[bowei006]

And from that, I relish in the fact that I am one of the few people in this world who listens to such crappy music with such high end gear, and that brings a smile to my face.

Some men just want to watch the world burn

 

[Tilpo]

Well I wouldn't put mathematics and philosophy on the same degree.
They're both widely different.
Mathematics are based on reasoning and logic. If you possess a great understanding of logic then it's easier to comprehend maths.
Philosophy is often based on psychoanalysis and it's not concrete "science" (if you can call philosophy science). Nothing is ever right or wrong in philosophy, not like maths where a theorem can be demonstrated being right or wrong.
You will often find in Philosophy books that a philosopher debates against a thesis from another philosopher.
But you will never know until you try it of course 

 Who knows, you might be the next René Descartes.

This is true. All I meant to say was that I don't think reading difficult texts will be the problem with philosophy for me, since I'm used to some pretty tough stuff. I by no means meant to imply that there is a high degree of similarity between the two fields, I just reflected on the fact that they are more similar than different in writing style and information density.

 

[niic]

On the one hand, you can extrapolate your thoughts on hi-fi to virtually everything in life, to seemingly depressing extremes even. Why would people drive a Jaguar if a Dacia will just as well get them from A to B? Does caviar really fill your stomach more than a slice of bread? Why buy a €200 pair of jeans if you can have a pair for €25? Who needs a big house if a trailer will also protect you from the elements? Does cheap vodka not get you drunk faster than an expensive wine? 

 
In the end, is someone who eats caviar for breakfast happier than someone who doesn't? Will you hate your life if you drive a Dacia?
 
The hedonic treadmill is the supposed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or life changes (just Google 'hedonic treadmill' for further reading).
Diminishing marginal returns don't come just from technical aspects, it's a psychological process as well. Part of the Welcome to Head-Fi, sorry for your wallet therefore refers not just to the quest for truly better sounding gear, but the desire to just buy and try something new. 

 
I therefore think your post serves as an important message: Justin Bieber doesn't magically turn into Bob Dylan if you change from stock earbuds to HD800s, and Birdy doesn't become Rebecca Black if I play her through my €50 computer speakers. Music you love, you will still love through lesser gear.
 
Of course, there is some bottom line that you need to cross (caviar might in the long run not make you happier than bread, but bread will sure make you perpetually happier than having nothing to eat).

 

[gopanthersgo1]

I still prefer a subwoofer with my speakers than without one these days, electro is more fun when it shakes the house IMHO... h34r:

 

[a_recording]

I can totally agree with a lot of thoughts you made in your original post. I really got a little burnt out myself chasing a bit of a 'perfect' head fi rainbow. Nowadays I'm more happy to play around with cheaper gear that just seems interesting to me from a kind of curiosity standpoint, and I stick with stuff that is comfortable and easy to listen to. I've been to enough meets to listen to some insanely nice stuff and really appreciate it, but thankfully the meets also make me less inclined to buy super exotic gear. After a while I don't think it's practical or affordable (at least for me) - and in the end I know I will never be satisfied if I just continually chase the next best thing!

 

[mosshorn]

I agree. I'm lucky(ish) enough that when I plan to buy a new pair of headphones, it pretty much forces me to sell any others. So for a time, I end up going with my budget staples that I always keep. They bring me back in tune with what this hobby is about: the music. While the luxurious rigs may bring unprecedented realism, wouldn't it be easier to buy one or two good pairs, a decent amp/dac, and spend the rest on the music?
 
 
Bravo, +1 to this post

 

[gopanthersgo1]

There are a few songs that with good speakers have brought tears to my eye in just how sad the vocalist sounds in just his voice, and it hasn't done so with cheaper (~$50) speakers...

 

[3X0]

It's funny because I automatically skip over every discussion about anything non-transducer/music related nowadays. I ignore every sentence mentioning amplifiers, DACs, cables, et al due to having developed a similar technical understanding that you have. I'm never going to change my upstream.
 
It's still a little fun trying different headphones, though. My speakers and IEMs are what I consider end-game for me but I am still able to get enjoyment out of headphones/speakers that are objectively and audibly quite different.
 
In any case, new music > new headphones.

 

[music_4321]

Quote:

How I spoiled hi-fi for myself.
......

 
Hey Tilpo,

Long time no see. Great post! — genuine both from the head & the heart (and your ears).

I happen to share a lot of how you feel about things related to gear. What is often rather sad is that what brings most people here in the first place—a love of music and a wish to get said music to sound better—is often transformed into a love for, and obsession with, gear. Yes, lots of valuable things to learn here on HF, no doubt, but the amount of BS, exaggeration, misinformation & parroting is quite staggering.

 

[proton007]

Hi Tilpo,
I kind of echo your thoughts.
Thing is, it happens with everything. There's only so much time you can devote to learning and perfecting something, you also need time to enjoy it.
 
I wouldn't say I've lost interest in hi-fi, or cars, or anything else, its just that when you understand the mechanics, the shroud of awe and mystery is lifted and things no longer appear magical.
It also enables one to enjoy well designed products, whether they're modelstly priced or expensive.
So lets say, for now I'm happy with what I have, and don't see the need of investing anymore in amps/headphones.
 
As others have pointed out, your tastes change over time, and with more resources, who knows you'll come back to it one day. I certainly have picked up many hobbies I'd never considered seriously, now that I'm able to afford stuff (student vs employee).

 

[mutabor]

In every hobby there are different levels of involvement. I do see the same patterns of behavior among photo gear enthusiasts for example. The same disease of constant upgrading and expanding, the same talks that it's about taking pictures and not gear itself while in fact it's often quite opposite: it's more about gear than taking pictures. Of course there are guys who enjoy both equipment and photography. 
 
My personal attitude towards photo and audio gear is that you need to find what suits you and what suits you isn't necessarily the best gear. For example, if you are mostly interested in street photography then you should get a small inconspicuous camera. But small cameras are full of compromises in image quality and operation in comparison to bigger ones.
 
Most of the time I listen to music is on the go on the streets. I practically don't listen music at home unless it is music video. I never listen to music when I read because it distracts me. Hence the only gear I'm interested in is portable gear. Then I don't like isolating IEMs which means that I'm restricted to much fewer choices. In the end it seems that most of Head-fi talks are useless to me. It doesn't mean that I don't need this forum. The audio market where I live is very limited and the choice is poor. Hence I need information what gear to get and from where. My goal is to get moderately decent quality gear which will suit my style of life. It is obvious that I'm not interested in "audio journey" - the term I secretly laugh at and which I find pompous.
 
So my approach is to be more selective rather than jumping in all directions. The older you get the more selective and cautious you become. 

 

[music_4321]

Quote:

... The older you get the more selective you become. 

 
Often, as one gets older one decides to change one's cat-avatar for an Austrian-inspired bird-avatar. 
 
(Note to others: this is an inside joke of sorts)

 

[mutabor]

Quote:

 
Often, as one gets older one decides to change one's cat-avatar for an Austrian-inspired bird-avatar. 
 
(Note to others: this is an inside joke of sorts)

Often, as one gets older ...eeee ...nothing comes to mind. You are impeccable, music_4321.

 

[paradoxper]

It's all about the music anyhow. The gear tends to overshadow that fact time and time again.

 

[snapple10]

+1
you nailed it!!
 
Enjoy music, gears are icing on the cake