Perfectionist Audio

Onhwy61, "I just remember that at one point people just wanted good/better/best sound and I don't think the pursuit of perfection entered into the thinking. My memory could be faulty, but that's how I remember it."

That's how I remember it as well...

From what I see, this level of ridiculousness rose up when we audiophiles took to the internet, and met up in discussion forums such as this. At the same time, the B&M dealer model collapsed, and where we used to get advice on a simpler level, we shifted into chasing the craziest of things. Along the way, we sure spent a lot of money, and put extreme distances between ourselves and everyone else.

There is no such thing as perfect or absolute in audio, of course -- except when one says things like "I am perfectly happy with this sound" or "this is absolutely beautiful sound". Perfect and absolute, the adjectives, are merely concepts used for marketing purposes. If TAS is tired of being absolute then they may change to being perfect. It makes no difference.

Nonoise,
You stated, "There will always be another, we can only have one, at a time. We must be faithful to our choices lest we get distracted and loose site of the music." You hit the nail squarely on the head. Unless your personality is such that you are never satisfied and your wallet enables you to indulge your whims, there must come a point where only minor adjustments are left to be made -- unless you are like Csontos who has the time, money and desire to have multiple options in the picture on an ongoing basis.

Bottom line? Follow the Money.

I am NOMAD!

Recordings are imperfect. Audio gear is imperfect. Hearing is imperfect.

That which is imperfect must be sterilized!!!!

Sterilize imperfections! Sterilize......

Rumour is the Enterprise D holodeck had great sound. Still imperfect though. Nomad would have sterilized it if it had not already been destroyed in Star Trek "Generations".