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One year anniversary -what have I learned?

Its been a little over a year since I joined Audiogon. Time to reflect. Wow, first thing is that I never imagined how much fun I would have or how often I would check the site (few times a day). It has been very enriching to join such a helpful and knowledgable community. I have learned: Trust your ears but have a reference in live music and quality systems. That there are tangled forests of opinion on cables and vibration control. That passion for music does not correlate with pocketbook, but wisely spent money (used equipment)helps actualize the dream. That the listening room itself is highly important. That there are benefits in both vinyl and CD, tubes and SS. That some of the biggest delight has been from listening to music recommended by members. That I have tons more to learn. Thank you all for creating this community.
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dawgfish
157 posts
 
Not to point fingers at others on this site or elsewhere, but one thing I've concluded is that I may be searching for a different Grail than many others who frequent this and similar sites. I find it telling that there are typically 4x the number of posts on preamps/amps than on music here. My priorities are about 180 degrees from that.

From my standpoint, it's all about the music. I'd rather invest enough to get a system that allows me to enjoy music, and not much more. This means trying to stay off the constant upgrade path. Others seem to revel in what I call "catch and release" shopping -- buy one item, but it's back in the pool before the ink on the credit card receipt is even dry.

Sure, I'd love to play with the "high priced spread," but I'm also OK if my rig is only x% of SOTA, as long as it allows me to close my eyes and let the music wash over me. And while it's not just the economics, the money saved allows me to sample a wider array of artists and recordings in hope that I'll find additional interesting gems here and there that really move me.

Of course, when I win the lottery or my long-lost but fabulously wealthy Aunt Edna kicks the bucket, all bets are off... :-)

Happy Listening.
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swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
Good luck Dawg, but I hear Edna is running marathons at age 80!!!
timrhu
2,779 posts
 
Interesting idea for a thread. What I've learned after a few years with Audiogon is how little interested I am in owning super high $$ equipment. Also not interested in constantly swapping cables to find that last little nuance. Much like Dawgfish said, finding a system that is musically satisfying is what I'm after.
I tend to focus my attention on three types of threads now. First are the music oriented threads where I've found some wonderful sites to buy new music I'd never have found (cdbaby.com, red house records come to mind right now). Second are the threads asking for DIY technical advice. I make my living as an electronics technician and can offer sound advice on soldering tips and the like. Lastly, and usually most interesting are the philosophical threads such as this one.
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