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The awakening...

For the past 30 years or so I've considered myself a die-hard audiophile.
I've gone through similar phases and opinions like most of you probably have.
I've bought and sold many dozens (if not hundreds) of high end components and cables.
Audio research, Linn, audionote, ensemble, synergistic, Zu Audio, PS Audio, Yamamoto, modwright, REL, Klipsch, hafler, CJ, coincident, classe, anthem,  oppo, MIT, and many other brands I don't even remember. I've auditioned hundreds more...
I'm also an electronic technician so I had my share of experience with DIY.
I've gone from tubes and vinyl to digital and SS, and back around.
I've owned mini monitors and huge 6' Giants and everything in between.
I've heard the most minute differences in sound quality between cables and footers.
I've spent way too many dollars on fuses, tweaks and furniture.
I read reviews, and swore by specific brands.
I've put together systems which I was sure we're the best ever and defended my choices with a passion.

No more.

I'm sitting here right now in my (ex) music room, listening to a system that costs less than $350 total, and enjoying the music as I rarely did with my recent $30K one.
Does it sound as good and realistic as the $30K one? No it doesn't.
But it sounds damn good. It's musical, engaging, full bodied with a well established sound stage, good detail and tonality, well paced, and I'm having a blast!!!
I just don't care no more for the minute differences in sound quality.
There is no end to it.

I let go, and oh man it feels good to enjoy music without constantly analyzing and subconsciously looking for imperfection or thinking how much better it will sound with tweak X or cable Y or upgrade Z...
This tiny $350 system delivers 80% of the sound quality of the $30K one, and honestly probably better than many $5K ones out there. I mean it...
It doesn't make any sense no more!

I have no regrets ...
I've had a lot of fun and I met amazing people that I wouldn't have had I not been an audiophile.
I've experienced great uplifting monents and great disappointments.
I've laughed and cried, was blown away and frustrated... It was a great ride.

I am leaving this hobby behind and not looking back...
Damn it feels good.
I'll keep enjoying great music and HiFi sound, and will appreciate high quality equipment, but I won't be obsessed with it no more.
I still have a very nice system in my living room which is probably worth around $2K and will be more than I'll ever need going forward.
This amazing little $350 system is going to my office where I spend most of my week days and I'm excited about it...

I have woken up from the audiophile dream, and what has been seen can't be unseen.

Goodbye and thanks for the fish :-)

PS:
Since I know you are very curious, the $350 system consists of a Raspberry Pi as a streamer ($25) with an upgraded DAC ($60), an upgraded power supply ($50), a 20 watt Chinese digital power amplifier ($70), mini monitor speakers I bought as a kit ($100), DIY stands from leftover lumber ($20), and around $20 in cables...
I intentionally omit brand names, this post is not about recommending any specific item. It's about what amazing value you can get for ridiculously cheap these days in general.

I promise each and every one of you that if you were sitting in my seat right now, and I would have told you that you are listening to a $5K system, you would not have doubted it for a second. You are probably thinking that I'm crazy, but I am not. 
I've already tried this trick on a few very experienced audiophile friends this past week. :-)
128x128ami
ami's avatar
ami OP
63 posts
 
Thanks @michaelgreenaudio :-)

@mechans: You may be right, but I highly doubt it.
~15 years ago I had a different kind of awakening - I realized in a single instant that the meat and dairy I was happily eating causes unbelievable suffering to helpless sentient beings, damages my health, and contributes to the destruction of our planet. From that day on, I never consumed any animal product. Just the thought of eating a corpse makes me wretch, and I had my fair share of steaks before that.
I can't imagine any way that will ever change.

@condosound: Yes, it was paid for. but reality forced me to repurpose my dedicated music room, and my main system was not a good match for my much larger living room.
I used a flea power 1.5 WPC Yamamoto amp with Zu Druids.
I do like to rock the house occasionally, a task that my living room system with its 400 WPC Hypex NCore monoblocks is much more appropriate for. I put together the tiny $350 system for laughs, placed it in the same room that is about to be repurposed, and that actually triggered this realization for me.

@jafreeman: LOL... I'm in !!!
elrod
251 posts
 
Good for you! It's all about the music, not the gear. If your satisfied with the sound you have, that's all that matters.

My current system is probably worth 15-20k  For all intensive purposes, I'm done. I figure my old ears can only hear so much improvement, which in a way is a blessing...
oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa
4,867 posts
 
Obsessions are a way of life for a lot of us. Human's have an innate bent for addictions. Mine ranged from work, career, fast cars, racing motorcycles in the desert, judo, cycling (road bikes), gym-going, with the longest lasting being the audio hobby.  Now that I'm not just entering the glide path, but running out of runway, I find a lot of comfort in just tweaking the system and listening to beautiful music. 

To paraprase Paul Simon ... Still record collecting after all these years. 

Frank
Post removed 
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
When my father in laws Fischer finally died I said let me take care of that. Got him some nice bookshelf speakers, 5-disc changer, integrated amp, speaker cables, interconnects, power cords and Cones for everything, all properly budgeted, grand total $1200. Then to make sure it all sounded good, and because it was all new and needed to burn-in, I borrowed some speaker stands and set it all up on one wall of my listening room.

So I know where the OP is coming from. Because this little system was captivating. Night after night as it was breaking in I found myself coming home a lot more excited to be listening to this than to my system! Of course when I did listen to my system it was no contest. Let's not get too carried away here. Honestly though it crossed my mind many times how happy I could be with just the little system.

Well, and the 911 I could then be driving. But that has nothing to do with it. Honest.
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