Are audiophile products designed to initially impress then fatigue to make you upgrade?


If not why are many hardly using the systems they assembled, why are so many upgrading fairly new gear that’s fully working? Seems to me many are designed to impress reviewers, show-goers, short-term listeners, and on the sales floor but once in a home system, in the long run, they fatigue users fail to engage and make you feel something is missing so back you go with piles of cash.

128x128johnk

Yeah, I would say this thread has gotten kind of off topic. I know it's easy for it to devolve into a discussion about certain pieces of equipment or whatever, because after all that's part of the fun ... right?

But, I thought the OP's question that he posed when he started the thread was: why is it, that whenever I add a new (whatever) piece of equipment to my system, does it eventually leave me feeling un-engaged by my system ... and why does it leave me with a sense of fatigue after listening for long periods?

I would believe the answer is b/c the system you've put together is leaving you feeling those things.

Isn't that the nature of this discussion?

@tunefuldude 

I would believe the answer is b/c the system you've put together is leaving you feeling those things.

Good effort to get things back on track.  I would agree your answer may be one reason for the OP's observation. 

Could another reason be that the constant barrage of review press, forum threads by enthusiastic owners, manufacturer marketing releases, new tweaks, and "breakthrough" innovations has conditioned many audio enthusiasts to continually look for the next best thing and to continually question whether their system sounds as good as it should thereby putting them on a never-ending quest for the holy grail of audio systems?  All the factors I mentioned may make it hard for some audio enthusiasts to simply sit back and enjoy the music.

  I have no such issues I DIY most all my gear or I buy from very well-respected knowledgeable builders. But I do see you types living what I posted constant gear changes many complaints of not using systems or of listening fatigue. Many loudspeakers today are voiced to have an extended response in the upper ranges but are overly small and weak in mid-bass and bass. These require large power to produce a sense that there's a lower frequency which leads to thermal compression and listening fatigue maybe you recall the BBC would put a bump around 100hz to give the impression of bass. These types of loudspeakers will sound bright and clear at the shop thus attracting buyers. Many modern amps are also fairly bright and hard sounding toss this in with the over-bright extended upper range weak thin mid-bass and bass with a bump to make you think you have bass but once in a home, you will be left wondering why you don't make time to use such a system. Manufacturers know they need to grab the attention of reviewers show-goers and at demos. Why I posted what I did. 

My system has been more or less stable with these components for 25+ years, with the approach to configuration for 45+ years. 

https://www.theaudioatticvinylsundays.com/about

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