If there’s an audiophile exit ramp, this ain’t it…

A  disgruntlement causing Graham LS5 was the exit plan? That's the pay to play press at work, no mind blowing sound there...

No exit available. Keep looking and learning a bit longer.

Audiogon and the audio press, I mean. I finally have the system I was aiming for and had imagined for my future, as conjured from the cryptic pages of stereophile etc. — incredible transparency, scale, and ‘realness’ — but whenever I’m drawn to these sites/pages, as I have been for two years, I am confronted again with doubt and a vague longing for ‘perfection’ in a new purchase. I just want to enjoy the music

Im ready for the audiophile exit ramp, and this ain’t it…

@cd318 

I think we all do.

Unfortunately we seem to be infected by a virus for which there is no known cure.

Just when and where this infection occured is not known but complete recovery is virtually unheard of.

+1

For years I had “Audiophilia Decease” (my made-up term) under control and owned a number of good systems that satisfied me over my 73 years. Then system break occurred last year that sent me into my current bought with the decease…

As a lot have uttered the phrase “I’m Done!!”, I thought I really was. Until I finally joined this forum last year after monitoring it for years. The wealth of audiophile information is staggering. But a lot of it also reinforces my own thoughts when it comes to system building, solving technical problems and being exposed to all of the various opinions and technical expertise shared by those in the know.

After my system crash of last year I embarked on completing a system that I started building 8 years ago. I bought the components piecemeal and stored them in my garage in preparation of completing an expansion of my music room. COVID put a halt to that. Then my system crash.  So at the end of last I began to assemble my current system (can be viewed here in Virtual Systems) and thought I was really and truly done and could just, “ Listen To The Music!!”. And then there is “YouTube”. Where a REL video caught my eye when John Hunter was demonstrating REL’s Array 6-pack System. And a new infection grabbed a hold of me…With that I’m heading to Southern California (L.A. areas) this weekend to see a REL Subwoofer Array demo by John Hunter (Mr. REL himself) because I’ve lost my mind again in wanting to build an array (6-pack) addition to an already wonderful system (for my ears). And that’s not all, after the 6 pack addition I’m already contemplating replacing my 18 year old KEF Reference 205/2’s with new Sonus Faber Olympica Nova V’s…

Yes, the decease persists…After all of this I hope to be cured!!

”Enjoy the music!!”

@jjss49 

+1

Balance is the key to all things. Most of us have interests in different things that range from cheap to functionally unattainable. As an example, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to own a Bugatti?  What spots car did I actually own?  An 2000 SS Camaro that I purchased in 2001 used. There were multiple factors in the decision, but the bigger point is that there’s a big distinction between things we drool over and things we consider attainable. 
 

When I made my first real audiophile purchase I knew that I would want to make some future upgrades, but I also had a general level or price point that I considered to be unreasonable for an audio system. 
 

I am not saying that the goal can’t change some over time, but I that that most of us should be able to know if we thing $10k, $50k, or $100k is an amount we are comfortable with for our systems. My system is close to the $10k range, but I have spend more than that trying different components that generally fit into that paradigm. I don’t really have a desire to own a $20k amplifier even though I have no doubt that it would sound amazing. Once you stretch for one component you then feel compelled to match it with the others making it a dangerous and slippery slope if you don’t keep your overall goals in mind along the way.