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An unscientific poll: How often are you happy?

What percentage of the time do you just break out in a smile and thoroughly enjoy the music *and* the sound when you fire up your system? 10%? 50%? 99%? (The other times: you hear something wrong, something lacking, needs tweaking, needs upgrading, colorations, distortions, you hear a noise, a tube might be going, not musical enough, can't suspend your disbelief the way you want to, your expectations are disappointed, it doesn't sound like you remember the dealer's system did, doesn't sound like you remember your friend's system did, you made the wrong move with the last upgrade, you doubt the money you recently spent really made a difference, the recording is too flawed, you wonder what it would sound like if you changed this or that, you enjoyed it more in the car, you question whether you've truly got your priorities in perspective, etc...) Give your %, and list the approximate $ investment you have in the system (specify new or used valuation). Mine: happy about 15% of the time, valuation around $17,000 if all bought new. Conclusions - if any - drawn later...
zaikesman
bishopwill
369 posts
 
Detlof, didn't Walter Piston write a sonata for trombone and farting flautist?
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Dear Will, wouldn't know, but not be surprised at all: After all, nomen est omen, no?
(An afterthought: I feel really sorry for the unfortunate flautist, having to eat all those beans and onions with garlic before every performance and all that slavery to discipline the spincter! Just goes to show, composers can be bruthish beasts in their creative narcissism. The vita of Wagner comes to mind. Only Ludwig and Nietzsche didn't have to fart in helping to create the Gesamtkunstwerk, though in both cases those infamous flatus vocis did occur now and again.) Excuse me, must go get another bottle....Cin-cin, Detlof
nilthepill
842 posts
 
80% of the time I am happy and 20% of the time I have wondered about all the points you mention. My system could be better even after retail price worth $50000 give or take, but I am probably gonna call it a day untill some components break-down, besides law of diminishing return has already set in. In all I am very happy most of the time.
zaikesman OP
3,017 posts
 
(SLAP!!) Thanks Nil, we needed that...
sek
105 posts
 
I love/need the music. My $4500 2-channel audio system delivers recorded music just fine for me (and my budget). 99.95% of the time I'm responding directly to the recorded music, rather than to equipment issues, which I guess means (for the purpose of this poll) I'm happy about 99.95%.

Among the music that gives me joy are old low-fi Ellington and Parker recordings. So fidelity isn't everything, but it's sure nice if you can get it. And there's nothing like hearing music performed live.

I spend time at various audio and music websites and enjoy listening to music on some friends' higher end/priced systems. I've also appreciated the dramatic improvements in sound from the upgrades to my audio system that I've been able to make over the years. But it's my connection to the music that would probably make me "happy" over 90% of the time, even if I could only afford to get it via a "boombox".
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