Anyone else grateful that they got hooked on this crazy addiction


I got home tonight after a 12 hour day of busting my ass for the IT company I work for and sat down in the single chair in my dedicated listening room and turned on Dido’s “Still on My Mind”. As I sat there listening with the lights off, I thought about the fact that the majority of the people in this world will never get to hear anything close to this kind of sound and I get to hear any track, at any time, at any volume I choose. Please don’t think that I am bragging about my system as I know that the majority of you have systems that put mine to shame. I am attempting to express how very grateful I am that I got into this amazing hobby, especially with all the crazy things that are happening in our world today.

 

As a lurker on this forum for a couple of years, I have read the great majority of the posts. Some with a chuckle, some with great awe and some with disgust. We all enjoy an amazing hobby that allows us to escape from the realities of life right in our own home.

 

My system consists of a Devialet Expert 250 Pro, Dynaudio Contour 60 speakers, a pair of REL S510 sub-woofers, AQ William Tell speaker cables, an Uptone Audio Etherregen, SOTM ethernet cable, AQ Tornado power cords, an AQ Niagara 1000 power conditioner, GIK acoustic room treatments and an SGC i5 Sonictransporter running Roon with 5TB of hi-res recordings and streaming Tidal and Qobuz. Once again, I am not bragging, and I am not looking for any comments about how good or bad my system is or could be. My goal is to give you some perspective about how lucky we are to be “audiophiles” in this crazy world.

 

When I sit down with a glass of scotch and put on whatever it is that trips my fancy that night, I can easily put the world out of my mind in under 5 minutes. Listening to what I think is an incredible soundstage and how I can be transported so quickly to the artist’s location is sometimes beyond belief. The best is those nights when you audibly mumble “holy sh-t” after an especially dazzling track.

 

We are a very lucky group of people to be able to sit down with our system that we have built with our own hands and hard-earned money. To think how much time we have spent reading forums and reviews as well as the never ending tweaking. Who would have thought that moving speakers ¼” would make that big of difference?

 

So, who else out there is grateful that we have these amazing systems in our homes and it would almost be welcomed to be quarantined for a couple of weeks?


desert38
I love stereo system which I have put together since the early nineties. I still use my flagship tower ADS tower speakers. I love the full sound. Am currently using just a cambridge audio integrated for power but cannot wait to hook up my Music Fidelity integrated someday. I also continue to use my Dual turntable I bought last year (love the auto) and my Nakamichi ZX682. I learn so much from you guys, thank you! Stay safe out there!
I agree with Engindr1960 and Coach....  best return on investment I've found ...  I enjoy listening several times a day...  every day.

My Ex never got it... my girlfriend does... she loves music .   She has diverse musical taste and we like a lot of the same stuff...  
It is a good healthy way to stay out of trouble, get into trouble, get out of trouble and of start all over again. LOL
Close to 50% of the people at any given time admit to having some type of excessive compulsive tendencies (OCD) or admit their addicts of one sort or another.  So we're clear, the other 50 % are in PURE denial.

Been in the program a LONG time.. I chose my obsessions with one thing in mind. CAN I AFFORD THIS, (not just monetarily), if I can, it's a hobby of sorts, if not it goes in OTHER pile.  The beware pile.. Sometimes, the NEVER touch this pile. 40 plus years, I been keeping it between the curbs.. For the most part. With the good ol Stereo.... Tons of fun, multigenerational,  Music!!!..

What a way to go through life, music does makes the world go round.
Listening to Highland music as I type. Something about, bagpipes, the pan flute, a comfortable chair, and a cloudy day...

Wonderful with regards..
There's a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons –
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes –

Heavenly Hurt, it gives us –
We can find no scar,
But internal difference –
Where the Meanings, are –

None may teach it – Any –
'Tis the seal Despair –
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the Air –

When it comes, the Landscape listens –
Shadows – hold their breath –
When it goes, 'tis like the Distance
On the look of Death –

Emily Dickinson



"I coulda used more cowbell."

THE Bruce Dickinson
"Yes, & in the long run it’s actually cheaper than heroine." I agree about heroines...all that time spent hanging out at stage doors, the stalking, endless celebrity magazines cluttering up the single wide, the abandonment by all friends...a far larger cost than an audio hobby in every way, although friends still don’t get it.