If there’s an audiophile exit ramp, this ain’t it…


Audiogon and the audio press, I mean. I finally have the system I was aiming for and had imagined for my future, as conjured from the cryptic pages of stereophile etc. — incredible transparency, scale, and ‘realness’ — but whenever I’m drawn to these sites/pages, as I have been for two years, I am confronted again with doubt and a vague longing for ‘perfection’ in a new purchase. I just want to enjoy the music.

Im ready for the audiophile exit ramp, and this ain’t it…
redwoodaudio
any pursuit can be taken over the top, one needs to measure, based on one’s own internal compass, what is a positive amount of passion versus what is too much

one also needs self awareness, introspection and self-honesty about whether you are really made happy by the experience of ’chasing’ the next good feeling, and/or whether the continuing chase is counterproductive to other life priorities

that said, i have found over time that it is good to have multiple hobbies and pursuits, and good to take some time and space away from any particular one, so that when you reconnect with that activity it brings good feelings and confirms why you loved it so much in the first place
That is the hidden trap that to many step in. They love the music then read some articles that talk about depth width sound stage timber bass and on and on. They soon stop loving the music and start dating their system. Only to realize that when they were in love with the music it was as loyal as their dog that never questioned them and was always at the door to great them. The new love called system is the girl friend who is always late demanding critical and looking to get a new tattoo every month. Break up with system, go back to your first love music and ask for forgiveness music is vary forgiving and nonjudgemental!

It looks like your speakers are pretty new how are you liking them? That Absolare integrated is supposed to be pretty killer and great reviews does it drive the Graham's well? You seem to have tweaked your system pretty well already. What I''m getting at is by any estimation you have a great system. A lot of times there isn't better there's just different. Buy some new music or go back and listen to some long ago old favorites see how great they sound on your great system.
Enjoy the music. If it sounds bad* (you don’t enjoy music you normally enjoy) then change the music. 
 If everything sounds bad, invite some audiophile friends over, and assess the system- what might need to change? Your friends can help. Maybe they have some equipment you can try?
 It’s part of the hobby.  *search for a better recording-record, CD, etc. Shouldn’t cost too much money, but, it’s lots of fun.  Enjoy what you got. 
My off-ramp was to get off where I began! I am completely convinced that audio satisfaction is a state of mind, not material, each one of us holding a different set of qualifiers.

In my case, terminal satisfaction arose when I purchased (at age 68) the first good audio system I ever heard at age 16: original Quad II amps, ls3/5a speakers, passive controller. The story ended where it began. Obviously, my audio taste, both aurally and aesthetically was formed 52 years ago. I enjoy the look, sound, feel and machine-love of these components so much. In the intervening years I've owned modern, high end, new technology, more resolving, more transparent, more impressive 'everything', but it all led me back to the beginning. To be honest, with the right kind of self-reflection, I could have figured out what would be my best choices years ago. I didn't have the self-awareness. I, like so many, swapped components willfully, but somewhat blindly, ever reaching for I don't know what.