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Emotional rollercoaster

I think I've been slowly improving my system over years. Starting with garage sale finds and tip finds to eBay and ultimately spending serious dollars on some decent amplification and speakers. I was even going to post recently about how the journey has been worth it.
Then this afternoon I tested an old Akai AA-5200 that I'd retrieved from under my ex's house (left it there 8 or so years ago) and I connected it to some old magnat 10p speakers I picked up for about $40 ages ago.... and behold.... I was listening to about $60 of hi-fi equipment that sounded extraordinarily nice and made me wonder why I'd spent a hundred and fifty times that much "improving" my main system over the years. 
It's left me disillusioned and fragile. Is spending big bucks a sham. Where have I gone wrong. It's an emotional rollercoaster. Help.



mid-fi-crisis
cdamiller5
98 posts
 
Trust what YOU  actually hear and spend accordingly
baylinor's avatar
baylinor
1,407 posts
 
I am a newbie here, so my word won't carry much weight. But here it is. Upgrading is definitely worth it as long as you keep it within your budget. But starting with the listening room acoustics is the best way to go in my experience.  It took me to turn 65 to get serious about that and a year later my listening experience evolved immensely. It doesn't make much sense to upgrade the equipment if the room acoustics are bad. Too many people completely disregard that aspect in search of their ultimate sound. It will just lead to bad decisions and disappointment. The room acoustics are your foundation. Get that right and things will fall into place much easier.
p05129
496 posts
 
Glad you like the sound of your system. If you like what you have, stay away from audio forums, trade mags, and audio shows. I have a half dozen systems in my house ranging from an Apple HomePod, to home theater, an office system, and a dedicated audio room plus others. I enjoy them all, I also enjoy listening to my iPhone with an attached dac thru a nice set of headphones on a plane.But the quality of each corresponds to what you pay for each, meaning, there are big differences climbing the audio ladder So to speak. For example, my $1000 office system sounds pretty good especially for the price, but when I listen to my dedicated audio system that costs 40x more, it sounds 100x better, not even close in comparison. I have heard systems that I like better by a big margin but at a 4x or more the price of mine. When is enough enough?

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,180 posts
 
Good point that the room is the part of the system you have least control over so inevitably it’s always about putting the right setup in place for the room and no two rooms are exactly the same. 
noble100's avatar
noble100
2,419 posts
 

     Well said, baylinor!  I agree completely.

     You can either treat and control the room or let the untreated room control the sound.  You're correct, room treatments are as critical for good results just as a good, solid foundation is critical for a building.

Tim

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