Can speakers cause mental illness?


It's important to keep in mind that speakers can in fact cause mental sickness. We are all chasing something which ultimately cant be found. Every new purchase brings nothing but temporary pleasure. The long term effects of this hobby are despair, frustration, depression and possibly even suicide. 

We are being tantalized with the promise of perfect sound which is ultimately unobtainable. 

The scheming speaker companies are certainly partly to blame for this. They are always thinking about what speaker they will put on the market next. They are responsible for making us believe that if we buy their new speaker designs we will be more happy than before.

There are hundreds of different speaker companies out there and we are led to believe that each company offers something different. But when you really think about it, you will realize that cant possibly be true. What we are being offered is just the same basic recipe with minor variations in crossover tuning, port tuning and frequency response. Most speakers are not fundamentally BETTER than other speakers. And therein lies the deception.

The irony is that high end speakers were invented to allow music lovers to experience the maximum level of pleasure from music. Instead what they have done is cause misery and depression. Its a fact that most audiophiles are simply unhappy with what they have. That is why there are forums like this with hundreds or thousands of folks who are desperate for advice on how to achieve even better success.

The level of unhappiness and despair does not go down as you spend more money, contrary to expectations. People that buy Magicos and Wilsons are no less unhappy than those that buy cheaper speakers. 

Being a speaker enthusiast is like being a drug addict. Its a neverending cycle. We want more and more and in the end it often leads to death. 

Listening to a new speaker is a bittersweet experience. You will hear new things that you may have never heard before but then you always begin to hear problems which were initially inaudible.

This is a dangerous hobby. Do it at your peril. 
kenjit
I have found when I listen to my brothers Audio system I never 
leave thinking it was not exceptional . He has several excellent amplifiers ,preamps , he spent over $180 k on his 2 channel 
and his $40 k dcs digital setup  is by far the best digital or analog  I have heard , meaning if you have the means,even if you never buy another piece of gear it’s as good or better then being at the event ,And in  many cases better that  is what many of us strive for.
I just try to enjoy what I have and when I can mod a lot of gear to get a lot of improvement ,for minimal monies.
Can't imagine what would be offensive in that post.  Generally, we only get upset at accusations we believe to be true.

(As a side note, to "beg the question" does not mean "to raise the question.")

Gotta hand it to kenjit - he always knows how to get a rise out of those A'goners who are just waiting to pounce. Happy Holidays to all and enjoy your mental illness errrrr, never ending search for better sound.