[RoadTripper]

Yes and no. For me it's a genre thing. With "pop" which is usually a small group - jazz, country, blues or bluegrass - this is the pop music I like and have a fair amount of, my system is so good it is almost distracting. I know it could be better but there is no reason to try, really. I am there, live  - or nearly there, nearly live.

But for large venue stuff - opera, orchestral, concert band, and large chorus - which is the stuff I actually prefer by a large margin, I am not there.

I am fairly certain there will be some changes made before 12 months are out.

[smargo]

I reached it a long time ago - but somebody forgot to tell me. I have changed equipment so many times - Always I say this will be my last purchase. Then about 6 months go by and i read a review and say i must have that. - this will certainly make my system better. - and for a time or two it does only to soon be bored with the sound and the cycle repeats. Its like a certified gambling problem - no difference.

The best gear that im enjoying now is the i-sonic by polk. I haven't gotten sound like this from a setup that ive spent thousands of dollars on over the years.

It sounds crazy - but i would put this machine over so many things for pure listeing pleasure.

regards
smargo

[TONEPUB]

Also, my musical tastes are continuing to evolve with my desire for different equipment.   Combine that with diminishing hearing as a function of age (53) and the conclusion is, forget your legacy to the kids, get good gear now! Thanks for this post. It has focused me.

This is interesting about your tastes changing.  However, I've been talking to an audiologist a lot lately and she says that if your parents aren't wearing hearing aids and you haven't trashed your ears with concerts or leaf blowers, you can expect to hang on to most of your hearing out into the 70s.

That's good news for all of us!

[pardales]

I am on one full year of no significant component changes (not even IC's). I am truely satsified with my system so much that even thinking about auditioning new gear is out of the question. For me, one of the keys was finding a sound I really like in a set a speakers -- I guess that's mostly what the last 20 years in this hobby has been about, finding the sound I really like. Well, I found the recipe that works for me, and it is my current system: single driver, efficient, speakers, low watt amp, NOS DAC and a computer front end.   

[mfsoa]

Since I still use the plain-old AC that the rest of the house shares, I can't consider myself done.

I expect that without dedicated outlets I still have a quantum improvement in my back pocket. Unfortunately, the money for it isn't in that same pocket!

Equipment-wise, I still feel source-challenged. And I've heard some amps lately that got me thinking...

And surely there are better speakers than the Von Schweikerts.

And I'm still relying on homemade interconnects. And powercords.

And when I get around to a music server...

Nope - Not done yet

[TONEPUB]

That's really it, finding that sound you like!

[JLM]

Speaking of retaining your hearing, one of the best audio investments I've made this year is ear protection ($10 from Home Depot) for use when I mow.  Really works for the mid/higher frequencies.

[denjo]

Good questions Jeff, and an excellent thread!

I don't think there will ever be a point when I will say unequivocably that enough is enough! But, I do believe that there is a plane that one will reach in his audio journey when he can say that things are generally looking good, there is substantial satisfaction and things seem organically to be moving in the right direction, with all the little zigsaw pieces fitting in their proper place in the integral scheme of things. For me, investing in the Altmann Attraction DAC and the Paul Hynes PSU feeding a SB3 has very much settled my digital front end. It is sounding very, very good and any changes will be incremental in the shape of cable swops, isolation, etc. The other big leap - and this came quite accidentally when my CIAudio D*200 monos were being repaired - was buying the Sanders ESL amplifier very much on the strong recommendtion of a friend, and of realising how blessed the synergy between the Sanders and the Bent Audio TAP was. I must also credit John Chapman of Bent Audio for coming up with an excellent preamplifier that has given me music that is transparent and pure (TAP!). The TVC is an excellent device which, in the right circumstances (power amplifier with gobs of power, copasetic sources of at least 2 v and proper cables), will provide musical enjoyment for many years to come.

I may not reach the ultimate (whatever that is) but I know that things are beginning to fit into place and any changes from this plateau will be incremental while I simply stay and enjoy the scenery!! 

[Affordable$$Audio]

Fun Thread Jeff!

I believe that if one is actively involved in audio change within one's rig will happen yearly in most cases.  It's just natural after a while to begin looking for the next improvement.  If one gets distracted by other events in life, such as what happened to me when I got married (no money) and was actively parenting then no changes will occur.

[TONEPUB]

I don't know if there is an ultimate to reach, but I have happily gotten to
a point where I have no complaints at all.  I've even gone down a step
on my turntable, because I just really don't have a good enough record
collection to make sense!

I am paying a visit to Harry Pearson next month and Michael Fremer
while I'm out there as well, so I'm going to be curious to hear what
those guys listen to!

And see if they are happy!

[Turnandcough]

I am also from the "less is more" school of thought. I see people with I Pods grooving to music all day without ever focusing on their minimalist equipment while others have become collectors of equipment and music that will make that equipment sound good. My goal was/is to achieve a sound that will allow me to forget about the equipment and start enjoying the music. It's not that I don't like the tweaking "hobby" aspect of it - it's just that I can no longer afford to be constantly chasing after the latest and greatest. My other goal at this point has become to replace some of my equipment by equipment that sounds equally good or better but is more aesthetically pleasing and less obtrusive. I live in a rather small apartment and my listening room is also my living room. Ten foot high speakers, a rack full of industrial looking equipment and a jungle of cables just don't fit in. For me it's about finding the right balance of style and substance . In that respect I think I'm almost there.

[Thebiker]

I have reached the point where either of my tube based systems makes me smile and just enjoy the music .  I will probably still tinker with tweaks and/or treatments, but I have achieved a level of synergy within the gear that is extremely satisfying.

I will add computer based music strictly for the convenience factor.  I would rather work a lot to burn it once and listen anything that I own without having to do a major search.  With 4 two channel systems in the house, a CD could be on any of 3 three floors.

[TONEPUB]

I'm getting more hooked on the music server thing every day!

[zybar]

I'm getting more hooked on the music server thing every day!

I can safely say that I am never going back to a traditional cd player for a digital front end.

George

[Scott F.]

Hiya Jeff,

I'm a little late to the party but what a great topic 

It's interesting reading everybody's impressions. Guys like you and I are really lucky. We get to play with cool gear for extended periods of time, in turn we are able to find our own personal audio Nirvana easier than most of our friends here. For them, it is a long (and sometimes very) expensive trip.

For me, I've reached (pretty much) the end of the road. Sure, there are a very few minor tweaks to do like fine tuning with cables but for the most part I'm done. I don't think my system can't get any more musical or revealing. My modified, actively crossed and bi-amped OB's and bass bins give me tons of adjustment so I can play any type of music at any volume and have it sound great. Unlike many, I haven't been able to find any speaker over the years that does all music well without forcing you to get up, reposition them or play with port plugs (and no, that doesn't negate anything I've written about speakers over the years). In turn, the only way I've ever been able to satisfy the need of mine to Rock my brains out with bass heavy music one minute and accurately reproduce a small Jazz quartet the next, is to actively crossover speakers. I use vintage crossovers that have adjustable slopes, crossover points and gain pots. This gives me the ability compensate for unbalanced recordings. Yes, if you read into that, I use the adjustably of the crossover as tone controls (of sorts).....  

I'm sorry, I miss tone controls. There is a myriad of music out there that needs compensation of some sort (usually its rock and is bass shy). There is nothing we can do with a truly crappy, overly produced, clipped or compressed recording. For those that need a minor amount of bass leveling (or maybe crossover point change), the vintage active crossover absolutely does the trick. Best part is, in my system the crossover point is low (150Hz), so I'm not mucking up the midrange and treble regions trying to timbre match drivers. My Lowthers do a great job from 150 to about 14k (in an OB). The way I have it setup, it is the most coherent sound I've ever heard. It truly has that 'voice of God' presence that I've only experienced in a handful of systems.

When it comes to digital or analog, I'm a fan of both. When it comes to tubes or transistors, I like tubes on top and transistors on the bottom. This lets you have the best of both worlds. When it comes to music, I'm just a fan and my system lets me get lost in it. Luckily I've hit that synergistic point in my main reference system that I don't listen to gear anymore. Its all music. When I roll stuff in and out, I'm always glad when I can get it back to its original state. Oh, and just like most others, I'll never go back to a stand alone CD player. I'm looking to buy my third (and maybe fourth) SB.

My system may not be for everybody, but I sure like it 

[woodsyi]

There is never enough.  There are too many different roads and I want to try all of them in my house.  I don't ever expect to reach the end:  I just enjoy the trips on different roads.  There is a lot to see and hear....

[miklorsmith]

Nice post, Scott.  I completely agree about needing some kind of adjustability.  A little aside -

For those running Squeezeboxes or Transporters, Inguz has a neat graphic EQ feature that I convinced Hugh to migrate to quasi-parametric.  The "quasi" is that bandwidth is not externally adjustable, but the centers are.  This really creates a cool option for those not wanting to go full-bore on room correction.  A few test tones and maybe SPL meter are all you need to track down FR issues.  He's chipping away at it, but the Inguz solution is still a LONG way from TacT in both ease of use and interface.  Of course, the complete solution will set you back for 1/10 the TacT price of which Hugh gets exactly jack.

I've put a request on the Audiophile page at the Slim forum to have a full parametric EQ as a standard feature of the Slimserver software.  So far, nobody seems very interested which I don't understand.  If anyone sees the visionary wisdom of this   please go over there and pitch in a couple of cents.

Sorry for the detour . . .

[Scott F.]

Hiya Mike,

Nice post, Scott.  I completely agree about needing some kind of adjustability.  A little aside -

For those running Squeezeboxes or Transporters, Inguz has a neat graphic EQ feature that I convinced Hugh to migrate to quasi-parametric.  The "quasi" is that bandwidth is not externally adjustable, but the centers are.  This really creates a cool option for those not wanting to go full-bore on room correction.  A few test tones and maybe SPL meter are all you need to track down FR issues.  He's chipping away at it, but the Inguz solution is still a LONG way from TacT in both ease of use and interface.  Of course, the complete solution will set you back for 1/10 the TacT price of which Hugh gets exactly jack.

I've put a request on the Audiophile page at the Slim forum to have a full parametric EQ as a standard feature of the Slimserver software.  So far, nobody seems very interested which I don't understand.  If anyone sees the visionary wisdom of this  please go over there and pitch in a couple of cents.

If I had to guess, most of the people (developers) over at the Slim forum are using receivers that have tone controls already so they don't feel the need to add that feature. Sure would be cool though. I'll have to take a peek at the Inguz software. Sounds like it could do the trick too. Best part is it sounds like its done in the digital domain and (likely) doesn't mess with phasing and all that stuff, that and it doesn't introduce another piece of gear in the chain.

[stereocilia]

I eventually faced up to the fact that making changes is a big part of what makes this hobby fun.  In other words, I'm in with the guys who say "the journey is the destination."

As for tone controls, a very long time ago I had a 12-band per channel graphic eq.  I couldn't stop messing with the settings.  It was driving me nuts and it was totally ridiculous.  Even now, I keep a screw driver in my car so I can tweak the crossover settings for my sub in the trunk.  (never while driving  )  So, even now I would have to think very carefully about getting a cd player with both a tube and SS output. 

[Turnandcough]

I eventually faced up to the fact that making changes is a big part of what makes this hobby fun.  In other words, I'm in with the guys who say "the journey is the destination."

...unfortunately a costly destination