Thanks guys for some very interesting and diverse views.
I'm glad to see so many of you seem very happy with your rigs as they are, with perhaps only some minor tweaks being considered..
I think one of my favourite responses was from @blindjim:
I had personally finished upgrading about 5 weeks ago, then two fellow audiophiles suggested I try something new, so begrudgingly, I gave their suggestions a whirl, thinking it would be a marginal - one of those "sideways improvements" one of you talked about, BUT, once again it proved to be beneficial
I'm definitely NOT in the "shop-o-holic" camp, because I do not upgarade my components that often - e.g. I have only ever owned one turntable (OK, I tweaked the crap out of that), two sets of speakers and 4 amps over a 38 year period and I am only on my third phono stage since getting back into vinyl around 9 years ago, so I figure I'm doing pretty well, especially after reading the lists of components some of you have acquired over the years.
But this is the first time my system has approached it's current level of excellence, so I was curious if "upgrade-itis" is a persistent conditon or if it wanes as one gets older?
That would give me something I could tell my wife - there actually has an end in site :-)
I too have been more guilty of those "frivolous purchases" WRT another hobby i.e. 35mm photography. But I think todays SLR cameras/lenses are now so good, that you do not have to break the bank to get excellent images and the latest developments are more often improvements in the "experience" rather than image quality. So I have now reached my personal "photography nirvana"
Whereas the Audio world seems to keep coming up with "better sound"
I think I may be aproaching this post from @granodemostasa ...
My "cliff" these days is Cost Benefit
BUT ! - if the lottery ticket come up - who knows :-)
Regards - Steve
I'm glad to see so many of you seem very happy with your rigs as they are, with perhaps only some minor tweaks being considered..
I think one of my favourite responses was from @blindjim:
if the rig is indeed the best sounding thing you've amassed to date and then one begins exchanging things which are predominately sideways steps, it ain't the system or its gear that needs a closer look at, its more likely the 'nut' behind the wheel.Something I think many of us have been guilty of at some point.
I had personally finished upgrading about 5 weeks ago, then two fellow audiophiles suggested I try something new, so begrudgingly, I gave their suggestions a whirl, thinking it would be a marginal - one of those "sideways improvements" one of you talked about, BUT, once again it proved to be beneficial
I'm definitely NOT in the "shop-o-holic" camp, because I do not upgarade my components that often - e.g. I have only ever owned one turntable (OK, I tweaked the crap out of that), two sets of speakers and 4 amps over a 38 year period and I am only on my third phono stage since getting back into vinyl around 9 years ago, so I figure I'm doing pretty well, especially after reading the lists of components some of you have acquired over the years.
But this is the first time my system has approached it's current level of excellence, so I was curious if "upgrade-itis" is a persistent conditon or if it wanes as one gets older?
That would give me something I could tell my wife - there actually has an end in site :-)
I too have been more guilty of those "frivolous purchases" WRT another hobby i.e. 35mm photography. But I think todays SLR cameras/lenses are now so good, that you do not have to break the bank to get excellent images and the latest developments are more often improvements in the "experience" rather than image quality. So I have now reached my personal "photography nirvana"
Whereas the Audio world seems to keep coming up with "better sound"
I think I may be aproaching this post from @granodemostasa ...
I like to upgrade until i'm looking over a cliff that is impractical to cross
My "cliff" these days is Cost Benefit
BUT ! - if the lottery ticket come up - who knows :-)
Regards - Steve