Challenge - Warning - Very Difficult to Do

smargo · « **on:** 10 Apr 2018, 05:45 pm »

I challenge anyone to just listen to music for the next 2 weeks - a download - a cd - vinyl - streaming - and not change or switch or upgrade anything in your system including moving speakers around

For me - this is the most confronting thing - just listening to music - without fiddling

If you think you can do this challenge - ill write your name down.

Im starting this challenge on april 16th and will end this on april 30th - i have no way of verifying anything you do - but let me know if you fell off the wagon - and let me know if you really followed thru

there is no gift or reward at the end of this challenge - just wanting to see the results - ill post the results on may 2nd

charmerci · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 Apr 2018, 05:58 pm »

I do this a lot, I don't change or move stuff that often. But timing is everything. I've just started playing around with different speaker wire so I probably won't do it in that time frame - maybe.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 Apr 2018, 07:40 pm »

Quote from: smargo on 10 Apr 2018, 05:45 pm

I challenge anyone to just listen to music for the next 2 weeks - a download - a cd - vinyl - streaming - and not change or switch or upgrade anything in your system including moving speakers around

I could be wrong, but I’m guessing on the whole most people merely use their systems to listen to music; they do not obsess with or switch or upgrade their systems all that often.

MttBsh · « **Reply #3 on:** 10 Apr 2018, 07:59 pm »

smargo - do you by chance struggle with OCD? for many years I have continually upgraded my setup, but certainly not every 2 weeks... more like once/twice a year. For me it's all about getting new music to listen to as the sound I get today from my stereo is superb, fully satisfying.

In the interest of full disclosure though, I am taking delivery of a new IcePower 1200AS2 amp in the next few days!

Roninaudio · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 Apr 2018, 08:00 pm »

Wow, I think you may be wrong..... (Wind Chaser) Or maybe I'm just nuts (or both). However I think I'm going on 4 months without "fiddling".

mav52 · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Apr 2018, 09:09 pm »

I haven't changed a thing in my system in 6 months, BUT ! who knows.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Apr 2018, 09:19 pm »

Quote from: Roninaudio on 10 Apr 2018, 08:00 pm

Wow, I think you may be wrong..... (Wind Chaser) Or maybe I'm just nuts (or both). However I think I'm going on 4 months without "fiddling".

Well it’s been a few months for me too; however I will be trying a so-called audiophile fuse in the near future, if and when it finally arrives from Europe.

Roninaudio · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 Apr 2018, 10:32 pm »

That would be interesting to hear how that goes. I have been looking around at pre-amps way too much. That may be my next "fiddle". However things are sounding great enough I'm running out of things to change. Unless I go for the true tweaks like fuses, feet etc..... which are fun stuff in my book...

smccull · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 Apr 2018, 10:50 pm »

smargo,

I'm hot and cold on this. Sometimes I am fiddling all the time and at other times I am just enjoying what I have and spending more time with music than with sound. I have come to the conclusion that both are fun and rewarding for me personally.

When I'm swapping things in and out I really ENJOY the process of trying to get closer to that elusive quality where everything is balanced, engaging and incisive. I'm not an engineer or scientist but I do enjoy learning how things work, and the process of playing with audio gives me a test lab to try some experiments of my own. It's all fun and when you move something forward, it' can be very rewarding.

On the other hand, sometimes I just want to listen to music and connect with it on an emotional level without worrying about how I could make it sound better. This too is incredibly rewarding. It's a phase I've been in for a few months and a night doesn't go buy when I don't have a record on the TT.

But I don't think it's the only goal that an audiophile can have. For me it's a bit of left brain and right brain. Both are enjoyable aspects of being an audiophile and both are worth pursuing in my life. Others mileage may vary and I can't fault them for that. This hobby is about finding enjoyment, however that comes.

Steve

Roninaudio · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 Apr 2018, 11:05 pm »

smccull - EXACTLY.

Your post is indicative of exactly how I feel about this hobby.. Great points are:

1. spending more time with music than with sound (sometimes I get this backwards)
2. elusive quality where everything is balanced, engaging and incisive
3. Home audio environment = test lab
4. Left brain/Right brain (art vs science)

Also music is very therapeutic for me. However there are times when I "stress" over the next purchase or thing. I'm happiest just listening but then the "what if" kicks in. And fortunately, that is fun too.

simoon · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 Apr 2018, 11:57 pm »

Quote from: smccull on 10 Apr 2018, 10:50 pm

smargo,

I'm hot and cold on this. Sometimes I am fiddling all the time and at other times I am just enjoying what I have and spending more time with music than with sound. I have come to the conclusion that both are fun and rewarding for me personally.

When I'm swapping things in and out I really ENJOY the process of trying to get closer to that elusive quality where everything is balanced, engaging and incisive. I'm not an engineer or scientist but I do enjoy learning how things work, and the process of playing with audio gives me a test lab to try some experiments of my own. It's all fun and when you move something forward, it' can be very rewarding.

On the other hand, sometimes I just want to listen to music and connect with it on an emotional level without worrying about how I could make it sound better. This too is incredibly rewarding. It's a phase I've been in for a few months and a night doesn't go buy when I don't have a record on the TT.

But I don't think it's the only goal that an audiophile can have. For me it's a bit of left brain and right brain. Both are enjoyable aspects of being an audiophile and both are worth pursuing in my life. Others mileage may vary and I can't fault them for that. This hobby is about finding enjoyment, however that comes.

Steve

This pretty much describes my listening habits.

I will go days or weeks without touching a thing in my system. Or go days or weeks without listening to a single "audiophile approved recording".

I just sit back and enjoy the music. And enjoy every bit of my time, and not have a single thought about the equipment.

On other days, I will spend hours making little or big changes. Comparing the changes with excruciating attention to detail. And enjoy every bit of my time in that process.

I am a "music first" audiophile, but I see nothing wrong with spending a day from time to time, tweaking my system.

HsvHeelFan · « **Reply #11 on:** 11 Apr 2018, 12:09 am »

Last change I made was back in the fall. Before that, my system had been in the same place for about 5 years.

Put the music server and amp in a different cabinet. All the rest of the system is as it has been for a number of years.

I will admit that I've been fiddling with the eq settings in JRiver. Fiddle - go back to Flat, Fiddle some more. But that's only been in the past couple of weeks.

HsvHeelFan

timind · « **Reply #12 on:** 11 Apr 2018, 01:15 am »

Two weeks is not a problem for me. I have a couple pairs of speakers as well as a few amps that I rotate, but not that often.

WGH · « **Reply #13 on:** 11 Apr 2018, 01:57 am »

I haven't changed anything in over a year, once you reach perfection there is nothing to do but listen to music.

JLM · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 Apr 2018, 11:55 am »

Being an audiophile involves loving the music and the hunt for better sound.

The hunt boils down to an itch for gear (researching, auditioning, trading/buying, tweaking, and/or building).

Loving the music involves ignoring the gear and digging the essence of the performance.

Currently I'm very satisfied with my setup and my only system changes in the past 6 months has been to swap between my mono-blocks/main speakers and active monitors for a change of pace.

Roninaudio · « **Reply #15 on:** 11 Apr 2018, 12:19 pm »

Quote from: timind on 11 Apr 2018, 01:15 am

Two weeks is not a problem for me. I have a couple pairs of speakers as well as a few amps that I rotate, but not that often.

I have never thought about having gear that rotates in and out of my system. For speakers, I would result in a really good pair and a not so good so defeats the purpose. I can't really afford two killer pairs. Maybe my floor standers and a bookshelf, Maggie, OB. Something radically different.

However I could see having a couple pre amps to play with-maybe a SS and a tube.

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #16 on:** 11 Apr 2018, 01:32 pm »

As others have noted I do go for months on end without changing...much. I just added a new turntable that has one of the cheaper AT carts pre-mounted on it and it's been kinda fun to listen to the low end for a bit, I'll have to get one of my Grados on there before the 16th and a new belt ordered and replaced in order to comply. Oh, and my audio disk transport has gone buggy after 15 years so I may need to replace that soon. And I've been playing with some cables from the dac to preamp, so I'd have to suspend that comparison. Of course there that speaker isolation thread that I wanted to try a few of the diy suggestions from. The challenge is doable I suppose, but why?

decal · « **Reply #17 on:** 11 Apr 2018, 01:54 pm »

When I quit fiddling with my stereo, I found out that I like it a whole lot better !!!!!

mcgsxr · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 Apr 2018, 06:21 pm »

I get where the OP is coming from.

At times I have spent a lot of time focused on optimizing what I have, or pining for something better, tube rolling, swapping IC's, changing gear out etc.

Since building my own speakers last summer, I have stopped. Not to say that they are the best I have owned (Frankly I think that both the Focal Electra 906's and Maggie 1.6's I owned were better), but I am content to have good music flowing when I want.

That feeling may last another 6 months, or 6 years (10 years with no changes is my "record").

Roninaudio · « **Reply #19 on:** 11 Apr 2018, 06:38 pm »

Another thing that gets me is the most dreaded "Marketplace". I can't just read and learn stuff- I have to shop and see what's selling and if it's a great deal cause heck, I may need that stuff!. Most stuff thankfully is usually far away from Colorado so that helps but I have made a few purchases. All in trying to help out my fellow members of course, I'm not like "addicted" or anything.