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I'm done chasing the illusion

C

CraigVMN

Super Member
I've been in the game since the 70's and I just don't think I can do it anymore. Countless pieces of gear, hours spent piecing together and dollars spent - and I'm never satisfied. I though switching from SS to tubes was the answer, but to no avail. I could spend the rest of my days changing things and never be satisfied. Between tinnitus and the constant "need" inside my head for critical listening, picking apart what my system is and isn't doing...It's a never ending cycle of disappointment & disillusionment.

I need to have music, but at this point I want to sell everything and just get a simple bluetooth speaker and call it a day. Eff me
 
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I can kinda relate, although giving it all up for a BT box ain’t it for me. It may be some JBL Apollo’s and Tannoy SRM12’s that might be the trick to live with. I would like to get to the point of having what I like and just maintaining that.
 
Put on something like Pandora and force yourself to just let it play while reading a book or something. Eventually some music you have never heard before will play and you will look up from the book and just enjoy the music.
 
Every hobby is addicting and it's easy to lose sight of why you got into it in the first place. My addiction is the music, I spend a lot of time and money looking for the next "fix". I'm sure you have some killer gear and to most people on the planet it would be a dream rig.
Hopefully you can take a break, come back and realize how lucky you are.
 
I remember reading a article in Stereo Review back in the 70s from Julian Hirch on loud speakers and if I remember right he was saying that listening to music through speakers is mere illusion .I to have enjoyed looking for that perfect sound but at my age 63 I just enjoy sitting back listening to Pandora celtic music on my Grace Digital internet radio McIntosh Mx113 and Mc 152 and Vienna Bachs speakers and cheap Amazon interconnects and calling it a day.
 
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Justgotohm said:
I can kinda relate, although giving it all up for a BT box ain’t it for me. It may be some JBL Apollo’s and Tannoy SRM12’s that might be the trick to live with. I would like to get to the point of having what I like and just maintaining that.
Click to expand...

That's just it, anything beyond something basic and the expectation is too great, and I can't turn it off.

Worst yet, no music is 10 times worse.
 
Have you ever been standing outside, listening to the birds sing their songs, drowning out everything else..?
It's been raining forever, but that day the sun shone bright..
But then the stench of mold just overwhelmed you, to the point of running back in to your conditioned home..
Halfway there, your neighbors dryer vent spews out the freshness of whatever detergent and/or dryer sheets they use, and you stop and hear the birds again..
 
Interesting........ I just posted today about a similar experience. It was my first post here in quite awhile.

I sold all of my audio gear! Amp, preamp, receivers, turntable, DACs, tape deck, speakers, minidisc, cables, interconnects.....everything I had, earlier this year!

I bought a pair of powered wireless speakers and then sold everything else.

As matter of fact my post is titled “I Sold It All”.

I’ve been extremely Happy with new the set up and don’t miss any of the stuff I sold.
 
CraigVMN said:
I've been in the game since the 70's and I just don't think I can do it anymore. Countless pieces of gear, hours spent piecing together and dollars spent - and I'm never satisfied. I though switching from SS to tubes was the answer, but to no avail. I could spend the rest of my days changing things and never be satisfied. Between tinnitus and the constant "need" inside my head for critical listening, picking apart what my system is and isn't doing...It's a never ending cycle of disappointment & disillusionment.
Click to expand...

I was never satisfied, but am getting there by just keeping at it improving the speakers. I don't think I can really get much improvement over an Oppo 95, and the Yamaha in "Direct" mode is transparent and has more than enough ooomph (dynamic power of 540 into 2 ohms per channel).

I finally have the Great Heil AMT and JBL 2251J 10" midrange where I want them, but there is a suckout in the woofer (JBL 2241H 18") at 250Hz. I attribute this to resonances in the box and have bought acoustic barrier material and 3-dimensional foam to line the cabinets' interior walls.

I also cut all-thread tension rods and TREX blocks to put pressure on the four cabinet walls and reduce resonances/vibrations. As far as I'm concerned, they fail the "knuckle test." I'll probably get to this next week.

I've already made and installed block-off plates to replace the handles that could resonate and took up a bit of interior volume. The cabinets are made of plywood with handles and wheels, no insulation of any type, and little bracing (to save weight) for use at a church.

Almost there.
 
I might be at an advantage not hearing what kind of sounds are possible with those high dollar components that may cause unnecessary frustration with some. How much would you be willing to give up to buy that "perceived to be" ultimate piece of gear? If I haven't heard what could be I am not in search or it or better. Satisfaction is just a state of mind and if you don't set your sights too high you will never lose your grip. Is what you think of perfection all your own or is it an image that belongs to another? Nirvana is a possibility if you would only let it be.
 
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toddalin said:
I was never satisfied, but am getting there by just keeping at it improving the speakers. I don't think I can really get much improvement over an Oppo 95, and the Yamaha in "Direct" mode is transparent and has more than enough ooomph (dynamic power of 540 into 2 ohms per channel).

I finally have the Great Heil AMT and JBL 2251J 10" midrange where I want them, but there is a suckout in the woofer (JBL 2241H 18") at 250Hz. I attribute this to resonances in the box and have bought acoustic barrier material and 3-dimensional foam to line the cabinets' interior walls.

I also cut all-thread tension rods and TREX blocks to put pressure on the four cabinet walls and reduce resonances/vibrations. As far as I'm concerned, they fail the "knuckle test." I'll probably get to this next week.

I've already made and installed block-off plates to replace the handles that could resonate and took up a bit of interior volume. The cabinets are made of plywood with handles and wheels, no insulation of any type, and little bracing (to save weight) for use at a church.

Almost there.
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I think all that is precisely the point to which the OP says enough is enough.

The thing with almost is that it's almost; but not quite.
 
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Been there too and the tinnitus is a real bummer. I got past the endless quest a few years ago when I just started enjoying the music and sold most of my gear but kept favorite essentials. Now streaming through Tidal any album I want is such a joy and am enjoying it all again.

Dave/ChairSpud
 
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CraigVMN said:
That's just it, anything beyond something basic and the expectation is too great, and I can't turn it off.

Worst yet, no music is 10 times worse.
Click to expand...
I will say I have as much fun listening to some little Fostex fullrangers on an obscure tiny Kenwood integrated as I do my main rig.
As you mentioned my expectations are less so I tend to not pay attention to the nuances and just enjoy the music. The lesser the system I’ll tend to gravitate toward what it does right instead of what it may be doing wrong.
 
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