Where do you stop?

[BuffaloBill]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Ed.......

I certainly don't mean to suggest I have come to a complete stop, either. I am more like the guy who creeps through a stop sign without coming to a full stop. What I can say is I am happy with my sound systems. That fact has helped me to finally be able to reign in what was a nearly insatiable desire to keep searching for something better. Do I still look? You bet, but at least for now I have a grip on it.

Dan, I read your essay with interest. I thought it was very well written and addresses an important issue. You have invested a lot of money in popular brands and models. But how do you know if you have a better sounding music system as a result? Is there some one else who has a music system that actually sounds better and cost considerably less using different brands and models?

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by BuffaloBill

Dan, I read your essay with interest. I thought it was very well written and addresses an important issue. You have invested a lot of money in popular brands and models. But how do you know if you have a better sounding music system as a result? Is there some one else who has a music system that actually sounds better and cost considerably less using different brands and models?

Bill.......I don't measure the performance of my sound systems against other people's sound systems. 50+ years of owning high-end systems has imprinted on my brain a solid road map of what good sound is and what it isn't. Not only have I assembled a dozen or more sound systems for my personal use through the years, I have guided others. I helped assemble many systems for friends and customers. My exposure to audio equipment has been extensive, allowing me to be educated on a number of levels with respect to equipment, the acoustic properties of rooms, and managing to create sound systems while remaining within some semblance of a predetermined budget. I have helped many people squeak the last ounce of performance from moderate systems that put their performance on a whole new level. Come to think of it, I have spent a good part of my life trying to achieve great sound at many different price points for myself and a long list of others.

My criteria for measuring personal satisfaction centers on the physical and emotional pleasure stirred in my soul when I listen. The moment my attention becomes fully mesmerized by music playback, ceasing entirely my focus on equipment, while finding myself captured in the fantasy of believing a genuine live performance is happening, that is my yardstick for excellence. The past decade has moved toward this end with my two primary sound systems. They have both continuously evolved to a point now where I am pleased. I have had a long list of amplifiers, preamplifiers, source components, speakers, power conditioners, ac regenerators, and cables that have taken a place in my systems, then disappeared as my next equipment choice arrived. Every selection I made brought with it advancements in performance, and a few were more or less lateral moves. I never lost sight of where I wanted the sound systems to be, but it was quite the revolving door for a number of years until I finally hit the mark, particularly with my studio sound system. Years of trials with equipment, speakers, acoustics, and cables finally led me to the performance level I sought. My present performance level is on par with many sound systems I have auditioned that are considerably more expensive than mine. Their added expense did not elevate the performance beyond what I experience. At the same time I have heard sound systems that came extremely close to what I have for considerably less money than I have invested. What can be really unnerving is realizing the value of my studio system and living room system also encompasses the multiple dollars lost while other equipment was purchased and sold as I moved on. I try not to dwell too long on that.

I'm not sure I have completely answered your question. Yes, I have heard some outstanding systems that came in well under my current investment. For me it all boils down to goosebumps and deep emotional connections once the music begins. If a sound system can make me forget about the equipment, even if only for awhile, then the goal has been met as far as I am concerned. That is how I measure a system's value, not the cost. Granted, cost cannot be overlooked, but it isn't the final determining factor for achieving premium performance.

[1KW]

Dan you have assembled some great systems as well as helped many members including myself. It’s ok to take a break and get off the upgrade carousel for awhile . Enjoy what you have

[cleeds]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Ed....... ... I think by the very nature of participating on this forum it speaks volumes about our intent to continue experimenting with different components and tweaking our systems with ancillary accessories until the last stone has been turned. That is the nature of an audiophile ...

Dan, I think that is an excellent observation. There are more than a few of us who check AA either daily or nearly so. What's the motivation for that? Of course, some of it is the camaraderie, willingness to help others, and maybe even simple habit. But there's more to it than that - every so often, I think even the most seasoned among us discover a new tip, a new tweak, an upgraded component, or some other development that makes us go "hmmmmmmm ..." and maybe do a mental calculation on our checkbook balance. So for many of us, I think the audiophile journey never really ends.

Then there's evolving technology. That's another driver for system changes.

[ariess]

Maybe the recent stock market plunge will “help” many of us take a break!

[audio bill]

Originally Posted by ariess

Maybe the recent stock market plunge will “help” many of us take a break!

Most of that's in IRA accounts where the losses are unrealized, so we can't let that impact any potential audio upgrades!

[ariess]

Originally Posted by audio bill

Most of that's in IRA accounts where the losses are unrealized, so we can't let that impact any potential audio upgrades!

Hah! You can argue that investing in audio gear is even a hedge or alternative to the market, except for the depreciation of audio gear blows a hole in that idea.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by ariess

Hah! You can argue that investing in audio gear is even a hedge or alternative to the market, except for the depreciation of audio gear blows a hole in that idea.

[DVass13]

I think the only way that the term investment should be used in the audio world is in regard to the enjoyment and experience that one will get from a piece of gear. I've fallen into the trap of buying a piece of equipment with the expectation that I could sell it later for what I paid or, even worse, a profit. I bought and sold many items in the headphone world before settling in on where I am today. I spent a lot more money along the way than I would have if i had just purchased my end game from square one - of course I never would have appreciated what I have today had I not taken that journey.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by DVass13

I think the only way that the term investment should be used in the audio world is in regard to the enjoyment and experience that one will get from a piece of gear. I've fallen into the trap of buying a piece of equipment with the expectation that I could sell it later for what I paid or, even worse, a profit. I bought and sold many items in the headphone world before settling in on where I am today. I spent a lot more money along the way than I would have if i had just purchased my end game from square one - of course I never would have appreciated what I have today had I not taken that journey.

Dan.......This has been my experience, too. The journey can be as entertaining and educational as the destination.