After fifty years… amazing. What high end audio can be.

I’m 79 (but only look 78) and I’ve been interested in hi end audio since 1969.  I have progressed in spurts, however, not as a steady pursuit but as I head into retirement I went and splurged big time (for me). I now have my “forever system” with which I’m totally happy. The challenge now is to continue to get The Absolute Sound, attend Axpona  and check in with this forum and still resist the temptation to buy anything more.

Thank you all for your great comments. I am also happy to hear how many other folks are enjoying there system and living over 70.

The process has been incredibly enjoyable… one of discovery and ongoing enjoyment, what I like most in life.

I was privileged to be an exploration geologist for ten years. People actually paid me to, “go find x (mostly gold)… and said come back when you find it. Stay in the country.” That was pretty much my entire instructions. Stuff like that makes me come alive. Where to start, how, where to go…etc. High end audio is like that. You got to figure out where you want to go, where to start, how to get there. Unfortunately no one pays you to do it. Oh well.

For those of you nearing retirement or nearing 70… well, blink and you will be there. But you guys know that already. With age comes wisdom.

@ghdprentice Nice post, as always. My only next step is to get a better space such as yours.

Now at 75, having the best system I've had in 50 years, I couldn't be happier. All it took in the end was a few dollars spent for a quality line stage and that made all the difference.

Music is still such a joy to listen to, even at this age I'm getting more enjoyment  than I was a few short years ago.

Like the old saying goes, "don't worry, be happy".

Happy holidays,

Dan

@noromance

Thanks.

Yes, I was so lucky when relocating twenty years ago and running through this house. I noticed this was the perfect place to put my stereo. I wasn’t thinking about acoustics, just the space… so, quite by accident I stumbled on one of the best possible acoustical spaces… well, actually that my dealer has ever heard (he installs many +$200 K systems), so has more experience than I. Just luck. Over the years I figured out why it is so good… but I never would have known.

@islandmandan

Fantastic! When you retire and take your emphasis off of work / achievement it is great to reap the rewards of all the effort.

I am really glad to hear so many similar experiences. One of the reasons I enjoy posting is to help folks start off right and that high end audio can be really rewarding. But there is a steep learning curve and it is easy to get off on the wrong foot and head down a dead end. You can see them all over this site, denying the sound quality of great designs, high quality components, high end wires, or thinking that measurements are everything. etc.