The Psychology of Constant (Equipment) Change


Anybody have an answer?

I have a decent selection of preamps, amps, integrateds and speakers to choose from and I find myself swapping out gear constantly.  And it's not because anything sounds bad.  Quite contrary, really.

After most swapping sessions, I'm generally really satisfied and quite enjoy the sound quality.  But within a few weeks I'm swapping stuff out again.

What would be the diagnosis for my condition?

 

128x128audiodwebe

To quote Bill Murray in STRIPES..."There is something wrong with you.  Something very, very wrong with you!"  I just picked up a D'Agostino amp from a gentleman who had a gorgeous system -VAC tube set up, Von Schweikert reference speakers.  It sounded even better than it looked.  He had bought the Momentum for a back-up amp.  We chatted about all of the excess equipment we had and how we'd like to get rid of some of it.  I still have my gear from college in my basement - adcom, NAD, Magnepan.  And it all works great.  The only item that died after 30 yrs was my Velodyne subwoofer.  I had four hours to drive home and started thinking "What is the deal ?  Why do we do it ? Is it OCD - striving for perfection ? It is clear I'm not the only one.  There is a fine line between being an audiophile (or any type of collector) and being completely nuts and I'm teetering that line.

The cures are to only buy when there is a significant audible difference in sound quality that you can verify in your home audio system. Spend more time listening to larger variety of music.  Gift replaced equipment to those just starting out. 

ahuvia

if you're interested in these issues you might enjoy my book The Things We Love: How Our Passions Connect Us and Make Us Who We Are. It's widely available ...

I've just reserved your book through my local library. It looks fascinating! Thanks for sharing @ahuvia.

it is about having fun, enjoyment, fulfillment

big part of being happy in life is figuring out what makes oneself happy