What I wish I knew before starting my audiophile journey

1+@1971gto455ho @johnah5 @tannoy56 

I also joined the journey back into the hobby just about the same time shortly before Covid-19. I remember then encountering a fascinating story of willgolf's journeying all over the country in pursuit of his horn speakers.

His story became so intriguing to me that in a short time I decided to throw the cards away, and treat the purchase of my first $10 K pair of speakers just a few weeks earlier to be a sort of a mistaken transaction. No, not to get rid of them right away, but instead to keep them

Great write up! Very insightful and for what you’ve learned “constructively” in 3 short years is inspiring. I’ve been doing this almost 50 years and I feel in still “winging it” most of the time. Thanks. 

A factor in my audio journey is system synergy. At one point I had an Arcam amp paired with Paradigm speakers. It worked because the Arcam had a laid back presentation with the forward sounding Paradigms. They complemented each other. When I upgraded the speakers to some more refined Revels, no more synergy. Both components had a more laid back sound and the amp wasn't powerful enough for the inefficient speakers. So I eventually upgraded the amp to a Cambridge Audio with more power and a less laid back sound. Back to synergy. I will admit that all of this is very subjective and will be impacted by personal preference and all of the myriad of audio factors like room dynamics, source equipment, cables and in my case budget.

@chriszponder 

What horns did you buy and why do you consider them a mistake?

JH

Sorry for the split thread. It is too early in the morning, or else too late into the night.

But instead to keep them as a treasure to be discovered at a later time, while pursuing the wonder of this hobby on other fronts.

In the meantime I became so intoxicated with the possessive nature of this hobby that I almost killed my own son then 26, with ignorance while cancer devoured his body, and I was blind to see it coming.

Fast forward, and a happy one is that Paul has recovered thus far, and we are back into building our dedicated sound room.

In the meantime; however, I sacked half of my retirement fund and an equal amount in savings depleting it entirely in the process with two complete systems built around two sets of speakers, while sharing a rather frugal analog rig based on Pro-Ject X10 TT @ Herron Vtph-2A.

With that being said and upon listening to many of you respected members here on Audiogon, I realized early on that without a dedicated and properly treated sound room, there is no sense to unravel the bounty of over $ 120K in accumulated audio gear until the room is finished.

It has taken me already three years along with successively sacking my son's cancer, and it seems another year to go before I can hear a single note of sound. Until then the fruits of this effort remain unknown, but what I can say is that it was much easier to spurge $120 K on the audio gear than to tackle the sound room. The complexity and the multitude of aspects going into every square inch of surface (hidden and not) in a sound room is making me going nuts. Of course I am forced to go DIY since no savings left, and wife seriously pondering at taking an upper hand with my hobby and the door swung wide open. I guess this is just a collateral damage many of us are faced on regular basis. It is sort of like trying to keep the flame at the end of a candle stick going strong in the winter storm.

Since I am already at it while posting my only second time, may I please ask a question I was pondering at fore some time now and never had time to ask.

Will I have any need to use in my sound room / audio system / a PS Audio P20 Power Plant upon installing Equi=Tech 5WQ Balanced Power wall cabinet system? The Panel is coming in next week while the P20 is sitting in its own box since more than a year and a half, and I have not yet asked Paul about it. I have asked our friend @ mikelavigne who without knowing it got me going with Equi=Tech solutions through his two decades old Power thread, but for some reason I cannot get him to respond to my question.

Highly appreciate all of your members input.

Thanks, Chris.