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The Horror

After getting  back home from “The Show” in Costa Mesa, California this past weekend, I walked over to my stereo system and turned it on. And silently wept. I had held out a feint hope that my cross-over modified 1.7i Maggies and mighty Parasound A21+, fed from a Prima Luna 300 tube preamplifier could somehow manage a slight shimmer of resemblance to the robust setups I witnessed at the SHOW. Not—- on— your —-life. Not even close. I slumped into my over-stuffed couch and stared long and hard at the thing I created: an anemic concoction of false hopes and wishful thinking. The horror, the truth: entry into serious audiophile listening begins with purchase of speakers that cost the price of the car I had to finance for 4 years, closely followed with the added expense of beefy sophisticated electronics and wiring, not a gaggle of cheap wanna-be plastic and tweeks. I so wanted to belong, but that’s turned out to be just a fever dream I’ve got to wake up from. Maybe one day, if ever I have the nerve to rob a bank, find Jimmy Hoffa, or survive a head-on collision from a sleepy Amazon driver, I might make it. Maybe. Feel free to play the violin with two fingers.

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grislybutter
3,028 posts
 

I did not really understand your post. Your system costs 5 times what I spent on mine. I don't think I will ever have half your budget and I think mine sounds absolutely amazing and riveting. I guess we have very different perspectives.

audiodidact's avatar
audiodidact OP
81 posts
 

@grislybutter 

Yes, you’re absolutely spot on, it’s all relative in the end.  I  had, at one time, an even  more modest system. It sounded good.  But I kept reaching and I cobbled together my funds, swapping-out gear, used good tweaks, and all the other things we do to reach the next level, and then, I reached it.  My music was sounding so good.  I loved it.  I was truly happy.  And that’s the shape I was in when I arrived at the SHOW.  Boom.

audiodidact's avatar
audiodidact OP
81 posts
 

Don’t want to be downer.  Just don’t want to fool myself anymore.

grislybutter
3,028 posts
 

I understand, I have seen and heard expensive systems and I can imagine owning and enjoying them. (I probably couldn't hear the difference between a 50K and a 150K system but it would look nice in my living room)

I just realized it’s a very addictive hobby and the price to enjoyment relationship is not linear. Unhappiness to obsessing about what I can’t have is exponential - to me. So one day I stopped watching online reviews and gave up on big upgrade plans. It never stopped me from enjoying the music.

audiodidact's avatar
audiodidact OP
81 posts
 

@grislybutter

Well said. It hit me hard, I can’t lie, the feeling of being so foolish as to believe my inexpensive panels could rival those monstrously engineered speakers and boxes that only the rich can patronize. Well, at least I know now. I’m free of the delusion. It’s time to take a breath, and, in time, see where to go from here. You’re right about it being about the music.  

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