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I'm done chasing the illusion

I totally get what you're saying; it can be a slippery slope, a trip down the rabbit hole, a continual raising of the bar for what sounds good--when I'm overtired this is how it feels. When I'm well-rested and in a good place mentally I see myself as the curator of a mini hi-fi museum. I'm sorry to hear about your tinnitus; everything else on my body seems to be failing but the ears are still working though I'm sure I'd fail a hearing test.
 
I discovered Klipsch the Sixes, a u-turn Orbit, cheap Klipsch sub and Spotify is all I need for bliss.

Well not bliss but goddamit I sit and enjoy my music.

I enjoy ignorance.

I wish you a working solution I do not possess.


Matt
 
I get it... I kind of feel that I might be getting there myself. It's easy for me to obsess about my audio setup and what I might need to improve it and yet at the end of the day, I have to admit that it sounds pretty good. I'm not quite feeling like I want to trade everything in for a Bluetooth speaker, but neither am I feeling like I won't be happy until I own a bunch of really high end gear that I know I can't afford. I can live with very good, if not quite superlative sound and an excellent record collection. For me it's really all about the music and I like to have lots of it around to keep me from getting bored with it. Hearing it in on a great quality system is a plus, but not really the #1 thing for me...
 
It is all about the music, I no longer listen to my gear. I shot for, and achieved what I pretty much always wanted, from back in the day. Having achieved that, my main rig, and my secondary rig, have been stable for many years. Now my music acquisitions do grow, but not as fast as one would consider "out of control." I dig listening to, and sharing, music with friends. That is the goal, as my equipment has long moved out of the presence. It simply disappears, and the musicians appear in my room. Beyond that is just silly. (Did I just say that out loud?)

Enjoy,
Rich P
 
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I'm pretty content right now. I could tweak the bedroom system if I wanted but it's just a thrown together system anyway that sounds really good. I built the speakers.

My main system satisfies. Does well and sounds good. Not much to change there.

For some reason I have been a bit of a collector of integrated amps from 1980 to 1983... I like that era but I have too many "closet leftovers". Need to simplify and pare it down.

Contentment...
 
I don't know about the Blue Tooth part, but I get the rest. I have a lot of units but in the last 4 years I've gravitated to a favorite pair of speakers and one receiver. Probably because there's so much free music available that I listen more than fiddle now. At this point I wish the gear would visually disappear from the room but the music stay.
Going without music for an extended period of time would be time lost for me. Even if it's just back ground music. I rarely just sit and listen to gear now.
The music moderates my mood. Today the problem was a severely contaminated gas tank on my new used hobby motor grader. It was major pain, the music fixed it for me.
I just don't see having no music, it would be a mistake here.
 
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The real irony here is I'm considering becoming a contributor so I can post the items I'm selling in barter town - And they're also why I'm an AK member in the first place.
 
When I approached retirement age I revamped my audio system. I knew I wouldn’t have the cash to buy audio gear like I did in the past. When I look at my audio rack I am quite contented with what I have. I also dropped my subscriptions to The Absolute Sound and Stereophile so I wouldn’t get the urge to buy.
 
I am lucky because I am totally satisfied with my system.

I sit down, close my eyes, and I AM THERE!

To me, it´s all about the music. I can´t tolerate bad recordings, though.
 
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.

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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Nothing wrong with your plan as the ultimate goal of the hobby is joy not misery. If you find a bluetooth setup the answer then God bless and guess what, you're still an audiophile!
 
Everything in moderation .. it's more about the journey than the destination.

I upgrade once a year around the holidays. Not a necessity .. I could live with system I have now until my end of days. I enjoy the journey too much to do that.

"All the gods, all the Heavens, all the Hells are within you," from Joseph Campbell's book "The Power of Myth."
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I’m done with the hunt but I’m still here, listening to music and enjoying the **** out of having a nice stereo to do it on. It’s been a few years since I really felt the need to chase upgrades and I’m much happier.
 
I've gone a different route. I really treasure vintage stuff, especially speakers and have restored several including ARs, Advents, JBLs and Empires to name a few, but now I've finished building an amplifier and a passive preamplifier. I've also built my own VU meters and my own DIY interconnects in which I make the cable (no, I do not draw copper wire), and am now considering a full function, remote controlled digital preamplifier.

I'm also going down the music rabbit hole, picking up most of the Beatles set, Jimi Hendrix and ELO, all on vinyl of course. Some Van Morrison, a bunch of "greatest" hits by various artists finished out the virus era.

I have learned one thing, and that its not necessary what pieces of equipment you have, its what you have it paired with and how its connected together and powered. Having 5 systems in my vinyl room, I can do a little swapping and it always keeps things interesting. One of my great joys is listening to my 3 channel stereo system based around the vintage Marantz 3300 preamp. It features a center speaker (in mono) on the front wall and left and right channel speakers on the side walls. I usually listen to "Pipe Dreams" on Sunday morning. The Empire Grenadier 6000 speakers can make my floor rumble, and the JBL Studio 520c center channel fills in the space. Its almost like the real thing.

I've also learned to accept these vintage pieces of gear for what they are, not what they should or could have been. Many have great strengths. No piece is perfect, none will ever be. Accept them for what they are and you will be happy. Enjoy the music.
 
pustelniakr said:
It is all about the music...
I dig listening to, and sharing, music with friends.

Enjoy,
Rich P
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I have a large contingent of family and friends that enjoy similar taste in music. Enjoying and sharing music together is the best... like you, I dig it the most!
 
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