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Can the need for novelty and change be mitigated by rotation?

There is a not too serious term audiophilia nervosa; it may be a joke, but it builds on a valid observation: there are people who are never content with their equipment in medium term.It is not the initial period, when one does know much about gear and learns; or the question of disposable income, when one gets the best they can afford, and upgrades untill he (or, probably less often, she) buys the dream system. Audiophilia nervosa is a state later on, a plateau, when a desired piece initially gives much satisfaction, yet it wears off, and the person gets uneasy and looks for smth. else.
To give a personal example, I was on a quest for my ultimate power amp. Had to be Pass Aleph; happened to find Aleph 4. Did not suit the speakers (Lowther Fidelio) too well; got other speakers (MBL 101b or c) ; still not there; got ML no. 23. Much better; but still uneasy about Aleph and speakers for it; got Gradient 1.5; fine with ML, Ok with Pass; exploring options, got Parasound 2200 mk2 (and a couple of PA amps). And I needed a preamp. Seller insisted on only trading ML no. 28 together with no. 27, — another power amp.
Now the ML 28 is there to stay; Gradient 1.5 are keepers too; but I’d keep old MBL101 even if they stopped working (I’d probably use them as garden sculptures), so they stay, too. But I have way too many power amps (the listed, and a few more), I would need to sell some.
The trouble is, I cannot decide. So, in order to decide, I rotate them. ML 23 is very good with MBLs, fine with the Gradients. ML 27 is very good with the Gradients. Parasound 2200 2 is very good with the Graients, - but in a different way. So I swap every few weeks, and I still cannot decide.
And after each break I [re-]discover things I like about the particular amp / amp-speaker combination.
Again and again...
Which made me think:
— What if this ‘rotation’ takes good care of my need for change and novelty?
After a while I will decide which one(s) to sell, and later on I will probably want smth. new. But for the time being, keeping and rotating them slows down my pace - and I see it as a good thing, as in the aftermath I do not think my decisions have been sufficiently well informed (for instance, I am getting used to the fact that I actually do not like sound of Pass Alephs as much as I thought I do, and my Aleph 4 may be the first to go).
inefficient

Showing 1 response by rosco88

rosco88
24 posts
 
I so enjoyed the prose displayed in some of these posts. Wonderful lads.
As one that also has had a long journey with many cycles as funds became available I too like variety. Accumulation of ’nice’ components over the last couple of cycles has meant that I have the luxury of many systems and swapping components around. They have different uses though, the living area system whilst i am cooking or working around the house. With a large area the system projects and fills the house with music to work with and also in summer drinking with mates and family as it extends nicely with quad sliding doors onto the alfresco. The master bedroom system is just to lie in bed in the morning and enjoy smooth soothing music. Yes i could upgrade one or 2 of the systems but to what end, they all sound good to me. I do have 2 nice stereo systems in my theatre/sound room and every other week play my 2nd stereo system as I like the change.

I am the same with guitars and amps, I have 5 core guitars and 2 amps set up in the sound room as well and each has a different personality and each is more suited to different styles of music. Yet when i go out for jamm I will take another guitar which can play a wider range of music and is lighter !!! So different personalities for different styles of playing to an extent is reflected in my hifi systems, 2 of my systems are stronger for vocals and jazz, whilst 2 are brilliant for harder driving music, such as rock.
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