An unscientific poll: How often are you happy?


What percentage of the time do you just break out in a smile and thoroughly enjoy the music *and* the sound when you fire up your system? 10%? 50%? 99%? (The other times: you hear something wrong, something lacking, needs tweaking, needs upgrading, colorations, distortions, you hear a noise, a tube might be going, not musical enough, can't suspend your disbelief the way you want to, your expectations are disappointed, it doesn't sound like you remember the dealer's system did, doesn't sound like you remember your friend's system did, you made the wrong move with the last upgrade, you doubt the money you recently spent really made a difference, the recording is too flawed, you wonder what it would sound like if you changed this or that, you enjoyed it more in the car, you question whether you've truly got your priorities in perspective, etc...) Give your %, and list the approximate $ investment you have in the system (specify new or used valuation). Mine: happy about 15% of the time, valuation around $17,000 if all bought new. Conclusions - if any - drawn later...
zaikesman

Showing 1 response by sek

I love/need the music. My $4500 2-channel audio system delivers recorded music just fine for me (and my budget). 99.95% of the time I'm responding directly to the recorded music, rather than to equipment issues, which I guess means (for the purpose of this poll) I'm happy about 99.95%.

Among the music that gives me joy are old low-fi Ellington and Parker recordings. So fidelity isn't everything, but it's sure nice if you can get it. And there's nothing like hearing music performed live.

I spend time at various audio and music websites and enjoy listening to music on some friends' higher end/priced systems. I've also appreciated the dramatic improvements in sound from the upgrades to my audio system that I've been able to make over the years. But it's my connection to the music that would probably make me "happy" over 90% of the time, even if I could only afford to get it via a "boombox".