Winding down

Hi-FiGuy

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Not at all, I completely agree with your direction and original post completely. Sometimes its good to step down and quantify your thoughts and enjoy the music and not worry about what you might be missing.
Like I said earlier there will be another iteration of a dedicated music room, and it will be amazing, but my obsession with perceived perfection will be minimal. I will plan well(a little Ron here), go for it, make minimal tweaks and just enjoy the music.

If CA is any better on vinyl I have to go there, even if just for a little improvement, I love the DVD, such great energy in that performance.
 

spiritofmusic

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Mike, hey there’s a whole slew of better rooms and systems than mine. For me the apogee of my journey has come at just the right time as I’m obliged to take my foot off the gas.
Ying and Yang, I slow down, MikeL has bought a third SOTA Studer and “spare” Lamm monos LOL.
Re CA, I’m v much of the opinion that the last true great Rush album was Power Windows, with an honourable mention for Counterparts.
My interest in Rush was intense up until 1985, less so after, and hit the rocks from Test For Echo onwards.
Thank the Lord that Rush never became a greatest hits band/cabaret act a la Queen or Status Quo (Freddie Mercury and Rick Parfitt, God rest their souls).
 

Hi-FiGuy

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Mike, hey there’s a whole slew of better rooms and systems than mine. For me the apogee of my journey has come at just the right time as I’m obliged to take my foot off the gas.
Ying and Yang, I slow down, MikeL has bought a third SOTA Studer and “spare” Lamm monos LOL.
Re CA, I’m v much of the opinion that the last true great Rush album was Power Windows, with an honourable mention for Counterparts.
My interest in Rush was intense up until 1985, less so after, and hit the rocks from Test For Echo onwards.
Thank the Lord that Rush never became a greatest hits band/cabaret act a la Queen or Status Quo (Freddie Mercury and Rick Parfitt, God rest their souls).
Copy that Rampart!
 

spiritofmusic

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Actually Christian, winding down also means that I don’t take personally criticism of my sound, choices either.

I remain v open to constructive criticisms, but only from people I respect for the journey they’ve taken, and the results they’ve achieved.
 

rockitman

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Actually Christian, winding down also means that I don’t take personally criticism of my sound, choices either.

I remain v open to constructive criticisms, but only from people I respect for the journey they’ve taken, and the results they’ve achieved.

I don't worry about it (criticism) if I am happy with the sound. If others like it..Bonus ! I'm more concerned and focused on "classic period" music acquisition and listening now. That does not mean I won't try other things down the road (equip..tube amps). Turntable wise, I am done...maybe add another phono stage at some point, tonearm, cart. It is wise to point out...never say never in this hobby.
 

Ron Resnick

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You know you have wound down when you don't give a crap about Stereophile and AS...in fact you let the subscriptions expire...

Hahahaha! Very true! :D
 

spiritofmusic

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Christian, I vowed never to look at “glamour” magazines again.
But I just can’t help myself, I’ve got “Flirt” and “Minx” right here .
 

bonzo75

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You guys were brought up differently. I never started on those magazines. For me winding down will be to get off the forums
 

spiritofmusic

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Ked, you never flicked thru “Flirt” or “Minx”? I’m not sure I believe you.
 

spiritofmusic

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A week into my decision to wind down based on getting a massive upturn in SQ combined with ever tightening of funds, and I’ve never been happier.

A recent really productive piece of advice on set up that took all of 5 minutes and zero cost has absolutely super charged my sound.

For the first time (I’m kinda ashamed to admit as a person who considered my “old” sound to be pretty sophisticated) I’m truly getting some timbral accuracy, inner glow, and proper air and imaging.

Finally I’m majoring on wood/metal/air/throat/chest etc.

Ornette Coleman “NY Is Now!” Blue Note lp is something else! (a little in joke), with Ornette and Dewey Redman now totally seperate entities, their instruments absolutely rounded and real, with the air and depth in the studio palpable.

Previn conducts Holst Planets Suite EMI 1974, an amazing recording that brings new meaning to lush and vibrant. I’m really feeling a proper differentiation in tone and timbre, and the clarity of small details and quiet sounds to rise up against the louder ones that normally dominate.

I don’t normally run thru one classical album after another, the Zus were never great for this.
But they are now.

So, with the Zus retaining their exhuberant macrodynamic/tone density thing they’ve always been great on, with more audiophile type timbral, airy, textured and microdynamic presentation, I’m really set.
 
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rockitman

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Christian, I vowed never to look at “glamour” magazines again.
But I just can’t help myself, I’ve got “Flirt” and “Minx” right here .

sometimes there is useful information like that on the Neumann DST cart and how the new reference audio technica cart uses a similar idea of the coils next to the stylus. Also MF reviewed the Arche' headshell that Tang was kind enough to send my way. I have been using it with a Lyra Olympos mono. The shell is very heavy...almost maxed out on the dynamic balance for the 3012R.
 

spiritofmusic

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Christian, I think my humour may be lost on you.
 

spiritofmusic

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Winding down, chapter 437...
A fascinating experience that sounds like a contradiction, and maybe downright inflammatory to the vinylphiles out there.

And maybe even points towards me not having my tt set up as optimally in the past as possible.

But as I’m listening to the rebirth of my analog here, my mind is drawn to how much more it’s akin to some of the best digital I’ve heard, both my Eera cdp, and good friend Blue58’s SGM server/T&A Dac8.

Up until this point I’ve always loved my lp playback, but it’s always has some limitations.
I’ve struggled to match the neutrality, soundstage and transparency of the digital I’ve loved at home (first my Emm Labs CDSA SE cdp, and now my Eera Tentation).

Finally FINALLY, I’m getting all the things that make lp playback to me superior to digital, with an absolute boost in these things that digital has had a strong advantage over.

Now I’m really getting tone, density, timbre especially, and a truly “see thru” quality.

So as I’ve been ploughing thru my beloved late 60s Miles Davis classic quintet albums (original U.K. and US, and Japanese, pressings), I’m getting an amalgam I never thought I’d get - all the virtues of vinyl, with those things my digital has always excelled at.

Yet another very relevant reason to not consider more component upgrading - turning a massive corner, maybe the biggest, and not looking for any more corners.
 

audioguy

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Interesting thread. About 5 or 6 years ago, I sold all of my vinyl stuff and my record collection. Not because I don't think great vinyl is still the best, but because with the 1000's of CD's I had as well as my vinyl collection, I simply did not have the time (or inclination) to listen to anywhere near all of the music I wanted to. And, to be honest, a music server spoiled me. And now, with streaming services like Tidal, it has just gotten to "easy" to reconsider jumping back into vinyl (but some of those gorgeous turntables are alluring !!).

I, like Rodney, am now using a Trinnov to drive my system. The upsides for me are huge since I no longer listen to 2 channel music with 2 channels. and can keep readily available listening curves, depending on the kind of music I am listening to. I am a huge 70's rock addict but most all of the music is recorded with anemic bass. Now, with the click of a mouse, I can select a new preset with a different shaped target curve and, viola, no more anemic bass.

Listening to 2 channel music but using AuroMatic to cleverly engage the other speakers in the room is most enjoyable. If you were in the sweet spot, you would be sure you were listening to 2 channel, until I disable all of the others. Even my hard core Magico friend is finding some enjoyment (not 100% sold, but close) in the expanded pleasure of a more holographic listening experience.

As I said in another thread, there are a number of reasons that I chose to finally get off the bus: the massive reduction is expendable funds (retired and loving every minute of it); actually no longer being able to criticize the audio in my room, and finally admitting that the chase to perfection (whatever that is) was, in addition to incredibly expensive, occasional frustrating, time consuming and really took away from the (alleged) purpose of this hobby - listening to music. Even the tweaks I have alway used to "fine tune" no longer work.

Will I quit spending money on this hobby? No. I will continue to try to improve the user interface to the room's multiple purposes; I will, of course, continue to purchase source material (even that can get pricy); and finally, re-do the wiring mess that has occurred as a result of all of the recent changes and upgrade.

I found a post on anther forum from about 4 years ago where I stated something similar, only to be followed up a year later by massive upgrades and changes. While will this time be different? A number of reasons. When I retired and sold my business, I set aside some funds from that sale specifically for use in this hobby - and they are all but gone. Furthermore, short of starting completely over (new speakers, etc) or getting back into analog (won't happen) there are no significant improvements I can make. I have finally, for my audio system gotten to the "good enough" place as I did in video about 2 years ago. And with the gazillion options built into the Trinnov, if I get the itch to "diddle" I can.

It has been an awesome, if not incredibly, incredibly expensive, over 50 year journey (started in college) that got me here. There is not an occasion now, that when either listening to music (or watching a movie for that matter) that I don't sit in the room and then leave the room with a smile on my face. No more "if only" !!
 

spiritofmusic

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Audioguy, it’s stories like yours that I wanted to hear about when I started the thread.

Your journey into MCh is not going to be mine. I heard an exemplary 14 channel system a couple of years ago, but good as it was, it didn’t swing me from 2Ch.

No for me it’s been a quadruple whammy.
1- I’ve spent £75k carving out the room & installing isolated and dedicated power grid.

This is the equivalent of 5 years components upgrade budget, even if I wanted to spend big on new shiny boxes, I can’t justify it.

The room indeed is an upgrade (indeed, THE upgrade), that at a stroke sates all desire to keep going.

In effect if that £75k had been spent on a whole new system that sounded as good as my current one does in this amazing room, I’d be pleased as punch and would be saying that’s that.

2- my lifestyle really has changed.

I’ve gone for a kind of semi retired, Slow Living move away from London, by definition my cash flow cannot stretch to both updating the chapel here AND endless audio spending.

Something has had to give...

3- Im truly truly happy, indeed overjoyed, with what I’ve achieved in two decades upgrading, many mistakes, more triumphs, the courage of sticking with the components I have done and the sonic direction I’ve gone in (at least three people I know loathed my sound back in London, and two really like it in the new space, which can REALLY make you doubt your sanity).

4- for ten days now I’ve been listening and listening, not once over analysing or criticising my sound - that in itself is proof enough.

Now, I’m sticking, and not twisting.
 

thedudeabides

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Jan 16, 2011
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Enjoying the music and the gear you have without questioning / considering additional expenditures to upgrade is a very positive thing.

Saying "good enough" is a very liberating feeling.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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Dude, I’m chilled.
I’ve just turned 54, i NEVER thought I’d say that.

The final push into being in the moment?

A simple reinstall of something that took me 5 mins, cost nothing at all, and at a stroke relegated all future significant spending to a footnote.

Serendipity of the highest order.
 

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