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Has it all been worth it?

I recently turned 63, and I've been into all things audio since the mid 70's. In that time I've spent countless thousands of dollars chasing that damn rabbit down the hole. Solid state, vinyl, cassette, CD, tubes, big speakers, small speakers, pricy gear, cheap gear...been there, done that. Sitting here in my less than acoustically friendly office listening to a Hi-Res version of Angie by TRS this is probably the nicest stereo I've ever had. And even with my compromised hearing (bouts of tinnitus, and a stroke) I know the music sounds as good as it ever has, but yet I can't help but ask myself - has this journey all been worth it? The money, soul searching, reviews, disappointment in the review when it didn't live up to the hype, "am I missing out by not owning _____" etc. Sometimes I wish I were more like my wife who just bought a cheap shelf unit to listen to her CD's and is perfectly pleased with what she hears.

Anyone else find themself at this point sometimes?

craigvmn
jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
4,253 posts
 

It’s all worth it. I enjoy it.

slaw's avatar
slaw
22,299 posts
 

Yeah, I’ve had fun and discovered more music that is enhancing my life.

sls883
575 posts
 

I maybe could have gotten to where I am and spent less, but what I like a lot about my current system is that older recordings that I thought were crappy (sibilant, etc) are not.  

I was listening to Til Tuesday - Everything's Different Now last night.  I always thought it was a so-so recording.  It sounds damn good.  Who knew?  I'm listening to more music now and not just the "audiophile grade" recordings.

I have three new sets of preamp tubes delivering today.  For not a lot of money, I can do a little tweaking and see if I can get a tiny bit of improvement. 

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pablolie
18 posts
 

That's why I kind of laugh it off when some audiophiles claim that the gold standard of audiophile authenticity is the live performance. 

The vast majority of concerts I have attended are hopelessly unbalanced - too loud (like you mentioned), poor room acoustics, no optimal seating position really existing in the venue... etc etc. And yes, this applies even to jazz concerts.

If I need ear plugs for something (and I have sensitive ears and often need ear plugs) it means the distortion in the live music is through the roof and in no way sets any audio standard.

Mind you, of course it's *fun* to attend and experience one's favorite artists live, which is why I continue to go. 

But that's why I remain convinced in over 95% of cases I get a far superior "audiophile" experience at home.

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pablolie
18 posts
 

I should also note that I kept my first truly audiophile components, which I proudly procured as a young engineer around 1994. German speakers that cost about $5k in today’s money, and a Luxman LV integrated amp.
A few times, for fun, I have set them up and used a source with a 2010-ish edition DAC (Squeezebox Touch) to feed them... and honestly, if I had to, I could be quite happy with that. While any truly noticeable SQ improvement is awesome, the improvements have truly adhered to the law of diminishing results. At least IMO.

 

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