Do you spend more time analyzing the sound of your system, worrying it could be better?


Great article here from Dan Wright of ModWright:

If it Sounds Good, It IS Good

 

128x128jerryg123

I spend time finding new music and artists that I enjoy.  I'm done spending money on the system. 

It's like someone spending too much worrying about their cameras equipment and not looking for wonderful things to photograph. 

I have been a member of this Forum for many years and have read posts by many audiophiles to whom I believe their systems are nothing but a source of grief and anxiety.  I know 1 or 2 people like this personally and I don't think there is a cure for it. As audiophiles, we all think about how things might be improved, but for some, it seems to be a constant voice in their heads that cannot be silenced.  As someone who has owned some relatively expensive gear, i.e., $15k preamp, $10k CD player, the solution was actually downgrade to a less expensive system, which just sounds good for what it is.  I don't expect miracles and I don't get them.  I just get good sound that I find pleasing. Life is easier once you lower your standards.  Not saying you should do it - it's your life after all. 

@hilde45  I like your philosophy.

Has anyone noticed that there is a preponderance of men in this hobby? It is in part driven by the instinctive nature of men. We like tools, tools to do just about anything. A car is a tool to get places. A saw is a tool to cut up wood, a stereo is a tool to listen to music. Aside from being extremely vicious creatures it is one of the main reasons humans are so successful.   I think some of us are miffed by the extreme cost of some equipment and feel they could never have a great system because they can not afford a SAT arm. We come up with creative reasons to justify the system we have. This is IMHO a defeatist aptitude. Anyone can build a great system for reasonable money. It takes knowledge and creativity. What makes it difficult is having to wade through the mountains of BS that surround this hobby.

You can get off the train at any time you want. I like the ride and prefer to stay on it. But, most of the time I am analyzing now it is not so much the system as it is the recording. I know exactly where the weaknesses in my system are and have a plan to correct them. It should only take me another 20 years or so. 

I forgot to mention, "sounds good" is defined by the listener, not the system.