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

Over the years I've gone ro a few shows, never got home and felt my system lagged too far behind anything I've listened to at those shows. My main system. 

Magnepan 20.1 

Classe CAM350's 

Bottlehead Foreplay 

Rega CD Player 

 

@audioaddict 

As Morpheus says in the Matrix, “You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland. And I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” Neo takes the red pill and wakes up in the real world.

Unfortunately, there is no blue pill available, only reds.

I know your whole world has been turned inside out and you are in a maelstrom of self doubt and disillusionment, but do not despair. Time is the great healer and your memories of audio nirvana will fade and harmony will be restored.

But just in case, I think a new set of speakers might be required.

 

My two cents is that the OP has plenty of fine gear but could probably use to put in substantial efforts to optimize the system:

---Doesn’t look like the speakers are optimally placed. For one thing that is a lot of  toe in for Maggies. They may not be the best match for the room but first try some optimization techniques.

---No subwoofer - a lot of the slam can be had by one, or better 2 to 4, subwoofers. I would recommend a couple of RELs.

---Acoustics don’t look optimized - floor reflections, reflections from that big TV between the speakers, no acoustic treatments.

---Once the room and the system is optimized, only then can you even analyze the synergy between components.

Bottom line...a good sounding system takes work, not money. Just look at the high cost systems at shows, set up hastily in less than optimal rooms, that don’t sound any better than a $800 home system.

It’s a long journey. Spending money can accelerate the process, but also accelerate waste. Take it slow on the money side...tweak, move, listen, repeat.

Hey!

I didn’t read all the posts, but, I don’t need to!

Don’t worry about components and ultimate sound. 
You got Thelonious in your soul- he will take you to the cosmos and beyond. 

Learn to live with what you have.  But really, how much of this uber exotic stuff do they sell?  An acquaintance of mind just recently took possession of a Ypsilon CDT-100 CD player.   They're built to order and took him eight months to receive.  It's nice to look at all that great hardware but does nothing to get newbies interested in audio anymore.  Yes, I dig a top end Esoteric SACD system but am more than happy with their entry player.