The never ending pursuit of satisfaction

[pdxmonkeyboy]

I am somewhat new to the audio world but appreciate high quality things and can tell the difference between good and very good speakers. As I sit here staring at my order form for a new set of speakers, I am still wringing my hands.... maybe I SHOULD have spent all that money on the rockets, perhaps I should have driven to seattle to hear those energy's?, how can i find someone with an HSU sub near me...

I can't help but wonder if audiophilism (new word) may lend itself for always looking for that better speaker, always knowing that there is something better. Some times I look at photos of members audio set up and they have a set of 2k dollar speakers next to a 30 year old couch and 20" crt.

So honestly, are many of you happy with the gear you have? Does the lust ever end? LOL Or perhaps I'm still dizzy from all the choices.

I was just curious.

 

[Haoleb]

Im very happy with what I have. Do i look at other peoples stuff and wish I had it. Yeah. But of course the fact of how much I would have to spend to get it always cancels out the drooling. I havent bought a single peice of gear for my system in just over a year now. I have been keeping my eye on preamps though. But I certainly dont feel the need to go out and upgrade something. Of course there is always going to be something better. Part of life. Some people feel the need to follow on those feelings and are upgrading or trying new peices of gear every week. (SethL) lol.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I am somewhat new to the audio world but appreciate high quality things and can tell the difference between good and very good speakers. As I sit here staring at my order form for a new set of speakers, I am still wringing my hands.... maybe I SHOULD have spent all that money on the rockets, perhaps I should have driven to seattle to hear those energy's?, how can i find someone with an HSU sub near me...

I can't help but wonder if audiophilism (new word) may lend itself for always looking for that better speaker, always knowing that there is something better. Some times I look at photos of members audio set up and they have a set of 2k dollar speakers next to a 30 year old couch and 20" crt.

So honestly, are many of you happy with the gear you have? Does the lust ever end? LOL Or perhaps I'm still dizzy from all the choices.

I was just curious.

It never ends for me. It's a hobby. I'm constantly looking different speakers & audio/video gears. Constantly asking myself how I could make my system even better?

 

[MDS]

So honestly, are many of you happy with the gear you have? Does the lust ever end? LOL Or perhaps I'm still dizzy from all the choices.

Mostly happy yes because I tend to listen to the music vs listen to the equipment. I can certainly do better than what I currently have and I am in the process of improving things, but I am infinitely patient. Those that have been paying attention should be aware of that based on my discussions of AV stands and TVs and how long it has taken me to decide what I want/need.

Electronics such as receiver and dvd player are easy. My brand preference, due to experience, is Onkyo for receivers and I *never* feel the need to spend $1K or more on a receiver. DVD players - I could care less as long as it works.

Speakers are the most important but that is what I find the most troublesome. I've pretty much always had some model of JBL and I still like what I have but after 10+ years I'm feeling the itch to try something new. However, I also want to try to balance performance with size and visual appeal because I don't want my living room to look like a recording studio (when I lived in apartment, that was not a concern).


Add to that size requirements and lack of local availability and it becomes very difficult to pick speakers (for me at least). Don't be suprised if it takes me another 6 months to decide on new speakers. I'll probably decide on new tile for the house long before I get around to upgrading speakers and that will cost far more than speakers.

 

[fmw]

Audiophilia can be a very expensive condition if allowed to run unchecked. I suffered from it for a long time. I was cured of it about 10 years ago and I take things much more sensibly now than I did. You want to avoid unchecked audiophilia if you can.

Driving all over the place to hear speakers isn really as valuable as others will tell you. I don't even do it any longer. I just buy speakers based on specs. The reason is that what you hear at the dealer's showroom compared to what you hear at home will be different because of the different acoustic environment. Room acoustics affect the sound of a system more than the playback equipment. Most audiophiles choose speakers because of appearance. I know. But it is true. I wish a had a reference to the study. So I suspect you did just fine with the speaker purchase.

I wish my TV were bigger. I wish my receiver had a better surround processor. I'm no different than anybody else in that regard. I just learn to live with the equipment and enjoy it for what it is.

Trust me, you will always be happier if you listen to music rather than listen to equipment. Congratulations on the new gear. No remorse allowed. Just enjoy it.

 

[highfihoney]

So honestly, are many of you happy with the gear you have? Does the lust ever end? LOL Or perhaps I'm still dizzy from all the choices.

I was just curious.

The lust never ends,i see total systems on this site that dont cost as much as a single peice of equipment in my main system yet i still want them,i also see systems on other sites that cost above $500,000 & i want them too, i think its just part of being a person who enjoys messing around with electronics.

Most of my gear was bought with three thought's in mind,never buy anything thats not assured to be worth more than what i paid , never be in a rush to own anything & ALWAYS buy used gear from people who have upgrade fever.

I dont use most of the gear i own as its mostly vintage but im happy with the collection,im also very happy with the 2 systems that i do use,im more into collecting unique & old electronics as oposed to chasing a better sound,i bought smart & if i sell i'll sell even smarter & take no loss on anything.

 

[Davemcc]

The lust never ends,i see total systems on this site that dont cost as much as a single peice of equipment in my main system yet i still want them

If anybody else said this I might not have believed them. I'll bet that we've only seen a fraction of what's in the HighFiHoneypot so far.

 

[mazersteven]

One thing that is a killer in this hobby is the "I wonder" effect.

"I wonder" if I should have purchased ____? "I wonder" if ____ would have sounded better? "I wonder" how ____ would perform compared to what I purchased?

"I wonder"

 

[solomr2]

The pursuit never ends. You may tend to get a little complacent for a while after you spend a lot of dough on new gear, but in a short time you read about or stumble into a new piece of gear that obsoletes your gear and the lust begins to swell again. Same thing with cars, boats, and just about anything somewhat technological that is going through continuous refinement.

This is just an American way of life man, get used to it. You're supposed to go out and buy the latest greatest every chance you get. That is what keeps our economy humming and what makes people get rich. There is no cure other than working an extra 20hrs a week so you can make more money and pay for that new gizmo.

 

[Geno]

Personally, I've finally reached a point where I'm satisfied. When I sit down to listen critically, I can finally crank things up as loud as I want with what I think is great sound in all respects. I can play every format I'm interested in (DVD-A, SACD, redbook CD, and analog LP), my video display looks great. I travel a lot, and frequently get to audition pretty high-end equipment. High end stuff is certainly appealing, but I can't honestly say I can hear any appreciable difference between, say, my $3K set of speakers and a $20K set. Sexier cabinets, cooler looking electronics maybe, but not audibly better.

Of course, that's just my opinion...I could be wrong

 

[Gimpy Ric]

So honestly, are many of you happy with the gear you have? Does the lust ever end? LOL Or perhaps I'm still dizzy from all the choices.

I was just curious.

I love all my gear, and the only thing 30 years old around here is my house, which needs painting soon. But my buying spree is over for now, gonna save up and paint this place outside.

 

[cornelius]

I'm pretty happy with my gear, although I am upgrading my amp and DVD player very soon. There is equipment out there that I can't afford and probably sounds better, but at the same time, I've heard enough rigs that are a lot more expensive than mine, and don't sound nearly as good.

Some people become lifers with certain brands - (McIntosh, Naim...). I think these people have met their grail sound. But most others keep hunting. I may have found my grail speakers, but it's only been about 3 years since I first bought them, so time will tell. Also, with some new gear feeding them, I'll have a better idea if I need a change. I do know, that with my new DAC, the system improved a lot, and although I thought it was the speakers, it was not.

Part of the pursuit isn't necessarily something better, but just different. Some people switch from tubes to solid state, monitors to floorstanders and back to monitors again - it's fun to experiment.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... Does the lust ever end? LOL
I was just curious.

I direct that towards other areas in life
I don't worry about small stuff Not crucial.
My boomboxes are just fine, almost

 

[Rickster71]

I can't stop looking at speakers.
I notice them, everywhere I go, whether it's in a bar or restaurant, at a friends house, or a TV show, or, in a movie.
If I'm in a store with my wife, she says, she always knows where to find me.
I'll be looking at the speakers.

When I told her I found this site, named Audioholics, she just laughed at how apropos it was.

To answer your question, I'm happy with what I have. It's hard not to look at the latest and greatest.
It's not all our fault though, technology is constantly changing, and updating.

 

[Matt34]

My bank account keeps me in line.


I'm happy with what I have but after reading a bunch on the Rockets lately and the amazing sale that is going on is making my credit card itch.


Yes, it's never ending.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...and the amazing sale that is going on is making my credit card itch.

How do you know your credit card is itching? Is it somehow embedded into your nervous system?

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Just buy top-of-the-line, you're unlikely to ever want to downgrade your rig and most companies only update their flagship product every decade or so.

So buy those Paradigm Signatures and don't worry about it until your Social Security checks start burning a hole in your plaid polyester pocket.

 

[mazersteven]

I can't stop looking at speakers.
I notice them, everywhere I go, whether it's in a bar or restaurant, at a friends house, or a TV show, or, in a movie.
If I'm in a store with my wife, she says, she always knows where to find me.
I'll be looking at the speakers.

Funny I am the same way. What an addiction.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

So honestly, are many of you happy with the gear you have? Does the lust ever end? LOL Or perhaps I'm still dizzy from all the choices.

I was just curious.

I seem to like change for its own sake. I am always getting new stuff (or changing the things I have around.) It is not always better, just different.
I wish I could get a system I am entirely satisfied with and stick to it, but that just isn't how I am.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I can't stop looking at speakers.
I notice them, everywhere I go, whether it's in a bar or restaurant, at a friends house, or a TV show, or, in a movie.
If I'm in a store with my wife, she says, she always knows where to find me.
I'll be looking at the speakers.

Funny I am the same way. What an addiction.

Me three.

And every time someone talks about his home theater, the first question I ask is, "What speakers do you have?"