Whoa, dude! Heavy! 😬
Older And Wiser or just Tighter and Deafer?
I’m 63. I’m not wealthy but I have a tolerant wife and I still love to pursue great sound. But I find myself increasingly reluctant to spend significant amounts on new gear. I know my hearing acuity is not as good as it used to be, but my love of music and good sound is not diminished. When considering a purchase, I find myself factoring in cost versus life expectancy (mine!) and auditory function. I’ll even have some guilt about spending my kid’s inheritance. Is something wrong with me?
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douglas_schroeder ... Thank you for that quote. I think you would really appreciate this person: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-HKetO89ik https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ7Q0uMLv1Y Frank |
For me the big moves are in the past. For the past ten years (I’m now 65), I’ve shifted mostly to DIY audio in order to side-step upgraditus-- by way of modifications that improve and extend the life of already excellent commercial components that have been in my system since the mid-2000s. The major exception has been upgrades to CPU audio-- a technology that continues to advance rapidly. After thirty-some years of systems evolution, it should certainly be reasonable to be near an end-point. I attend a couple of audio shows each year to remind myself that my system is close enough to SOTA. The virus has added further perspective on consumerism. When in my mid-40s and in an aggressive systems-building mode-- I recall a wise audio salesman describing the typical arc of many of his customers: constant equipment churn during the high income years between 40-50, followed by increasingly painful addictive purchases as income declines, followed by the big sell-off after penurious retirement or a postmortem fire sale by disinterested spouses or children. At this point in life I am shifting to projects that more fully involve family. Two-up motorcycling with the wife. Working with my son-in-law on a Renegade Hybrids LS3 V-8 conversion to a mid-’80s Lotus Turbo Esprit. When that car is finished it will be a gift to him. |
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