When you've blown the hell out of an unlimited budget you're there lol.
When do you reach the 90%?
- Thread starter tyeeslayer
- Start date
musichal
poet emeritus
Probably a lot cheaper and easier to reach that 10%
(Even really good scotch)!
As a cheap bourbon man (once, no more) a bottle of Jim Beam is golden goodness for me. Do like Buffalo Trace, though.
Used to enjoy Dewar's or JB, but prefer Kentucky whiskey. Okay, preferred.
nj pheonix
Lunatic Member
As stated before.
We're all human. There's no hard target.
Do i think I have the greatest system in the world?
No
Am i extremely happy with it and feel like I'm playing with house money now?
Yes.
You can never have everything.
You can almost have everything and still be wanting.
You can have a lot less and be perfectly happy.
Almost as much the individual as the system.
Nothing wrong with experimenting and /or trying a different path to the same end.
Or you could just listen to the music and forget about it.
We're all human. There's no hard target.
Do i think I have the greatest system in the world?
No
Am i extremely happy with it and feel like I'm playing with house money now?
Yes.
You can never have everything.
You can almost have everything and still be wanting.
You can have a lot less and be perfectly happy.
Almost as much the individual as the system.
Nothing wrong with experimenting and /or trying a different path to the same end.
Or you could just listen to the music and forget about it.
I agree with that sentiment. It reminds me of something Art Dudley wrote 30 years ago and that I've quoted before, but it seems fitting to this thread. In the introduction to his review of some modestly priced preamps (HiFi Heretic, number eight, 1987) he made a distinction between hifi as a means of bringing music into your home, and hifi as a "jockishly obsessive exercise where what you have in mind is to keep trading gear season after season, with even new components viewed from the start as mere stations along the way." Paraphrasing a bit to shorten it up, he contended that investing in a mid-priced system--and stopping there--is a perfectly satisfactory way of bringing music into your home, and that the goal of hifi should be to assemble a real music system you can keep and enjoy, and not be just another pastime you can dump cash into.
There is no metric except your satisfaction with what you experience.
I have played with tons of gear.
From tubes up through recent home theater.
Cheap small stuff through stupid expensive things.
The only consistent points I've found is speakers, power, amp type and tone control.
I've noticed that certain brands and types of speakers always sound better to me.
I've noticed that more power always sounds good, but that is not a solid goal because many small amps sound excellent as well. This one throws the whole thing out of whack.
A good capacitor coupled solid state amp can sound so good its stupid.
I've had 30wpc stuff kick 200wpc stuff to the curb on the same speakers.
Brand name isn't it either. I've had and have stuff no one wants or seeks that can impress snobs.
Looks? HA! I know people that must have mint looking gear to enjoy it. Or even just certain design looks. That is a whole different thing.
Once you throw in source material, music taste, hearing and room, it all gets to be totally your own thing.
The search for that "10%" is just a mythical or inherent desire to find "more".
I would claim its just a side effect of "survival of the strongest" evolutionary thing built into all animals.
Its a good reason why audio is a "hobby" and proof that your life is good, that you can spend time, energy and resources on obtaining a pleasing sound instead of fighting to survive.
I have played with tons of gear.
From tubes up through recent home theater.
Cheap small stuff through stupid expensive things.
The only consistent points I've found is speakers, power, amp type and tone control.
I've noticed that certain brands and types of speakers always sound better to me.
I've noticed that more power always sounds good, but that is not a solid goal because many small amps sound excellent as well. This one throws the whole thing out of whack.
A good capacitor coupled solid state amp can sound so good its stupid.
I've had 30wpc stuff kick 200wpc stuff to the curb on the same speakers.
Brand name isn't it either. I've had and have stuff no one wants or seeks that can impress snobs.
Looks? HA! I know people that must have mint looking gear to enjoy it. Or even just certain design looks. That is a whole different thing.
Once you throw in source material, music taste, hearing and room, it all gets to be totally your own thing.
The search for that "10%" is just a mythical or inherent desire to find "more".
I would claim its just a side effect of "survival of the strongest" evolutionary thing built into all animals.
Its a good reason why audio is a "hobby" and proof that your life is good, that you can spend time, energy and resources on obtaining a pleasing sound instead of fighting to survive.
It's a relative point of view. How did I know? Extensive listening to the phenomenal systems of a prominent audio reviewer set the bar for what could be done with audio reproduction.
Then I matched budget to my priorities.
Mister Pig
Pigamus Maximus
I tend to view audio in tiers. And the level of tier you can top out at is defined by both your budget and your room. The room defines what kind of system is applicable, as certain speakers need a specific volume to operate in, and a certain size to see a maximization of their abilities. The typical example of this is a large speaker in a small room. But small speakers tend to struggle with output levels in too large a room, and bipolar or dipolar speakers have specific requirements for location to reflective boundaries. Room considerations define speakers, and too an extent define what is reasonable to spend.
Then there comes budget. Money is a dirty word on this site, but is a hard boundary that limits how far we can go in this hobby. Yes it even effects DIYers and vintage hounds, but the equations are different. Money dictates at what level of audio you are able to reach, and that next tier above you can be way out of reach as you get higher and higher into the levels of this hobby. I personally have gotten to the highest tier I can afford, and spending money to get the last 5% of what is available in terms of sound quality is not cheap, but it is doable. Yet there are several tiers past where I am, and to be a participant at that level means I would have to sell off this system and toss a whole bunch more money at the next one, and then work at optimizing it.
That is the harsh reality, there is always better out there than the common pig can afford. There are people with greater resources out there who can and do buy it, and enjoy it. I am happy where I am, and enjoy music every day on my system. What I have spent is a drop in the bucket to certain circles in this hobby, and to others its crazy money. There is no right or wrong, and you only have to justify the cost, your level of involvement, your equipment choices, and even the size of your audio hoard to yourself...and those whose life your choices directly effect. Certainly not us on AK, or others in this hobby.
Regards
Mister Pig
Then there comes budget. Money is a dirty word on this site, but is a hard boundary that limits how far we can go in this hobby. Yes it even effects DIYers and vintage hounds, but the equations are different. Money dictates at what level of audio you are able to reach, and that next tier above you can be way out of reach as you get higher and higher into the levels of this hobby. I personally have gotten to the highest tier I can afford, and spending money to get the last 5% of what is available in terms of sound quality is not cheap, but it is doable. Yet there are several tiers past where I am, and to be a participant at that level means I would have to sell off this system and toss a whole bunch more money at the next one, and then work at optimizing it.
That is the harsh reality, there is always better out there than the common pig can afford. There are people with greater resources out there who can and do buy it, and enjoy it. I am happy where I am, and enjoy music every day on my system. What I have spent is a drop in the bucket to certain circles in this hobby, and to others its crazy money. There is no right or wrong, and you only have to justify the cost, your level of involvement, your equipment choices, and even the size of your audio hoard to yourself...and those whose life your choices directly effect. Certainly not us on AK, or others in this hobby.
Regards
Mister Pig
soundmotor
super modified
I always thought 1% was the number of homeowners that wanted them for neighbors, no?
And this is so true.
I know what I already own setup in a very nice home with a very nice deticated size room will "Sound" better than it does in my little rental home with shared dual space.
I know some of the components I have would sound better and different with far better speakers. But my home does not afford better speakers, it would be a wast. As it is I already over built the system for the space, kinda like a hot rodder.
Take the 500 HP motor in a 2017 Shelby Mustang and put it in a 67 Mustang Fastback. While it would be far far better and supper cool than what the 67 came with, the 2017 would blow it's doors off with all the other aspects of the car.
I see people "Buy" what could be considered good used components, all the while have them stacked all odd in a bed room. All the while not even able to adhere to a acceptable sound system layout, they will say they are just missing the last 10% LOL. The reality is if they could afford a better space to setup the system they own would sound 50% better.
SoCal Sam
Lunatic Member
90% enjoyment is a state of mind that has at best a loose connection to money . I've talked to enough audio hobbyists to know that enthusiasm can occur with almost any piece of gear regardless of price point. Their enthusiasm can not be discounted or denigrated by anyone including the retailers (and there are a few in this thread).
If you hit 100%, there is no challenge anymore. I know I will never hit it but pretty damn happy with what I have. Only thing I have changed is my CD player and it does not sound any better then the dbx DX5 that now resides on a shelf for future use again. The Philips has a extra tray for recording which is why I wanted it so I could burn CD's for friends who want stuff in my collection to hear and record some records I have not listened to in 20+ years or more for fear of wear and tear
armyslowrdr
I don't want one..LOL
Exactly as Mr P said. For my cramped home office/listening room my system I think is a 10. Now if I had a much bigger space sure I
would try some Double Impact towers, perhaps some McIntosh separates---whatever else might be out there. But I am satisfied.
would try some Double Impact towers, perhaps some McIntosh separates---whatever else might be out there. But I am satisfied.
Of course hence the comment below.
Stating facts as to why some feel their statements are factual because they feel the need to place percentage points on sound quality. All the while they have limited reference level to actually place any so called hard facts and expect others to believe it.
I feel stating some percentage is a self validation and internet talking myth when this is brought to any discussion of sound quality. I just stated in post #35 that my system would sound far different depending on the room and setup as well as other system.
I go on sites that most members there make my house and equipment look like crap. Never have I heard them describe systems at sound quality percentage points, they don't feel the need to place themselves in some kind of pecking order or validate themselves at a status point. I don't do this either, it's not necessary when as you say and want to put great emphasis on "enthusiasm" .
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