Agree - I know of so many bands that only had one great album in them, and yes, this forum certainly serves up many wallet emptying upgrade suggestions.
I’m finished
Yes its true it is an expensive hobby. But when compared, one of my friend changes his snow mobile every 4 years, at 25k a piece plus repairs, equipments and improvements. Every hobby as a cost. I will not count what i spent in guitars, amps, pedals and studio equipments over the last 4 decades…its a question of balance.
Are you enjoying your music now? There will always be better/different kit to buy in the future but are you enjoying your music now?
Stop when you start to marvel at how good it sounds for the money you’ve spent so far! Everything above this comes at an increased cost, which is directly proportional to the reduction of SQ you think you will achieve.
If you’re very very lucky you’ll spend loads and still marvel at how great it sounds. If you are unlucky you will hanker for the system you once had that was unbelievably cheap and sounded so good. This is the path we hifi enthusiasts have to travel and, as they say, it the journey not the destination that matters!
Good luck.
I am very much, but from what I’ve read in here there’s at least 3 veils to be removed before I’m hearing it at it’s best
I agree but the idea is to choose a catalogue you are not totally familiar with. So you are not listening to familiar music that you are trying to get more out of. For instance, there is nothing that is not on Bowies legacy best of that I would want to revisit but the journey was worthwhile. Well maybe apart from the laughing gnome maybe
Just a thought, but I wonder how many people here have exactly the same system that they had 5 years ago?
Here’s a novel idea. How about you just buy yourself a nice system within your budget and then forget all about it and just use it?
Sounds simple. But for people like us almost impossible to achieve.
There are times when I sincerely wish I wasn’t an audiophile. How simple life would have been if back in the 70’s I had just bought myself a lovely Sony music centre and just enjoyed my records and tapes on it. Why me?
Mine is not, but over my hifi journey there were a few periods with no change in more than 5 years.
Thats the spirit!
I’ve been enjoying finishing my system for months
Best time of this life as I’ve come to the awareness some things can be done much cheaper than I thought.
Fact: managed to push back a costly digital source swap, right this morning.
Never been happier and sober…
until this afternoon when another brick in the wall hit my head.
You cannot resist, even though the psu brick really makes the most of what you have.
This time I really, believe me, hope not to be hooked.
Now
smile!
That absolutely nails it for me
Well said…
Is my system currently finished, well it’s been in place since July 2020 with the addition recently of a SACD/DAC player as I wanted to actually play my CD catalogue physically.
My previous system was in place for 5 years and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Did I have to move/upgrade, certainly not and I would still be enjoying it!
Opportunity came for me to change things and I did. Thankfully I have no regrets.
I actually only recently thought about auditioning different speakers, just to see what a difference sound signature would be like, but to be honest a few days later I actually panicked and became very nervous about disturbing the wonderful sound I already have in my living room.
So, maybe my system as-is might be finished.
I bought the bulk of my system - other than my three pairs of QUAD ESL57s - from Grahams in Islington 2000. Other than cartridges being replaced every few years, it has changed very little in the intervening years. I’m very happy with it, and there is no ‘upgrade’ that would obviously improve it.
I’ve discussed with @Gazza on numerous occasions. A friend of mine has a yacht, no idea what it cost, dry-docked and hull scrub every winter, and might use it 4x a year. So as I explain to him I use the hifi every day, hardly ever an exception.
When I finished work, I spent some time researching sailing boats, the cost is massive. Mooring alone 8kish per year, plus maintenance, berthing when you’re away. All above the cost of the boat maybe £60-£80k for a reasonably modern boat. I found a club who had a boat I could sail on and which means I can enjoy other things as well.
My finishing touches are the power cables, which are still a work in progress (it is surprising how much of a difference they make). I have pretty much done with the rest…hopefully!