Hobby or Obsession?

[Haurock]

If we were to substitute 'passion' for 'obsession'.. how many would change their vote?

Obsession, is a clinical term to diagnose an uncontrollable and impulsive behaviour....

whereas passion... is an emotive reaction that brings.. pleasure...

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by Haurock

If we were to substitute 'passion' for 'obsession'.. how many would change their vote?

Obsession, is a clinical term to diagnose an uncontrollable and impulsive behaviour....

whereas passion... is an emotive reaction that brings.. pleasure...

I am obsessed over my passion for this hobby!

[prepress]

I have an experience to share, if I may.

Tuesday I e-mailed the store where I bought my 501s to give an "update" on how I was enjoying them. I didn't specify my particular salesman. The next day I got a reply from the store president, which ended with, "What about a nice McIntosh preamp?" Now, I hadn't said anything about other equipment except for a brief comparison to the B&Ks the 501s replaced. And after I thought about it, I was annoyed at what seemed like a blatant attempt to sell me something else (it may not have been entirely serious, but I took it that way at one point).

But the next thing I knew, I was investigating the McIntosh website and looking at their preamps. The C45 and 46 are discontinued, but the C48 caught my eye also. I then marveled that, though I don't have any real reason to change from my ARC LS3, and despite the fact I haven't recovered fully from the 501 purchase, I was actually considering how it might be to get a C48 (assuming the other two aren't available). It's still on my mind now as I type.

My system goal for this year was a possible change in my main audio rack or perhaps my power conditioning, relatively modest goals. Equipment wasn't a thought. But the e-mail reply has influenced me to the point I'd actually consider a new preamp at some point this year, though not seriously for now. I wonder if my LS3 (a Stereophile class A component in its day) would suffer by comparison to one of the Macs; could there be enough of a difference in sound to lead me into getting one.

I still think of this as a hobby, but there may be an obsession lurking under the surface, needing only the proper stimulus.

[Pyro]

Obsession here.....

[Tonepub]

I guess the life long obsession is what drove me to make this my life's work. So obsessed it is!

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by prepress

I have an experience to share, if I may.

Tuesday I e-mailed the store where I bought my 501s to give an "update" on how I was enjoying them. I didn't specify my particular salesman. The next day I got a reply from the store president, which ended with, "What about a nice McIntosh preamp?" Now, I hadn't said anything about other equipment except for a brief comparison to the B&Ks the 501s replaced. And after I thought about it, I was annoyed at what seemed like a blatant attempt to sell me something else (it may not have been entirely serious, but I took it that way at one point).

prepress.......You opened the door for the dealer with your email. All he did was toss in a cookie while the door was open. They want to sell you more audio gear. That's why they're called dealers.

[bradleyc]

Originally Posted by prepress

I still think of this as a hobby, but there may be an obsession lurking under the surface, needing only the proper stimulus.

Just say NO!

[prepress]

Originally Posted by jdandy

prepress.......You opened the door for the dealer with your email. All he did was toss in a cookie while the door was open. They want to sell you more audio gear. That's why they're called dealers.

I thought about that, too. What I think annoyed me was that the statement seemed a bit "in your face." A more subtle statement wouldn't have gotten the same reaction from me. Nevertheless, we've both been exposed. I'm too suggestible, and the store prez is, as you say, a dealer who saw an opening even though I expressed no desire or need for a preamp.

I did verify that the store was a Billy Bags dealer, and he pointed me to HRS racks as well. But because a new rack is under consideration, I wasn't put off by the additional suggestion (the HRS racks are probably more expensive and bear no resemblance to the Sanus Euros I have now, so no go). It's a different mindset when I've purposed something as opposed to cold sales attempts.

[prepress]

Originally Posted by bradleyc

Just say NO!

The C48 has more features, and is a likely target (finances allowing) if my LS3 died or went away. Same attitude with speakers. I have no plans to replace mine, but I already know what I'd get as replacements if something happened.

So for now, I'm back to my original plans for this year: possibly replacing my main rack or my voltage regulator. Neither action is guaranteed, but one is likely. And rewards points may come into play, to blunt the final cost.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by prepress

I thought about that, too. What I think annoyed me was that the statement seemed a bit "in your face." A more subtle statement wouldn't have gotten the same reaction from me. Nevertheless, we've both been exposed. I'm too suggestible, and the store prez is, as you say, a dealer who saw an opening even though I expressed no desire or need for a preamp.

prepress.......Many years ago I was in the radio broadcast industry. After years of being on the air I moved into radio advertising sales. One of the broadcast corporations I was employed with was Gaylord, who owned and operated a large number of radio and television stations across the United States. Because they had deep pockets, they could afford to send their sales people through various training programs, and one they sent me through was the Xerox Professional Sales Program. I learned a great deal during this training with respect to communicating ideas, overcoming opposition, and employing open ended question techniques to solve misunderstandings and gain knowledge from a customer, all very useful communication tools for someone in sales.

One aspect of the Xerox program stood out in my mind. If you offer something to someone and they immediately buy it, that is not a sale, simply a transaction to close. A real sale is when there is opposition to closing, and through skillful communication all misunderstandings are addressed and satisfied, and the original answer of "No" was turned into "Yes." That is a sale.

In the case of the audio company president contacting you in response to your email, his suggestion of a new preamp for your system, even though you were not in a buying mood at that moment, was the right thing for him to do. It was the beginning of communicating his desire to continue doing business with you, and an opening of dialog where he hopes to generate interest, demonstrate value, dissolve any misunderstandings, and take advantage of a future sales opportunity that would benefit both of you. You really cannot fault a good businessman for attempting to continue developing a relationship with a previously satisfied customer. He is a successful businessman because he is willing to take risks to promote his company's growth. When you look at his behavior in this light, it is easy to understand he meant no harm by wanting to provide you with another high quality component for your sound system. He is simply letting you know he is willing to help you achieve your goals when you are ready, and he doesn't want you to forget that.