The Psychology of Constant (Equipment) Change


Anybody have an answer?

I have a decent selection of preamps, amps, integrateds and speakers to choose from and I find myself swapping out gear constantly.  And it's not because anything sounds bad.  Quite contrary, really.

After most swapping sessions, I'm generally really satisfied and quite enjoy the sound quality.  But within a few weeks I'm swapping stuff out again.

What would be the diagnosis for my condition?

 

128x128audiodwebe

It's fun to mix and match and do all the connections...

You don't have a problem. You have a hobby. 

Enjoy!

milpai: I am sooo sorry to disappoint you but unfortunately, you don't merit another minute of my time with further response. 😢

When we are not satisfied with a system there is two possible reason:

Frustration...
Boredom...

Ok those are two reasons. Are there only two? How about:

It’s fun to mix and match and do all the connections...

Fun. Fun is a reason.

So now it looks like three possible reasons.

Maybe there is even a fourth! Or a fifth!

About immersiveness (or "immersion" I would call it):

A high end system in a dedicated room will do better with an improved immersiveness for sure than my low cost one. But trust me we can live with minimal immersiveness.

There is what "you" can (or have to) live with and then there is "we." I can speak for "me" and some of my audio friends. What one can "live with" is not the end point with me (or us). And many others here would probably agree that they would rather seek better sound than "live with" the minimum. To each his own but that’s my two cents.

Once I identified how to achieve immersion and excellent sound qualities, I began to hear these aspects in other sound systems. In some cases, the gear was the difference which made a difference.

To be clear, I know this is a high-priced hobby sometimes. But it doesn’t have to be. But while very expensive gear is not a magic solution to getting better sound better gear is a very important element. And long posts about acoustics and the brain don’t justify ignoring the gear factor. If I cannot afford better gear, I just admit it or try to find something used or in kit form. But gear matters when all other factors are nearly optimal.

That’s why I don’t want to settle for "minimal" satisfaction. I find it an enjoyable part of the hobby to seek better sound.

 

 

Better system, way better exist but i dont give a damn because i had reach the minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold and i know it and i know how...

Your minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold might be lower (nothing wrong wit that and good for you). However, my minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold is just very, very, very high...sky high.

When we are not satisfied with a system there is two possible reason:

Frustration...
Boredom...

Ok those are two reasons. Are there only two? How about:

It’s fun to mix and match and do all the connections...

Fun. Fun is a reason.

So now it looks like three possible reasons.

Maybe there is even a fourth! Or a fifth!

About immersiveness (or "immersion" I would call it):

 

Are you a logical being or some other consideration impede your reason ?

 

I EXPLICITLY state :

«When we are not satisfied with a system there is two possible reason:

Frustration...
Boredom...»

 

It is fun to embed rightfully an audio system/room and it is fun to be creative to reach HIGHER qualitative immersiveness yes . But "fun" is not a an acoustical reason to be unsatisfied by a system ...😊

 

Now for the rest of your post :

A high end system in a dedicated room will do better with an improved immersiveness for sure than my low cost one. But trust me we can live with minimal immersiveness.

There is what "you" can (or have to) live with and then there is "we." I can speak for "me" and some of my audio friends. What one can "live with" is not the end point with me (or us). And many others here would probably agree that they would rather seek better sound than "live with" the minimum. To each his own but that’s my two cents.

Once I identified how to achieve immersion and excellent sound qualities, I began to hear these aspects in other sound systems. In some cases, the gear was the difference which made a difference.

To be clear, I know this is a high-priced hobby sometimes. But it doesn’t have to be. But while very expensive gear is not a magic solution to getting better sound better gear is a very important element. And long posts about acoustics and the brain don’t justify ignoring the gear factor. If I cannot afford better gear, I just admit it or try to find something used or in kit form. But gear matters when all other factors are nearly optimal.

That’s why I don’t want to settle for "minimal" satisfaction. I find it an enjoyable part of the hobby to seek better sound.

The minimal acoustical satisfaction concept threshold, is not a stopgap and it is either not a reason to seek no improvement... do you catch in spite of my heavy english ?😁 It is the first level of a relative satisfying acoustic balance between all acoustic factors implied in the experience of a system/room .

It is a concept i presented to define a minimal acoustic balance , minimal but so good balance we can be happy with that.... it is supposed here that the design of each pieces of the gear are relatively satisfying and with synergy...

This does not mean that someone with a budget without limitations or someone in search of the maximal acoustical satisfaction threshold could not invest his money and experiments in this pursuit... Why not ?

The OP may be in this case , not being frustrated at all as he said it clearly and possibly not bored which he did not explained clearly...

( i excluded obsessive disorder about the OP because we are in an audio forum and i exclude "fun" to buy gear in a blind race because before upgrading too much we must learn the acoustic basic and i supposed the OP is not conscious of the importance of acoustics concepts and experiments )

 

 

Now your post miss the target because most of us the OP included are in the hobby of listening music FIRST AND LAST...Not in the hobby of peddling gear pieces around...

not in the hobby of buying gear without end in the pursuit of a perfection which is not defined by acoustic concepts and parameters but mostly by the price of the gear alleged to be better piece of gear which is not true or false but must be judged case by case ...

 

By the way you are so stubborn when you decide that you dont like my posts that you accuse me FALSELY here of denying the importance of gear choices not only for synergy but for reaching the MAXIMAL satisfaction acoustical threshold...

Are you able to think ?

If the minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold can be reach ONLY with a balance between the acoustics factors and parameters implied in the system /room and with also the controls over mechanical and electrical factors, if it is so,

What are the conditions to reach the maximal acoustical satisfaction threshold, if we know that the acoustical and mechanical and electrical controls applied in the same way to any system at any price ?

It is MOSTLY by a radical upgrade of the system design pieces with high end component ...This is a common place fact...

Then contrary of what you claim erroneously about my posts, it is clear since the beginning, when i distinguish minimal and maximal acoustical satisfaction threshold...

Takes a beer relax... 😊

At least unlike the thread about A. I. where you quitted instead of thinking and answering it seems as you said because i posted too much interesting content in too many posts , you are here with me and criticize my posts... For staying with me and answering unlike the A. I. thread i thank you.... At least i can precise my thoughts... 😊

 

 

 

«For some it is more fun to play with the bricks than to build the house»Anonymus