Gentlemen please be calm. For one, if you like gear and find it fascinating it's ok. It is not pathological to enjoy the equipment aspect of the hobby.
I love sonics and I love music unfortunately I like to hear it on the best system I can. The gear matters as well or this site would not thrive. This is particularily true of my sub interest old tubes. They are time capsule that capture a time long lost in reality that it carries in its circuits. They have a hard time decaying in a strong vacuum. It is very cool indeed.
I have thought many times, why not settle on a bunch of favorite tubes and sell the rest. I tried to bring myself to do it, but each tube has a story to tell of its coming to me. Each was either a lucky hit or a sad bummer. The bad actors that I would not pass on to bum out another collector.
I know what I really like now and yet I think of tweaks and such to keep me reading the ads. Now that times are lean in my Casa the tube collecting has virtually stopped or is at a very slow trickle. It doesn't stop me from following the market and figuring out when a few dealers all at once Stock a tube thought to been extinct those are probably bogus.
Only if the guy is going broke and still buying. That is a problem, but he is under the usual delusion that things like a better power cord can make him truly happy. When it inevitably fails to do that he tries again like a rat in a Skinner box with intermitant reinforcement. Much like playing black jack.
Let me ask you though, is collecting an addiction or harmful? see above for yes otherwise go on.
I can think of people who simply display spoons and never use them and have completely missed the point that spoons are used to eat. Any old spoon will do it's the food that matters.
How about old toys, you wouldn't dream of humoring a child with a NIB toy from the 50s 40s and ealier but that is why they exist.
How many of you own a car that simply has more horsepower and torque than you can ever really use. Theres no point in it but we like the cars . While if thinking correctly we could have a very low HP gas/electric high milage no emmisions "green" vehicle that gets you to and from where you are going and that is the reason d' etre' for a car isn't it.
finally How many will admit they have checked the sonics of their system with a special recording that demonstrates what sonics you may have or are missing ... Audio gear is always intended to play music. You can use a clock radio to hear in minds ear a great symphopny> For some reason my time and money have been spent on expensive electronics and tweaks and speakers to hear that symphony in all it's pottential glory. Until the times improve and I hear something that is so much better that I put it on my when I can afford to buy it list,I will.
So stop lets stop the holier than thou stuff will music is all it is about nonesense in this hobby forget it's reproduction dismiss the whole meaning of audiophile silliness and get a good clock radio a Bose with a cd player in it, perhaps and join the musical appreciation and sleeping site.
