Each to their own in pursuit of a dream…
I have a wonderful photo of my listening room that I will not post for reasons of the privacy of the people in the picture. It is of my then-teenage daughter and 20 or so of her friends, enjoying soft drinks, snacks they made themselves in our kitchen, all while sitting around taking turns playing Guitar Hero on the projection TV. A rare few would try a go at the multi-keyboard organ next to the TV, where they could use the built-in recorder to save a copy of whatever they chose to play at the moment. On the other side of the room another inspired soul would occasionally bang out whatever on the piano. Somewhat discordant chaos, but almost always fun. Enjoyment was the purpose of that room.
For my own use, on evenings when the mob was away at a game, I would occasionally tinker in the bowels of my component rack, which was a 10’ wide series of open back bookcases against a wall that had 4 doors opening behind the bookcases, opening into our garage so I could easily get to the back side of the components to re-wire as necessary. This was an entertainment system, emphasizing versatility over perfection, and even now I still enjoy everything from 78’s to open reel, and even the lowly cassette, which my Nak Dragon manages to do a decent job of copying whatever is on my Dual Golden 1 turntable so I can enjoy it in the car. Crown and Marantz amps tried desperately to drive Bose 901 series 1’s backed by some floor-standing Infinity speakers to a level that could be heard over the crowd on some days, while, when I was able to enjoy a moments’ peace, I preferred to enjoy some chamber music from the vantage point of what was left of my favorite chair.
Was I IMPRESSED by the sound? Occasionally. Was everyone PLEASED by their experiences in that room? On most occasions, I think so. I was able to tinker, tweak and relax. Either way, I got to ENJOY the time I spent there, and I think that is the point. Some folks enjoy showing off what they have, others enjoy sharing an aural experience, others just want to close their eyes and feel the recreation of an idea that became the music in their ears.
I also enjoy the experience of reading and seeing how others maximize their personal enjoyment of sound. Since no two individuals will ever identically perceive a moment in time, the sharing on this forum is a source of guidance on what works well for at least one person, and may be of value to others of similar tastes and perceptive abilities. The settings that work best for me will drive my wife out of the room, as she has totally different hearing than I do. I have imperfect ears, and thus “perfectly accurate fidelity” sounds nice, but sometimes no better to me now than a cell phone across the room. 60 years ago, when I got my first multi-track reel-to-reel deck, things were different on so many levels. That does NOT mean I cannot appreciate and enjoy a truly fine system in a carefully set up listening space, but I will not experience anything similar to what you do. We will both enjoy it in our own way.
I would like to thank all those who offer to explain what and why the elements that make up their entertainment space sound the way they do. Some love sound. Some love the chase of “perfection”, but unlike the dog who succeeded when they tried to catch the car, none of us will ever get there, but it can still be fun to just enjoy sharing the thrill of the chase…