How does one get off the merry-go-round?

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.

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?

Great post, Sailcappy. Thanks for sharing your cautionary tale and baring your soul. I can certainly relate to just about everything in your story.

One part that really caught my attention was Lyric's refusal to bring in amp from other rooms in the store to try with your intended new speakers. If I'm going to spend $12K on a pair of speakers from a dealer, I damn well expect them to let me listen with amps from elsewhere in their store.

After reading most of the posts here I can honestly say I was having trouble getting off of the “merry go round”. However I have started. Please forgive me if I get long in the tongue but I think my mistakes should help others avoid where I went or at least help make me feel better to write about it. It should also be noted that I do not consider myself very knowledgeable or a true Audiophile. I just love listening to quality sound from an awesome system.

Brief history: Back in the 1980’s I got involved in “Audiophile” systems when I listened to a co-workers system that included Magnapan speakers that had large hose style cables and an air compressor to suck the record onto the player, etc. The music made my hair stand on end. I was addicted to the sound. Reality set in when I realized the cost of the system. After buying and upgrading what I would consider low end of the high end equipment I decided to leave my beloved B&K / Dalquist DQ12’s 2 channel system behind after a divorce. Time for a new approach and I had money to spend.

Where to start? Off to Sound by Singer, Park Avenue Audio and Lyric Hi-Fi, Stereo Exchange and started reading reviews, postings on the web, etc. What I wanted from my system:
1. Home Theater 5.1 with Dolby True HD with a nod to two channel stereo. Mono Blocks for the front speakers would be my nod to two channel audio, a three channel amp would power my center and rears and my pre-pro would feed my sub. All my reading suggested that separate components are “better” than an all in one receiver. Was this my first mistake? Not sure, just decided to make a decision and go with it.
2. Open sounding speakers (Like my Dalquists). I rarely just sit for long to listen to two channel. I didn’t want speakers that only sounded great in the sweet spot.
3. Warm, detailed and emotionally charged system. After reading reviews and postings on Audiogon I found the words used to describe components and speakers confusing. I wanted my new system to draw me in and put a smile on my face like a wonderful 1997 cabernet from Napa Valley. Never read that in a review but it meant something to me.
4. Value for my hard earned money. Did not want to over pay for anything. However, I consider service a key factor when working with dealers and they need their fair share of profit to provide that service.

The first thing I created was a “flexible” budget after deciding on how I wanted to proceed: Pre-Pro – 5 to 6K, Mono Blocks – 5K, 3 Channel amp 2-3K, Sub – 2k, Speakers 5K, Cables, power cords 1K, DVD / CD – 1-2K. This was my first really big mistake. How did I come up with these numbers? I just pulled them out of thin air. My thinking was speakers first, then components. Just by spending more money I should get better quality than my old two channel B&K / Dalquist system, right????? This decision started me on the path of audio alcoholism.

Off to the dealers. First I found it really easy to tell if I liked one speakers sound over another. They are all quite unique. I can not remember all the ones I auditioned but here is the short list from my memory: Magnapan, Dali, B&W, Podium and Magico. Now if you read the reviews of the Magico’s how could you not buy these over every other speaker in the world? No MDF, internal bracing like never before and the sound OMG. While I was very, very impressed they did not fit my need for openness. As I moved about the room they lost focus. You had to sit still to hear all their fullness. Did I also mention the price! Loved Maggie’s and the Podium speakers but do not have the space in my apartment to pull them away from the wall as they require. So far nothing fit my needs AT MY PRICE.

Auditioning amps was almost impossible for me. Yes I could tell the difference in tonalality but if I didn’t like the speaker how could I tell if I like the quality of the amp? Do you go just on tonality? Don’t amps sound different attached to different speakers? This could be my second big mistake. I decided to choose a speaker I loved and buy components on reviews and price. I found that dealers were pushing me to very high priced amps and pre-pro’s and if I found a speaker I liked they inevitably did not have an amp hooked up to it in my budget. How can you buy a system with restrictions with money, needs and what is available to demo? Do you just go with the dealer’s “description” of what will sound best? I decided to go back to the web and read reviews and postings to see what others have to say. My thought was to get a well rounded aerial view of what would best meet my needs.

Time to narrow things down. Let’s start with the speakers. Found a company called Accent and everything I read seemed to fit my needs, price and the designer used to work on Dalquist speakers. Off to lyric Hi-Fi and listened to the Accent Nola Viper. I liked the quality and it sort of fit my needs though not overly impressed with the detail and warmth. The dealer had me follow him into the “high end” room to demo a speaker he just got in from Accent. We listened to the Nola Micro Grand Reference speaker and my world changed. My first response was pure emotion. I was mesmerized by the sound quality detail and openness. I had that smile on my face I was looking for. Walking around the room it sounded just as good from every angle. It reminded me of a Far Niente 1997 Cabernet from Napa. I was hooked. Budget just jumped from 5k to 12k in an instant. I had to have these speakers. Is this another mistake here as I failed to demo any other speaker in this price range? I did not care I loved what I heard and that was it.

Amps – Lyric had Audio Research tube amps hooked up to the Nola’s. I did not want tubes for home theater and AR amps are very expensive. Should I look for used? I decided not to go used for any of my components as I did not want to start out with any operational issues. LOL! New isn’t much better as I learned. Now that I was settled on speakers how do you demo amps? I found you can usually hear 3-4 different amps at a dealer and pick one that you like. Go to another dealer and do the same but how do you “remember” the sound vs. the other choices from the other dealer again all on different speaker choices. At Lyric they did not have amps in my price range to hook up to the Micro Grand’s and they did not offer to move some in but I could listen to them on other speakers in the “other” room. Would my new Micro Grand Speakers sound as good with any other amp? From what I could than gather from my 1000 foot view was that Mono Blocks are better than Stereo units. In my price range I discovered Red Dragon Leviathan amps. I read the reviews, learned all I could about class D amps and I fell into a big trap. I got sucked in by the jewelry. The amps were surrounded by beautiful Cocobolo wood. One review said tube like sound. I found a dealer demo pair for 2k less than list. So based on my readings, price and visual emotion I purchased these without demonstrating them. A year later I found a review on The Absolute Sound. While they liked them they did have issues. OMG, my amps have issues, this article has gnawed at me like a baby crying on an airplane. Is it time to upgrade? I am very happy with the sound but could I do better? Boulder, Theta and Ayer make tube like mono block amps in the 10k range. Would they be “better”? They must as their reputation is highly regarded by all on the web. How could I not want these vs. my Red Dragon Amps with Absolute Sound review issues? See how this goes!

Pre-Pro’s: I wanted surround, great 2 channels and Dolby True HD. I found this search easier from the web as I reviews and forums really do have a great amount of detail on this subject. I went with the Arcam FMJ 888 as it had all my needs and at my price range. I also found a dealer who really gave me a great deal. Done. I had some issues with the unit and horrible service from Arcam UK. I sold the unit with all new boards and software as I emotionally just didn’t want it anymore. Read reviews and purchased an upgraded Theta Casablanca III. Price jumped from original 5k budget to 11k. Ah…. but the quality!

Three Channel Amp: After reading reviews I decided on an Odyssey Audio HT3 amp. Found a used one on Audiogon and had Odyssey upgrade the unit to their Kismet level. This is my start as a component upgrade junkie. How could upgrades not be “better”? They built me a one of a kind amp and it took 6 months. Turned out the XLR connections between Arcam and Odyssey did not work no matter what pin connection you use. I had to change out all of my interconnects to single ended. Once again overcomplicating my situation.

Rear Speakers: Really not a heck of a lot of info on the web. I needed on wall speakers as I have an apartment. Since I had an emotional connection to Maggie’s I went with the on-wall MC-1’s. How could you go wrong? Well you can’t as they sound great but the Wife factor is a source of trouble as they are very large hanging behind my couch and she is not happy.

Power Conditioner: Need one right? My friend had a Richard Gray C1200. Worked well with his system so I got one used from Audiogon. I was starting to make quick and poorly informed decisions as I was getting tired from all this reading. Another Mistake.

Cables: Total cable junkie sucked in by reviews and price not by matching to system. Budget $1000 spent $2000. I could spend three more pages on all my mistakes on cable purchases. Quick example. First bought Better Cables XLR’s between my Pre-Pro and Mono Blocks. Then upgraded to Nordost Frey as the reviews were awesome and I found a good deal. Hated them! My system sounded flat. Lesson learned I started to work SLOWLY with Joe from The Cable Company and I really respect his opinion. Bought Crystal Cable Micro’s interconnect and speaker cables and various power cords to match my components. Extremely happy. My system is alive like never before. Original budget 1k now 9k in power cables and interconnects. Holy !@#$% this is the first time I ever added them all up. Could I have done better with new components? I might have been better served but I am satisfied with my new components so helping them along seems like a good choice.

Tweaks: The beginning of my downward spiral to oblivion. Amp stands, shelves, Herbies Audio Lab products, Granite Audio Ground enhancers, Cable lift etc etc etc. I figured if they help even just a little why not? It’s fun! Little bits should add up to a bigger pay off. Big Mistake, I was just buying to buy overly obsessed and compulsive.

As I was having issues with one of my components I took a long look behind my audio rack, sighed and said to myself what have I done? Cables everywhere, total confusion and I really was not enjoying music anymore. I was lost. Decided to SIMPLIFY, downsize and go for purity of sound not reviewed sound. I went back to my list of basics that I wanted from my system and how I remembered that feeling of when I first heard my Nola speakers.

Away with multiple amplifiers, away with tweaks, away with unused components. Get rid of my kids WII that she never uses anymore and remove the FAT. Like Mayor Bloomberg says no more 32oz sodas for my stereo system anymore. I decided to just go for it with components. For example I purchased a Theta Pre-Pro, Cary 7 channel amp and my speakers never sounded better. I am back to enjoying my music and movies. Life has calmed down except the Cary won’t power on and it is back to the factory were of course they can’t find the problem. High end has its cost I guess.

Keep it simple, take it very slow, trust your emotions and ENJOY like a fine wine is my new motto.

Off of the Merry go Round go I. ‘Cept that review of my Dragons still gnaws at me :).

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.

To be fair to Tbg, I don't think spending money on audio is simply a search for bragging rights, though it might be for some; it is not a bad thing in itself and to some degree there is generally some incremental improvement that comes with spending more on gear,though it is not guarantee, you must match well, and the improvements are far from linear, but that is the luxury market. On the other hand, you can have a great system without having to spend a fortune, a relative term, I know, and to me getting off the merry-go-round can simply mean to enjoy one's system that is well matched and thought out and decide that you don't want or need to be so compulsive about it that you can only feel satisfied by spending more and more money chasing the dream; which is not meant as an indictment for choosing to spend money on your equipment, but keeping a realistic sense of what that money spent actually get's you and not exaggerate what it all means.

Pubul57, thanks for you question. You already know that this thread is followed by a great deal of people in the USA and most of the free world since it is kept current by recent posts. You have already reached celebrity status including TBG as well as Drubin for starting this thread. There are folks riding on every word as if its playing out like a soap opera. Maybe you never thought of it that way. I can't give out too much information, maybe someone in Saipan is just waiting on a social security number. I'm relucant to share too much info on the internet but if you read back I have mentioned my occupation.

TBG, its ok, your not being singled out because you spoke your mind. You are acting as if you feel guilty because you choose to ride. There is no shame in it since I mentioned earlier there are resposible people involved in this hobby. Just because I'm satisfied with what I have doesn't mean that I myself am pulling away from this hobby. It means that I will be investing in more music as that is what really matters to me now.

Pubul57, what I object to is the presumption in Phd's post, "where others have used sound judgement."

I like people with passions and do not find most lack responsibility. There was a time when I did not have the luxury to invest much in my hobbies and I was into racing catamarans, photography, and audio. I am landlocked now and no longer willing to have more than a pocket camera. When our children left the nest, my wife and I agreed that I would take my stereo out of the living room. We bought a house with a game room where I now have my system. She does miss St. Paul Sunday morning, but our home radio is always tuned the NPR.

I don't think getting of the merry-go-round would deal with the guy he mentions.

Were this thread to suggest inexpensive audio products, rather than to suggest that some are merely in the game for impressing others and wasting their money, such as blackwillard says, I probably would have never taken exception.

PhD in Psychology?

Tbg, I'm not suggesting that buying better gear is a bad thing but as Jmcgrogan2 pointed out, the main theme of this thread is to solicit ideas on how to remove yourself from the merry-go-round, it's contradictive to make posts otherwise.

One must recognize the fact that the pusuit of the perfect system has hurt some audiophiles in many ways where others have used sound judgement.

I can offer an example. Sometime ago I responded to an ad on audiogon via the sellers phone number. I called him and we briefly talked about the condition of the preamp and its sonics. He then told me that he would not be around to ship it. I asked why and he responded that he wanted to kill himself because the wife and kids just left because of his audio hobby. I must of been on the phone with him for an hour. I finally got him to go see his father who was the closest relative.

So you disagree with blackwillard? Owning a $50,000 system, I do think that a well sorted $5,000 system can surprise you with how good it can sound. As good as what I have? I don't think so, but not so much better as the price difference would suggest. Yes, there is more to pursue, and the quest can be never ending, and nothing wrong with that if you have the money and enjoy the quest. But you can easily choose not to get caught up in that and have a very satisfying stereo giving you many years of enjoyment; while using all that time and energy, and perhaps money on another pursuit that can also life enjoyable.

Jmcgrogan2, I didn't post here until Blackwillard said, " Put on a blindfold and you will hear very little differences between a $5,000.00 system which is properly set up and complimentary, to a $50,000.00 system which simply gives you braggin' rights." This characterizes the underlying thinking of many here.

If you don't like what I post here, don't read it. You are no one to tell another they should not post. Plug you MP3 player into your ears and enjoy.

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"!

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!

Hobby indeed, which is why we care about it so much more than is merited (disproportionate) by the facts. The wine and beer fanatics don't have anything on us - actually I suspect a lot of overlap in membership:)

Tbg, forget the bar analogy, my point was that there are many different threads here, if this one bothers you, simply leave. Hell, since what this thread is all about is clearly marked in the title, don't even walk into this thread in the first place. There are PLENTY of threads that encourage folks to spend MORE money and how to say "WEEEEEEE" while riding the merry-go-round....join them. Don't harass those who have had enough merry-go-round and are ready to puke.

Back to the bar analogy, if I wonder upon a bar called "Men's Buttcheeks" I, for one, would not even enter that bar(not that there's anything wrong with that). ;-)

John, thanks for putting things in perspective, almost forgot this was a hobby.

Jmcgrogan2, sorry, but I don't want anyone to believe that others should always want to get off just because they do. Do use your analogy, I am saying that many here are going into the bar and saying "I don't drink anymore" and neither should you, because the bar owner is ripping people off.

I doubt if many are so affected, but I hate the self-appointed scam police.

Very true. Another way to get off the merry-go-round is to avoid live acoustic venues, jazz in my case; otherwise you might think it is possible to recreate that live sound in your living room playing recordings of a live event if you only had the right speakers and dialectric on your cables - it does not happen. Audio can be a very pleasant and satisfying illusion, but live it is not (besides the electronic chain of the recording process,it would be very odd for a 6" midrange and 8" woofer to sound like a grand piano or a drummers kit.) When I lowered my expecations, I learned to live much more happily with my equipment.

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.

Of course you should get better equipment, but at some point it isn't really better (certainly not "much" better), just different and it is important to know the difference IMHO. And you certainly don't have to get off the merry-go-round, you just have to know when you are on one, and have fun with it if you enjoy it, many of us do.

My comments are for those who want to get off (OP was pleading:)), and suggesting a method for doing so - stop reading every review compulsively, and stop being parnoid (audionervosa) about your system - just focus on the music,and stop thinking so much about the equipment (IF, you want to get of the m-g-r); I actually don't.

TBG, you are the one who appears to be lost on this thread. The thread is entitled: "How does one get off the merry-go-round?". If you enjoy riding the merry-go-round, by all means keep riding. Please don't admonish those that are trying to be helpful by supplying possible answers to the theme of this thread though.
It's like going into a bar and telling everyone there that you don't care to drink and that they shouldn't be ordering drinks either. Nobody appointed you to this duty.

Pubul57 and Phd, this discussion sounds like what Consumer Reports used to say about automobiles. Cheapest, reliable transportation is all one needs. They did not get many to subscribe to this philosophy. Most went about their lives, buying cars they wanted.

I'm sure no one would tell you that you cannot get off the merry-go-round if you want to. Nor should you tell others they are wrong to buy better equipment. Nobody appointed you to this duty.

Pubul57, you just made the definitive statement, just listen to the music if you can. If you check my feedback, I have not had a transaction here on Audiogon since November of last year and that has been a milestone for myself but there are no absolute guarantees. I have a modest but enjoyable system and have reconnected to my music. I'm now down to just experimenting with different interconnects for the best possible sound and there are two large bags of interconnects to choose from, left over from a peak period of time that has passed but a tell-tale sign that there has been a great deal of passion towards this hobby.

In addition to not visiting AGON ever again, it also helps if you have the discipline to not allow a creeping scintilla of doubt regarding your system or just one piece of it, from being able to deliver sonic bliss that quite literally makes your jaw drop because it is truer than true. If you can avoid that creeping doubt that makes you feel that changing gear is going to be truly transformative and not just different - you might just be able to get off the merry-go-round; otherwise, just enjoy the hobby and accept that the merry-go-round is at the heart of the audiophile experience. Just want to listen to music? Well,that's another story.

Tbg, I agree, the merry-go-round is enjoyable as long as it isn't ruining you finacially. I never had the problem myself as I have sold and purchased many items on A'Gon. I think it is critical for some audiophiles to be able to sell their current gear to buy their next purchase. For others who have the desposible income anyway, more power to you.

Remember one thing.

Phd, as I said before, not everyone wants to get off. Has buying and selling cost me a good deal of money over time? Certainly, so did race cars and racing catamarans, but also I continue to be thrilled by more revealing components. I would love to be able to hear beside my present system my Infinity ServoStatics and ARC gear from the '70s. I would expect it would sound terrible in comparison.

Rx8man, I agree, Drubin gets alot of credit for this intertesting thread. The fact that it has lasted near 11 years has reliably documented that we all sometime or another have been on this merry-go-round.

Drubin should be awarded for one of the longest, current running threads.

In a couple months it's 11 years old!

When you get to the last word in this sentencing, close your browser and never ever come back to Audiogon, just don't do it.

Well I for one am a music lover, and because of the jacked-up "ATTITUDES" of some of the people that I have met I do not refer to myself as an AUDIOPHILE. I love music, music of all genres. I remember the swell in my chest as I sat in the Fox Theater with my third grade class as we viewed the original release of "The Sound Of Music". I can still feel it 47 years later. I fell in love with Julie Andrews then.I love music, that is why I am upgrading my system with as much enthusiasm as when I started 40 yeares ago. I think some people are let down after a while because they take this hobby as a means to one-up somebody else: "My system is better/more expensive than yours," and other such nonesense. I don't have a problem with some bragging rights, I mean I am extremely proud of my system's capabilities, but geesh... . I love music, I love the sound of music... and the movie is the bomb also! I think I'll stay on a while longer.

All too often, hi-end audio over complicates things to justify a higher price tag, no other reason.
As for paying $4,000 to get from 98% to 99%......well some people just don't know when it's time to quit IMHO.

…..but if we insist on chasing the Dragon…. Ferreting out the 10%, 5%, 3% or just plain different increases in performance and damn the exponentially escalating subsidies required to do so, or as well incessantly regale ourselves with dreams and schemes on all the what ifs surrounding this undertaking, we can find ourselves ever in pursuit of that which we always had to begin with….

Thanks Blindjim. I could have used those words of wisdom ten years ago.
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Stopping is one thing... staying stopped is a whole other rabbit hole.

Staying on any ‘treadmill’ speaks of or hints to, deeper issues. OCD. ADD. ADHD. Or just good old ‘ego’.

Or some combination of them all, in varying degrees.

Pretty much, it’s all about priorities and perspective, if any other deeper seated conditions can be controled… then one can simply see things as they are… for once..

It’s also about digging what you got more than what you don’t got too. or being happy with your current state of affairs, and normally? That occurs with a change in perspective.

I had one not long ago. Fairly dramatic series of events. it put things into a better perspective for me.

So I was forced to take a little detour from foraging materials to make bricks and moarter and further the erection of my audio arrangements.

I’m in the state of ‘down but not out’, yet I’ve no concerns, worries, or even designs on any future stereo assemblies. Apart from I’m going to revisit one I made some years ago but with newer amps and speakers… sometime. Maybe.

Safety and security for myself, and if a family, for them, must take precedence over some hobby or pleasurable resource.

If you ever stop to really give this past time a close objective once over, and one’s self in the same fashion, you might see what the other 80% of the world sees.

Now this following bit is Audiophile heresy, but I feel there’s a good argument in there somewhere for it… possibly.

“Having nice sounding music is a good thing. Be OK with that.” It’s not terribly expensive to acquire and maintain good to very good levels of audio recreation in the home.”

…..but if we insist on chasing the Dragon…. Ferreting out the 10%, 5%, 3% or just plain different increases in performance and damn the exponentially escalating subsidies required to do so, or as well incessantly regale ourselves with dreams and schemes on all the what ifs surrounding this undertaking, we can find ourselves ever in pursuit of that which we always had to begin with…. True happiness.

We had it all along… just like Dorothy. Of course were I Dorothy and Glenda laid that on me after all those trials and tribulations, I’d have socked Glenda in the nose!! You mean I could have gone home right after I remarkably emerged from a house which had fallen out of the clouds without a scratch, and assassinated an evil Witch, made new friends, had a little dance party, met the Mayor, Coroner, and received several gifts, I could have gone home right then and you did not tell me?

Happiness is always ours. Our trouble only begins when we believe it lays outside ourselves, rather than within.

configuring a stereo system is hardly analogous to a merry-go-=round.

i suspect that one means going around in circles and ending where you started.

i doubt that once one embarks on a "spree" of replacing components, one does not recreate the sound that one began with.

as far as not being satisfied with the sound one is listening to. that does not surprise me, especially if one has a criterion that one uses to evaluate a stereo system, and never satisfies that criterion, while recognizing that components are not perfect.

a better analogy would be that of an artist trying to create a shade of a color, which takes a long time to achieve, or to create a color, by mixing several colors, which also takes a long time to achieve.

what satisfies a listener is very subjective and if your standards have not yet been meet, you do what you think will attain your goal.

i suspect that the chase is more fun than the conquest, so there is a certain pleasure, for some people, buying a component and having no idea how it will affect the sound of a stereo system--trial and error.

How about tube socks?

Discover tubes...

You gain the wisdom to know that nothing is perfect and when your enjoying your system to leave well enough alone. Their (mags) are always going to tell you something is better, and they work on the fear that something will lead to seeing god, which you learn is never the case. You can make huge changes just by improving your room which is 50% of the final sound.

Going through gear like socks you will never find a system that you like because you have to work with any system to get the most enjoyment out of it.

Knowledge is knice, but wisdom is better.

Knowledge is the facts. Understanding is the ability to lift the meaning out of the facts, and Wisdom is knowing what to do next.

Knowledge Understanding Wisdom
Facts Meaning What to Do Next
Information Principles Application
Memory Reason Action
Scholars Teachers Prophets

Those with knowledge are able to collect, remember, and access information. They are scholars. But, it is possible to have knowledge and lack understanding and wisdom; to have the facts, but have no clue as to the meaning or what to do next.

Those with understanding are able to abstract the meaning out of information. They "see through" the facts to the dynamics of what, how, and why. They are teachers. Understanding is a lens which brings the facts into crisp focus. Understanding produces "rules of thumb" or principles.

Those with wisdom know which principle to apply now. Understanding without wisdom can appear contradictory. For example, "He who hesitates is lost", is a valid principle as well as: "Haste makes waste". We see the truth of both. But which should we apply next? Those with wisdom know what to do next; they know which way to go. They do the right thing. In contrast, there are many who have great knowledge and understanding, but consistently do the wrong thing. Wisdom, in this sense, is the goal, and knowledge and understanding only have eternal value as they result in wisdom, or what we end up doing.

Mrtennis put it very well! Easier said than done for me but not for some.

I had a pair of those once. (I'm the OP.) :-)

Buy a pair of Spendor 1/2s...seriously.

Hi, my name is Mike.
Painful as it is, I'm an audioholic!
Cheers and tears...
My last purchase was yesterday and I only sell equipment when my wife makes me.
She says I have enough for two systems. Isn't that great?
I guess only I think so.
Now I'm into room treatment. Next it will be heattubes!
Oh boy!
Oh wait.
Uh oh.

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If they still visit Audiogon and read your thread, they are still on the merry-go-round. Those that have gotten off the merry-go-round no longer come to this forum. Asking that question on this forum is like going to a crack house for advice on how to break your crack habit.
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Fortunately, I spent 30 years improving my system before I ran out of money. Now it's almost the only thing that puts a smile on my face. Which is not to say that I wouldn't spend a ton of money if it came my way.

own components that let you enjoy the music and ignore the gear. once you have achieved a sound that puts a smile on your face, you can cease buying and selling components.

We found half measures to be of no avail.............just close your eyes and jump. At some point the merry go round ceases to be fun.

For my main system I just told myself enough is enough. All the buying, selling and trading just needed to stop. I then decided my second system would the one I would mess with and experiment with. I'm trying to keep it to a minimum though. It is becoming a grind to keep burning in equipment, A/Bing, and keeping track of findings. I'm reaching the point where I just want to sit back, relax and listen to music. I guess I'm half of the way off the merry-go-round.