Bill,
"Peregrinations", nice.
Wow, 17K in media. My first thought is, "Oh, man, what a system that could have bought!" I have mastered the Mediaphlie impulse, and it’s a good thing, because my budget won’t support both the love for the variety of systems and the desire to curate a prodigious collection of media. Kudos if you can pull off both! Well, more accurately, I have chosen not to support a large media collection in favor of pursuit of the variety of systems. I do, however, budget monthly and have reasonably built up the system over decades. Like you, it has been a labor of love and consistent progress. :)
Imo, variety is a function of one’s budget. It’s tougher to climb the ladder of sound quality - I see you have your ladder in place! - when allocating the funds across several potential systems. Budget audiophiles are particularly constrained in that endeavor.
The Audiophile Nervosa that I suffered was due to not building a high enough quality rig; it was a byproduct of my artificial budgetary constraints on the system, yet hearing significant shortcomings. I sensed that it was a result of my artificial ceiling on spending, too, but did not wish to admit it at that time. It was self-fulfilling nervosa! LOL
Then, when one gains higher end sensibility, it becomes even harder to scratch the itch for variety because every form of system has to be of the same caliber! Consequently, two variables, both potentially impinging upon the wallet, are in play (But, I like a self-imposed challenge)! :)
In several respects, the quest for variety has been a quest for audiophile truths, and a test for myself to see how far I can progress within my budgetary constraints. I suspect that is a latent variable in most participants’ activity here. For several years I have kept a system diary wherein I meticulously note the systems so that I can return to the reference for any speaker. It also ensures progress, as I can return to the actual previous reference for comparison. My flavor of listening is actually a fair bit of physical work, as I am often moving speakers, amps, etc. It’s not a couch-potato experience. I’m not active enough to replace workouts, but perhaps switching speakers means a minute or two less on the elliptical. Really, that’s the only reason I do it, for exercise. ;)
"Peregrinations", nice.
Wow, 17K in media. My first thought is, "Oh, man, what a system that could have bought!" I have mastered the Mediaphlie impulse, and it’s a good thing, because my budget won’t support both the love for the variety of systems and the desire to curate a prodigious collection of media. Kudos if you can pull off both! Well, more accurately, I have chosen not to support a large media collection in favor of pursuit of the variety of systems. I do, however, budget monthly and have reasonably built up the system over decades. Like you, it has been a labor of love and consistent progress. :)
Imo, variety is a function of one’s budget. It’s tougher to climb the ladder of sound quality - I see you have your ladder in place! - when allocating the funds across several potential systems. Budget audiophiles are particularly constrained in that endeavor.
The Audiophile Nervosa that I suffered was due to not building a high enough quality rig; it was a byproduct of my artificial budgetary constraints on the system, yet hearing significant shortcomings. I sensed that it was a result of my artificial ceiling on spending, too, but did not wish to admit it at that time. It was self-fulfilling nervosa! LOL
Then, when one gains higher end sensibility, it becomes even harder to scratch the itch for variety because every form of system has to be of the same caliber! Consequently, two variables, both potentially impinging upon the wallet, are in play (But, I like a self-imposed challenge)! :)
In several respects, the quest for variety has been a quest for audiophile truths, and a test for myself to see how far I can progress within my budgetary constraints. I suspect that is a latent variable in most participants’ activity here. For several years I have kept a system diary wherein I meticulously note the systems so that I can return to the reference for any speaker. It also ensures progress, as I can return to the actual previous reference for comparison. My flavor of listening is actually a fair bit of physical work, as I am often moving speakers, amps, etc. It’s not a couch-potato experience. I’m not active enough to replace workouts, but perhaps switching speakers means a minute or two less on the elliptical. Really, that’s the only reason I do it, for exercise. ;)