Did your system getting better the more money you spent or more experience you gained?

Both

@jafant @jl35 both is perfect. Knowledge and resources. 

Experience saves me money. Ultimately I can get better sound if I spend more but I have found there’s an upper limit to my ability to enjoy. Once the sound quality reaches a certain threshold I’m basically there, so no reason to push it further. Mostly what drives me to try new things now is just curiosity. What will it sound like if I do something novel? Even if I limit myself to moderately priced components, experimenting can get expensive quickly. And that’s where experience comes in again. I’ve learned to think more and build less. Think about every reason why I shouldn’t try something, and be as sure as possible there’s not a better way to do it before I actually start ordering stuff and cutting wood. Thinking about assembling a new system can be as much fun as actually doing it! Meanwhile I'm blissfully enjoying my current system, occasionally trying a minor tweak that doesn't require me to buy anything. 

Exactly my own experience said in a more simple and direct way than by me... Thanks...😊

 

I called "the minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold "the level where i am...

Passed this threshold we race and go toward the "maximal acoustical satisfaction threshold " ... Most people are not there anyway...It takes a dedicated room and very costlier gear...over 100,000 bucks for the room only ...Most people are unable to do a dedicated room by themselves at low cost ... It takes too much time anyway ...

The good news is that the minimal threshold is not a stopgap at all...

It is all we need to enjoy music with no serious limitations...

An unnatural timbre, a bad imaging, a narrow soundstage , are serious limitations...

I dont suffer of any of these defects with my speakers... ( active low cost one completely modified )

My headphone are TOP audiophile when optimized with a soundscape out of mu head when the recording is well done in church or in studio......

The only factor that matter for most of us anyway is the ratio S.Q. /price..

The winner is someone who pay the least and enjoy the better result ( in a relative way with the investment cost for sure) Then i win ... 😁

And being bothered by the sound , thinking always about it instead of listening music is annoying... My money goes now for music...

How do you think cost 40 albums of the musician you love ?

And i love hundred of musicians...

I will never buy 40 dacs instead ... It is ridiculous... 😊

Guess which is the bigger possible improvement a dac or a tuned room ?

Those who answer the dac had learn nothing in acoustics...

 

 

Experience saves me money. Ultimately I can get better sound if I spend more but I have found there’s an upper limit to my ability to enjoy. Once the sound quality reaches a certain threshold I’m basically there, so no reason to push it further. Mostly what drives me to try new things now is just curiosity. What will it sound like if I do something novel? Even if I limit myself to moderately priced components, experimenting can get expensive quickly. And that’s where experience comes in again. I’ve learned to think more and build less. Think about every reason why I shouldn’t try something, and be as sure as possible there’s not a better way to do it before I actually start ordering stuff and cutting wood. Thinking about assembling a new system can be as much fun as actually doing it! Meanwhile I’m blissfully enjoying my current system, occasionally trying a minor tweak that doesn’t require me to buy anything.

 

 

 

@asctim , @mahgister

 

Exactly. This is one of the personal attributes you need to understand about yourself and the folks that are posting. What is your goal / personality / values?

I am a fanatic, if I can find a way to get a small amount closer to the absolute sound (what that sounds like is also personal value. I get tremendous pleasure out of it. If I can put in another hundred hours or another $10K… then it is absolutely worth it to do both. I am happy to do without a new car or fancy 🧻. Kind of the definition of an audiophile… frequently considered a disease, as opposed to a passionate pursuit or interest where rational boundaries exist.

 

Not surprisingly, I am like this about anything I pursue. Photography, bicycling, wine. I think most folks have an approach to all their pursuits and it is typically similar across the board. My motto has been “do or do not” for far longer than Yoda has been around.