Mister Pig
Pigamus Maximus
In the past I have reached points where a particular system has gone as far as I am willing to take it, and its time to tear it down and move on. I think if you have been in this hobby long enough you reach that point from time to time. When this acquisition and cycling of gear becomes a drag its time to self reflect and look at what you have experienced so far, and what you have accomplished and what did not work well.
Its my opinion to start with what you need an audio system to do, and I dont mean functionality. What aspects of sound and playback is the most important to you, what are you unwilling to compromise. Since we work on a budget other priorities can be ranked down to what you are willing to sacrifice. That creates a blueprint of the types of components to consider.
Many of us look at the audio acquisition process and buy what is heavily discounted, what is a good deal, what we would like to experience just to know, and what we think we can flip if we don't like it. Very few of us do painstaking research into equipment that has a reputation of being "musical" or "satisfying" in the subjective sense for the long term. Sometimes we try to, but arent very committed to this approach. Also very few folks are willing to save and research and make a purchase of a cornerstone component. What could be an example of this? Well folks who buy large format Tannoy dual concentric speakers. Those who are willing to spend what can be a considerable sum on the better Sudgen amplifiers. Or perhaps Audionote and or CJ or ARC or Jeff Rowland.
Understand what you appreciate. Evaluate where you have been and what has worked well. Analyze the room and what it can support. Decide how complex you want the system to be. Quit scouring CL looking for that hidden gem, and research your components and if possible buy gently owned to maximize your buying power. Don't skimp on source and connecting wires. I would even throw power conditioning and power cords into the fray, but thats a hot button topic. Buy what emotionally satisfies those aspects of musical reproduction you value. Sell everything off and build the audio kitty, do the research, and then make well thought purchases. A system doesnt have to be perfect, but it has to reach out to you and fill your needs. It can be done, it may not be cheap but can be surprisingly affordable. Decide what you want out of this hobby, there are so many pathways to contentment, I do think there is one for you but you have to do some trip planning.
One more point. Sometimes its our mental state. This is difficult times we are in, and it will affect how we do things. Sometimes it places more emphasis on things that are in our "control" and we find fault when it isn't as dire as we make it out to be. Just a thought.
Cheers
Mister Pig
Its my opinion to start with what you need an audio system to do, and I dont mean functionality. What aspects of sound and playback is the most important to you, what are you unwilling to compromise. Since we work on a budget other priorities can be ranked down to what you are willing to sacrifice. That creates a blueprint of the types of components to consider.
Many of us look at the audio acquisition process and buy what is heavily discounted, what is a good deal, what we would like to experience just to know, and what we think we can flip if we don't like it. Very few of us do painstaking research into equipment that has a reputation of being "musical" or "satisfying" in the subjective sense for the long term. Sometimes we try to, but arent very committed to this approach. Also very few folks are willing to save and research and make a purchase of a cornerstone component. What could be an example of this? Well folks who buy large format Tannoy dual concentric speakers. Those who are willing to spend what can be a considerable sum on the better Sudgen amplifiers. Or perhaps Audionote and or CJ or ARC or Jeff Rowland.
Understand what you appreciate. Evaluate where you have been and what has worked well. Analyze the room and what it can support. Decide how complex you want the system to be. Quit scouring CL looking for that hidden gem, and research your components and if possible buy gently owned to maximize your buying power. Don't skimp on source and connecting wires. I would even throw power conditioning and power cords into the fray, but thats a hot button topic. Buy what emotionally satisfies those aspects of musical reproduction you value. Sell everything off and build the audio kitty, do the research, and then make well thought purchases. A system doesnt have to be perfect, but it has to reach out to you and fill your needs. It can be done, it may not be cheap but can be surprisingly affordable. Decide what you want out of this hobby, there are so many pathways to contentment, I do think there is one for you but you have to do some trip planning.
One more point. Sometimes its our mental state. This is difficult times we are in, and it will affect how we do things. Sometimes it places more emphasis on things that are in our "control" and we find fault when it isn't as dire as we make it out to be. Just a thought.
Cheers
Mister Pig
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You are immersed in the music. 
