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Component that stopped the upgrade cycle cold?

This is kind of an extension of another thread that I believe is titled something like "Amplifiers: A Keeper for Life?". The answers to that one can be (but are not all) similar to any thread where someone asks, "What's the best ......?" With upgradidis being almost a requisite disfunction for the ranks of becoming an 'audiophile', I was wondering how to restate the question and get fewer of those one-word responses, and virgin-purchase highs. So I'll add a minimum requirement of longevity of ownership to the question and perhaps that may help:

Is there one or more components were not recently purchased that stopped your upgrade cycle on that component dead in its tracks leaving you delighted with the components performance for at least, oh, lets just put it at a minimum of three years of ownership with absolutely no intentions nor desires to swap it out? Also, what other like components specifically have you had the opportunity to directly/indirectly compare it to, and what keeps you sticking with the one you've got? Lets limit it to main system components for those with multiple systems. So I don't want to be hearing from anyone who got their box a few months ago and is still in wonderment listening to their entire collection all over again, basking in the new presentation, which they may, or may not be bored with in two more months. I want to hear about the ones your married to and have settled in with, but that you continue to look forward to the pleasure of each and every day you spend with her, in spite of the fact that you've been together so long. I don't give a tinker's cuss about things like "it's the best there is," or how it "blows away all the others"...I just want to hear what others find their comfort with and why. Let me hear your intimate stories of long-term romance with the gear that moves you to hang onto it for the long-haul!

Marco
jax2
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
Hey Slappy,
They're looking for you in another thread with your name in the title! An appearance there would make many people happy.

Marco,
Well, I got committment issues. So three years to me is like comparing the history of the U.S. of A. to 3000 years of ancient Egyptian kingdoms. I've only been buying non-Circuit City crap for ten years and doing the Audiogon shuffle for a little over four, so I don't really qualify.

I've had my car for over five years and have no desire to upgrade. Does that count? I might buy an SUV to save some mileage on this one, but am gonna keep my little silver box for canyon carving.

The only thing I can relate to this thread is my four year long allegiance to ProAc speakers. They really fit my tastes. I keep moving up the line, but never sell them off. Oh, and I have had my Blue Circle BC21 preamp for three years, but that wouldn't qualify because I've been wanting to jump to a First Sound Presence this whole year!

I really admire the people that can stand pat long term.
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
Thanks to Marco, we have our Klipsch La Scala's. Everything else in our audio planetary system revolves--and evolves--around them. They are extraordinary.
jax2 OP
3,031 posts
 
So, Chris, sounds like "women" are the methadone of the audio addiction for you! Dean, I've been riding the same motorcycle for over eight years now (I think it's the same brand as your silver cage). I actually upgraded to the latest version about five years ago, but the same bike. That's what I was getting at with the thread...it's not necessarily about the "best", it's about what fits YOU like a glove, and what moves you about it to stay married to it. Wow, I'm impressed too at the longevity of ownership of some of the respondants!

Marco
audiobugged
528 posts
 
Slappy not True, you just haven't found the right Woman! I got married less than months ago, & I mentioned that now I can't listen to my system when the power is least polluted (2-5AM). And my Wife turns around and just bought me a pair of Stax Omega II Sr-007 Earphones, w/ a Stax Srm-717 amp for the off hours. She was the one who encouraged my return to analog, & even though she has Asthma will spend hours at my side scrounging through dusty dollar bins of records. Any downgrading is of my own doing, her concern was that I do not sell anything that is going to damper my listening enjoyment level. She was well aware of who, & what she was getting hitched to. And it's rubbing off as she hogs my listening chair many times. Her Bose Wave cd player that she bought before we meet mostly collects dust these days. So I guess she would qualify as my "A Keeper for Life"! I did mentioned to her early on, as I couldn't upgrade her as I disgarded all her original manufacturers packaging materials;0)~ All in all, I guess I got LUCKY!
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
I'm always amazed when I see those "I decided to upgrade my system for the first time in 15 years, need some advice..." threads.

My reaction to those statements are that they've rarely had the time to sit down to enjoy their system for the last 15 years, or they've had other interests and haven't paid much attention to their rigs over the last 15 years, or that lucky bastard REALLY has been happy with his system for 15 years!

I seem to fall into the category of people that have been smitten for the last three months with their latest system addition and have no intention of upgrading - "this time for sure, as Bullwinkle likes to say" - but then find something they just gotta have and away they go on the upgrade cart.

It's amazing! I was that way with comic books, then cars, car stereos, then guns, knives, pool cues, playing Quake online against kids, cars once more, comics again, then unfinished and barely started woodworking projects, and now it's history books!

But this high end audio thing has grabbed my apple sacks like no other hobby. EVER. The spending has been ridiculous, and the various possible tweaks just make it so much more knuts. It's a good thing I don't fish or play golf. I'd really be done then. This summer I was fascinated with Mata Ortiz pottery. That can get as expensive as audio gear!

The neat thing about my audio journey is that the deeper I descend beyond the crossroads to audio Hell, the more I understand what it is I enjoy about the way a music system recreates a performance in my room. In the beginning, I only had a vague idea of what would satisfy me. Today, there's a very specific flavor of sound I love to indulge in, and I'm always working to attain what I want and more. And, along the way I've discovered countless artists and genres of music I never would have if not for this hobby.

So for now, I'll be sippin' some ProAcs with a dash of tubes mixed in with a bit of solid state, and a nice dose of Bossa Nova Flamenco Middle Eastern Funk.
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