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The Domino Effect, no one's immune

post #1 of 17
10/27/09 at 7:12am
Thread Starter 
Imagine you were stuck on a deserted island for the rest of your life, with no music. Suddenly after years you discover some cheapo ibuds and iPod with your favourite music (all mp3 sorry!) I reckon that would be like finding gold, and they'd probably be tears of joy running down your face discovering a lost past of musical enjoyment.

Now to the point of my thread, a good deal of our equipment is envy and conditioning to want more. All of us have fallen for the same trap, to a degree. Now I love that wide soundstage, to hear the conductors nasal hairs rattle around - it all makes for a very enjoyable experience.

I often get my wife to have a listen to my equipment, 'have a listen to this amazing cable, the system sounds so good now' She dancers around and sings along (usually) in a most un audiophile manner. 'Listen will ya' stop that, those are expensive, 'I am listening, you silly goat, music just effects me differently'

We've just been caught up in a domino effect, were all by products of a bigger consumer machine. Now the irony of all this is, on that dessert island with that iPod, I'd be singing and dancing very un audiophile like just like my wife. It would probably be my best musical experience.

John
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post #2 of 17
10/27/09 at 7:22am
I often enjoying listening to my music more while I'm at work, through cheap iMac speakers. Does it sound good? No. But I can forget about fidelity and get back to enjoying the music.

I've spent the longest time using my system to analyze the music and improve upon it even more. I get pleasure out of that too, it's my hobby and is what I enjoy doing. But I guess for awhile I forget why I began this adventure in the first place. Over the past few days I've enjoyed the music through my system and haven't felt the need to analyze it or improve upon it.

My next piece of gear (which is already in the building phase) will be my last for a long while. It's time I get back to the music.
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post #3 of 17
10/27/09 at 7:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrGreen View Post
What trap?
I'm here to improve my music not to circlejerk about with my gear in my signature.
Every upgrade is for the music, not for the gear. I do share your sentiments about finding an ipod, but who cares?
I think you've missed his point completely..
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post #4 of 17
10/27/09 at 10:11am
Recognizing the never-ending trap of rationalized consumerism is the first step to rebellion.
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post #5 of 17
10/27/09 at 10:41am
Hopefully we we all remember that what we're listening to isn't the Stax gear, it's Bob Dylan!

Good post john
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post #6 of 17
10/27/09 at 10:51am
For me, not really. I've had some good headphones and amps for a while and the honeymoon period is over. So now, I listen to the music without being too obsessed with my componants. The new toy affect does wear off after a while and the music does become more obvious. I know that I am really enjoying Barry Manilow or Barbara Streisand, not my cable up grade.
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post #7 of 17
10/27/09 at 12:43pm
I've settled down with my gear. There are a few more DIY builds I have to finish, but I'm not buying any more toys.

Recently, I've become much, much more obsessed with the music. I've been buying 15-20 new discs a month. Sometimes more. And I'm really enjoying this, too. I love knowing the gear won't get much better.
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post #8 of 17
10/27/09 at 1:03pm
With my luck the battery would be dead.
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post #9 of 17
10/27/09 at 4:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Erik View Post
I've settled down with my gear. There are a few more DIY builds I have to finish, but I'm not buying any more toys.

Recently, I've become much, much more obsessed with the music. I've been buying 15-20 new discs a month. Sometimes more. And I'm really enjoying this, too. I love knowing the gear won't get much better.
Me too, with music. I've just deluded myself to being sated with much more modest gear.
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post #10 of 17
10/27/09 at 4:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spareribs View Post
For me, not really. I've had some good headphones and amps for a while and the honeymoon period is over. So now, I listen to the music without being too obsessed with my componants. The new toy affect does wear off after a while and the music does become more obvious. I know that I am really enjoying Barry Manilow or Barbara Streisand, not my cable up grade.
Wait... you can enjoy Barry Manilow?
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post #11 of 17
10/27/09 at 4:30pm
I think we have to remember that we are not all here for the same reason. Some of us like the geeky scientific aspect to gear and its collection, (same people who get a new phone every 3-6 months). Some of us couldn't give a crap about the gear and only care about the music, (the people who have a tiny mp3 player and earbuds). And lastly some of us, separately from the other two groups, find that music has much more to offer us in life and if better gear sounds better and lets us experience more eargasm/soulgasms, then thats where well through our money.

Ph0rk sounds like he's been reading The Coming Inserection.

Kevin
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post #12 of 17
10/27/09 at 4:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by adrift View Post
Wait... you can enjoy Barry Manilow?

See, that's the problem with the WIDE range of what is being talked about here.

Yes virginia, music beautifully done is an expression and piece of art , which does sound ever more so with better gears. Now Barry probably wouldn't be as valued on an iPod with those stock buds because of what is being lost in that transmission, nevermind what those nosey neighbors might think...LMAO

But to the point of the OP, on an island, something is better than no music, for sure.

However, in my daily life quality listening session rather than music playing for it's own sake and reveling in the beauty of silence taking a break from music makes it more valued when I do so choose.

Quality over quantity and or something is better than nothing then perhaps quantity becomes more so important, especially on an island
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post #13 of 17
10/27/09 at 4:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hi-Finthen View Post
See, that's the problem with the WIDE range of what is being talked about here.

Yes virginia, music beautifully done is an expression and piece of art , which does sound ever more so with better gears. Now Barry probably wouldn't be as valued on an iPod with those stock buds because of what is being lost in that transmission, nevermind what those nosey neighbors might think...LMAO

But to the point of the OP, on an island, something is better than no music, for sure.

However, in my daily life quality listening session rather than music playing for it's own sake and reveling in the beauty of silence taking a break from music makes it more valued when I do so choose.

Quality over quantity and or something is better than nothing then perhaps quantity becomes more so important, especially on an island
I was teasing. Even my going on 60 year old mother knows how great Barry Manilow is... wait, no, she's the only one I know who thinks he's great.
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post #14 of 17
10/27/09 at 6:22pm
one simple way to pull the stop-cord is to realize that hearing has its limits. getting older 'helps' with that.

my hearing is nowhere near as good as it was when I was in my 20's or even 30's.

I don't hear a lot of the 'stuff' that audiophiles claim. I never EVER hear wire diffs and even dacs sound a lot alike to me (as long as they are competant and don't have clearly obvious flaws).

I also dont' expect a lot from the MIXING of the music I listen to. most of my music is from the 60's, 70's and some 80's. the noise levels were HORRIBLE back then. my playback system far exceeds the best pro audio recording systems from the 70's (I have no doubt about this).

all that put together lets me 'stop' worrying frantically about every last detail. as long as I have 'enough' details, I'm fine. I also don't need to spend $10k on speakers, $2k on a dac and so on.

the key to audio happiness is to realize that, at some point, its more of a self-satisfaction thing more than 'the quality of the playback system is what I depend on for happiness'.

'enough is enough' is what brings happiness. until you get to that point, you'll continue to throw your wallet at the wind (lol) and never be happy since you're shooting for perfection and it just cannot be attained.
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post #15 of 17
10/27/09 at 6:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Erik View Post
I love knowing the gear won't get much better.
that's where I am, pretty much. throwing more specs at my gear won't make me happier. I am quite sure about that.

BUILDING things and designing things actually makes me more happy than the act of listening. go figure

but the continual question 'would my sound be better IF ...' just is not one I ponder a lot these days.
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