Happen to you? Gear chasing because the fundamentals were wrong.

@whart I'm still curious about horns/sets as a combo.

I have since discovered that small peaks (around 3 db) at certain frequencies, in the mid’s and low mid’s can add a richness to vocals and that certain dips in the mid’s can remove a hollowness from vocals that can show up from time to time.

The assumption of a flat response is a fundamental mistake I made, too. Your post reminded me that in addition to measuring a room and *not* worshipping a flat curve, it was also helpful to measure my hearing -- with an audiologist. I don't believe that measurement is the last word, but knowing the curve of one's hearing can help guide anyone adjusting the curve of their room. 

@hilde45

“knowing the curve of one’s hearing can help guide anyone adjusting the curve of their room.”

This is so true. It’s likely that many here are ladies and gentlemen of a certain age.

A quick web search reports almost 1 in 3 adults experience hearing loss between the ages of 65 and 74. Age fifty is another common loss point. After age 75, about half of all adults have trouble hearing. Men are twice as likely as women to lose some hearing.

Good hearing aids are tuned to boost hearing in the bandwidth(s) lacking. Talk about a fundamental component should/could well be yourself.

Good post...and should be read/considered by any guy buying audio gear/cables.

I guess for myself ...I found myself buying speaker cables to fix the up stream/power short comings.Ounce i got some of the mess "right power cables" figured out...even a "budget" pair of speaker cables sound descent...Fwiw.

Back in the seventies and eighties, I listened to my dealer and he never let me down. Now he’s moved to Florida and I am without a local dealer I trust, so now I do as much research as I can and have so far been happy with my purchases.

If I had to do it all over again past 45yrs in audio gear chasing, I would have started by stepping up a little more $ on higher quality and better matched sources and amplification [sooner]. Building my own speakers since the beginning, a few nicer source-players and amps along the way sure would have helped me to realize a few key things around sound and music much sooner. Once i did, my own speakers started to sing for the 1st time in a very nice way. Lesson learned late.

An old buddy pulled me in to listen to his new source and new tube amps once, it was game over. Learning from others who cycle gear and take detailed notes is helpful to get going in a better direction, sooner. The OP knows this too. :)