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Thinking of selling it all, or massive downgrade at least......

There is so much fantastic vintage componentry out there, and speakers too. The OP could have a delightful time buying some cheap stuff from yesteryear and never feeling like there's enough money or footprint in it to matter. It's largely what I''m doing going forward and there isn't any stress involved in notions of resale value or Value For Money or ownership anxiety.
 
I don’t get it, I have to admit. The whole point of middle age to my mind is to have the resources to buy the stuff one craved in younger days but could in no way afford. As stated upthread I’ve got my own approach that really works for me, but I’ll never downsize unless I have to for retirement/health reasons. I just see no need to. I have however got to the point I’ve pretty much run out of any storage space for my various collections of stuff!

FWIW I could very happily live with a fairly minimal system from the kit I own, e.g. TD-124, Marantz SACD/DAC, Walkman Pro, Verdier pre, Quad 303 & LS3/5As. The thing is I just don’t need to!

PS I’m 57 years old, diabetic, asthmatic, so about as far from an athlete as one can get, yet I ride a £3k+ high-end titanium road bike. I’m also a dreadful guitarist, yet have a nice selection of guitars and use a boutique hand-wired guitar amp. Why the hell not?! I’m certainly not going to feel guilty about anything! I’d just like a better house to put it all in (that is a long-term strategy, and will likely be smaller, so at that point I’d cash-in some stuff)!
 
If you are tempted to sell up its probably a sign that you went down a musically unfullfilling cul de sac.

Having read this interesting thread I'm tempted to agree.

I think there are two aspects to expensive hifi that can make it unsatifying:
1) High expectations - "I've spent all this and have all these large boxes and it really ought to amaze me all the time"
2) Fickle perfomance - Expensive systems generally sound impressive but often by exaggerating particular aspects of sound reproduction.

There seem to be quite a few people around on PFM with carefully selected mid-price systems that sound "right" with a wide range of music.
The way to achieve this seems to be to find pair of speakers that do (most of) the things that you like and go from there.
 
There seem to be quite a few people around on PFM with carefully selected mid-price systems that sound "right" with a wide range of music.
The way to achieve this seems to be to find pair of speakers that do (most of) the things that you like and go from there.
Don't underestimate the effect of the room. My last house was a (hifi) money pit; endless upgrades still left me wanting.
 
Sure :)

Both currently not being used. I’ll give it some thought, but neither are my Yamaha 1000xw, and I never thought that would happen..
Shipping to New Zealand might be a challenge, but at least I won't need your 1000XWs. I'm very happy with my 1000Ms.

If you have the original shipping cartons for the amps, we could talk turkey when you are ready.
 
I constantly find myself either buying hi-fi pieces which I feel very privileged to own which ties up a lot of money, only to almost 6 monthly selling the lot and going back to a pair of B&O Bluetooth speakers and feeling liberated when putting the money back in my account. I enjoy music and the box owning but not really settled on to what extent.
All I’d say is that it would be a shame to sell it and regret it, to then go out and buy it all again. With the exception of a few items, everything depreciates, it’s value (and subsequent depreciation) can only be worked out as worthwhile (or not) when compared to the joy that item gives. There’s nothing duller than just having money sitting in the bank doing nothing.
 
Selling it all would be a trauma - some stuff would sell easily, some more of a struggle. But everything has a price doesnt it?
You’ve raised a huge issue. We get older and if we are lucky, acquire the things we dreamt of as youngsters then reach an age when we realise it’s all transient. I decided I wouldn’t buy a better watch ( because I’m not that interested) but I have trouble keeping my hands off other stuff- hifi, Georgian furniture. I’ll need a fire proof container where I’m going in the end.
 
I can certainly vouch for going the active route. My setup was nowhere near the value of some mentioned here, but going to active speakers has meant there are very few avenues to go down to upgrade and that lack of opportunity has allowed me to just enjoy listening to music. Not only that, the family all use the speakers too, plus we run the TV through them.

With my old setup I was constantly thinking of ways to upgrade and improve - now all I tinker with is occasionally swapping out old Quad components in my second system in the office which is enjoyable and pretty much pays for itself.
 
If you've built up your system over decades, I would say....don't do it. You have the SQ you want and anything else will be a disappointment and on those favorite tracks you'll miss your system a lot.

If you're bored, have a tidy up and maybe rearrange things to look different. Try listening to a lesser system (perhaps in another room) exclusively for a couple months...to see if you missed the sound you have.
 
I think you downsizing buggers are all daft. I couldn’t enjoy music as much without the detail, density, scale and sheer bloody hellness of the system I have now. Needs must when I retire and perhaps I have to downsize but one big room will be a priority.

Each to their own I suppose.
 
lack of enjoyment

It might be worth focusing this feeling and doing some hi-fi self-therapy. What aren't you enjoying? Are you lacking intimacy and/or sensuous involvement with small scale music? Or large scale dynamics? Does listening sound oppressive at times, or just underwhelming? Do you feel you have the space to roam around the music, can you drift off and back in? Does a voice sound natural and does it project enough to involve you? I could go on, but worth asking a lot of questions to really pin down what is going wrong before throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Then whilst you are doing this subjective investigation, maybe say more about the big objective facts: your room, speakers and placement. Maybe there's something there that's just not working and needs honing in on.
 
Great thread! Like reading the different points of view. My thinking is aligned a bit with Tony L here. Since my teen years, I've felt guilty about treating myself to reasonably good hi-fi and, otherwise, I live somewhat modestly. But now I'm at late'ish middle age - fast approaching my retirement, and I'm thinking, if I don't treat myself now, I never will. So I am just about to collect my new main amplifier DAC in a couple of days!
 
I think you downsizing buggers are all daft. I couldn’t enjoy music as much without the detail, density, scale and sheer bloody hellness of the system I have now. Needs must when I retire and perhaps I have to downsize but one big room will be a priority.

Each to their own I suppose.
I have all that but with far fewer boxes, it is not mutually exclusive.
 
Last night I listened to a system that cost £200. Tonight I’m listenening to one costing five times as much. I’m sitting in exactly the same position and have drunk the same amount of wine. The experience has been quite different but really just as enjoyable. Try listening to a stunning hifi with just one record for a week. Yer be tearing yer hair out.

S/H Durio pro/Rpi. SMSL Mini amp. Old bookshelf Tannoys screwed into the ceiling in chimney alcoves and down facing £50/50/100

Justboom Digi hat/Rpi. RME ADI-2 fs . HD600 £40/600/200

Then upstairs is about arcs/Avondale/NA/Air Forcell... £3000ish

The last two I listen to with not much distraction. The first, I’m always doing something else but it will intrude in the most pleasant way as it’s surprisingly competent.in fact it’s all I’ve listened to for the last ten years. I never lost my enjoyment of music just fall off the hifi wagon occasionally.

ps: the Durio and SMSL are very recent additions: just a lot smaller than the traditional amp & CD player they replaced but no significant drop in SQ I’m surprised to say.
 


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