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How does one get off the merry-go-round?

I'm interested in hearing from or about music lovers who have dropped out of the audio "hobby." I don't mean you were content with your system for 6 weeks. I mean, you stood pat for a long time, or--even better--you downsized...maybe got rid of your separates and got an integrated.

(I suppose if you did this, you probably aren't reading these forums any more.)

If this sounds like a cry for help, well, I dunno. Not really. I'm just curious. My thoughts have been running to things like integrated amps and small equipment racks and whatnot even as I continue to experiment and upgrade with vigor (I'm taking the room correction plunge, for example.) Just want to hear what people have to say on the subject.

---dan
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mapman's avatar
mapman
22,088 posts
 
Manage expectations.

Be realistic.

Think about how you and your system will integrate with the room and acoustics. Get all that tuned in and optimized first before doing anything else.

For example if your room is more like a club than a symphony hall (as is the case for most of us) don't expect a recording of Mahler's 4th to sound like it did when you heard it live.

IF its a studio recording, realize the best you can do is reproduce what the producers intended. It doesn't matter what you think it should sound like. It is what it is, so accept that.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Very true. Another way to get off the merry-go-round is to avoid live acoustic venues, jazz in my case; otherwise you might think it is possible to recreate that live sound in your living room playing recordings of a live event if you only had the right speakers and dialectric on your cables - it does not happen. Audio can be a very pleasant and satisfying illusion, but live it is not (besides the electronic chain of the recording process,it would be very odd for a 6" midrange and 8" woofer to sound like a grand piano or a drummers kit.) When I lowered my expecations, I learned to live much more happily with my equipment.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
TBG, you are the one who appears to be lost on this thread. The thread is entitled: "How does one get off the merry-go-round?". If you enjoy riding the merry-go-round, by all means keep riding. Please don't admonish those that are trying to be helpful by supplying possible answers to the theme of this thread though.
It's like going into a bar and telling everyone there that you don't care to drink and that they shouldn't be ordering drinks either. Nobody appointed you to this duty.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Jmcgrogan2, sorry, but I don't want anyone to believe that others should always want to get off just because they do. Do use your analogy, I am saying that many here are going into the bar and saying "I don't drink anymore" and neither should you, because the bar owner is ripping people off.

I doubt if many are so affected, but I hate the self-appointed scam police.
rx8man's avatar
rx8man
1,480 posts
 
John, thanks for putting things in perspective, almost forgot this was a hobby.
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