Having more than one system to provide some variety in sound can help. |
Manage expectations.
Be realistic.
Think about how you and your system will integrate with the room and acoustics. Get all that tuned in and optimized first before doing anything else.
For example if your room is more like a club than a symphony hall (as is the case for most of us) don't expect a recording of Mahler's 4th to sound like it did when you heard it live.
IF its a studio recording, realize the best you can do is reproduce what the producers intended. It doesn't matter what you think it should sound like. It is what it is, so accept that. |
Some will find s Merry Go Round to be fun.
Others not.
High End Audio merry go rounds can be expensive though and send a lot of money down the drain. That's never a good thing. Inefficient at best! |
For someone who cannot live with just a single system and its sound for whatever reason, another option is to set up multiple systems. Nothing wrong with variety.
A very practical and cost effective way to do this these days is wireless LAN access to a single music server from multiple systems/devices. WIth this approach, you can access all your music anywhere in teh house from a single location/server, and then tweak the gear in each room accordingly. Portable devices and high quality headphones and/or earbuds for good sound quality is another option.
I have implemented this solution to good effect with two full systems, a table radio in the bedroom, and multiple laptops and tablet/mobile devices. I am truly "Wired (and wireless) for Sound"! |
Sailcappy,
FWIW, one thing that can help somewhat that I do not see mentioned in your story, is learning how to leverage component specifications into the buying decision. This is the only way to inject anything objective into the complex decision making process involved with getting one's "ultimate sound". Some specs are useful, some are not. But they are often the only thing concrete you can go by when trying to decide what components might work best with others. |
You have to be somewhat wealthy to have a really expensive system.
Enjoyment of music is not the province of the wealthy though by any stretch. Being wealthy or having a mega-buck system is obviously not required. An appreciation or love for music is.
OF course many profit in the music and audio industries, just like any other. THat's what makes our world go round I suppose. |
There should be a thread where all frustrated audiophiles get to bare their soul. That could provide some interesting reads. Maybe this thread is the one? |
Sailcrappy,
I drive a 1996 Toyota 4Runner.
My wife drives a 2004 Toyota Avalon.
Recently, we had to replace the key for the Avalon. Cost: about $300. No fooling!
Why? The car has to be reprogrammed for the new key to work.
The key essentially opens and closes the doors and turn the ignition just like the $2.00 key for my 4Runner. But I suppose the computer part makes it do this better somehow. All for only $300.
TO me this is a perfect case of misguided technology. Sometimes, simpler is better. But not if you want to make money off car parts.
I love the Avalon otherwise. It's a great car with a great drive. My 4Runner has its unique charms also.
So not sure exactly how this relates to your story but there you have it. |
Sail,
In chosing an amp, i found limiting choices to those with certain damping factir, power, current, and input impdedance spec ranges helped to find a good match to my speakers and tube pre-amp faster.
Phono rigs in particular are also usually best assembled based on various specs for matching cart to tonearm.
Also of course feature specs are important to find the right options in addition to delivering good sound. |
1000w is a good choice all other things aside for 86DB efficient speakers.
2000 is a very high damping factor. In general, that is a good thing in regards to assuring good control of driver and avoiding "flabby bass". THat may not be ideal for some speakers though, depending, and might result in a sound that is too lean. Lower damping <50 would be a valid thing to consider to address that.
I do not see input impedance specs? That might be important especially if a tube pre-amp is used. |
"It's not that specs insure a good sounding match, but that they can point out a less than optimal, or even bad matching."
That's exactly correct. Assuming the specs are reliable which one must assume if they are if coming from a reliable source.
This helps narrow down the contenders to those that fit best on paper and perhaps even prioritize them based on something quantifiable. From there, its listen and see and move on if/when needed. |
Instead of always upgrading, another aplroach to sate ones desire for alternate sounds is to build multiple systems in different rooms if tnat is an option.
I have 2 already and have eyes on a third in a smaller room using higher efficiency speakers, and either a low power tube or class a amp. |
Sailcappy speaks words of wisdom.....
Obsessive behavior is seldom a good thing, whether it be supersizing it at McDonalds or watching your money fly into the wind on the audio merry go round. |
"Flipping the same recordings over and over to make comparisons is a completely different experience then enjoying music. Which would you prefer?"
I've headed down the latter path in recent years as a result of bringing in internet radio, music server, etc.
My favorite station now is my own, Mapman Radio, which streams on my home Wifi network only off my music server with Squeezebox set to random tracks.
I add to the musical rotation there more liberally now than I have since 30 years ago in college. |
"With old cars you adjust the heat by turning a knob. With new cars you practically have to be a computer programmer to figure it out. There is no need for this complexity."
Amen brother.
The complexity is good for the car service industry though when something goes wrong and has to be fixed. But its marketed based on other terms and people buy into it, literally. |
Isn't it a little crazy to go on a journey with no destination?
Experimenting and trying different things alone can be a destination just as can a particular desired sound.
Or you can have dual destinations/goals sometimes as well, especially if one runs more than one system, one for reference and one for experimentation. |
I'm a dual system guy. One system gets locked in for reference. The other I get to play with to see what else might be possible. As time and money permits of course... |
