First, let me begin by saying I love music. Almost all music, very few exceptions. I also love audio equipment. I have had excellent equipment over the years, Tubed amplifiers from the best, Wilson speakers, expensive connection cables, designated rooms with wall treatments, on and on it goes. Now I’ve gone to streaming with good equipment and excellent speakers, average connections. So why? You will never reproduce music as it was actually played. Most concerts are held in huge buildings, awkward seating and distance. Reproducing that sound is a waste of time. Music on record or cds have been engineered. In many cases the original sound was not so good and made better by an engineer. Searching for the perfect sound is in the ear of the beholder. No two people hear the same. In my opinion it’s like looking for that perfect driver for your golf game. Every year the manufactures have now developed the one for you. Whoever said stop when you find the sound you like was in my opinion correct. Save your money for something more important because people spend millions on this search and still are not happy. It’s how you hear the music that counts. As Happy Gilmore says, go to your happy place, relax and enjoy what you have. This hobby can be incredibly expensive and be never ending.
The Absolute Sound vs Pleasing Sound
I have changed my mind about this over the years. The absolute sound (closest to real live music) just can't be accomplished even though I have heard some spectacular systems that get close on some music. So years ago I changed my system to give me the sound I wanted. I'm much happier now and all my music collection can be enjoyed for what it is: Recorded music.