Have you reached your end point with this addictive hobby?

here is a similar thread i started 2 weeks ago on What's Best Forum.....

How do you know when you are done?

It's getting harder to let the chase get me excited anymore. I used to think with my next purchase I will finally be there, and I'll have what I have been looking for. I kind of think of it as Audio delusion: a false sense of being. In reality it's only a temporary state until my mind tells me I need something better! LOL 

@ raysmtb1, I’ve been a friend of Bills since 1989, however current date is 9/29/97, so I understand 😎 . My opinion is this is a hobby , and we work at it, and we pay a price to do so. I’m getting too old to do some of my other activities like snow skiing and road cycling. Within this hobby I roll tubes, another path to obsessive behavior. I’ve learned to be AVERAGE at many things. I’m definitely cost driven with equipment and admire the great systems people have on this site. I’m currently bumping up my mid Fi system to a larger system. But it’s still mid Fi by the standards of my peers. But I’m good with that as I don’t  need to feed my ego. For me “ Rule 62 “ is in play and you measure a man’s wealth  by the quality of his relationships. My stereo is just a plus. I was the kid that started with building a crystal radio and then Dynaco stuff. Then I built a few speakers in High School and quickly realized I had a lot to learn. I’m blessed to have a house , a wife and great kids. I’ve finally become the man my dog always wanted me to be. Bless all of you and Happy Listening, Mike B. 

I could be done. Perfectly happy and content with what I have. But if I see a screaming deal on something I'd want to check out, I can convince myself to pull the trigger.

It helps to have little money for this. Works as a sort of safeguard. Doesn't address the core of things, though.

Personally, on average I spend about $1500 a year on equipment, including tubes. And I have maintained this figure for years. I have spend about $6.5k in the last two years, so..unless something breaks and can't be repaired there is nothing I can buy in the next 2.5-3 years. Not that I feel the need. There is a wish but there is no need.

I retired in 2019. A couple of years ago, I purchased an LTA microZOTL v2 pre amp. It works very well with my system. Other than upgrading their tubes and buying tubes for my PS Audio BHK250 power amp, I’m done. It was a fun and expensive ride while it lasted.

Not done yet. When I retire in 5 years, the system will have to shrink. An amp that has 2 huge heavy units, a sizable preamp, large dac, streamer and 2 big floor speakers will be too large for retirement home. I love it and it has taught me a lot about what I love and what I need a little more of. Future system will have 2 kick ass small speakers and 2 subs. Perhaps an integrated amp as well. But that’s down the line. Right now I’m loving what I have. 

Great discussion.great article.some humor.enjoy the physics and experiments in music.enjoy what you have no watter what the source.records ,cd,live,streaming.dont worry be happy ,I think it's a song.

"Need funds badly for a new needle !” LOL 

..many interpretations of this phrase tho..

@tony1954 +1 

+1 "Much easy to quit smoking than to stop upgrading stereo equipment” LOL

"There is no better sound and there won't be better sound than my current audio system forever” - live music perhaps? 

YEAH, I'm totally done getting new equipment. 

However, looking at some used speakers, thinking about getting a new cartridge, oh, yea, want to upgrade all my interconnects, and speaker cables.....

yea, I'm done getting new things......

There are those that continually buy…, it’s new it’s better, perhaps giving them a boasting platform. Many tweak the daylights out of a mid fi hoping to achieve high end. Then there’s a select few that have endless bank and nothing better to do. I’m with a group having several hobbies and found audio pleasure researching, building, restoring, older accredited high-end equipment that exceeds many a current product. It’s entertaining, economical, and delivers a profound boasting platform, damn good yesteryear can equate to excellent today. Many paths to entertaining music, cheers. 

I’ve read that this is a particular type of addiction. I’ll have to find the article. It has to do with perfectionism and trying to find something that is so elusive that the journey is the addiction. The article mentioned that the breakdown in gender is 75% male, 25% female, which accounts for the heavily skewed male presence in the industry. Always wondered, because there are just as many female artists in both rock and classical, and of course listeners,!so it never made sense to me before. 

There was a thread not unlike this one just a few weeks ago. It inspired me to write an article on this very topic. If anyone would like to read it, you can find it here.

Yes. Started 50 years ago. Perfectly happy with current system. Now my pursuit is finding albums that interest me that I  don't already own. 

Tired of being on the "upgrade-itis treadmill".

Glad to be off of it.

Feels good to be content.

Good topic. At age 70 and doing this for 65 years, more or less (see my avatar at age 4.5) I'm comfortable where I am. Last big step was streaming which started a couple years ago. So to answer OP, Yes, I think I'm happy - for the time being!

The voice on my shoulder always asks”what more do you want out this system, room?”  Nothing me answers, just the quest for new music discovery. Unless technology creates  holograms in our presence, theoretically, within practical means, I’m there. 

I like tekton ulfberht?spelling.they are a bang for the buck the ceramic version takes a bit to break in.i have many speakers and they are amoung the top not price wise but value wise.i put a few watts to 1 kw through them. Sound great.there is a brittish high end company coping his desigh.mass is momentum x velocity and his circle array is lite and fast starts quick stops quick very responsive.should work great with ps audio 1200.enjoy the music.

Tough question.  I recently purchased a Wiim music streamer and a Schiit Audio phono stage.  Both together were about $ 800.  Not a lot of money in this hobby.  Both components work well.  I believe I'm done with large ticket items, with the exception of cartridges.  MC quality carts are expensive and don't last forever.  I'm 70, retired, and living on a budget...

I will have to let my audio magazine subscriptions go before I can quit buying new gear.  But my wife just booked an expensive trip with her girlfriend so I feel OK to spend the same on me. [Possibly more].

Having put together a very satisfying system over the past four years, I have only to add a better streamer to finish off my system.  I believe I am at the point that even minor, incremental improvements could prove to be quite costly … the cost likely way out of proportion with improvement achieved.  Given my point in life, almost 80, and my satisfaction with my present system, I foresee only minor improvements, such as better interconnects and perhaps room correction, maybe active and passive.  

At my age I'm no longer chasing gear, but instead enjoying the gear I have. It continues to provide me with listening enjoyment and that's all  that I can ask of any audio system. 

Enjoy the music! 👍

I’m done too many other hobbies, Porsche’s, boating & offshore fishing. My fun money only goes so far. Last piece was an OPPO 105D used. You guys will probably laugh but I love my 7.2 M&K S150 speakers & subs. Powered by my 3 channel Parasound & 4 channel HK Citation amps. It’s a decent mid fi system that I’m content with. 

It’s the dopamine rush.  Whether it be cars, guitars or stereos, as long as your body craves that ‘high’ from searching or purchasing you’ll most likely be ‘in it’.  It starts with a love of audio, whether it be visual, sonic or a combination of both, but quickly can become a need.  We should feel lucky as for some it’s heroin.  🙃

The used market has knocked me off the bandwagon 😂. Being able to get “like new” equipment you only dreamed about in the past for 1/3 to 1/2 off retail is too tempting.  I’ve had very good luck buying quality used equipment this past year. 

I’m retired now and have finally broken the curse of spending to buy happiness. After moving 4 times over the past 15 years, I’ve discovered that my aging audiophile system just sounds better and better. Granted, each time, I refresh ALL my wired connections with Flitz metal polish and upgrade the wall outlets. My final hurrah was purchasing a Torus RM-20 power conditioner, which elevated the overall sound substantially. Qobuz streaming is the icing on the cake. Having so much fun rekindling my love of music again.

Yes at 74 I am happy with last purchase of my puzzle of pieces to make my ears enjoy the sounds I listen to...The Raven Audio Reflection and Corvus Speakers after all these years of what I missed listening to solid state...The only changes might be rolling of tubes at times...

Yes this year I get my full pension , I am upgrading  my days with separates they maybe ending ,my older pass labs went out , and may need to be rebuilt ,i hurt my back , my brother has tons of great gear being a lawyer ,he is offering me Accuphase integrated almost new on a payment plan I may just jump on it 

or his Gryphon Diablo integrated, either one , .I am considering selling  my great 

LTA preamp , and Hegel amp , just to keep it simple  with a very good integrated 

,upgrading cables and digital  then call it a day.week,month, Year !!

I know it's only rock n' roll but I like it. 

I have no plans to quit the pursuit.  It's fun and mind expanding.  

I’m done as well. I think I have all of the pieces that I’ve wanted and satisfy my current needs. Things are getting too expensive and I’m at the age where downsizing is on the horizon. Im happy with what I have.

I'm definitely done. As others have stated, I still look at new gear, but every time I listen to my system, I think 'damn, that sounds so good!' The itch is still there, but the need to scratch it doesn't exist anymore, and I can live with that.

After a half century in this crazy hobby, there are certain lessons learned

- This hobby is a journey and never a final destination. 

- It always was a continual desire to upgrade and improve, with a series of incremental steps to “yep ..it sounds really good”. The expensive hurdle now is that further audio improvements is trapped by the cold hard facts by the inverse ratio: a further 25% improvement  requires a ka-Ching 4X outlay in cash …well into five figures per most components .

- as I aged and transitioned into retirement, that ethereal insatiable thirst for a higher “good” was flattened and tempered with a certain element of  acceptance of “ good enough”. But never a finite “final” acceptance yet ,.,. Further tweaking options are left open. 
 

TAKEAWAY : audio value for $$ spent …. 

In my view, good audio performance value doesn’t come down to how cheap something is; for me it’s about how much you get for the money. 
In those terms, it comes to materials, premium design and quality build, that spurs performance,

“Price is what you pay, Value is what you get.”
- Warren Buffett
 

Upgrading or as I like to call it tweaking my system is a fun part of this hobby for me.  I’m set with my system in that it’s the best sounding system I’ve had.  I enjoy listening to my music for hours which is the best part of the hobby.  I have sold the extra equipment I’ve kept as I upgraded to simplify things and remove the boxes to reduce the clutter.  I will continue to tweak my system over time as long as it brings me joy.  

I was very fortunate to be able to do a major system upgrade in 2021-2022.   My main system is very satisfying,  I am pretty much done for a while

I also put together a small bedroom system that is really good, I could live with just that system it sounds so good..

Definitely in a holding pattern as far as new gear.   Possibly may get a CD player for system 2.   

I'm currently on idle . 

One interconnect cable is too many and a hundred is not enough 

I traded up to a Shindo/Devore/Garrard/EMT/Auditorium23 system about ten years ago. The desire to upgrade went away entirely. I binned the huge pile of hifi mags I’d accumulated as other hifi was pretty much dead to me. Hobby broken/finished/ complete. I focus my attention these days on that other great money pit vinyl. Very happy 

And yet another part of happiness is not being satisfied with what you have and seek out what could be even better.

I still buy music but haven't bought any new gear in years. A part of happiness is being satisfied with what you have.

Putting humor aside there’s some truth to this hobby being addictive and at some point there has to be an end point where you are there and the need to upgrade serves no useful purpose.

OP,

As per definition of the word 'addict'

For addicts, there is no end point. Ever. Except when they have stopped breathing.

You are supporting this fact with the last sentence in your post.

Of course, it's not exciting because you get wrong things. You need Studer tape deck and master tape dubs !

As for street begging audiophile style, the sign should not be cardboard but vinyl record, and it should say something like - Need funds badly for a new needle !

I’m done till I raise more money. I find people on street corners don’t do well to drop extra change in your cup when your cardboard sign says “money needed for new DAC or powder cable”

Done.... Took 60 years but I'm finally happy. Bill Dudledson at Legacy had a lot to do with it. Lyngdorf supplied the finishing touch. That's it, I quit... 

It just doesn’t seem as exciting anymore, the chase and pursuit of something new with the expectation of the thrill it will bring. 

 I would profer the opinion that anyone still reading and contributing to sites like this, has probably not finished buying.  Sites like this are enablers.  They feed our lust for the next best thing.  I've finished my last system and have moved on to the building of the proper space for it.  When that is done, I will likely disconnect from all the audio sites and just enjoy the music.  Just like the best way not to drink, is to stay out of bars.  The best way to stop buying, is to stop hanging out with those who are?  Cheers.

You are mistaken tony, at least with respect to me.  I'm just here for the amusement provided by the antics of those for whom the answer is no. 

If you really had quit, you would not be here.

Therefore, anyone that answers "yes" to this question is lying.

I somewhat agree with @gano to the extent that I use audio as an escape from problems and frustrations the world inevitably brings.  I'm grateful that I have audio as a coping mechanism, as it's not bad for my heath, but it can be expensive if not controlled.