The "audiophile". Is the discontented or contented better?

[treitz3]

Is a contented audiophile enjoying the music more than a discontented one?

Or maybe it’s like Steve Carell said in The Big Short, “I am happy when I’m unhappy.”

Maybe discontented audiophiles experience more enjoyment, because they are always pursuing the last iota of awesome and reaching greater performance levels as a result.

Hello and good evening to you, ladies and gentlemen of the WBF. We were having a discussion elsewhere and this question was introduced. I found it personally intriguing and am interested in hearing your thoughts on it. Who's happier and why would you think so?

Tom

 

[ACHiPo]

My opinion: it depends. Sometimes I’m happy kicking back and listening. Sometimes I like going down the rabbit hole.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

I think they are both the same person but at different stages. We all love to play around with different gear, but at some point, we come to a situation when it's very hard to improve something. Some of us try even harder to get another ounce of performance and some become contended audiophiles.

 

[bryans]

Twenty years ago I was a down the rabbit hole listener. I like to call that stage my "Audiophile" stage. Now I'm all about just sitting back and listening. The idea of changing/adding all kinds of gear for the perceived improvement/holy grail days are over. This is my "music lover" stage.

Like everything in life, people like different things. Both stages can be enjoyable.

 

[Steve Williams]

Twenty years ago I was a down the rabbit hole listener. I like to call that stage my "Audiophile" stage. Now I'm all about just sitting back and listening. The idea of changing/adding all kinds of gear for the perceived improvement/holy grail days are over. This is my "music lover" stage.

Like everything in life, people like different things. Both stages can be enjoyable.

I've been down all too many rabbit holes in my audio travails. I was gobsmacked several years ago when suggestions were made to me to remove many parts of my system which I felt to be essential. I had resisted for years but one day did the experiment. It was clearly apparent and quite shocking to me, I might add, that indeed the sound improved upon removing one after another layers of the onion that I had created. This revelation reset my goals and for me, my ears, my system and my desires, I am happily contented in accepting my system for what it is . I now play my system to listen to the music as I am content. Previously I was finding each time I descended into the rabbit hole I was playing music to listen to my system. I've never been happier where I am now. The rabbit holes are gone and I have zero temptations to do any further tweaking. Life is good. I enjoy reading about all of the improvements that are happening in our hobby but I read this more out of interest than desire to change. It can be very life changing. Just my $0.02 and of course as they always say...."YMMV"

 

[PeterA]

I do not know if we ever stop being audiophiles. The most significant change for me is my increasing ability to correlate what I hear from an audio system with what I hear when listening to live music. It is an increased understanding and appreciation for how things sound. That combined with component selection and set up skills has helped me move away from the rabbit hole and towards simply enjoying music.

Edit: I think I was somewhat discontented. I am now more contented. Can’t say which is better. Both are good. I may actually be learning more in this latter stage.

 

[Steve Williams]

I do not know if we ever stop being audiophiles. The most significant change for me is my increasing ability to correlate what I hear from an audio system with what I hear when listening to live music. It is an increased understanding and appreciation for how things sound. That combined with component selection and set up skills has helped me move away from the rabbit hole and towards simply enjoying music.

It really is (for me at least) a very liberating feeling. I have never enjoyed my system as much as I do now

 

[Mike Lavigne]

for 7 years now my system has been acoustically stable and i've been fully satisfied (after a previous 10 years of struggle and wandering). now a major change is imminent; not one that i pursued.....and i'm on the fence about it. some moments i'm excited for a change to something a little different or a lot different, other moments i'm fearful that i might never again have the degree of cohesion i now can count on. where i don't even think about whether i am hearing musical truth. i just completely trust my system to deliver it (according to my own particular tastes).

so my answer to the OP is there is no answer. you choose your mood and 'value/ROI' perspective regarding change.

my system building history has never been about change simply/mostly for change sake. i 'thought' i was moving forward. but; i have tried new things a few times (sources mostly) out of curiosity.

 

[Bobvin]

for 7 years now my system has been acoustically stable and i've been fully satisfied (after a previous 10 years of struggle and wandering). now a major change is imminent; not one that i pursued.....and i'm on the fence about it. some moments i'm excited for a change to something a little different or a lot different, other moments i'm fearful that i might never again have the degree of cohesion i now can count on. where i don't even think about whether i am hearing musical truth. i just completely trust my system to deliver it (according to my own particular tastes).

so my answer to the OP is there is no answer. you choose your mood and 'value/ROI' perspective regarding change.

my system building history has never been about change simply/mostly for change sake. i 'thought' i was moving forward. but; i have tried new things a few times (sources mostly) out of curiosity.

Here you go again Mike? You’ve dropped the hint, now spill the beans… what is this ”major change is imminent?” (Forgive me if you’ve already done so in another thread.) Will this pending (possible) change spark another dedicated thread?

 

[Kingsrule]

Horns or panels is my guess....

 

[Gregm]

Is a contented audiophile enjoying the music more than a discontented one?

Or maybe it’s like Steve Carell said in The Big Short, “I am happy when I’m unhappy.”

Maybe discontented audiophiles experience more enjoyment, because they are always pursuing the last iota of awesome and reaching greater performance levels as a result.

In this instance I beg to differ with Steve Carell (and ML). Methinks discontented a-philes, unhappy about the performance of their rig, tend lose the musical perspective -- simply, the focus shifts away from music - which, I gather, is the objective pursued via our systems. YMMV, etc

 

[andromedaaudio]

I think its the same as with any other hobby .
A stamp collector is looking for the next purchase .
A car or bike enthousiast is may be looking to add a bit of carbon here and there.

It doesnt mean he is not enjoying what he already has .
You gotta keep yourself busy i guess

 

[Elliot G.]

I think that many of us have been on both sides of this and for me the listening to the gear for change always made me unhappy. This was very early on in my journey and it did make me question was it worth it. I love music and of course I want to hear it sound involving and stir my emotions. That quest is why I got started however for a while many years ago I started listening to everything I could get my hands on and found I forgot the music and was listening only for change. I'm not sure why but I was and until I got off this course and went back to listening not comparing did I become happy again. I now don't look for change or difference things have a way of coming to me, via friends, suggestions from those I trust and respect and then I may try something new. I totally believe in making the system work in my space and that was and is my motivation. This takes time but when it is, then change is not something I want to consider, in fact I don't want to touch anything
I just did a show, which is my business, but I hate the fact that I have to tear apart what works so well as I know its not that simple to get it back the way it was.
to quote Steven Stills " love the one your with"
If you aren't then you are with the wrong one IMO

 

[Bobvin]

The fun part of being a “remote listening room”, on any given night the one I’m with might be the blond, the brunette, or the redhead

You’d have to come visit to decide which speaker represents which!

 

[wil]

Here you go again Mike? You’ve dropped the hint, now spill the beans… what is this ”major change is imminent?” (Forgive me if you’ve already done so in another thread.) Will this pending (possible) change spark another dedicated thread?

If you read his Axpona show comments, I think it’s pretty easy to guess. Of course, I might be totally wrong!

 

[ACHiPo]

The fun part of being a “remote listening room”, on any given night the one I’m with might be the blond, the brunette, or the redhead

You’d have to come visit to decide which speaker represents which!

As my wife says, my hobbies are expensive but ”cheaper than a blonde”

 

[microstrip]

Is a contented audiophile enjoying the music more than a discontented one?

Or maybe it’s like Steve Carell said in The Big Short, “I am happy when I’m unhappy.”

Maybe discontented audiophiles experience more enjoyment, because they are always pursuing the last iota of awesome and reaching greater performance levels as a result.

Hello and good evening to you, ladies and gentlemen of the WBF. We were having a discussion elsewhere and this question was introduced. I found it personally intriguing and am interested in hearing your thoughts on it. Who's happier and why would you think so?

Tom

Great questions Tom, but hard to answer. By strict definition an audiophile needs a shrink to be entirely happy - the stereo illusion will never be complete unless he manages to fill all the gaps and smooth all the differences between the stereo recreation and the reality. And this process needs an attitude and a will to reach happiness in this hobby. Nothing can force an high-end skeptic to enjoy our systems. Stereo can be a never ending experience, IMHO we stop when decide it - either by ourselves or with the help of others.

I really enjoy the technical aspects and what I consider the positive slope of SOTA stereo sound reproduction along time. I consider it as a momentary hobby , not as a long time crusade - although it has been lasting for long. Considering the musical connection I was really happy with the dCS Vicaldi - XLF pair, using several kinds of ancillaries, moving to a new room incompatible with the XLF forced me to reconsider speakers, although I have the long time assurance that QUAD ESL63 are enough to fuel my soul with music.

I acknowledge that my "audiophile happiness" is also correlated with my perception of value for money and the social live of the high-end - equipment directly or indirectly conneted to people I trust will probably make me happier.

 

[the sound of Tao]

As my wife says, my hobbies are expensive but ”cheaper than a blonde”

You’re not trying hard enough ArcHiPo

 

[the sound of Tao]

Across time this can be such a consuming hobby but to become constantly discontent though would a scary outcome… a seasonal bit of discontent is part and parcel as a driver to change and growth but if the plot becomes officially lost then that’s a considerable challenge.

I’d figure it’s helpful to know what actually makes you happy within this hobby. If you can write a list and identify what your drivers are and then what nourishes you in this in the big picture it would probably help to navigate through it all better and a know thyself moment and a more clear design philosophy can come out of this.

The idea of being stuck in some endless rabbit hole is pure torment… at some stage we have to move back towards the light

 

[Steve Williams]

The idea of being stuck in some endless rabbit hole is pure torment… at some stage we have to move back towards the light

it’s a liberating feeling