Can an “audiophile” ever be satisfied with a system?

Everyone has their own agenda. It's fun when you figure out what excites you about the hobby. 

hilde45, I think the variety come with the genre of music not the equipment. Good enough? This concept is probably right. Once you are into the really expensive gear you evaluate it based on whatever criteria you have in mind. For instance the very best turntable which meets all of my criteria is the Dohmann Helix. For me there is no better turntable not that a better one is not possible. That would make the Helix "good enough." Once your entire system is "good enough" are you finished"

Yes, then NO, then sometimes, and back to Yes... Most of the time I'm a happy camper...

Regards

Sometimes the quest for perfection spoils excellence.

@rvpiano,

’So, I believe it all comes down to your mental state, rather than the quality of your equipment. If you’re bored you look for something new, whether it warrants it or not. In other words, you create a problem where there isn’t any. That’s the nature of “ audiophilia.” 


I would tend to agree.

One half, the fun half of the journey is discovering what you want, and then finding it. The other half is often a problem of obsession that’s self created.

’Comparison is the thief of joy’ (Teddy Roosevelt) is one troubling quote that I recently can’t quite get out of my head.

Is life really like that scene out of ’Oliver’ where Fagin trips and watches as the contents of his jewel box slowly disappear into the muddy waters?

All about getting, but never fully enjoying?

Might be worth remembering that most audiophiles already have systems far superior to what the other 99% of the world’s population are using.

Perhaps a satisfied audiophile is really a contradiction in terms? With so much to love about this hobby, perhaps it’s also a difficult question to fully answer.

If we ever do.