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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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). ;-)

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:)

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"!

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.

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.

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.

PhD in Psychology?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 :).

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.

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.

You know how? Audition with your own ears. If you can't hear it, don't buy it. Or, familiarize yourself with the reviewer of your favorite gear. Know his taste and style and set the standard for yourself. The classifieds are full with the gear purchased impulsively.

Quite a good post Sailcappy! I can't recall all the details of the merry-go-round I've had.

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.

Mapman, the computer chip in the key is for security reasons, not to make ignition better. The chip *talks* to the chip in the engine and says "I am trying to start this vehicle legitimately". If someone tries to start the vehicle without using the matching key, the car alarm will go off. I'm sure it won't deter professional car theifs, but it does provide a level of security for amatuers. BTW, I'm driving a 2008 Toyota Avalon....nice car. :)

Also, it cost about $300 for the full service key, but you can have a spare 'valet' key made for around $90. The valet key has no buttons on it, and will not open the glove box.

Mapman - I sort of understand your meaning of "learning how to leverage component specifications into the buying decision." Can you give me an example?

Seems I hit a nerve with this story and I did not write about it all!

Take an interest in something else or your system will never be completed. When it comes to sales Johnny Boey is the order of the day.

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.

Mapman,

I know we are taking this thread in a slightly different direction but let's take my current system:

My amp spects are
1000w @ 4ohm 500W @ 8ohm
Damping Factor 2000 into 8ohm
Neutrik Silver XLR Differential inputs -2V for full output
>119dba Dynamic Range
dc - 38khz Frequency Range
83% Total Effeciency at 500W @ 8ohm

And my Speaker specs are:
Frequency Range: 38 Hz to 46 kHz
Sensitivity: 86 dB
Impedance: 8 ohm nominal / 4 ohm minimum

How would someone use this information to help decide on if they are a match for sound quality?

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. For speakers you really need to look at the actual graph of their impedance with phase angles.

Regarding your earlier long post, my take away is that you read too many reviews and thought you knew what you wanted. A better approach might have been to select your speaker and then let the dealer put together the rest of the system. For the amount of money you were willing to spend it would have saved you much time/effort and would have placed any operational issues onto the dealer.

"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.

Why would anyone want to get off the merry-go-round, upgrading is one of the few things I look forward to anymore, I mean after my girls, ( wife and daughter ).

Tmsorosk, you must have the disposable income in order to look forward to upgrading. From your statement, the merry-go-round is an affordable place. Good for you! But not everyone can afford the cost of staying on the merry-go-round and attempting to upgrade.

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.

I think what I have also learned is that the Merry Go Round is about unnecessary purchases, over tweaking and just plain obsessive behavior. I have slowed down and enjoy reading reviews, visiting dealers and poking around in general. I think upgrading is natural for an audiophile who just wants to improve on what they have if they have the means.

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.

Hello Foster, Never said upgrading was cheap and I guess affordable would depend on your financial position. I do enjoy spending time with the family, spending time at the lake and listening to our smaller audio system there.
But my real passion is music and hearing it reproduced as well as I can make it, and I honestly can't recall ever regretting making a purchase.
A few years back I sold my business and retired, I now work just enough to purchase some of the finer things in life that I couldn't afford before, audio is one of them. Here in western Canada the economy has been extremely strong, so getting a good paying part time job three blocks from home was not difficult. Yes I no I'm lucky, but after a lifetime of hard work maybe I've earned it.
As far as the merry-go-round, I do enjoy the ride, but that being said, all my audio purchases have been well thought out, well listened out, and have been a true step up and those components stay long term. I have no use for people that chase there tail with the flavor of the month.

Best regards Tim

the question:

"how does one get off the marry-go-round" has a simple answer.

don't enter the merry-go-round--problem solved.

Mrtennis,, your right , who wants to have a bunch of fun anyway, when you can sit back and complain and save money doing it. Glad you've sorted that out for us.

Mr. Tennis sez: Just Say No and, while you're at it, Abstinence Only

Don't make mistakes...Buy the right equipment the first time, and you won't fall into the upgrade trap. I have all the money I want for this hobby, but spending it foolishly just isn't for me. Quality doesn't cost, it pays. Happy listening.

First, I would differentiate between "merry go round" and "spiral staircase". They both go round and round, at least with the ss you get a little higher (better?) each time around. The mgr stays the same.

So hopefully you do get a little better each go around. Just take charge of you life and decide when enough is enough. If you feel you have a disorder, spend the money on professional help rather than a new set of cables or ?.

Re Mr Tennis, "don't enter the merry-go-round--problem solved." Good preventative advice, not a good answer to someone already there.

Scenario:

Drowning man: "How do I stop drowning?"

Mr T: "Don't go in the water".

DM: "I'll remember that next time but how about some help right now".

Just having a little fun :).

an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

don't be an equipment chaser and you will save a lot of money.

if you don't have ocd, it should be possible to configure a decent stereo system the first time and not need to continually upgrade.

if you find yourself out of control, seek help.

1) Set up every stereo in one room.
2) Listen to them all and decide which is best.

Then there is nothing more to chose from and you have selected the best stereo to your tastes.

Cdc, you would have to put shorting leads on all speakers except that you are listening to for this to work.