Think it’s simple, the trick is not reading (or reacting to) most of the threads on this forum. Let’s be honest if your here there’s every chance you have a hi fi better than most. Best advice is to just listen to your music, it’s the reason you bought your gear in the first place.
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Surely part of being a human being is not being satisfied and pushing forward with things ? If not we would still be living in caves. Technology moves forward all the time so upgrading to get better (but not always clearly) kit is just natural progression, otherwise we not never have got CD/Streaming etc. As has been said though as long as you can afford to do it with disposable income and not get into debt for it why not ?
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From my experience, I would strongly disagree. Speakers have the greatest effect on the nature of the sound, in my experience.
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Alternatively you could do what some on here have done successfully - downgrade and simplify your system only to discover that it’s equally if not more enjoyable than what you had, this action in itself will dispel any upgraditis tendencies as ‘you’ve already been there done that’.
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In hindsight…
Before upgrading anything I would buy Fraim that help with reducing the vibrations from the speaker affecting the system and make considerable effort in getting cables off the floor and not touching each other.
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I think the best strategy is simply to try to enjoy the music. I often think of the quote attributed to Alan Parson (sound engineer on Pink Floyds DSOTM) ;
“ Music enthusiasts use their Hi-Fi system to listen to music.
Hi-Fi enthusiasts use music to listen to their Hi-Fi system.”
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I am in a really good place with my system - love the music, for me up grading over the years has reinforced the joy of a great album on what ever format is your choice
would agree that a number of comments I have read over the years seem to lead us to feel unless you have 552/500 there is always more - I just except that to be honest, do I feel short changed in anyway NO
there are a couple of upgrades I would like to do in time, but I am more than happy where I am now and the music just flows
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Agreed. For years I had an unbalanced system where the 252/SC/300 outclassed everything else by a big margin. I was always plotting and planning and scheming how to bring everything up to the same standard, but couldn’t afford it.
Last summer I traded it in towards my new head-fi set-up which is very well balanced. It’s all done now and I think I’ll just kick back and enjoy the system (hobby 1 - hi-fi) and the music.
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You are never going to read anything on here as earth-shattering as wife infidelity or the shame of owning a slow, ageing car.
Maybe try reading one or two other threads, but I think you are going to be disappointed.
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I think it was Sir Thomas Beecham who said: “the British may not like music, but they absolutely love the noise it makes”. I wonder if that applies to a many (most) hifi enthusiasts?
Roger
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Being content in life.
Having a wife who has recorded music helps, it’s a perfect reference, either she says, that’s how we played it or no that’s not it at all. For a good few years we have been in that happy situation were all was well but an upcoming house move has forced a sideways step to have speakers that sit against the rear wall. The new speakers weren’t quite for her right so upgrade to active and see how we get on. However the house move fell through last week so we may well end up back where we started
Although some people may qualify everything they say as to whether it is their own experience or otherwise the basis of what they say, in my observation it is most commonly the case on forums that people are presenting their own view or experience unless they cite a source, Declarations of something being their personal view or experience are infrequent because that generally is understood. This is especially the case with anything subjective, such as sound quality.
Regarding the effect of speakers on sound character, I know I am not alone in having made that observation on this forum, so mine is not an unique view. Have you raised similar objections to others expressing their view of, for example, “source first is always best” as an indisputable fact?
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Yes, I have said before that improving sound quality over the decades hasn’t made any difference to my enjoyment of music, it is just better - which is an odd concept.
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er, not for the pricing, no.
Having just sold some fairly new Naim gear (272, 250DR) I can attest to this being untrue…
To some extent maybe, otherwise there would never be progress in anything. And that pushing can and often does lead to downfall. But I disagree in terms of how we feel emotionally: some people indeed seem never to be satisfied - ‘the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence’ syndrome, but absolutely no way is that universal, or no marriages would last a lifetime and no hifi systems would last until component failure. What is perfectly possible - perhaps might be the norm though I have no measure on it - is to have dreams to have things that one doesn’t, e.g. thinking if I won the lottery I’d get or do X (even people who don’t ever do the lottery) - but in itself that is different from being dissatisfied with what one has or where one is in life.
Cognitive dissonance
Specifically “Post Purchase Cognitive Dissonance”, is an interesting area of human behaviour that also applies to this situation.
This phenomenon afflicts most types of high value and considered purchases.
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Indeed… the forums really are a double edged sword… you bring a large group of like minded people together, with some predisposition for OCD-ish behaviour and some money to spend, and over time you will slowly see them (us) infect each other with the idea that improvements are needed and necessary. It’s fun but also somewhat unhealthy without a good counterbalance.
I’m not convinced that the forums are a positive influence for Naim as a brand in the long run. I used to be really content with my setup, but the more time i spend here and am pointed towards flaws with the products and the brand by other well-intentioned owners, the more i feel a sense of dissatisfaction creeping in.
I’m not really sure yet how i feel about this. It’s not Naim’s fault really, no brand or product is perfect. It’s just a result of how niche online communities work in general, they’re rabbit holes.
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That’s great. I’d love to know what percentage of retail you got; whether it was a domestic sale; and whether you sold direct or through a Japanese dealer.
Go to a hifi show and hear mega expensive systems that sound worse than whatever you have at home. Go home and count your money!
A huge factor is the availability of pretty much unlimited music via streaming. I spend most of my time listening to new music rather than trying to squeeze the last drops of resolution from DSOTM and so avoid that permanent state of worry/mild dissatisfaction…
Another former multibox/floorstander owner now more than happy with a Nova.
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