Is it really the system?

Building my current system was a highly personal experience for me and I think to some degree I didn't want it to be over as I've been working on it practically daily for the past two years and it just feels like I'm letting a part of my life go now that I've stopped upgrading; it's the empty nest syndrome but without the children.

I've hung it up for the time being because (1) the system now has achieved the goal set for it (relatively accurate reproduction of music that allows me to both enjoy all types of music and when appropriate, evokes a proper emotional response); (2) to some degree, I've hit my personal point of diminishing returns where buying a new $20K electronic component is unlikely to significantly improve the performance of the system; and (3) while the process was very enlightening it's all for naught if I can't sit back, not think about components and experience the joy of music.

Dave_B here! I think (therefore I am...I think) this audio obsession is deeply rooted in Man's primal need to be creative, solve problems and to control his environment. In itself, this is not a bad thing. The problem is that most of us don't know when to stop and just enjoy the music..remember the music? FYI, spending less money more wisely and tweaking a system will always sound better than spending huge amounts of cash...expectations can ruin your perceptions. Sorry about the Duh comment on a previous post...nothing personal:)

Bar81 said it well, our point of diminishing returns will always be personal.

I will add that the point of diminishing returns changes with circumstances for many of us. I, for instance, went for decades with a $10,000 system, that was very stable and satisfying. A big part of the reality of that system was that I wasn't otherwise comfortable financially. I was not saving as much as I wanted and I went through several severe financial stessors, so it didn't make sense to spend more, to me. (I rationed my available budget toward software).

Since, moving to my current employment, my savings has been growing at an exponential rate, as has my compensation. In 2007 I started upgrading, finally getting the "full range" speakers that I'd desired for decades. That was followed by a first class TT system. My compensation continued to grow, so the amp, ICs and CDP all got upgraded.

My investment is now triple where I started, but it represents no threat at all to my family or retirement comfort. I'll be buying a larger home in 2009, moving out of an apartment, so there will be an upgrade to a larger speaker system, probably, but I really think that I'll keep the other equipment static. We'll see,...of course.

Some people will put a hirer priority on their system sooner than I did mine. That's ligitimate. The only fear is to avoid obsession that can lead to spending money that needs to be spent elsewhere for the family and security. If your audio spending eats seriously into your food, housing and retirement budgets, then you need to make some changes, IMHO.

Dave

Most people do not have a goal. How can you, unless you have a comprhensive knowledge of what to do and when to do it?

Here's a secret, most gear is pretty damn good. The problems arise from room accoustics, quality of electricity, vibration control, and inut/output impedence mismatches. A $20K system that properly addresses all these issues will out perform $20K in components that does not

This question has been asked many times, and it is a profound one. If you are a 'hobbyist' or 'gear hound' you very well might be a materialist. Music is spiritual, and the matter associated with it (the laws of physics for example) is usurped into its inner meaning if it is indeed understood to be spiritual. If not, then it is just stuff. Art ain't that simple, and audio is about the delivery and appreciation of an artform: beauty is the goal.

Therefore, IMO, the issue is how we view our quest for the sublime, not the trails blazed along the way. If our view is an act of wonder and awe, then that is the experience we get. If it is just a hobby, then that is what we get.

I place my vote for the transcendental act of sound allowing me to glimpse that which is beyond my mind's capacities. However I have sympathy for the hobbyist to an alarming extent.

Cheers,
Dave