolving and clear) De Capos. |
It has been in my case. The end result has well exceeded the endless search for the best sound to my ears in the best possible listening environment. It's obviously not for everyone. The commitment has to be real to get there. It's a great way to spend my time in retirement. I never gave it that much time and attention during my working life and the quality of my systems then would speak to that. |
I am really sorry to hear about your journey. Mine has been similar in length and certainly intensity. However, I am retired and 73. My journey has been exactly the opposite. It represents the best investments I have ever made and has brought me endless joy along the way. I traveled extensively throughout my career... first as a geologist when I would frequently spend 8 to 10 hours a day driving... so I had a top of the line headphone system for days (the Sony Walkman Brick with Dolby C), an amazing portable system for my motel room (three weeks in the field, one week home), and an evolving main system and record collection at home. Before retirement I did a big upgrade in case I could not afford another after... really great. Fortunately, after retirement I was able to do a much larger upgrade, achieving the sound I never thought possible. One key was in my fifties and sixties was season tickets to the symphony seventh row center that helped me calibrate my ears to real natural sound. Now in retirement my system gets two or more hours of use and is one of my most prized and fulfilling time each day. The culmination of over fifty years of study and investment. This pursuit has been sooo rewarding. I am very fortunate. |
No regrets. I am a lover of music, though not a musician. The better the quality of the sound the closer I am to the performance. In rural VT I rarely get the chance to listen go to the concert or recital hall, and, indeed, the behavior of audiences in NYC concert halls increasingly detracted from the experience. People on their phone during the performance, and ALWAYS applauding before the piece finishes. A particular way to piss me off. I wish people would abide by the rule that when the conductor is facing the orchestra you are silent. You applaud when he/she turns round to face the audience. The decay of that last note is a meaningful part of the experience, and something delicious to be enjoyed. |
It has been worth it for me. Although early in my audiophile journey I did a lot of upgrading, about 40 years ago I assembled a core system that has proven satisfying. I've had to upgrade parts of it, and particularly I have had to upgrade the digital side of my system, but now even that is quite satisfactory. I can simply listen and enjoy the music without having to be critical about this or that detail. I really believe that for my system the biggest shortcomings are in the recordings themselves--I have found few convincingly realistic recordings, but the difference between them and the rest have convinced me that one's reproducing gear can only go so far--you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear. But if the acoustics of your room are not good, you either need to address that or focus on headphone listening, which I can enjoy while realizing it misses some of the elements that loudspeakers provide. |
Brother: Man, you’ve been reading my mail. I thought I was a weirdo because I was so fascinated with anything that made music when I was a kid. I’m a 1960 boomer. I pined after anything that made reproduced music, a Panasonic transistor radio, a console player. I used to take speakers out of old TV’s and consoles left out for the trash etc. and hook them up to my radio, whatever. I bought a Panasonic cassette player with money I saved from my paper-route (remember those?) and added a little oiled walnut Radio Shack “Minimus” speaker (and the obligatory speaker cord) so it sounded like something close to music. I was in heaven! That was my introduction into audio. Then I convinced my parents into a small system from “Tech Hi-Fi” a Boston based dealer in the early 1970’s. That’s when I decided I hated records because they were so maintenance intensive and I knew that $35-dollar cartridge on a BSR “changer” wasn’t doing any justice to my vinyl, and is why I was an immediate advocate of CDs because, even though they sounded like shit, they were easy to keep clean and weren’t ruined with every playing. Of course, there were many items purchased and sold etc. Rinse, repeat, rinse repeat, you get it. Fast forward to today. I’ve decided speaker wire and cables claims are absolute crap. . Of course, components sound different, especially loud speakers. However, electronics not so differently as the industry would like us to believe. And yes, a not so good measuring piece can sound better than a not so good sounding piece. What I’ve finally discovered in my 60’s is that it all about THE MUSIC! I like music now; not equipment! |
Heck, this is a fun pastime. Chez xeno has always had a fun stereo since the earliest iteration: components were sourced from Goodwill, St. Vincent De Paul and other thrift stores...think $15 Heathkit tube integrated and $25 Dynaco speakers. Lotta evolution, all fun, and now we're enjoying our end game system. So yea, it was waaaay more than worth it. I'm truly saddened for anyone who hasn't had similarly enjoyable experiences growing their stereo. |
Don't regret a moment of it or a dollar of it, although many of both were "wasted" as viewed in 20/20 hindsight. For many of us there have always been limitations and side constraints. Who has the time and money to build a perfect listening room with perfectly matched components before retirement age -- if then? The ideal is not the goal, but simply the standard of reference. The goal is simply improvement. At all times I ask what is the current weak link, and focus on that -- until something breaks, or some revolutionary product appears, and then the focus goes elsewhere. A journey, not a destination. A process, not a product. |
For me, first and foremost, it's always been about the simple joy of listening to music. Broadening my tastes over the decades, listening to what was the 'thang' of that era....symphonies, live concerts, rock as it's rolling along, oddities and audities, dipping ears and mind repeatedly into the seas of sounds and songs. Not always with SOTA; 'ell, it's been a stretch at times to acquire that 'tad better than adequate' with only the regret of letting some things slip from my hands. Became a bit of a gearhead when I opted to 'give it a go' to emulate and revise an old legend with a nil budget with reasonable success at it. Experienced at various means of manufacture and the materials involved, some talent at 'making it work' beyond mere noise, and gumption enough to ignore a lack of the sheer mountain of 'details' cited in the glowing reviews of Object X vs. my crude ("...not ready for Prime Time....") 'retro-punk' drivers that still cause a pause. ...and have to be tested with music, yet again, at the end of the day...or night, in my case... ;) I've found Mine. It's reproduction. It's not R/T. There will Always be 'that' which will itch.... If it's not fun...Why? 🤷♂️ |
You should not have regrets about your journey. We are of the same generation, we have experienced vast technological change from the 60’s to now, We have faced the same challenges as we matured and we have made mistakes. However, I have an opposite view of my journey. I have found journey a rewarding process. I am lucky to be in the NYC suburbs where there are endless opportunities to attend live musical performances, in both hall and intimate venues. I have developed my perception of how reproduced music should sound. On my journey, I have always set a goal for the next improvement, and then auditioned new equipment with that goal in mind. This goal/reward method is the simple psychology of gratification. Using this process has always left me satisfied with the choices I have made and I have not changed my system often. |
Glad to hear of your health recovery, as that is THE most important thing we all sometimes take for granted. It's a great feeling to have, when listening to music, that very moment when you think something sounds the best it ever has. After all of the money and time, I'd say yes it was absolutely worth it! There has always been a tug of war between wants and available funds. The experience has been the gold all along... |
I really love the system I’ve built over the years. But if I were to do it all over again, I would seriously consider not going down the rabbit hole. A vintage Sansui G9000 and a pair of JBL L112s would get me 80% of the way there without having to spend the time and money that goes into continuous refinement. |
Thank you all! I have read through all the replies, and I must say it does my soul good to know others who have been afflicted by the audiophile bug have many of the same experiences. Looking back on the journey, my real regrets are thinking there was something amiss with my gear because a particular song didn't sound "right", or how I thought it should sound. Turns out there is so much about the recording/mixing/mastering and other aspects of the production process that can take a perfectly good piece of music and make it sound less than good when being reproduced. I've also been burned too many times by believing in the reviews, buying the piece of gear, and realizing it wasn't for me. One thing I'm so glad I did was to buy a cheap bass guitar & amp to toodle around with. I never got good at playing, but it gave me a new appreciation for what it takes to be a good musician. My passion was always for drums, but space & the sheer volume kept me from buying a kit.
The DAC I have I bought new (on sale) and is the most analog I have ever heard. My speakers were purchased as open box (by all accounts they were very close to new) so saved money there. My integrated amp was purchased second hand and the previous owner gave me a very generous price. I have always been a big proponent of buying used when it made sense, and that helped me save money over time. There are so many speakers I want to try in my system to see what they would bring to the mix, but cost and my limited space simply do not allow for that pursuit. Living in Minnesota I have toured the Magnepan factory. I would love to have a pair of their smaller speakers, and while I know my amp could easily drive them, my space would not allow them to be their best.
One big regret I have is not wearing ear plugs to a live concert (The Cranberries) in a small venue years ago. Bloody tinnitus has been a bane ever since. Then about three years ago I had a "mild" stroke. I fared better than many as it didn't have a profound effect on my being. One oddity was the tinnitus largely abated. Every doctor I told along the way was fascinated by that. It effected my auditory center too, and there are times when I'm listening to a song I'm intimately familiar with, and it sounds completely...unfamiliar. Strange, but I still find I enjoy listening to music, and as others have said, that's really what it's all about. |
There is no single best sound, for which you have to keep selling and buying to the top. It doesn’t exist. This is maybe the biggest audiophile trap, that gets sped up by the sales guys. Fact of the matter is, there are many different types of good sound. When you get used to such a truth instead, all the nervosa and stoopidosa may come down. I have 4 violins. If you ask, "4?? which one is the ’best??" I might just call an Uber for you, go home dawg.
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I decided up front that I would only spend a modest amount on audio equipment (about $8,000 so far), and that has still been fun. I don’t want to leave a bunch of equipment to my sons that they probably won’t care about or be able to get the money out of it. I think there can be a practical side to this hobby, and that is certainly influenced by the amount of wealth one has. I’m just a middle class guy. |
I maybe could have gotten to where I am and spent less, but what I like a lot about my current system is that older recordings that I thought were crappy (sibilant, etc) are not. I was listening to Til Tuesday - Everything's Different Now last night. I always thought it was a so-so recording. It sounds damn good. Who knew? I'm listening to more music now and not just the "audiophile grade" recordings. I have three new sets of preamp tubes delivering today. For not a lot of money, I can do a little tweaking and see if I can get a tiny bit of improvement. |
That's why I kind of laugh it off when some audiophiles claim that the gold standard of audiophile authenticity is the live performance. |
I should also note that I kept my first truly audiophile components, which I proudly procured as a young engineer around 1994. German speakers that cost about $5k in today’s money, and a Luxman LV integrated amp.
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Having been an audiophile for many decades there's been many ups and downs. Failures certainly frustrating but I never recall longer term regret, perhaps short term, eventually I'd come back to the realization building audio systems is as much about process and learning as it is an end goal. I thoroughly enjoyed the discovery phase of audio, so much to learn, so many variables, so much complexity! Lately I've been looking through my old audiophile magazines, brings back memories of those days, going to shows, dealers, having in depth discussions with other audiophiles along the way, just completely immersed in the learning process. What an adventure it was!
Also, in regard to goals, the greater the goal the more one strives to reach it, desire is a great motivator.
Over the past few years I feel as though I'm in a perfect place, I both admire the sound quality of my system and effortlessly become fully immersed in the illusion of real live artists performing great music in my room. This has all been totally worth it, having been OCD for so many years paid off big time!
As for ends, I'm still an audiophile, my interest in adding possible new gear remains But more relaxed times, not always feeling the need to fix some weak link allows this. Now I'm simply curious as to what some new item could bring to the table, perhaps another accent on what I already have. |
Insight from Keats -from "Ode on Melancholy" She dwells with Beauty -- Beauty that must die; And Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips Bidding adieu; and aching Pleasure nigh, Turning to poison while the bee-mouth sips; Ay, in the very temple of delight Veiled Melancholy has her sovran shrine, Though seen of none save him whose strenuous tongue Can burst Joy's grape against his palate fine; His soul shall taste the sadness of her might, And be among her cloudy trophies hung. |
About five years ago I renewed my interest in my system. I have swapped out a lot of gear and had both FOMO and frustration big time along the way, but as my knowledge improved so did my satisfaction. That said, I have recently turned a corner where between a DAC upgrade, a sub six pack, lots of isolation and room acoustic products I am able to occasionally forget its a recording. This was a clear tipping point as my frustration stemmed from the sound being too far away from the sound of the real thing. Sibilance was my primary issue. Secondly, the six pac of subs is not about adequate bass, its about adding an aural presence that sounds like a real venue. I have a huge investment and I regret that it cost so much to get to my tipping point, but I'm very happy I made it. I am now continuing to work on the room, cabling, grounding etc, but not in the frenetic panic I once had. Finally, I think that our hobby keeps my brain sharp and socially I enjoy the relationships (even on-line) that I have made within the hobby. |
Well worth the journey and as they say with motorcycles "$2 of gas is worth $2k in therapy". Been playing this game since I got my first crystal radio (shaped like a cartoon rocket 4" tall). It was tuned by moving the nosecone antenna in and out and had the obligatory 2 cent ear piece. We're talkin' late 50s here. I did the same thing as @biwire and collected speakers from thrown away TVs and music consoles. Built my first subwoofer at 14. Bought my first REAL stereo from Radio Shack at 16. My dad thought I was completely bonkers, whole thing cost $400. He was driving a car that cost very little more than that. Fast forward a bit and I started to make real money and it was off to the races. In the @ghdprentice mode of upgrading, it was a clean sweep, all new and exciting. Now I'm on my last/best system and it's not going anywhere. With the past as prologue, the best constant in my life has been music. There is always some BS going on. But the music, the music is my synaptic drug of choice. So, to answer your question directly: A RESOUNDING YES! Regards, barts
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One thing I've taken up recently is spending several hundred dollars investing in HiRes music. I've bought & downloaded a lot of music I already owned, but now that I have a system capable of resolving all the extra 1's and 0's , and while I'm selective in what I buy, I'm enjoying these familiar pieces on a whole new level now. |
@retiredaudioguy, +1 At the end of a particularly powerful work by Salonen (who also conducted) at the CSO last month someone's phone went off during the extended decay of the last notes of the performance. You could see Salonen's head drop in disappointment because the moment was ruined for everybody in the auditorium. Turn off your ****** phone!! |
I grew up wanting to get a job as soon as possible, getting a Marantz receiver in my room, getting an affordable car, and installing a nice car stereo. Through the decades that has not changed much for me. However, after a lot of research, once I decide on a home stereo system, I usually keep it for decades. My journey has mostly been going from receivers, to amp/preamp separates, to tube amps/preamps. It has been fun, but, hobby money has always been an issue for me, so, I almost always buy my equipment used. I have also found that most people do not understand the logic for this hobby. |
I think it's "worth it". I also think what you've been feeling is what I refer to as "Hobbyist Maturity"; that point where the enthusiast feels like what I have is good enough; I'm not seeing massive improvements in either quality or enjoyment anymore, like I did when I had lesser equipment - and the gains from upgrading were immediate, very noticeable, and very satisfying to see the results. Now I feel like I'm spending increasing amounts of time, effort and money... while getting decreasing amounts of pleasure out of the results... Happens to most of us at some point. And there is a little bit of sadness / remorse because something that once brought excitement and pleasure no longer does. And you miss that. So you question the entire "metamorphosis" and wonder if where you are at the (perceived) end of the journey was worth all that effort. I'd bet if you thought more about all the memories of chasing down some of those things that you thought were either unachievable or impossible to find and how it felt when you actually had it in your hands, the first time you hooked it up and the joy and anticipation you felt at that time, those times when you brought home a piece of (almost) junk and brought it back to life and the satisfaction of a job well done... you'll feel a little better about the whole ordeal. And always remember it's perfectly OK to enjoy what you have - and just enjoy the here and now... |
.....yes, for me it has been worth it. I was always in it for the music, the love of music and as I have gotten older and as my system has progressed my appreciation for music has got even stronger. Like in life, I have met some real dic#$ in this hobby especially some dealers but I have also met some pretty cool people who some I am still in contact with. They have made the hobby more enjoyable. Yes, I could have a vacation condo or a beach house camp near water as that is the trade off, but music has taken me places that I would have never geen able to go to. Enjoy the ride and the journey..... |
