I need help with my Equipment addiction

I really don't like you Macdadtexas. It's taken years and I'm still not at the point of boredom because my system is so great that nothing more is needed. I haven't made it to audio nirvana yet. I've heard of others but not me and not my system.

I've said it before, if you're there, and your system is great, enjoy the music man! It's about the love of the music. That is all there is, is the music! The beauty of the music, the soul of the music, the heart of the music, the spirit of the music. Work on your music collection. Me, I want to get to the point where I can put in a disc and just get lost in the music. Have never reached that yet.

Macdadtexas, if you have money to burn then I suppose you can afford to burn and churn on the equipment merry-go-round. One way to stop the cycle is to go through a job loss or career loss and then the cycle will come to a grinding halt! Short of that, just be appreciative of what you have! Guys like you can buy as they please, I suppose. Some of the guys here are recession-proof and keep right on in the same old vein. Your pockets are deep. I guess we have plenty of professionals and entrepreneurs here. No, as long as you have money to spend it won't stop until you appreciate the special place you and your system are in. It really is all about the love of the music not the love of the equipment that delivers the music. It's the music.

Foster 9, that's a reality check. I do love the music, I don't know what the problem is with always wanting to change my system. I don't have a 'crazy' expensive system, I stay in the same league mostly for upgrades, so it's not killing me. It probably wouldn't sound perfect to anyone else but me, but to me right now it's about as good as I have ever heard. Also, I live in Houston, which is by far the cheapest US big city to live in. Modest house, and after living through energy bust of the '80's then the Enron meltdown I don't get financially over my ski's on anything, so don't hate on me, I'm not rich, just crazy.

I really do love to try new stuff though. But most of the time I end up disappointed. I tried about 10 different speakers after I bought my first pair of Maggie 3.6's, and the 3rd time I bought the same model speaker again I found that I really don't like the sound of any other speaker as much.

Same with amps. I tried many, many amps (thank you Audiogon) without spending much money before I settled on the Cary's I have now (for much less than some others I tried, thank you very much). I can't really try any others, although bi-amping could be interesting......

After many subs, I don't think I can improve (in my system) on the Rel B1 I finally bought.

I love my new turntable, although I loved my original Clearaudio Performance and stupidly tried about 4 others, none of which I liked as well, and 3 of which cost much more, before I bought the current model. Should have just kept the Clearaudio in the first place.

Tried many, many DAC's before I got the Bryston I have now, which I love. Won't get rid of that piece any time soon.

So that leaves me looking at my beloved Cary preamp with scorn and derision. Surely an ARC preamp/phono stage would be better, and bought used wouldn't cost that much more. Or possibly move up to the SLP05 Cary.

Man, I need help. What would I do if I get a new preamp and don't like it (I won't of course) then try another, and another, and another, until I find one I like.

Then what will I do??? If there is literlly nothing to else to upgrade buy???

I think I'm going to stop now, take a deep breath and buy some more records online. Good idea, thanks.

nearly all the real music lovers/collectors i know are not audiophiles, and could care less about what their equipment even is. they were born 'there'....to paraphrase mr. harrison, 'they've arrived without traveling'.

Until you reach the point that you try anything or hear any other system at a dealer and think "this is way worse than my current setup"...

Until you reach the point where you can put on a good recording like Maceo Parker "Made by Maceo" and sit back and enjoy what sounds just like live music...

Until you recognize that NOT every recording is going to sound real and that real sounding recordings are rare...

Until you realize that a good system is ONLY so that you can better hear the skill of the musicians as if they were there with you in the room..

Until you realize it is NOT about impressive bass or impressive anything...

Until you realize it is all about balance...