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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.

128x128audiodidact
audiodidact's avatar
audiodidact OP
79 posts
 

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

grislybutter
2,994 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
79 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.  

mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 

You have to start somewhere and you have to have a target to shoot for. You take evolutionary steps. I'm 70 and just getting there.....I think.

coralkong's avatar
coralkong
650 posts
 

Disillusionment can be costly. And once you know, you know.

Everything in audio is a trade-off. Everything.

Quality costs money. Usually LOTS of money. 

Discipline is knowing your equipment is the best you can do, and being happy with that.

IOW, almost everyone has to learn to be happy with "good enough".

 

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