Astral Sounds contains no musical instruments, human voices or sounds of nature, yet it can automatically create feelings of happiness, health and a blissful state of mind. Worries disappear. Pain vanishes. Problems automatically solve themselves. All this and more has been reported by users of Astral Sounds. By listening to Astral Sounds you can experience warm, sensuous vibrations of happiness and well-being any time you want to. This unique 24 minute recording is designed to stimulate a pleasure center in your mind to create physical and mental peace and euphoria... a natural high.
Serious? Well I guess on your list of similar meanings, mine would be meaningful, and on a scale of 1-10, would probably be about 5. Centered mostly along the lines of enjoying a large variety of music and having a dedicated area of the house set up for my audio and a large collection music and an adequate system to play it.
Since I"m no longer into large, loud, big venue concerts and have no desire to re-create the scope of one in my audio room, it takes a fairly modest system to play the music I like, at the moderate scope and volume that I enjoying listening. While I do from, time to time, consider upgrading veracious components of my system, it comes no where near an obsession and usually gives way to other needs and interests.
I am obsessed with listening to music and I regularly add more music to my collection. In terms of gear I’m off the carousel. My system is more than sufficient. If I see something that strikes my fancy I might be tempted but it really takes a lot.
Probably a 3. I’ve not turned on my stereo in 4 months. Too hot to sit in a sweet spot and listen intently. I’m on the cusp of buying a new set of tube mono’s so I’m certain that’ll start the fire again. Winter is better for tubes and Class A listening. And I’m retired so I’ve got all the time in the world to catch up!
I started in this hobby forty plus years ago when I realized that their was this whole other approach to audio than the Pioneer, Technics, Teac, Bose Altec, products that dealers around me sold. And it happened when my older brother came home from his first year in college with a new stereo system and I was hooked. Maybe I was an 8 or 9 then and stayed that way for many many years. Things changed when I first walked into a specialty shop in town and taught me over the years to listen to equipment with the best possible setup and to make my own decisions and mind up as to what I thought was good and not what others tell me as I have definitely noticed happens a lot on Audigon discussions. One thing at the dealer I noticed was their opinion of rags like The Absolute Sound. They referred to it as a comic book and laughed and laughed at the articles in it. Maybe in my forties I packed away everything in a move, built a nice wall shelf between the kitchen. living room and purchased a Cambridge CD 88 and used that for ten years. Obsession now a 6. One day I just decided to setup the stereo. I really don't change anything out in my system unless it's broke and about five-six years back it seemed like my whole setup started to fail over a two week period, some gear from wear and some by accident. So I started a reset on the whole system. Buying gear. Liking some purchases, but finding some lacking one way or another. Two things occurred to me, I was purchasing things that were good but thought that they weren't what I really wanted not to mention some of my older gear thinking was not repairable and had them repaired. I now have a system I like and an excess of equipment to get rid of. So today I'm a solid 5 and not really obsessed anymore. Other things like being at the beach cottage in Union Pier Michigan with a Tivoli Pal or my Beosystem 10 portable rank a solid 10 on my obsession meter.
"Serious" seems to equate for some with how often you change gear. I've been doing this for the last 40 years and once you reach a certain point and your main system is making you happy, you seldom want to continue the obsessive upgrade thing. That doesn't mean that I don't listen critically - I do, and other hobbyists sometimes bring gear to my place and vice versa so we can compare. Only occasionally will this reveal a significant change that warrants a revision of a system.
We recently did such a comparison (on my main system) of two excellent phono preamps, a Vendetta 2 SCP-2D and the last iteration of the Herron phono stage. No upgrades resulted!
Last few years I was a 9-10 as I digested much info as I can find, demo what I could, to purchase my first high-end analog + digital chains.
8+ today but interest is tapering off - only have Ethernet components, digital cabling, Roon core, then I’m done…for now. I usually peruse reviews and forums regularly.
I'm an 8 in that I won't spend multi thousands on gear. I want excellent sound and build speaker kits. You will now see ads for the 521 Linkwitz speakers. They are remarkable. You can build them inexpensively. To save time and $, just build the top section and use someone elses subwoofer kits. I did build the recommended woofer sections ($1200 just for the drivers). But they overpowered the room. I built the Linkwitz XLminis and the older Pluto models as well. Highly recommenced. Use a miniDSP two into four stereo crossovers (Madisound) and eight channels of amps - one per driver. Starke 4 cHannel power amps make it easy and economical. I have seven of them in multiple systems. Now, the have an eight channel amp, I'll get one in the fall) ideal for the XL521 (the name comes from the date Dr. Linkwitz found the perfect shape for the baffle holding the mid - tweet - super bidirectional tweeters - May 21). Happy Listening!
@ghdprentice &@mapman ...Having been ’semi-retired’ since 1/1/23 from self-employment, immediate results, other than a glacial shift in activities in my case, is just about one can expect....
Ideally, one can concentrate more on the stuff that wants to be done for home, hearth, common interests of your relationship, or just the fun b.s. you’ve put off endlessly....;)
BUT...no ’mike drop’, nooo....
It’s nice/annoying to get interrupted for the Greater Good.....which is still subject to ’discussions’.... *no applicable emoji*
One just has to ’roll with it’....SOS, just a different ’bun’....*L*
Great to hear you are thinking of retiring. I have been lucky to have many interests and over my career have been able to take off a year or more four times to just pursue my passions… physical and intellectual. So, my interests instantly take over all my time.
The way you put the idea you were thinking of retiring and then decide what to do. You might consider slowly moving into retirement and developing other pursuits along the way. I know a lot of retired folks and those that just quit without a bunch of passions can have a hard time. The rule of thumb is it takes five years to adjust to retirement. My transition was really easy for the reasons I said… but there was still a transition from being so goal oriented (by conditioning all my life) to being more process oriented.
@mahler123....*G* A 'shallow, tongue-deep in cheek tease', basically...from one who spends too much time at a desk, but has music on demand to while it away.
...beats a Real Job, esp. since semi-retired.....average hours listening per day surpasses 4 easily, tho' 2 one day, 8 the next...
As for a 'roon attack', just playing off the 'noia of AI leaking into the devices of our days....1st, the washer, dryer, fridge, car, the flat screen, your audio, your shaver, bed, breakfast.....
*L* At 73, I'm relatively reassured that I'll miss the worst of it...maybe... ;)
I'd put myself at a 2. I have a modest system that I enjoy, but my passion is astronomy. This week I'm camping at a dark sky park for a full week hoping for a clear night. So far three nights not worth getting either telescope running. I'm not sure there is an equivalent. I have a very small system in my RV, not even HiFi, but there are expectations of quite here so anything I play needs to stay in the camper.
When home I listen about 5 hours a week, mostly to vinyl while working. Serious listening is waiting for my retirement years. Not too much longer...
because i picked some so astounding and deep books it was impossible not to read them even if we hate reading...I begun to love reading i guess...
I dont like hearing music...
But i had thousand of music files...
because i love so much some musicians and composers i could not restrain myself...I begun to listen and hearing no more...
I dont like women but i marry one,
i dont like people,
But i befriend many...
Perhaps i like too much paradoxes.... 😁
I used acoustic and tweaks...
Just today i recreated an acoustic audiophile corner in my basement using small cheap but good speakers...
i decided to upgrade my Sansui alpha soon because i will have my ultimate headphone system...
I hate headphones, i disliked all,
But one....
For me the hobby is music not the gear... I learned acoustic it was my hobby for a long time... Now it is finished... Music is my only way not audio ...But we must inform ourself to buy the best at the least cost... It is done for me...
Life is surprizing, we do most of the times what we never planned to do....
Not a hobby for me. I like listening to music. ROON says 218 hours in the last 4 weeks which is likely lower than normal since I took a week off from work and I was entertaining house guests for the past 2 weeks. I also have 3 hours a day M-to-F of bliss listening to KCRW morning show on FM radio (not included in ROON).
I think it was Ozzy Osbourne who best described my gear spending habit. I was a zero for a decade and became a hero in the last 3 years. In about 6 more months I expect to go from hero to back to zero for a very long time (maybe until the end).
+1, I completely agree with your sentiment. Music first then the pursuit of HiFi. Noble as it may be but pursuit of putting together a system that does as little harm to recorded media have been very rewarding and inspiring at the same time. BTW, care to share the champagne brand?
My sincerest apologies....due to the hour of posting, and a general dismay at your potential hazard posed by a Roon Revenge Episode (now referred to as a RRE)....
I stupidly ’dropped’ a zed.
Actual time average spent is 1 hour, 47 minutes, and 38.6 seconds.
*sigh* ....but, still....simply Not Enough...your Audio Intervention Team is gearing up unless you act immediately if not sooner....
Double...nay, Triple Time may put them on Standby....for now....😎
@curiousjim is a fine example of a Solid Listen Devotee....( Yes, a 6! 👍😃)
Go Forth, Go Four+, Go For It! 🎶😍
(...done with stuff for awhile....good for the next day or so....keeping the average up by not shutting anything off....;)....)*L*
During Covid, I bought my first integrated amp ever and had to buy new speakers for it of course as well as speaker wires and Gaia 1 feet for the speakers. I had never tried streaming before so I bought a streamer, then a better power supply, a better usb cable and power cord. Since Covid ended, I haven’t bought anything new, but try to listen 2-3 hours a day.
Based on the definition I’m demoting myself to a 3 in that though I value good sound and have an interest there I don’t consider the topic all that important really on the grand scale of things. Maybe even a 1. Can I go negative? As one might discern from some of my posts I often do not take a lot of things discussed here all that seriously although I find most of it very interesting.
I have several systems in my house so you guess. Having said that, there is a price point I will not go over because I think the dealers sit back, look at their equipment, and come up with a number they think they can get those crazy people to pay. I made a decision long ago to not be one of those crazy people.
Let’s just say that anyone who spends time on an audiophile web site is pretty serious. We have already estimated on a different thread that percentage of the general public that cares about audiophilia is under one percent, probably a few hundred thousand in the US. And then only a small fraction of that group will care enough to discuss these issues regularly on line. So folks by virtue of us being here we are all at least a 9 in my book
I have too many hobbies. I enjoy them all, but I don't obsess over any of them. They can all cost a lot of money and require budgeting, but not airplane money.
I guess I'm a 3. I'm serious enough to have a dedicated room, but I'm frugal enough to not play in the "Class A" pool very much.
I'm also older and my hearing is what it is.
Better headphone system will probably be a step in the future when we "downsize".
I listen pretty much every day, I have 4 systems, three are vintage and one main. The vintage systems morphed during COVID, and are still going strong in terms of use. Ive restored and had restored components, soldering troubleshooting etc. Ive customized and restored a Thorens and AR turntable. I put in my own NAS and fiber network, digitizing all of my cds and SACDs. I no longer get sticker shock at the prices of high end audio. I just purchased an Esoteric N05 network streamer….so I’m maybe an 8 or 9 out of 10…..but that maybe conservative. Hey it’s a hobby!
I'm close to a 10. Roon says I listen 10-12 hours per week but that doesn't include vinyl. Listening to music is my drug of choice. It has always been my means of coping with stress and unplugging after work. I never use my system as background music. I look forward to a concert as often as I can. It is in a dedicated, treated room and if it is on then I am in my spot listening. I get drawn in- always been that way. Roon also shows that I listen 4-5 days a week. Again, that doesn't include vinyl because when I listen to vinyl I don't turn the DAC on. Used to be I might listen to 1/2 to one CD before switching to vinyl. Now, I listen mostly to digital since revamping my system the last couple of years.
I have revamped my stereo eight times over 47 years. I typically would change nearly everything over a one to two year period and then leave it alone for 10-15 years. My latest splurge which was a cost no object project- in as much as my conservative midwestern upbringing would allow met my goals of killer sound and hi res streaming. I thought I had tempered my spending quite well; but friends and family have this look that implies I should seek help. Doesn't everyone have a dedicated room for audio with panels and treatments on the walls, ceiling and floors?
I was always serious about my audio and music since my first system at the 18 yrs old and many more upgrades since. I’m now 57 and recently purchased my new Audio Research Ref 750s mono blocks along with having upgraded my Audio Research REF 6 to 6SE. And just purchased a gorgeous rack and 2 amp platforms from Timbernation. I also just bought about 25 mobile fidelity 24k cds that I really love. So I’d say both audio and music a 10 as of now. Look at my all out assault system in my profile.
I just watched Crazy CAR WIZARD Stories: Six cars that truly Ruined My Customer's lives! One of them was, using money set aside for his wife's cancer treatments to fund his car repairs. I'm going to set this as 10. This will put me at about 2. Blasphemic but there are things in my life that are way WAY more important than Audio.
Building my dream system took 30 years at an easy level of 9.750. Now I spend my time in pursuit of music at a robust level of 9.875. The internet changed everything for me... so much music just a click away. Now my mailbox is just a new cd receptacle. At least 5 a week. I love CDs. (newest find is an Iranian singer named Sevdaliza)
Uh, @mapman....If your Roon goes Hal on you, it's because that's only 11 min. 21 sec. a day on the average....
Obviously, we've got to get you listening to it more....for your own safety....😟
Yes, I'd assume you've 'other things' that need to be heard in your daze, but one never can assume their Roon won't go rogue on you...
Per the Goog (Knows All; Knows You Laugh @ It Because):
Is audiophile a disorder?
The audiophilic syndrome is characterized by preoccupation with the reproduction of recorded music and other sounds in the home. The afflictee spends a high percentage of his/her income on electronic and mechanical equipment as well as recordings of the sounds themselves.
I wish I could write as eloquently and cogently as you do on a bottle of my favorite beverage. 😄 That's exactly the reason I tried to convey in that I've finally settled on what's good enough for me to just sit back and listen.
After a hiatus from my cancer surgery, I jumped back into the audio forums in April this year (2023). I bought a PSA DirectStream DAC so my natural inclination was to follow the PSA forums.
I became so disillusioned with the cult following for cables, fuses and snake oil, I dialed back my participation and involvement. What I have discovered about myself is that I'm a music lover, not an audiophile. I have a decent setup and feel bad for all the sincere hobbyist's that get sucked in by all the hype pumped out by the 'cult'
Warning: I drank a bottle of champagne as I cooked dinner tonight, as the following may make obvious.
We all started out first as music lovers (I myself bond with other humans first and foremost in terms of being fellow music lovers), eventually becoming audiophiles in our need to be afforded a deeper immersion in and appreciation of recorded music (I hope that doesn’t sound too pretentious). If we are not careful, the pursuit of sound quality can become more important than the music itself (I speak from experience). That’s why many serious Classical music lovers view audiophiles with contempt.
The pursuit of high fidelity is a noble endeavor, assuming one keeps the ultimate objective in mind: the music itself. At a certain age---with the benefit of accumulated wisdom, one may feel freed of the pursuit of the highest fidelity as the great beyond approaches, realizing that the recording and reproduction of music is inherently limited, and that the hearing and appreciation of music should be one’s focus, whatever the quality of the sound.
Which brings us to the old basic tenant: Are you first and foremost a music lover, or an audiophile? Some of my favorite recorded music suffers from mediocre sound quality, yet still manages to thrill me. The quality of the system it is played on is immaterial.
So what is the point of assembling a high performance hi-fi system? To do as little harm as possible to recorded and reproduced music, within reasonable expectations. The definition of reasonable is the trick.
I would normally be about a 7 or 8. Currently however I am designing and will be building a listening room in my basement that will take all of my attention for the next 5 or 6 months. Once the room, the electrical, the networking, the sound proofing, the room treatment, etc. are complete; I'll see how my system sounds and figure out what to upgrade.
I currently think I'll be in the market for a higher end streaming set up, and trying to fit my tube amplifier in with my other solid state set up.....haven't figured that one out yet. Eventually I will add higher end speakers, but I don't think I'll ever get rid of my Buchardt Audio S400 MKIIs.....I LOVE those little speakers.
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