[pbirkett]

I dont know what it is lately, but I get the impression that I have become bored with hifi and music generally as a hobby. Although my system is fairly humble in comparison with many members here, I believe it does sound good, but lately it seems I just cannot be bothered with it. I start listening to music (even brand new stuff I aint even heard before) and I seem to just get bored and put the telly on instead. Every now and again, my interest will resurface, but to me its certain that my interest is dwindling.

Now, my approach for this problem in the past was sometimes to upgrade my system (why do I suspect that this boredom is perhaps responsible for some peoples upgraditis?), but the fact is, I have probably reached my threshold to what I can really afford. Even buying music is a struggle now because I have little money, and what upgrades I have bought in the past, I have struggled to afford, but now I cant even afford them. Perhaps worse still though, is my feeling that even if I could go on struggling to afford upgrades now and again, I simply dont have the inclination to do it.

I have been thinking about this tonight, and wondering why I find myself in the situation I am in. I feel that perhaps if I had not gotten into hifi then I would have enjoyed music as much as I did before I got into it, and it was probably arguable that I enjoyed it more before I got into hifi than I do now. Dont get me wrong, the overall quality is better than it was, in some cases, much better. However, I listened to my old Kenwood mini system which I had years ago which is now living downstairs, and while it is not as good as my current rig, it is perhaps not as far behind as I probably expected. Also, I am starting to feel that the increased sound quality I do get can be a mixed blessing - even if I were to buy originals of everything I own (not possible due to cost), I have to face facts that much of the music I listen to is subpar in terms of quality. The now increased sound quality I get has certainly highlighted this problem very much; this is especially true of my headfi rig - I never thought I would hear myself say this, but 192K MP3's do sound genuinely lousy through it. As does a fair chunk of my original collection.

So where does this leave me? Well, I really wish I could forget about the kit, much like I did when I had the Kenwood system, and enjoy my music again. However, getting into hifi has probably enhanced my ability to hear certain things I couldnt before, and in many cases, I am not sure this is a good thing. I now pick faults a lot when listening to music, and it has certainly helped diminish my enjoyment of music (the opposite to mine, or indeed i would imagine anyone elses intentions). The usual "audiophile" way is to upgrade, but I cant afford to, and wouldnt want to if I could - many different headphone / headphone amp upgrades, as well as listening to different kit has simply taught me that in this game, one pays heavily for relatively small improvements. If I could turn back the clock and do things differently I definitely would, but I cant, and it has if anything, left me desiring for other things (not neccesarily hifi either) that I now cannot dream of affording.

Anyway, well done if you are still reading after all that, and sorry for rambling, but I needed to vent

I would like to know if anyone else has felt like this, and if they have what they did to overcome it, or if anyone has any suggestions that might help or even just make me feel better, then fire away.

 

[Edwood]

I find myself delving more and more into DIY. I like making things, so it's a natural for me.

It's definitely more affordable. But it more like death by a thousand paper cuts. And you do all the cutting yourself.

Don't worry most people find themselves in one of these two positions: (unless you're a trust fund baby or win the lottery)

You have all the time to play, but no money to buy the toys.

You have all the money to buy the toys, but no time to play with them.

-Ed

 

[Tina]

we feel for you. give yourself a couple of days off. don't touch any of your stuff.

you'll see what happens

.

 

[plainsong]

Well the equipment is only a means to an end, and that's music. So think less about your gear and just let the urge to listen to tunes come naturally. Don't worry if it's takes weeks or months. Just whenever you have the urge to listen to the music again, your gear will be there to help you out.

 

[mbriant]

I've been cycling through various interests my entire life. When I get bored of listening to music I move on to photography for a while then on to playing music then onto attending lots of live performances and back again. It's normal to get a little bored with anything at times, so give it a rest and dive into something else for a while. Like the saying goes ... absence makes the heart grow fonder .... and the wallet thicker.

 

[LobsterSan]

This thread must be rather cavernous, because I'm going to echo the echos that were conveyed above. Take some time off, and you'll come back to your music at some point. Don't force yourself to listen just because you've spent all that money on your system. Only listen when you really have that urge to hear something.

If you really find yourself lacking in funds, and wanting to get into something else... there's always the option of selling your equipment or downgrading. Audio at least has a better resale value than something like cars. I'm of the opinion that there IS actually a way to turn back towards lo-fi once you've tasted hi-fi. It just takes a little time and a month or two of thinking things sound crappy. But you get used to it, and then you can re-experience the joy of discovering hi-fidelity.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

It's called burnout, and everyone goes through it. The response is not to force yourself to do something that you didn't used to have to force yourself to do. If you don't feel like listening to music, don't listen to music.

That said, I must try to diplomatically criticize your mindset. I am first and foremost a music lover. I've only discovered audiophilia recently, and guess what? I still love music. As plainsong said, it's only a means to an end, don't get wrapped up in the mechanics of it. I know it's a cliche', but are you listening to your equipment or your music? If you're listening to your equipment, then you're doing it wrong. It is possible to listen to music so boring that you end up listening to your music, but one can blame that on the music just as easily as one can blame that on the equipment. Personally, I think it's operator error. I can be listening to my totally crappy car stereo, and still enjoy the music.

 

[raif]

get rid of the cd3k.

Nothing made me as sick of listening to music as those phones. The treble energy, plus the big "fake" soundstage, really made me feel like I was only analyzing a collection of sounds rather than listening to music.

I don't think you need to take a break. Just take a break from the overemphasis on critical listening and go back to enjoying the music. Lately I have been listening to koss portapro 2s directly out of an ipod, and I have been enjoying them just as much as my "power" rig.

 

[gpalmer]

Oh yeah, I go through those phases on a regular basis. There are times when I just wander off and don't listen to music for weeks because I'm burned out on it. The interest comes back, and then I'm so happy to get back to some wonderful setups...

 

[sbulack]

I'm getting into an exploration of the low end of headphone amps: cmoy, MINT, Headsave's new Vibe - with op-amp rolling. I'm reading Apheared's old DIY posts and Tangent's web site with a lot of interest. AND I DON'T EVEN OWN A SOLDERING IRON! Who knows? I might soon! Kind of getting more into what makes the sound and tinkering with it and listening to the differences - as well as the music. Where an op-amp is $3 - $12, an upgrade is about the cost of a new CD, and can keep you engaged for awhile. Anyway, that's my next step to keep it from getting stale. Taking a break from it for awhile can also make a lot of sense if you're just not finding anything about it that grabs you.

 

[Ticky]

This is true. I have a few other hobbies - though much less expensive than this one - and I go through "in" and "out" phases. Right now I'm starting to get back to playing my guitar again after nearly a year of hiatus. But, I think this is healthy. Plus its good to be well rounded.

As for being broke because of a hobby. Yeah, hi-fi has that way of doing sucking you into a downward financial spiral. That's the evil of it. And I do think this obsession can be unhealthy both mentally and financially. As you spend more, your will power decreases and it harder to resist the temptation. Thank God I'm leaving this country soon and the geographic distance will serve to strong disincentive to spend anymore money on this hobby. Hopefully, I wouldn't be upgrading for the next 4 years (unless something breaks

) or so.

Its best to take time off and explore other - cheaper - hobbies (running, writing, chess, etc.). This way you replenish your "treasure chest" and rejuvenate your spirit.

Best of Luck!

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbirkett I dont know what it is lately, but I get the impression that I have become bored with hifi and music generally as a hobby. Although my system is fairly humble in comparison with many members here, I believe it does sound good, but lately it seems I just cannot be bothered with it. I start listening to music (even brand new stuff I aint even heard before) and I seem to just get bored and put the telly on instead. Every now and again, my interest will resurface, but to me its certain that my interest is dwindling.

Yes... lately I've not only become bored with the hobby, but with music as well. For some reason it's just not moving me lately (emotionally, poetically, intellectually) and I find myself listening for 5 minutes and taking my headphones off, not to listen again for another few days.

Not to be harsh, but without the constant upgrading there is surprisingly little to this hobby. At some point of satisfaction it should just end, and I think it has for me. I'm sure I'll get interested in music again, but quite unconvinced that I'll continue to upgrade my gear.

We're really on the same page here... decent budget-level gear, not much expendable income, and a serious loss of interest in the whole thing. I could keep buying music, but lately it seems like buying DVD's and such provides a better level of entertainment overall.

 

[Snake]

A lot of cool responses here you should take advice from. A lot of it is "burnout" - the backlash from putting so much mental effort into something, and so much attention, that the attention span lapses for a while. Anything and everything has "burnout" when you do a lot of it with high levels of concentration. You're bored - just like you say; you mind is stuck in a pattern, and that pattern is the "burnout" thread. Change things, a lot or a little (depends upon the person) and it'll come back to you.

 

[ampgalore]

Which Kenwood mini system do you have? I have a Kenwood mini system as well, it's the Allura NV-500, been discontinued for a while now.

I would step away from your music for a while, perhaps a few weeks, a few months, then come back to it, I'm sure you'll find yourself enjoy your music once more. What is that saying, ....makes the heart fonder...

Or if you are married, let your wife have all your credit cards, then you can be sure that you will have been cured of your "addiction."

 

[aerius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk It's called burnout, and everyone goes through it. The response is not to force yourself to do something that you didn't used to have to force yourself to do. If you don't feel like listening to music, don't listen to music.

Bingo. Unless you're a audio equipment or music reviewer, listening is NOT a job, it's a hobby, something you do FOR FUN. If it ain't fun, move on to something else that is fun, your kids aren't going to starve, you won't lose your home, and the sun will still rise tomorrow. Remember, you don't listen to headphones as a job, your livelyhood & identity don't depend on it, so if it ceases to be fun, just take a break and do something else that is fun.

Notice how much I use the word "fun"? It's no accident, far too many people get so wrapped up in their hobbies that the fun goes out of it and it becomes like a job, hence the burnout.