Guys and gals, another day, another thread. I'll be discussing this w/my esteemed colleagues RonR and Bonzo75 over a good steak this evening in London, but you're all invited (not to the steak meal, the discussion!).
It's tying together my threads on "spkr/amp synergy" and "equal parts frustration/elation" threads.
The last two weeks in my system have been a true revelation, a lot of disparate good sounds from various components coming together as a whole greater than the sum of it's parts, w/recent tweaks having a disproportionately large influence, to finally produce a sound which is everyday making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, chills on a regular basis, and critically, no desire/need for me to continually tweak w/sub bass settings, vtf etc.
So the amazing synergy of Nat SETs and x/overless and high eff Zu spkrs is maxxed out, w/Lundahl transformers and Duelund caps transforming things, and GIK panels taking the room out of the equation.
This is the VERY first time that I'm reluctant to try components up in the range that I'm currently using ie going to Nat Magnetostat batt pwrd linestage, and possibly Zu Audio Experiences (due to be shown at RMAF next month) spkrs, for fear of disturbing this synergy, and more critically because I REALLY DON'T NEED TO, and as such DONT WANT TO.
This is a weird sensation, because this hobby, like an awful lot of other high worth hobbies that lend themselves to constant experimentation and constant spending, means that the journey is never-ending even when you think it might be at any given upgrade. And for two decades that's very much what I have been doing.
At the start of the hobby in '97, I obv was confident my first choice (all-Roksan) was going to be my last - that feeling lasted all of 48 hrs when the kick to go somewhere else hit, and until the last 2 weeks that kick never ceased.
Now this is not to say that I'm done w/all spending - I have Furutech US sockets on order, and will install these, in due course onto dedicated lines, Spiers And Robertson air table for my tt is needed because I need to resite my tt and I do believe that for reasonable cost this is likely a radical upgrade, and Shun Mook Diamond Resonators under gear totally fascinates me, and I will try further, one component at a time.
Hell, I still like spending a little!
But this is more drip drip than big splurges and 180 turnarounds all the time.
So at the moment I feel the pressure is off re driven desire to go bigger and pricier on components, and other tweaks that I'm happy to leave as is (leaving current Sablon Gran Reserva cables/Entreq grounding and Westwick balanced power as is).
I've NEVER had this feeling where I can say I could genuinely step off now, and be totally content.
Now, this is not meant to be a smug or self satisfied thread that I've 'got' it right, more just casting for views on those who have achieved the same, and what your innermost emotions are like- I am equal part satisfied and elated/equal part confused - how strange!
It's tying together my threads on "spkr/amp synergy" and "equal parts frustration/elation" threads.
The last two weeks in my system have been a true revelation, a lot of disparate good sounds from various components coming together as a whole greater than the sum of it's parts, w/recent tweaks having a disproportionately large influence, to finally produce a sound which is everyday making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, chills on a regular basis, and critically, no desire/need for me to continually tweak w/sub bass settings, vtf etc.
So the amazing synergy of Nat SETs and x/overless and high eff Zu spkrs is maxxed out, w/Lundahl transformers and Duelund caps transforming things, and GIK panels taking the room out of the equation.
This is the VERY first time that I'm reluctant to try components up in the range that I'm currently using ie going to Nat Magnetostat batt pwrd linestage, and possibly Zu Audio Experiences (due to be shown at RMAF next month) spkrs, for fear of disturbing this synergy, and more critically because I REALLY DON'T NEED TO, and as such DONT WANT TO.
This is a weird sensation, because this hobby, like an awful lot of other high worth hobbies that lend themselves to constant experimentation and constant spending, means that the journey is never-ending even when you think it might be at any given upgrade. And for two decades that's very much what I have been doing.
At the start of the hobby in '97, I obv was confident my first choice (all-Roksan) was going to be my last - that feeling lasted all of 48 hrs when the kick to go somewhere else hit, and until the last 2 weeks that kick never ceased.
Now this is not to say that I'm done w/all spending - I have Furutech US sockets on order, and will install these, in due course onto dedicated lines, Spiers And Robertson air table for my tt is needed because I need to resite my tt and I do believe that for reasonable cost this is likely a radical upgrade, and Shun Mook Diamond Resonators under gear totally fascinates me, and I will try further, one component at a time.
Hell, I still like spending a little!
But this is more drip drip than big splurges and 180 turnarounds all the time.
So at the moment I feel the pressure is off re driven desire to go bigger and pricier on components, and other tweaks that I'm happy to leave as is (leaving current Sablon Gran Reserva cables/Entreq grounding and Westwick balanced power as is).
I've NEVER had this feeling where I can say I could genuinely step off now, and be totally content.
Now, this is not meant to be a smug or self satisfied thread that I've 'got' it right, more just casting for views on those who have achieved the same, and what your innermost emotions are like- I am equal part satisfied and elated/equal part confused - how strange!
), maybe i'm moving past this.
