The two stages of audiophilia

Sgreg1,

Very eloquent. 
I agree with your stage one.
We have to fervently hope there will be a stage three.

I look at the two stages different.Stage one is the love of music and you will do any for that love. Buy a system you feel will help nurture that love of music. Spend all your free time loving that music. Always looking for new artists to grow and deepen that love. It is a journey that can be very fulfilling.Stage two is the down fall that too many fall into. Their love of music turns to their love of their system. This sends them it to a tail spin that they can never get out of. Chasing new equipment based on a post from someone who does not own the piece but gives an opinion. Thinking they are hearing things they really can’t hear. Tweaking things just to tweak, buying new because the technology has to be better it’s newer right?
Their only hope is that they come full circle and rediscover the love of music and remember that system love is that high maintenance girlfriend who you can never satisfy and will dump you in a heartbeat!

Great post really! Thanks...

You are spot on right....

I myself suffered for 8 years of this "disease" which is also could be a marvellous journey though....

What take this marvellous journey to his natural and usual end in my case was acoustic science...

Without acoustic treatment and controls all audio system are compared one against the other to be evaluated for themselves...

With acoustic treatment and controls, which are applied individually to some specific gear in specific room; in this instance and circonstances, the distance between what we can qualify "sounds" and what we can qualify "music" or "spoken words" or "singing voices" melted progressively at some level in one singular experience : sound was no more only some signs but something now uniquely meaningful....

For me it was the revelation of the art of listening... Alas! i am not a musician....Nor an acoustician.... Only a lover of music who was dreaming to afford for  himself Hi-FI....

sgreg1,
"Their only hope is that they come full circle and rediscover the love of music"

I think you may be painting with a rather large brush here.

Personally, I've never lost my love of music (or stopped purchasing it), through tweeks or equipment changes. I would go as far as to say my love of music has increased with system (including room) improvements. 

Stage 4..?

mostly we listen to the sound ,sound of music which sounds good

Working towards Sit back, listen to MUSIC and enjoy your system but still trying new speakers that seem to be a good fit. I've downsized the amp while still retaining sufficient quality for low to moderate listening levels...so downsized the listening levels as well.
So, a small Keces e40 class ab amp and I mean small, a Topping D70s dac and now looking for smaller speakers that don't fall too far off from what I have now...hardest part to replace btw. 

Stage 2 is the Honeymoon after finding Miss Bitchin'.

Stage 3 is.... well its after the honeymoon and when maybe a wandering eye catches hold of something you wish you had in stage 1.

Temptation is the root of all evil......

touchy subject!

my pareto:

1) music
2) quality of analog and digital source
3) room speaker integration
4) speakers or earphones
5) power amp + pre amp

price of gears does not always connected directly to quality of sound reproduction! there are many different analog and digital sound design philosophies to consider, in many cases accomplishing similar audio results. many ultra-expensive gears have “chic looking front panel”, and accomplish only Dr. FeelGood goals!

What's the matter with Audiophiles there never happy with there system....me included...Most of us listen with our Eyes....which is s situation where your never happy even when you have a killer system....

I’ve been in separates for 50 years! I just went to an integrated amplifier and love it!
it sounds great 
great sound stage 
great clarity 
and it’s class D!!!!- lots of power!
no heat either
my bookshelf speakers sound so deep that a sub would be an overkill! So happy!
now the problem- the amp
Is so  revealing , that a poor recording sounds awful!
I need to go to AA (audiophiles annon) for the twelve step program! 

Stage 3
pack up the lot, sell it, and move to something else…

@larryro2 ,

I did the same thing going from a Naim pre/power to a Creek Destiny integrated.

In no way did I regret the decision.

That finally put an end to my worrying about endless amplifier upgrades - a Naim six pack anyone?

The Creek is at least as powerful as my Naim combo was, and it has a remote.

"I need to go to AA (audiophiles annon) for the twelve step program!"

Maybe this forum is as good as?

1.  Chase something that does not exist.

2.  Realize "Density" in the sound in proper proportion trumps the chasing and allows you to get back to the music not dictated by your chase.  "Sweetspot" is overrated...     "live ambient" is preferred.

The only true meaning of Audiophilia, crazy and never satisfied. 

Yeah now you need a 2 channel just for your vinyl and a 9 channel for movie ...lol

Yeah, I think I’ve hit the pinnacle of my Stage 2 with massive upgrades over the last few years, they all have contributed to my enjoyment of the experience of listening to music. There is one more upgrade I’m considering. but I’m asking myself the question "when is enough, enough?" And so it’s time to just enjoy the music again and get off the gear merry-go-round.

I am in the same boat as Audioguy. Class A + dual concentric.
  
But here is my analogy as why the search can never truly end. 

You just had the best sex in your life. Absolutely amazing.
The next day a different attractive naked form crosses your vision.

Wha'cha gonna do!!

good post.
Fun reading, no hating. 
Stage 1 is personal. 
Stage 2 is universal.  

Shouldnt need a Stage 3

I am in the same boat as Audioguy. Class A + dual concentric.

But here is my analogy as why the search can never truly end.

You just had the best sex in your life. Absolutely amazing.
The next day a different attractive naked form crosses your vision.

Wha’cha gonna do!!

Fun post .... thanks ....

But if i could add to your humoristic analogy a correction:

Sex= technical performance of an audio system
Love= musical audiophile subtle impressions quality

Then if someone look only for sex or new hyped technical without end upgrade something is flawed in his kingdom so to speak...

Because sex with a love one cannot be compared to sex with "one thousand and one" different women whom you dont love... Like the sultan i prefer Scheherazade... 😊


In my audio journey i have settled with the woman and audio system with whom i love the sex and the music the most and i decide to rightfully embed in all their working dimensions the system and the woman with many homemade devices to make the system and the woman sing...

It cost way less than changing  of woman each month and upgrading components  without end....


With the woman and the audio system, one the choice of each one is settled, the KEY were the right embeddings devices "controls" so to speak.....But dont say that to my wife please....
😁😊

@mahgister,

The next time I fall out with my wife perhaps I could try using the line, "It’s ok darling, things will be alright once you’ve been embedded."

Perhaps not.

Although come to think of it, things do usually resolve themselves that way.

But the problem is I’m not too sure just who’s doing the embedding or who’s getting embedded.


Cue Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Brilliant Disguise

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uoEUwljiHv4

All of audio is the stage, and we are merely players.

But the problem is I’m not too sure just who’s doing the embedding or who’s getting embedded.

You are totally right...

who embed who?

My wife or me or the two of us embed each other ?

Like in audio we embed our system ( this is acoustic) which at the end embed us with it ( this is psycho-acoustic)...

After all audiophile listenings experiments and sex and love neither would be and thanks God! neither could be purely "technical" nor purely "objective"....

All of audio is the stage, and we are merely players.

 Well said...

My wife or me or the two of us embed each other ?

I don't know. But if there is a traipse involved I suspect tubebuffer will know.

I don't know. But if there is a traipse involved I suspect tubebuffer will know.

We are digital circuits the two of us sorry...

😁😊

Your happy until you read an article that tell you different...

@limomangus,

Your happy until you read an article that tell you different...


If ever there was a hobby where the old adage about 'the grass always being greener on the other side' was true, it's this one.

Nevermind the fact that it might sometimes be true, look no further if you want to see where much of our discontent springs from.

It recently occured to me that whilst I'm busy on the lookout for new books to read, new music to listen to, new films to watch, there's a considerable library right here in my home waiting to be revisited...

Step 3 should be buying more music.