un-becoming an audiophile

like many things in life, it is incumbent on us (ourselves, individually) to not ’lose the plot’, ’miss the forest from the trees’ or whatever idiom you care to use

a great hifi is expressly for listening to music, for our enjoying music very much, casually or intensely, when we want, in our respective living spaces - that is why we delve into this hobby to assemble a system that produces recorded music with high fidelity

many good things in life can be misused, or bought for the wrong reason ... hifis and music included

it bears saying that playing with equipment is also fun

have said it many times here in various threads, there are numerous ways to enjoy any hobby, including this one

key is to be honest with yourself, be self aware, realize whether, how, how much you enjoy doing something (or if it has in fact become unenjoyable and/or a burden), then change course, alter behavior as needed to restore happiness as needed

we are the only stewards of our own happiness

listening to live music we enjoy is indeed useful in informing many of us what that really sounds like -- and helps ground our expectations for what our hifi’s should deliver... but just be careful to understand that much ’live’ music is being amplified before the audience hears it... so what you are hearing is also reproduced music in a sense (and arguably, rather poorly replayed, just alot louder...)

perhaps it is partly joking, or just snippy commentary many of us are prone to at times, but some people seems to glom onto the negative connotations of being an audiophile... you can take any positive pursuit too far and have it enter negative territory... this is true for some many of the luxuries in life

good thread, lots of participation, many terrific points raised and discussed... very broad ranging

a few patently ridiculous, thoughtless comments as well... to be expected

all this should have each of us reconsider what enjoyment in this hobby is, can be, and whether we are achieving it in how we are each going about it... that is very positive

now if you’ll excuse me, i’m going to pour a glass of chateau margaux, taste a bit of keluga reserve, light a king o denmark, spin some liberace, and celebrate the ever widening first world income disparity reported in the latest issue of the economist...

@grislybutter Once again I have to ask, "How hard is it for you to wake up every morning?" Your self flagellation is laughable. There are several problems with your thinking process, the first being is it is none of your business what other people do with THEIR money.

@dadork

well said, seeing that person’s posts, i have had some of same feelings that you expressed... but mostly the utter lack of a sense of humor is remarkable and regrettable

........

all this said, i suppose everything in this thread falls in the category of first class problems that most folks in the world would love to have -- if someone is here on this forum reading and posting, life can't be that bad, right?

the fallacy expressed by some, like the comment above, is that many/most experienced, dedicated folks here with money, spending fairly decent money on this pursuit are doing it stupidly, and for all the wrong reasons (bling, self aggrandisement, impress others, what have you...)

hint -- you are wrong

can’t speak for all, but for many, many here whom i know personally, who post regularly to share their experiences, learnings, observations, advice ... are sharp, invariably accomplished (and very nice) people -- who as far as i can didn’t get here by being shallow, tin-eared chumps. throwing good money in after bad...

here is a well articulated view for both side of the coin ... skip to 3:00 if you are tight on time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8wc25tnbH8&t=453s

Why spend hundreds of thousands on an audio system or a car when you can invest the money and make money, then use the money you make to buy your desired audio equipment, car, and house with cash

not to be argumentative, but just to offer a contrary point of view on this statement above...

because life is short, money isn’t everything, you can’t take it with you... investing money has its risks too... and most importantly, a good life lived is about creating wonderful experiences, memories and good feelings that money well spent can afford us...

@lanx0003

One thing you could do is to STOP questing / procuring stereo audio equipments. Be content with what you have and just listen to the music. Start building the music library, do version comparison, and collect different but worthwhile collectibles. Start not only music listening but also "music appreciation" to enrich the experience every time you put something on the turntable, CD player or simply stream.

wise words indeed...

not what i do personally, as i do have fun playing with gear, but nonetheless, this is sage advice for most engaged in this passion

seems like mahgister is back under a pseudonym