Have you reached your end point with this addictive hobby?

I fully understand the addictive aspect of this hobby and, "maybe", the need for there to be an end point. However this thought also leads to considering other hobbies and the question then comes up - what or where is the end point for these other hobbies? I can't think of any other hobby where the hobbiest declares that -whatever that is- to be the end. Isn't it almost necessarily a quality of any hobby- in order to qualify as a hobby- that you keep working at it? How do you stay interested in anything if it is always the same and you have no interest in doing or having anything different? At one time a friend of mine was considering audio as a hobby and we discussed this choice. I remember telling my friend about how I and my father before me enjoyed this hobby. I also advised him if he decided to move forward with this as a hobby to photograph his money because it will make a nice memory.

Yup, agree with you completely.  I am on my final final up grade, to my home theater/music system.  Bought a NITB Mcintosh MX-160, and a used

MC 501 amp for the center speaker.  Adding front high speakers to the mix.  Building a custom cherry shelf unit out of 2” thick cherry.  The mill where I had the shelves built, promised me that the would handle the amps weight easily.  My only problem is finding someone to run the Mcintosh Room Perfect system for me, doing all the speaker and sub set up, without asking for several thousand dollars!!  The shops think since you have Mcintosh you can surely afford a few thousand more to set it up.  Has really taken the fun out of my quest.   Poor me- LOL.

I’ve been in the hobby a long time and there are many reasons why people continue upgrading and seem to never be content with where they are at. Everyone is different. Some people believe that the newer components will give them a better sound. Some people upgrade because they want new, state of the art components. Some people upgrade because they get bored of their system and want change just like we do with furniture. There are so many reasons why people why many audiophiles constantly are moving their gear. I think the most important reason why is that they/we are looking for improvement in sound. Even if just minor improvement, it’s still something we will be interested in. But an important thing to know is that when we get our systems sounding very good to excellent, do we leave it alone and just enjoy music or are we still on that quest for more improvement. I have 2 buddies of mine that are both approaching 70yrs and they are both diehard audiophiles but very different. Both of them have a lot of components in their homes but one is constantly purchasing new speakers, amps, preamps, cables, transports, and the other is very content with assembling a system with his stuff and enjoying music. So everyone is different. I think that many people in this hobby that upgrade a lot do it because this is a big thing in their life. I myself have a lot of very fine expensive amps, preamps, cables, etc. and I’ve assembled 3 systems in my house that I enjoy very much. Honestly, I still do make slight tweaks and adjustments to these systems but I do not drastically change them. I am a diehard audiophile but I also have a life in which I enjoy other things. I live in NYC but presently out of the country on vacation and get back home in 2 days. I will admit I’m looking forward to playing around with my audio stuff and turning on my system and listening to music when I return home. I think this is what audiophiles do but in my case, I’ve been pretty content with my setups and I don’t have a strong desire to change them. So I do believe everyone is different and there are many out there that will constantly be m  as king changes and upgrading their systems but likewise there are also many out there that are happy and content with where they are at.  Things will never be perfect, it’s only what perfect for you or what’s good enough for you. 

Yes.  I don't think I am a true addict.  Enthusiast, yes, but not addicted.  I liken it to the difference between folks who regularly drink too much but are not addicted to alcohol and folks who are true alcoholics.  There is a difference, as I am sure many of you know.  I am in a very happy place with my current system, however the reliance on electronics technology just to get the right signals to the right places, does make me a little uneasy that my system may not be robust with respect to non-audio matters that could render the whole thing unusable with the next change of data format, etc.

Back in the day, I could hook everything up and take it apart, and now, that is no longer true.  I love the functionality, but miss the ability to take the jalopy apart onto the garage floor and put it all back together again.  Yes, there is certainly an automotive analogy here as well.

Analogously yours,

linvolk

Some great comments here. I'm probably a classic case of always wondering if there's (significantly) more. The only cure is to turn the system on and play some well-recorded vinyl to remind myself that my system is more than okay.