If you had to start all over again in this day and age

The merry-go-round over the last 50+ years of multiple systems and upgrading, has gotten me to a point where I’m ‘almost’ completely satisfied with my sound. What I did not quite understand in those earlier years of changes, is that you have to find your sound first. That takes getting off your butt and listening, like going to shows and dealers before buying a damn thing. If you can’t hear the difference you’re probably lucky. Get something pretty at your price point and be done.

Patience, can be a bitch. I was too impulsive then. You know, when you have money to burn or you’re saving up hard for something specific from reviews or whatnot.

I am lucky to have finally found the sound that I love about ten years ago, and it doesn’t matter what others prefer as well. This doesn’t mean that I’m done. I still want to replace my line stage, because it’s not the best match for my other gear. So, I’m working to match the level of quality of my equipment to the sound that does it for me.

So, if I were to start over again, I would take the time to listen to all types of systems, find that sound, then go after it, and build upon it.
Kenny

Kenny: prophetic "if you can't hear the difference, you're probably lucky".
I've been cross country twice on motorcycles. Lost about 25%-30% of my hearing as a result of the constant cacophony of the exhaust even with muffed helmets. 
I no longer hear the nuance details in components as I used to. That might indeed be "lucky".

With the same amount of money, I will buy the same pieces of equipment and do the same control methods for the embeddings....Only more refined perhaps if I must recreated them, because now I have learned how to do it.... :)


I think that top Hi-Fi S.Q. is much more in the hand of the acoustician than in the hands of an electrical engineer...Not many people know really that,  and it is especially true if you dont have money to spend.... But it is true in all case....

It’s sooooo true that it’s important to find “your sound” right from the beginning as mentioned above. Before my upgrade I listened carefully to over two dozen speakers over six months to find what I liked. Not 5 minutes, ten minutes. Minimum of half hour to one hour each, over six month period. With the finalists probably at least 2-3 hours over several sessions with different electronics.

Figured out that a Spendor D series was what made my toes curl, and its all been fricken musical bliss since. Put the D7’s in my reference system and the D1’s in my bedroom!

Gonna give somewhat counter intuitive answer ;)

Have thoroughly enjoyed building two systems around a pair of freshly serviced Crown PS200 pro audio amps from the ’80s. Two different approaches, one with minimal processing inbound and an investment in good new towers and an REL sub. Went the opposite way on the other, with full 6U rack of modern inbound processing and vintage speakers I already owned from years ago....Cerwin Vega bookshelf units (!) and really warm little 60W Jensen powered sub. Roughly the same investment in both.

The "rat rod" system with only a streaming DAC input and the better newer speakers is the stronger one - wider sound stage and happier at higher volumes. But the processed input system through old speakers is very warm and rich at lower volumes and provides a nice backdrop for hanging out in our 1924 side gable bungalow cottage in the Maryland Mountains.

I enjoy them both. But I’ve learned from this that I am not a totally discerning listener, LOL. So if starting over, I confess to trusting PS Audio a lot from the enjoyable (if somewhat rambling) Ask Paul series. If starting over, I would buy the bottom, Sprout/Elan system and call it a day. Fun question, though!

https://www.psaudio.com/product-category/system/