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?

craigvmn

Showing 1 response by carlso63

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...