2. speakers
  3. 175053-9627

Law of Accelerated Returns

I think back over the many decades of pursuing high end audio and I realize some of the most inspirational were listening to state of the art systems. Systems I could never dream of affording. I occasionally would get up early and drive the two hours to Phoenix in hopes of finding no one listening to the state of the art system in “the big room” at one of the four or five high end audio stores there in the early ‘90’s.

One such time I was able to spend over an hour with the most amazing system I have ever heard: Wilson WAAM BAMM (or something like that… all Rowland electronics, Transparent interconnects). The system cost about over $.5 million… now, over a million… although I am sure it is even better (I can’t imagine how)..

 

But listening to that system was so mind blowing… so much better than anything I could conceive of, it just completely changed my expectation of what a system could be. It was orders of magnitude better than anything I had heard.

 

Interestingly, as impressed as I was… I did not want “that” sound, as much as I appreciated it. It still expanded my horizon as to what is possible. That is really important, as it is really easy to make judgments on what you have heard and not realize the possibilities… like never having left the small town in Kansas (no offense).

I keep reading these posts about diminishing returns. That isn’t the way it works. I recently read an article by Robert Harley in The Absolute Sound called the Law of Accelerated Returns that captures the concept perfectly. March 2022 issue. The possibilities in high end audio is incredible. Everyone interested in it in any way deserves to hear what is possible. It is mind expanding. 

 

 

ghdprentice
holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

@thyname me too sir!
(Have a great evening.)

jerryg123's avatar
jerryg123
3,429 posts
 

It's all subjective. Enjoy what you have and envy is not worn well.

One mans garbage is another mans gold.

If I die tomorrow I will die a happy content man.

Remember it is about the music not the trappings, at least in my world.

audition__audio
1,483 posts
 

You dont know what you are missing until you have heard an extraordinary system. Only at that point do you have a frame of reference. 

 

When the trappings are the best it becomes even more about the music. I dont understand the need of some to differentiate and then attempt to ascribe purchase motivations.

 

Wanting something better is not envy. Being bitter that others have better equipment is. Worse still is attempting to diminish those that spend more than you think is acceptable and attaching some sort of moral imperative to the action.

 

 

jerryg123's avatar
jerryg123
3,429 posts
 

Reference my trappings cost $45k.

Once again this goes over ones head and between their knees.

Thinking OCD Mikey is right....

steveashe's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
steveashe
113 posts
 

It's all subjective. Enjoy what you have and envy is not worn well.

One mans garbage is another mans gold.

If I die tomorrow I will die a happy content man.

Remember it is about the music not the trappings, at least in my world.

You are right on jerryg123! 

What an insane idea, applying "the law of accelerated returns" to the reproduction of music in the home.  Without context.  I have heard many, many systems over the past 40 years (more but I'm embarrassed to admit it :-)) and each one sounded great in it's own way.  They were/are great because the owner cared deeply about music.  Some were super expensive and some were modest.  

I hope newbies to this hobby understand that you simply don't have to spend a fortune to achieve fantastic sound.  It's still all about the music.  Who cares about the last 1%.  

More to discover