When is enough, enough, or how to get off the bandwagon??

[flez007]

It's a hobby, the journey and not the destination and all that Zen barf.

+1

Enjoy the process, and place music always first!

 

[NorthStar]

Thanks. I assume you're referring to the Gibson I posted in the picture thread. I went through an awful lot of very good guitars to finally call that one the one (well, one of 4). Oddly enough, the guitar I play daily is a weird hybrid electric made in China. The quality of some of the stuff coming out of the east these days is mind-boggling at the prices. It can't last.

Tim

You assumed right. :b

 

[andromedaaudio]

I think in high end there are multiple systems that can get me there .
Gimme a pair of avalon ascendants with 3 or 400 series levinson gear and i am there .
I can enjoy movies music and whatever and be happy

There is also some very expensive stuff which cannot get me there no matter the price .

 

[thedudeabides]

I don't think that's why most of us are in the hobby.

I don't mean to diminish the music love of audiophiles, I think most of them are very passionate about music. But I've known so many people with huge music collections and incredible knowledge of multiple genres across multiple decades who have done all this listening, hours and hours over many, many years on equipment that audiophiles would not have taken at all seriously. My best friend is a great example. You play that obscure power pop (or prog or R&B or blues or jazz or ambient....) track fron the 80s (or 50s or 2000s or 70s.....) and while you're going "yeah I recognize that...who is that..." he's telling you who played a Hammond B3 on the third track of the album the song you're listening to came from. He can make you feel like you've heard almost nothing. Don't know where he finds the time. These days he mostly streams Spotify through a recent Yamaha receiver into a pair of Def Techs I helped him pick out 20 years ago. And it's not for lack of money.

I'm not saying the audiophile hobby and the music hobby are mutually exclusive. Clearly they're not. But they are separate hobbies. We're in the audiophile hobby because we love the gear. We're in the music hobby because we love the music. Sometimes the audiophile hobby aids and enables the music hobby. Sadly, sometimes it just gets in the way. Whenever anyone says they find a great piece of music unlistenable, my heart aches for them a bit. I don't care if it is <128kbps. They've lost the plot.

Tim

If what you say in your first sentence is true, that is truly unfortunate.

It's like buying a hi end performance sports car and leaving it undriven, in your garage, with the occasional visit to make sure there's no dust on the vehicle.

Why bother?

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

If what you say in your first sentence is true, that is truly unfortunate.

It's like buying a hi end performance sports car and leaving it undriven, in your garage, with the occasional visit to make sure there's no dust on the vehicle.

Why bother?

I think you might need to read the rest of the sentences.

Tim

 

[andromedaaudio]

I want to add that spending more money and getting for example higher resolution , doesnt necessarily add more audio enjoyement fom the system i mentioned , its quite aacurate and could easily be enough .
Baas extension is another thing , that costs considerably more and does add value but its not a absolute must

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

You assumed right. :b

That Gibson is a custom shop reproduction of the original jumbos that preceded the J-35s that preceded the J-45s. It is not an authentic repro, though. it has a more stable bridge, an Adirondack spruce top, and the forward-shifted bracing of an Advanced Jumbo. Makes a big noise. That's my "high-end."

Tim

 

[NorthStar]

That Gibson is a custom shop reproduction of the original jumbos that preceded the J-35s that preceded the J-45s. It is not an authentic repro, though. it has a more stable bridge, an Adirondack spruce top, and the forward-shifted bracing of an Advanced Jumbo. Makes a big noise. That's my "high-end."

Tim

When I saw that lovely guitar picture, I knew right away that it was yours.
Thanx for posting it.

* Can't comment in that thread over there, but it's nice to mention it here.

 

[thedudeabides]

I think you might need to read the rest of the sentences.

Tim

Tim,

Yes I did. I am literate, despite your comments implying otherwise, and consider myself a reasonably intelligent person.

In my mind, this is a very simple issue.

But then again, I really try to be a pragmatic person and believe many issues are so over analyzed (what's the "correct" way to slice an onion) to cloud pertinent discussion of the basic question.

To reiterate, you spend money on gear to allow you to better connect emotionally with the music. Pretty simple.

Gordon

 

[JackD201]

I use 3 cartridges and 3 digital sources in a listening session......just for fun.

 

[thedudeabides]

I'm not hearing anything that is inconsistent with my previous post.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

I'm not hearing anything that is inconsistent with my previous post.

Consider it your lucky day then!

I think Tom was right on when he said:

Perhaps. But, folks also spend money on gear because they want a change in
sound, because the hobby would be boring if they did not do something once in a
while.

If we were strictly measurement driven (and few are), we would
only upgrade when superioer measurements came about......but seems we like to
change out our toys once in a while....just for fun.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Tim,

Yes I did. I am literate, despite your comments implying otherwise, and consider myself a reasonably intelligent person.

In my mind, this is a very simple issue.

But then again, I really try to be a pragmatic person and believe many issues are so over analyzed (what's the "correct" way to slice an onion) to cloud pertinent discussion of the basic question.

To reiterate, you spend money on gear to allow you to better connect emotionally with the music. Pretty simple.

Gordon

Dude,

I didn't imply that you couldn't read the rest of my post, I implied that you hadn't read it. And in your initial response, you admitted as much; what you've posted here is an edit of that. I don't know what your game is, but it certainly isn't an honest one.

Tim

 

[RBFC]

Guys, please stay on topic and avoid slamming other members.

Lee

 

[thedudeabides]

I was trying but apparently failed.

See you all.

 

[NorthStar]

Gordon, don't give up, and share your ideas freely & openly. :b

Bests,
Bob

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Can't say I hate to see the dude go, Bob.

Mod edit: Let's not discuss each other please. All members are welcome as long as they follow forum rules.

Tim

 

[NorthStar]

Give peace a chance. :b

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Peace then.

Tim

 

[treitz3]

...The oddest breed, or hardest for me to understand, is the music collector who has dozens of discs/files he hasn't even listened to. I've found quite a few of those in the audiophile community. Perhaps it comes with a love of music combined with a lot of disposable income...

Well, I hold my head down in shame because I'm guilty of this. It sure isn't the disposable income factor. It has more to do with wanting to purchase something on an impulse thinking to myself "Oooo, I wanna hear that!". Then, when it comes in? Turns out I'm busy or life gets in the way and since I don't like clutter, off in the CD rack it goes. Many times, I'll have some new music selections that I want to listen too but I'm busy evaluating a new set of speakers or cables, maybe tubes. There's always something going on that prevents me from sitting down the moment I get an album in and devoting an hour or an afternoon to listening to them.

Oh, I eventually get to them but I can say with complete certainty that I have selections that were purchased two or three years ago that I haven't listened too. So, it's more of love of music with lack of time rather than love of music combined with a lot of disposable income. In all honesty, I wish the latter was the case though.

To the OP, I'll never get off the bandwagon. I'm having too much fun along my audio journey to stop and there is new technology coming out everyday.