Taking time (and time outs) to enjoy the ride...

I bring this up only because I had to sell all my gear after my divorce 17 years ago. Just within the last 2 years have I gotten back into Audio/HT. My current quest was to regain that "feeling" again. And only until very recently have I gotten it back, but it's taken 2 years and quite a few tweaks. But this whole time was spent just overanalyzing and searching and fretting. At the very least I knew where to start - Dynaudio. However the Excite's just didn't get me back there. So I tried Evoke - yes that got me much closer, and now adding a Schiit Bifrost 2 (and going back to cd listening) has brought back that feeling and the goosebumps. But for the past 2 years I have spent hundreds of hours listening not at all to the music but the system (and truth be told it sounded amazing but just didn't give me that feeling that I so vividly remember from 20 years ago). When truthfully I should have stopped overanalyzing and enjoyed the ride a bit more. It was always that 'what is wrong, why is this different'??? I don't know maybe 20 more hard years on my ears and a completely different house and environment may be factors:)..But reminders to always try and enjoy the journey (whatever journey it is), even the bumps is something for me at least, I need to make a conscience effort to do...That's why I so appreciated millercarbon posting that quote...

Achieve ’Excellent Enough’ then, if you can: ’Stop, Look, Listen’.

In Photography, we call it GAS, Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

Listen, find new musical content, and re-discover what’s on the shelf. Take photos.

I found and played Grace Slick, Great Society, (Conspicuous Only In It’s Absence) yesterday. This TT, Preamp, Amp, .... ’excellent enough’

Amazing how different/better by far it sounded. It never occurred to me while listening that it could be ’better’.

The strange separation, Grace hard left, was also readily revealed. I had to let that go, in cases like that it is best to get out of the listening spot, her voice, the songs and Darby Slick’s guitar is a real treat and happy trip down memory lane.

Shutting down the analytic part of your brain, is similar to the old days of LP’s on mediocre equipment, prior to CD. We trained our ears/brain to ignore hiss, pops, clicks, go with the flow, hear/feel the music. Many 'new to vinyl' people, never acquired those skills, any noise is much more disruptive to them than old dogs like me.

Lack of those noises, perfect forever, is why we went down the CD path. I had to re-create that ability when I went back to vinyl until I acquired good cleaning skills. Also, I was not aware of, or knew anyone who explained the difference of a properly aligned cartridge. Many non-audiophile visitors here have never heard great FM, great R2R tapes, or a properly set up TT.

I love excellent engineering, and imaging, particularly Jazz combos, but I realize, many recordings, if my brain searches for imaging, disappointedly, it is a wall to enjoying the talent, content, often brilliant even if poorly engineered. Same thing with Mono: best to get out of the listening spot, and as learned here recently, play Mono thru only one speaker. Skills learned, and un-learned.

One of the positive things about a hobby is that it asks for us to do things, to interact with things, problem solving and experimenting. That is not "nervosa" but engagement. The aspiration to lay back and just listen is a good one but humans are active beings. "Just enjoy the music" oversimplifies what human beings are. Sometimes restless nervousness is our disease -- but not always.

Yes, there is more to any hobby than the end result. 

I’m so new to this. Its been years since I sat or layed in front of the music just listening. For the past few months I’ve returned, but thanks to so many here, much better equipped than back in the day. I too find myself awakened by the music, stopped in my tracks, mesmerized by the wonder of it. I have now started listening well outside my former comfort zone trying music I never would have consider before. That is because of the equipment. But the equipment provides the stage, the mikes, the instruments.  The music is what I came for.  Which,  has already been said so well here, what it’s all about. I started my return with Hard Bop jazz, wonderful. But tonight it’s Yes', "Relayer" vinyl LP.   Incredible. Never thought I’d I ever say that.