Thinking of hanging up my hi fi shoes

I recently did a rough estimate of how much I've spent on high end audio since I discovered that such a thing existed in the late 90's, and the figure made me a little queasy, and that's on top of the amount I have sunk into my current system. I recently upgraded (spent more money on, anyway) every component. I chose components that are focused on music rather than hi fi impressiveness, have a relaxed, organic presentation, all the attributes I was after, and I have to say it all sounds pretty good, my wind tunnel of a living space notwithstanding. The thing is, when I listen, I'm thinking about money instead of music. I can't help thinking that if I sold everything, I'd have money for years worth of concerts, trips, etc. On top of which I am weary of worrying about how my system will be set up every time I move, arranging furniture based on speaker placement, being annoyed by bad acoustics, etc. In other words, I long for the simplicity of my pre-hifi life, when whatever I had to listen on was good enough.

Has anyone gotten out of hi fi altogether, and were you able to stay out? The last time I tried, after my first son was born, I ended up recreating the system on an even bigger scale. I've had some great equipment over the years, and it can be a gratifying hobby, but I can't say it's provided me much musical insight. I don't enjoy music any more than I did when I listened on a a tape deck. Of course, it's possible I just haven't acquired the "right" equipment, but I think the issue is mainly psychological--I've spent too much and therefore expect too much--and it may be time for a new paradigm. I present the issue here because this forum strikes me as more rational than any other audio forum I've come across.

Thoughts?

 

I admire your honesty regarding high end equipment.

My advice is try & visit some mates round their house for dinner & have a listen to their stereo system no matter what they got.

If you find you are just enjoying the good times & not fussed in the slightest about the sound then maybe it's time to sell up. If you find you are having a critical ear then just accept your systems great & enjoy it.

Myself , all I wish to use not abuse my system, repair if need be but no need to upgrade because I am very happy with my sound.

 

Just be happy with what you've got and enjoy the music

 

I identify, and I wonder if the issue has something to do with age. (In my case, at least--I don't know how old you are.) The further I get from those halcyon days of my youth when all I had was a Webcor portable phonograph in my room, and then my first discoveries of better sound via a Webcor 4-track stereo reel-to-reel and then my first components, the more I realize that every single change I've made "for the better" has taken me further and further away from the innocent enjoyment of music. The innocent enjoyment may be the part that can only happen when we're young.

If it can be restored by taking a pill, please tell me what that pill is.

 

I can't imagine not having my great sounding system. My journey took quite a few years and much vexation and money of course. But it is arrived.

Lots of hobbies burn through money. Ever have a boat? Have you priced a round of golf in a major metropolitan area? Multiply that by 36 outings a year times 10 years. Not a small number.

Symphony tickets for a season + dinner times 10 years? Another remarkable number.

And mistresses..... Nope, won't go there.

So quit worrying and enjoy.

 

I've taken "breaks"- there was a period when I was working like a madman, traveling constantly for work, and the last thing I wanted to deal w/ was tweaking, adjusting the tonearm, fiddling with tubes, etc. I just wanted to press a button and enjoy. That got me into home theatre, which was fun in the early days, but of course, I had to make it a "high-end" theatre system, so I really didn't get away from it completely. I continued to buy records during this period. I re-booted, after a ten year hiatus, in around 2006 or 7, and have been on a tear since then. For me, I've got to obsess over something- to keep my mind active. My wife keeps telling me I need to do yoga- but.....

 

Do you want to know how much money I have wrapped up in my stereo system? Neither do I! I try my best not to think about it and just enjoy the show!

 

You don't say what kind of treatment you've had but it seems to be working. Although there must be a happy medium when you can just enjoy and not think about a another upgrade, such therapy may cost more though!

 

I've only been battling audiophilia for a bit over a decade, so still have some savings left ...

A few years back, the reality hit me that money spent and musical enjoyment gained, have very little correlation (at least above the entry level.)

Q: What is the purpose of a hifi system?

A: The enjoyment of Music.

It is my opinion now, that all these audiophile qualities people concern themselves with when shopping for gear distract from (what should be) the primary goal of owning the stuff in the first place.

Does this mean that one should just buy the cheapest kit one comes across? No. But set a budget you can live with* in accordance with your other needs and life goals, have fun auditioning gear with music you love (preferably at home), and get on with the business of enjoying Music.



*Hey, if you're extremely rich and want to spend megabucks on a high-end system with all its wow factor, by all means do so! You gotta do something fun with your hard-earned ... helps keep your local audio salon going, as well. Win-win.

 

Just relax...we all spend disproportionately. Me I have 4 £13 haircuts a year, (someone else in the house spends about £1400)

 

According to Quicken I've spent $18,659 in Hi-Fi stuff since I started using the program in 1992 to track all of my expenditures. That works out to $777 a year or $65 a month. Considering the amount of pleasure and satisfaction I've derived from this hobby, nothing comes even close. Also according to Quicken I've spent $24,437 in the same period on eating out. And you know what I have left from that? a nice pile of you know what in the morning. I can hardly remember a memorable meal but I can sure remember lots of wonderful music. YMMV

 

And if your music makes you dance it's better for your health, in many ways!

 

I really like your post ejman - it just says it all so well. I like bhazen's post too. For me it's about knowing when enough is enough, when good is good enough. In my case I have an extremely simple system & am lowering my monitors by six inches to accomodate their new resident room, much smaller & carpeted versus hardwood floors, than their last home. When I get them scooched into just the right attitude I'm done except for building a really good isolation rack. By done I really do mean done until something breaks or maybe replacing worn caps some day.

 

I feel your pain. I bought a bunch of stuff over the years when the bug bit. I have sold some of it very successfully ( Mac, VPI, Cary, Parasound) and some not so successfully( Vienna Acoustics, Alon). But sold it I did. I still have a few things to sell. I have a couple of systems which I intend to keep ( for now). To keep things fresh-I switch between the systems and sometimes make new combinations. I have found that the "new" sound you have achieved soon fades and you have a sound. You may like it more or less, but whatever you do you will always end up with your "sound" after the excitement fades. So-what to do-reconcile yourself to a system that you like and will keep and forget about buying anything anymore. If you must spend $-then spend it on LPs and CDs. Oh and if you must buy something-buy used or B-stock.

 

The biggest upgrade happens between your ears. It seems to me, not having invested much, that some people here have a lopsided love of equipment. I find I sort of tolerate the actual gear. I suppose any hobby is like that: Is it the transformative experience you value, or is it the shiny stuff with a pricetag. Ultimately it's one's own choice. Sounds to me like a mind set adjustment is needed here - and I know that's easier said than done. Perhaps some drinking and frolicking to some favorite music can get it done. BEST OF LUCK TO YOU OP.

 

I'm 49 years old. I think that my home AV system has cost me about $12,000 since 1983. It's complexity may annoy my soon to be ex wife but my son was able to turn everything on and select the various sources by the time he was three. Now he's about to turn 14 and we have lots of father son time watching classic Hitchcock and new classics of long form television.

Try finding someone to share your system with and you'll learn to love it all over again.

 

Once you become infected with 'Audiotitis' you will never be able to quit!

 

About fifteen years ago I decided to get a nicer audio system. I spent about $10,000 (probably $15,000 in today's money) on what many of you would consider a "mid-fi", separates-based system. I liked it then and I still do. It's not fantastic, although everybody who hears it says they've never heard a stereo sound so good (of course, they're normal people, not the kind of people we are).

I don't upgrade or spend money on hardware unless something breaks, which is very seldom (I had to put new belts on my Nakamichi about 5 years ago) and bought a phono amp and stylus when I put my old turntable back into use a few months ago. I think you just have to stop and accept a certain level of sound quality. I would probably have to spend $30,000 to hear a major upgrade and it's not even a consideration for me. I'd rather just buy 1-5 albums and/or used CDs a month and enjoy.

Works for me ...

 

You have gone full circle. Your being honest.
Thing is , we can all look back and see things, in your case the money spent in persuit of audio nirvana .
The first step , is to stop buying magazines. I did this and it helped .
There will always be an upgrade or a new product that comes along.
Some. Sobering facts, there have been no major advances in amplifier design.
No new discoveries in turntable design, or cartridge design.
CD players get more lightweight, as manufacturers learn how to make their products cheaper.
The advertising boffins extol the the latest advances because its their job.
Recently i discovered that an old Thorens TD150/shure V15 mk3 played through an IFI phono stage, and Tisbury passive pre was actually better than my 401/ sme 4/ Benz glyder.
A lot cheaper too.
I optimised my system down to the last interconnect.
Now i maintain it. The sound is to die for.
Hi fi and constant upgrades can defeat the main objective, of musical pleasure. A Lot of gear today is expensive .to the manufacturer its business!
I remember when I ran a Linn/Naim system. Really good stuff here.
But then come the numerous upgrades, power supplies.
Remember also that we listen in a room, which can add to the variables that govern our ultimate goal.
Picture this in your front room,a Linn/ Thorens/ VPI etc. with sme arm, or whatever, super cartridge, ie 2m black?
Conrad johnson / audio research amp, speakers of your dreams.
That's it! Job done. Good well made kit. Now you can move on. It's that simple .
I know you have spent oodles of money, and your honest about it, BUT, would any woman have any qualms about hair dresser visits, and clothes/ make up?
We all have our little weaknesses, you are no different.

 

I started as a young 11 yo with a bakelite record player. Then when my sister got a suitcase stereo I had to get a paper route to buy on of those. Music in stereo sounded so good! Over the years I kept getting better stereos then when I go my first Marantz, a 2220, I thought I was at the peak. Well of course I wasn't. I did take a break during the mid 90's, raising kids and not caring for the music that was coming out. Not really though because I spent a lot of time traveling a sales territory so I always had a nice CD stereo system in my car. After the kids went away to college I pulled my 2230 out of the closet and my 350+ album collection and it was on again. I now have a couple of nice systems in my music room in the basement, one in my home office, and of course a garage system. And I got back into album collecting. I don't play golf anymore, I don't bar hop or chase women, wife put a stop to that, so I can justify spending more on my music hi fi addiction. When the wife grips about me spending money on it I remind her I don't collect classic cars like my buddy Bill does at $30K+ a pop.

 

Here is a suggestion, but maybe you've already tried this. Stop buying equipment for awhile and start buying music.

 

There are hi-fi shoes? Sounds like the perfect accessory! Let me know if you're just hanging them up or getting rid of them. I take size 8 1/2 (41 European).

 

This is exactly what I do. Vintage all the way.

 

I'm in a similar situation. I gave up the hobby for a while but in hindsight I was just poor at the time; as checks got bigger old habits returned. At this point, I mostly just lament some specific details about how some purchases went down and my tastes evolving. In other words, as others have said, I don't regret the gear I have now, I regret all of the incremental purchases the led to what I have now.

I think the question one has to ask themselves is some variation of "is it possible to actually catch what it is I'm chasing here?". In my case,I honestly think it was and I have. I had to buy a new tonearm because my old one broke, but if not for that I wouldn't have made any big purchases in 2016. I still lust after gear, but am able to honestly tell myself it would be more different then better.