The Psychology of Constant (Equipment) Change

Many things can become an addiction taken to an e extreme. Looking for the next “high” to try to momentarily satisfy the urge. As long as the need for the funds for the hifi gear doesn’t force you to do bad things, cool. It can be a nice source for good quality stuff on the used market too. 

During my youth I got the hifi bug. Buying, building and trading my way to a decent system. Then came my working years and I didn’t have the time to enjoy hifi anywhere near as much. Well now I am retired and I have rebuilt my system twice in the last couple of years and for some reason, I don’t feel as if I’m done yet.😀

There are many factors to consider including age, health issues, hearing capabilities, finances, time, etc. Then there are responsibilities and commitments. So based on these and many other factors audio can be a hobby some and for others it can be the only meaningful thing in life. There is no right or wrong here, just that some are very fortunate to be able to spend and keep "improving" their hifi audio reproduction. Others are fortunate enough to put a system together within their means and commitments.

It is difficult to say there is something inherretly wrong with the desire to change equipment as opposed to those who have put together their dream system don't see the need to change any further. In the end we all get to enjoy what we can afford.

@deep_333 Agreed. I think you reach a point where, you become so used to a particular sound that the thrill is diminished. That's when you begin thinking about changing it up again.

I run my system as a "playback studio" that enables me to change it up 9 different ways from Sunday, to borrow an old cliche. This way I can alter the presentation in any way I like electronically, instead of swapping equipment around. The only equipment changes I've made in the past several years was to replace failed or failing components.

Case in point of what I do:  I just swapped out my system (amp, pre, speakers) last weekend because I wanted to put my Spatial M3 TM in.  I also wanted a flea watt amp and a tubed pre.  So out came the James Burgess 2A3/45 amp and the Calypso pre.

I’ve not optimized speaker placement yet but they sound wonderful where they’re now situated.  The thing I like about this setup is how even at low volumes it sounds really full.

But anyhoo, I have a pair of speakers (Acoustic Technologies Classic One) that I have a somewhat love/hate relationship with.  These are my first single driver speakers I’ve ever owned and when placed correctly in a room are rather amazing.  Three inch drivers that disappear and fill the room with sound…mind blowing.  But they tend to be picky about associated gear and especially placement.  

So since I removed all the extra amps sitting on the floor when I put the Spatials in, and there’s room to do the speaker dance with the Classic Ones, I’m thinking of putting them in to see if I can get them to sound as they’re able.  Of course I’ll have to switch the amp and maybe the pre out again.  

This is what I mean by a desire to constantly change gear.  I can never leave good enough alone.

I think for me I “wonder” how a certain speaker will sound in my current room since not all my speakers have made their way into the system.  Or wonder how one of my speakers will sound with whichever amp is currently supplying the juice.