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The 5 stages of making a bad audio purchase

This is tongue in cheek people, so let’s keep the replies light shall we?
The 5 Stages of Making a Bad Audio Purchase:

1. Denial: "My system, which before was of course totally awesome, is now totally awesomer! The sound stage isn’t just 3 dimensional any more, it is 4 dimensional. I can feel fingers sliding across guitar strings, drums are like my head is against the snare, and the bass goes 10hz lower ...."

2. Anger: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T BELIEVE MY SYSTEM WENT FROM AWESOME TO AWESOMER!!!. You obviously have a crap system, your ears are crap, you are just jealous."

3. Bargaining: "Hey, this gadget will make your already awesome system totally awesomer! 60% of MFR list is a great deal for it! That’s 40% off and you don’t even have to pay tax. I am only selling it because I am upgrading to the even awesomer version 2. My loss is your gain."

4. Depression: "I can’t believe I spent $5,000 on this thing ....."

5. Acceptance: "Sure, 75% off list is fair."
atdavid
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Could be. Likely, maybe even. Me, I see it as a joke. On who? That is the question.
atdavid OP
736 posts
 
I am big enough to admit in 30+ years of being an "audiophile" / music lover I have made purchases I have regretted even after having auditioned them.
br3098
969 posts
 
All above true.

After 61 years on this earth and being a toy guy, my postulate is wanting is *almost* always better than having.  I have found this to be true for audio gear, cameras, boats, airplanes, motorcycles and women.

YMMV

tom6897's avatar
tom6897
1,484 posts
 
Put me in with the “wine guy’s “ but more typically bourbon or scotch 🥃. As long as the music is good and well recorded I have found myself pretty happy even on a modest system. (ie < $2500). System matching is critical.  Cheers! 
asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
4,319 posts
 
*wry L*

@br3098 , how terribly true.  After 68 years on this ignoble coil, I finally learned to show some restraint....mostly. ;)

The bulk of what I own is 'previously owned'; some has been selected for what 'it' can do 'for me' in pursuit of my 'goals'.  Acceptance of my advancing age at an earlier point in time, I stopped pursuing the 'latest & greatest' new 'this 'n that'...

'Once upon a time', self and spouse enjoyed the '3rd member of the household', a pleasant batch of items that while not 'bleeding edge' was superior to *mmm* +/- 90% of what our peers owned.

It got left behind us, due to 'changes', self-imposed.  Some good; some not so much.  Such is life and what one does with it.

Since then, the equipment offered to us 'consumers' has evolved to perform beyond what we had then for a lot less $.  Meanwhile, we've devolved to some degree as well.  But, I couldn't hear a dog whistle then, either.

I don't pursue what I listen to with the intent of impressing Anyone with What it is, nor how 'advanced' it's touted to be by Anyone.

My spouse is happy when I am.  I'm lucky that way. *S*

(She prefers the Maggies'...but agrees that the amt's blow them away in some respects. *L*  Prefers 'simplicity' over 'absolute perfection', which I can relate to...).

At the end of the day:
Do what you like.
The pursuit of the 'diminishing number' (i.e., .0000...01 thd @  'X') will always exist and continue.
If it makes you smile, it can't be bad.
(Until you discern it don't...*L*)
Make it FUN.
Peace, y'all.
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