I'm bored! What to do? (How do you fulfill your upgrade desire once you're happy with your gear?)*

Like KISS? Learn how to breathe fire while rocking out.

 

Listen to some music, dude.

 

Never worried about it. If you play a handful of instruments you quickly realize that all recorded music is only an approximation and you are chasing a ghost. Find something else to obsess about.......

 

Koetsu Schmetzu. Build your own phono cartridge. It's been done before, they didn't fall fully formed from the sky. No electronics knowledge necessary, although fine motor skills will help. It will take a while to get right. To get the first one off the ground quickly you can use an existing stylus assembly.

 

Treating the room and adjusting speaker placement will actually do more than swapping cables, amps, preamps, digital converters, etc. . . .

 

Pick up an instrument and learn to play it. Play along with your favorite songs. Get better, form band, put the money you would have wasted on pointless upgrades into a nice PA and mixing board. Get gigs. Get chicks . Be happy.

 

I only have a use for one real system in my home. In it's in a spare bedroom and sounds phenomenal to me. If I never changed any component I'd be fine. That said, I'm also a gear head and love building/tinkering with or swapping gear. Last week I bought a pair of speakers (used) just because I had always wanted to hear them. They don't better my current speakers which means after I tire of them, I'll probably move them along.

Also have a Bottlehead S.E.X. kit that's been on hold until after the holidays. Time to get to work on it.

 

Sounds like time to expand your horizons Bub.

 

Oh no! I traded my Thiels in for some Wilson Yvettes, which are better speakers. I added CAT Renaissance Black Path Preamp, CAT JL5 amp, and I am looking at upgrading the VPI and cartridge. Still using Magnan wire. I recently bought a used Magnan Super Bronze power cable.

I would be happy to have you visit my humble home.

 

Yes. I come across a few 'hifi' purpose instagram accounts. You know, where they'll post photos in their room with their setup and speakers along side whatever record they're spinning. Some. One in particular... Is a beautiful room, don't get me wrong.. However it has nice large single driver speakers on a concrete floor with e two nice white washed brick side walls. With NO acoustical treatment. Very hard room. Zero absorption anywhere honestly I constantly leave comments snickering about how this must be an echo chamber bc it just really bothers me lol. A 30$ Sony player from Walmart isn't going to be much different than your premium system if the acoustics don't allow it.

Sorry OP, not saying this towards you! Just agreeing with the above

 

Get a cat. The cat is wise, the cat will teach stoopid hooman how to do nothing for hours without getting bored.

 

I actually have a two year old Dalmatian mix who is quite the opposite. Rearranged the rack a little this morning.
1. pull rack fro wall.
2. remove pup from behind rack
3. disconnect cable
4. retrieve cable from across the house.
5. wipe shelf
6. retrieve dust cloth from across house.
7. repeat steps 2-6 until I decide it's close enough

 

And less addictive .....

 

I've operated this way for years, but a recently Bluesound Node 2 paired with Tidal is causing me to rethink the volume of my purchases, now focusing on box sets and items not available for streaming such as the GD's Daves Picks series.

I'd hoped that Spotify and Apple Music would have done this, but I found their primary use to be more like borrowing from a public library.

 

Tidal and Roon coupled to my urendu and Gumby have made me feel the same. I bought some new records this weekend only to wonder why the next day.

 

A couple of suggestions:

1. Get some measurement gear and take a look at what your system *really* is doing. Researching the relationships of measured FR and reverb time to what you hear, and how to improve them, could fill a lifetime.

2. Make some recording of local musicians. This will give you new respect for good-sounding recordings and how they are made. It will also make you painfully aware of how bad many recordings are.

I've done both. Of the two, #2 is a lot more fun. Good luck!

 

Some good Sativa makes all hi-fi systems sound waaaay better. Not horrible advice.

Other advice:

dusting gear and rearranging things very precisely does wonders for loading on sensitive MC carts

vacuuming the listening room helps remove the “veil” from your speakers

And finally, alphabetizing your records darkens backgrounds and crystallizes imaging.

 

I have been satisfied with my home and office systems for a very long time. So I go to more live events, seek out new music and enjoy listening to it on both systems.

 

IIRC, STEREOPHILE had an article about male model Fabio's system, which as high-end as could be purchased. All on marble floors, complete with Grecian columns.

 

Spend the time immersing in that catalog of music you amassed. Or if you have yet to "amass" spend the extra time and money on building your collection. Bottom line - if you have assembled the system of your dreams, sit back and enjoy it man.

 

Take as long of a break from listening to music as possible and when you return you'll likely have a great appreciation for your system.

 

Learn how to play a musical instrument.

 

Buy a classic car. I bought a 65 Mustang GT fastback and all the tinkering, improving, upgrading occupied my time for 2 years. Of course now that I have it where I want it, I bought a new turntable. One project I took on was cleaning and grading all my vinyl, as well as buying new sleeves for the record and jacket. I found roughly 40 albums that I need to replace.

 

A good suggestion.

 

Other projects is another good suggestion, instead of constantly tweeking and dreaming of audio upgrades.

I just FINALLY towed my 1973 Buick GrandSport (with Stage 1 455 engine) to a mechanic, after letting it sit as an undone project for 15 years. I am doing all the legwork, he is just doing the disassembly and reassembly. I sent the carb and distributer to a high-end Buick specialist for rebuild and upgrades; the front cover/oil pump/water pump/cam shaft/timing gears all required searches for specialized upgrades and I bought them for the mechanic to install; ... etc.