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Are we ever happy with what we have got

Most people are happy with mid-fi, and know you can spend ridiculous sums and still not be satisfied.
I believe manufacturers only make the equipment good enough to sell (understandable) with slick advertising. They would rather spend money on the advertising and bling , than improve sound quality.
I'm happy with my sound from vinyl, CD and FM radio(please don't turn it off) and now spend money on music and foo (cable and isolation products).
 
CliveGrace said:
Something to bear in mind next time I hear Crass, Dead Kennedys, Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV, Killing Joke or RATM
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I am sure a One Direction fan would also be far from tranquil.

Off to see Genesis P-O in a week or so, I will tell you then.

Forget the Crass and RATM though.
 
I have lots of old bits that I mix and match when I get bored.

That being said I'm after a used Linto at the moment (sold to fund work on flat when the records went away in preparation for the arrival of the first of our little ones) as I have my '12 back out and I am missing the way it used to sound!
 
I'm very happy with my system & if I never change another component, its still a better system than I could have wished for.
Could I be happier with it by spending more in the future? Well yes, if an opportunity to get something even better at the right price.
My existing ArkivB cart won't last forever, so at some point that'll need replacing or retipping.
And with a lottery win etc, I'd have to home demo a Vitus Audio amp.
But without moving house to somewhere with a bigger music room, my existing system will be staying at least 90% constant.
Matt.
 
Technology always moves on, when something better comes along I buy, however no interest in PC audio.Still have a vinyl collection but would not go back to it.much prefer mch SACD & well recorded CDs.
 
Of owning various audio systems and nice equipment for the last 35 years, I am now very happy with my classic linn system, which I have upgraded, albeit backwards in time to.

Linn isobarik Pms active, linn lk six pack amps, kairn, Karik, lp12 ittock and audio tech 0c9.

All I'm intetested in now is expanding lp and cd collection.
 
After over 50 years, I think I have the best system I've ever had, although this could be an illusion based upon memory loss. I am wildly happy with it.

Is that it? Is it buggery 'cos there are pieces of kit or cartridges (especially) I fancy trying; If I ever gave up on aspiring to something or another I wouldn't be an addicted audiophile. I'm not remotely interested in the technology of intangibles, though; I have all I shall ever want on formats I can see and hold.

Rather think this goes for quite a few people on these forums. !:)
 
I love my Sennheiser HD800's. Had them maybe three or four years.

Likewise my Wayne Piquet rebuilt Quad 57's. They're a keeper.
 
Mike Reed said:
After over 50 years, I think I have the best system I've ever had, although this could be an illusion based upon memory loss. I am wildly happy with it.

Is that it? Is it buggery 'cos there are pieces of kit or cartridges (especially) I fancy trying; If I ever gave up on aspiring to something or another I wouldn't be an addicted audiophile.

Rather think this goes for an awful lot of people on these forums, so don't kid yourselves !:)
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Well, quite. Almost my first post on here included a statement to the effect that I was happy with my (then) system and had no plans to change anything.

In a way that was true, because I still have that system upstairs, but a fair few components and quite a lot of money have passed through my hands in the 12 following years (from memory: two preamps, three power amps, one cartridge, one pair of speakers, one DAC, and more cables than you could shake a stick at).
 
F1eng said:
Not expecting there is something "better" rather than different helps.
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Yes and once accepted a massive world of possibilities opens up.

Disbeliever said:
Technology always moves on, when something better comes along I buy, however no interest in PC audio.Still have a vinyl collection but would not go back to it.much prefer mch SACD & well recorded CDs.
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Technology relevant to audio doesn't always move on.
Often it just modifies and changes, with no benefit delivered. Sometimes the new tech delivers worst performance than the old.
 
I don't think that audio, as a hobby, is made for bringing happiness, but for keeping a guy busy and activate the wish to change, experiment, toy around. Very few people keep the same system for years, and when they go to the audio store and explain they must change gear from the 70s that finally died, usually look guilty, as if having enjoyed the same pieces for decades had been like boycotting the System.
Even less people simply use the system to enjoy music. There are a few, but I don't think we know many because they do not go to stores and do not write on forums (fora, if you prefer).
The system I enjoy and use more, is undoubtedly a Pinnacle Internet Radio (€90, a few years ago) into a Tivoli One radio, on the kitchen counter. A number of other IRs around the home produce background music circa 16/24.
CDX2/XPS/HiLine/SN/HCDR/NAC A5/SBL is just for developing curiosities, doubts, paranoias, to experiment with reproducible quality and to fill some evenings when we - having no TV set - are not watching a film on the Oppo.

Any other here in a similar condition? Please be honest.
 
I think as an earlier posted said, if you wish to be content and stop swapping kit (rather than be content swapping for the fun of it) going active really helps. It takes away any thoughts about amp-speaker synergy and provides controls to tune the balance as well as generally delivering excellent sound for the money.

I spent a long time with one pair of active speakers and a volume controlled digital source.
 
Tony L said:
I don't think I could ever be happy with a single system, which is why I run several!
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Mmm ... does that make you a parallel box swapper?

I've had several years of serial box swapping and the transitory gains seem to be shorter lived each time. That does sound horribly like some form of addiction!
 
If you are more into your hifi than your music, of course you'd be unhappy. The whole point of being a hifi nut is to keep experimenting, changing, tweaking, etc. You could be perfectly happy doing that of course.

Boy am I really glad to be out of it (mostly) though. I've largely kept the same system for 10+ years aside from cartridge changes and CD players (necessitated by transport issues). My only real change just recently was to add a USB DAC in order to get access to internet radio and streaming.

I am happy with what I've got. Sometimes it still blows my mind how good it sounds. My interest in hifi is mostly confined to PFM and reading about stuff on the net. I am also trying to cut down on that too! ;)
 
Maxbertola said:
I don't think that audio, as a hobby, is made for bringing happiness, but for keeping a guy busy and activate the wish to change, experiment, toy around. Very few people keep the same system for years, and when they go to the audio store and explain they must change gear from the 70s that finally died, usually look guilty, as if having enjoyed the same pieces for decades had been like boycotting the System.
Even less people simply use the system to enjoy music. There are a few, but I don't think we know many because they do not go to stores and do not write on forums (fora, if you prefer).
The system I enjoy and use more, is undoubtedly a Pinnacle Internet Radio (€90, a few years ago) into a Tivoli One radio, on the kitchen counter. A number of other IRs around the home produce background music circa 16/24.
CDX2/XPS/HiLine/SN/HCDR/NAC A5/SBL is just for developing curiosities, doubts, paranoias, to experiment with reproducible quality and to fill some evenings when we - having no TV set - are not watching a film on the Oppo.

Any other here in a similar condition? Please be honest.
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And you still have to ask after years on here and naim forum what torque settings needed for SBLs?:rolleyes:
 
Sadly it seems to be a human condition fueled by clever marketing and i don't think it simply applies to just being an Audiophile.
However as this is predominately a hobby its perhaps quite acute where we are all striving for our own perception of perfection which is ultimately unattainable. I have been happy with a number of systems that I have owned but all have been upgraded / shifted sideways at some point. I think half the fun is trying new kit , tinkering , tweaking , experimenting. Maybe If id had a career as a scientist this obsession would be fulfilled elsewhere and i would happily be listening to a £200 pound system with no thoughts of upgrading.
 
Robert said:
Yes and once accepted a massive world of possibilities opens up.



Technology relevant to audio doesn't always move on.
Often it just modifies and changes, with no benefit delivered. Sometimes the new tech delivers worst performance than the old.
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If you buy the wrong new Tech it can sound worse than the old, Class D is one example, mch SACD is generally better than old Stereo
 
People who are happy listening to music on any old thing don't seem to appear on these forums.
Good hi fi does bring more out of music though and seems to influence my taste significantly. I wouldn't be able to listen to most of my music collection without some effort being applied to its reproduction. A lot of the beauty of recorded music is the way instruments are laid out and their timbre, timing, interaction, micro dynamic expression etc. A whole chain of skilled crafts has gathered from this process starting with the plain old musicians but then the producers, engineers, mastering techniques all contribute. All this then comes through your system which has been crafted by hi fi engineers to create the optimum reproduction environment.
The temptation to go on upgrading this last link to the ears has to be limited by practical considerations, in particular: finite cash reserves.
I tell myself: Stop and listen to a whole load of stuff before being tempted back to the shop too often! Although the thrill of bringing home another box of fresh smelling gear is always appealing ...
 
windhoek said:
I played Bryan Ferry's Avonmore on vinyl last night on and I was very happy :)
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How odd. I played a recently acquired Roxy Music album ('Boys and Girls') in my session last evening. Stunning s.q. and pretty lively and melodic tracks too. On vinyl, of course.
 
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