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Are all Audiophiles masocists?

My wife says my main hobby is collecting hobbies. She has a corollary to that realization which is, that I also tend to pick hobbies that I will never be happy with no matter how much I spend or how good I get at them. As an Audiophile she states my system is never good enough. I'm always upgrading. I believe we call that "Chasing the Dragon" if I'm not mistaken. She also says the same about several other of my hobbies such as... Golf (unlikely I'll ever shoot an 18), Cycling (a 4.5 hour century ride isn't fast enough), Drag Racing (Car runs mid 8's at 160mph in the 1/4 mile. Upgrades continue!) and there are others. So you get my drift.Is this just me or does the personality of the audiophile make us all just a bit masochistic?
bullitt5094
wsrrsw's avatar
wsrrsw
1,143 posts
 
"See you watching me like a hawk
I don't mind the way you talk
But if you touch me somethin's got to give
I live the life I love and I love the life I live

So if you see me and think I'm wrong
Don't worry 'bout me just let me go
My sweet life ain't nothing but a thrill
I live the life I love and I love the life I live

My diamond ring and my money, too
Tomorrow night these may belong to you
These girls move me at their will
I live the life I love and I love the life I live

I may bet a thousand on a bet this time
One minute later I can't cover your dime
Tomorrow night I might be over the hill
I just want you to know, baby, the way I feel

Oh, I'm rockin' when you pass me by
Don't talk about me because I could be high
Please forgive me if you will
I live the life I love and I love the life I live."

I love the life I live by Willie Dixon 
aubreybobb
87 posts
 
To answer the question it's almost certainly more pain than pleasure for me!

A jump has us thrilled. 

But how soon before the system is driving us nuts and we are only living for the next upgrade or tweak that will remove those little niggling things (that we weren't even aware of before the last upgrade) which are driving us crazy.  

Every true Audiophile I know is almost certainly certifiable.  😇😇😎

Net/net It's a toss up between OCD  and masochism. 
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
5,311 posts
 
After years of just work and family, I’m glad to have a hobby again.
The obsession factor helped pull me in and forced me to learn.
Now that my system is assembled, I’m turning toward expanding my listening.
Obsessing about hearing more and different music will, I hope, take the place of the "dragon chase" for better sound.

Because at this point, the sound is so good that I really don’t have a good reason to spend time the rig rather than the music.

When I start posting about problems with my rig, I'm sure to be called a hypocrite! I'll just quote Whitman at that point: "Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself (I am large, I contain multitudes)."
bluorion
487 posts
 
I think we all do this with other parts of our lives: we have a good job, we think of better jobs. We have a nice car, we think of getting a better car. We have a nice house, we want a bigger house, and so on. I'm perfectly happy with my little system but I like to experiment and try different things with it. It's a hobby. I also dabble with model trains and I'm always adding things, running new locos, new scenery. It's fun but I don't look at it as 'never being happy.' To me, it's just part of the hobby itself. As long as I'm having fun, its all good.
elliottbnewcombjr
5,862 posts
 
you poor .......

She's beautiful, right!

curious, what do/did you do for a living?
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