[Vatnos]

I am very fortunate that I have a 'good enough' that I can live with, unlike some people that can never be content.

However, I find the community and the goings-on fascinating, so I pop in from time to time.

 

[BobG55]

Strictly speaking for myself and keeping my opinion simple I know that in my case I easily fall into the obsessive compulsive state of mind and this hobby is no different. After buying and selling many high end amps & headphones not to mention tubes and cables I reached a point where I experienced an epiphany. "I'm never going to be satisfied" & "how much more money & time am I prepared to spend & lose doing this ?" "When is 'good enough', good enough ?

I now decided to stay in the mid hi-fi category with no more than two headphones, one tube headphone amp & not more than 4 sets of tubes. And the music sounds just as good as with the high end audio items I used to own. I'm not saying the high end items are overpriced, I'm not saying they're better or not better I'm saying I'm now statisfied with what I have and am finally enjoying my music again.

That's the only way I've been able to overcome my obsessive, compulsive behaviour in this hobby.

 

[bigshot]

Get a good equalizer. It's a great way to use your OCD to good purpose without spending a lot of money.

 

[BobG55]

Get a good equalizer. It's a great way to use your OCD to good purpose without spending a lot of money.

I don't know if you mean an EQ for downloaded music because I listen to CDs & not downloaded music. So I would need an external "equalizer" which I don't want. I enjoy the overall sound reproduction of my set up, it's pretty darn good.

 

[BobG55]

Get a good equalizer. It's a great way to use your OCD to good purpose without spending a lot of money.

Oh, but I appreciate the suggestion BTW.

 

[bigshot]

Next time you're in the market for an amp, get one with an equalizer built into it. Equalizers work wonders. You can make midrange headphones sound like high end ones.

 

[SilverEars]

Bigshot, what's an example of an amp with equalizer built in? I've not ran across one. You would have to have a DSP in there for a PEQ, but an amp is an analog component in the chain.

I know RME ADI-2 Pro has 5 band PEQ built in, but it's an interface(ADC, DAC), and audiophiles use it as DAC/Amp.

I found that PEQ in software on the computer hooked up to an external DAC sounded a bit wonky. Only EQ sounded right to me was PEQ on a portable digital player, and this is rare(A PEQ built in on the portable music player), and I've tried many graphic equalizers(all others didn't have PEQ, and that was part of the problem) in various portable players, and they did not sound right with EQ.

 

[SilverEars]

Strictly speaking for myself and keeping my opinion simple I know that in my case I easily fall into the obsessive compulsive state of mind and this hobby is no different. After buying and selling many high end amps & headphones not to mention tubes and cables I reached a point where I experienced an epiphany. "I'm never going to be satisfied" & "how much more money & time am I prepared to spend & lose doing this ?" "When is 'good enough', good enough ?

I now decided to stay in the mid hi-fi category with no more than two headphones, one tube headphone amp & not more than 4 sets of tubes. And the music sounds just as good as with the high end audio items I used to own. I'm not saying the high end items are overpriced, I'm not saying they're better or not better I'm saying I'm now statisfied with what I have and am finally enjoying my music again.

That's the only way I've been able to overcome my obsessive, compulsive behaviour in this hobby.

I think once people experience the dimishing returns in the summit-fi area that the highest end isn't particularly a large leap, but quite incrimental, and those in that area try the darnest to get that miniscule difference or squeeze out whatever they can from a system(placebo or not), and that behavior is of an audiophile.

Mid-fi is the area you get the largest leap in sound quality for much more reasonable pricepoint than high-end. That is, if you find the best performer in mid-fi, you are getting the best value in terms of cost. Just that people have problems being satisfied with what they have(which is human nature).

You got to be reasonable, the subtle difference are only apparent when you compare directly and monitor the sounds. The setup is for music enjoyment, but I think audiophile have ocd tendencies.

Once your ears get used to the sound, the wow factor is gone, it's temporary only if there is a large difference.

 

[Whazzzup]

I dont find it cursed.

 

[Lespectraal]

I'm still rocking an old Fiio X3 1st generation with my Sony XBA-A1s. I've had my JDS Labs C5 but its recently broke and I haven't sent it for repairs. Don't you have other things to do apart from this hobby? I read, play video games, watch TV shows, fill my life with other activities, and though I still have that hunger for new gear especially since I have quite a number of friends who are monsters at this game, I can discipline myself still.

Then again I have heard a proper Stax set up and I can no longer derive pleasure from conventional sound transducers.

 

[SilverEars]

I'm still rocking an old Fiio X3 1st generation with my Sony XBA-A1s. I've had my JDS Labs C5 but its recently broke and I haven't sent it for repairs. Don't you have other things to do apart from this hobby? I read, play video games, watch TV shows, fill my life with other activities, and though I still have that hunger for new gear especially since I have quite a number of friends who are monsters at this game, I can discipline myself still.

Then again I have heard a proper Stax set up and I can no longer derive pleasure from conventional sound transducers.

I have other hobbies as well, but when this hobby consumes you, it really does consume, and can push others away. You just have to keep yourself in check, and try to have a will power, not to get so wrapped up in swapping gear so often. You will come to realization that at some point, you are getting really nit-picky in improvements, and this is when you realize the obsessive compulation. If one were to be reasonable, that minuscule or suitability one is try to gain isn't all that worth the cost and effort. Trying to be satisfied with what you have and not thinking about improvements is the key. And I think audiophiles think a bit too much than the avg about improvements. It's a bit of a blinded hobby compared to video(where it's quite apparent visually), and this creates many complications in the hobby I think.

 

[SilverEars]

Also, I will state that there are people that have beliefs in this hobby. Something improves the sound that is quite far-fetched, but they have these beliefs. Initially, I thought people can't be serious to have these beliefs, but they ACTUALLY DO! They have a faith in something they really hold on to. So, there are those types as well. You know people that are into conspiracy theories? Akin to that. I don't know if technical background really grounds their beliefs.

This is in the realm of psychology.

You got to think outside the matrix, are you in one yourself? With this hobby, I really question reality.

We all probably have a belief that when an outsider looks at it, it's far-fetched. We're more inclined to notice other's.

 

[Lespectraal]

Also, I will state that there are people that have beliefs in this hobby. Something improves the sound that is quite far-fetched, but they have these beliefs. Initially, I thought people can't be serious to have these beliefs, but they ACTUALLY DO! They have a faith in something they really hold on to. So, there are those types as well. You know people that are into conspiracy theories? Akin to that. I don't know if technical background really grounds their beliefs.

This is in the realm of psychology.

You got to think outside the matrix, are you in one yourself? With this hobby, I really question reality.

We all probably have a belief that when an outsider looks at it, it's far-fetched. We're more inclined to notice other's.

I posted this long ago

Audiophilia and religion are similar in the sense that both of them are somewhat faith based. Both seem to call upon the idea that there is "something", without the means of proving that. It is as if the idea in question is made up, totally within the realm of imagination and therefore has no place in reality.

In fact, in philosophy, there is a topic called the mind body problem that explores and questions the relation between the mind and the body. One proposed answer to this problem is immaterial consciousness. It is said that our brains are mere "receivers" and that our consciousness is incorporeal, meaning that it has absolutely no physical foundation, therefore it cannot be measured, tested or likewise verified.

Perplexing.

It is a belief. All of our actions are to certain degrees informed by our beliefs, knowledge, attitudes etc.. But yeah when it goes to the extremes and consumes you, you just end up chasing rainbows into oblivion. I was like that long ago, believing that I could hear the difference between a silver wire with a copper one thinking that one gave a brighter or PrATTier sound or whatever than the other. All those terminologies I've spouted out all didn't really mean anything other than what I felt it should be. They seemed to be nothing but empty chants that only tickle your perception of reality, but reality is still the same regardless. Oh well.

 

[Prog Rock Man]

I stopped my spending and upgrading after looking into the science behind the claims for the various parts to the hifi chain. When I say science and claims I really mean snake oil sales pitching. Finding out that properly run ABX testing shows fi you get a decent bit rate and some good speakers (in headphones or in boxes) then you are good to go. The rest does not matter, cables in particular.

Spotify also helped. I would rather spend my time listening to lots of music than worrying about the minute details of how the sound is reproduced. In any case, punk rock is not supposed to have fantabulous sound quality.....

 

[bigshot]

That nails it. If you understand the basics of how something works, you don't need to depend on blind belief. It also helps to not let your ego get wrapped up in it and to keep the focus on music.