[soundbitten1]

To quote the Rolling Stones there are " No Expectations " when listening to a crappy system ... the pure enjoyment of the song is appreciated  . On an audiophile rig however those " expectations " get in the way especially when they don't measure up .

[IronLion]

It sounds like you've come full circle. Why do we forget the early joy we found listening to music on our original, and usually crappy systems or car radios? Man the chills that were so common.
Unfortunately you will have to turn in your Audiophile Club membership card now.

As I said, if you don't find satisfaction in your "audiophile" rig, why bother with the high priced spread? Just get an ipod and some compressed music files and enjoy the simple life free of the audio neurosis. Perhaps the chills would come back. Would save money too.

--Roy

I think the point the original poster is making is that now he enjoys his original system for what it is and is satisfied with that.  A life "free of the audio neurosis" as you said could certainly be had with a cheap $10 stereo or an expensive hi end rig; it is a state of mind rather than a state of gear.    I can get "chills" from the music in my crappy car stereo, my portable mp3 player or my dedicated rig (none of which I want to sell), and I appreciate what each brings to the musical experience.   

[rajacat]

Nowadays if I walk around a college campus it seems that everyone is either talking on their cellphone or plugged in to their ipod, detached from their surroundings. If you want to talk to them, you must intrude into their personal "media" bubble. A brave new world indeed!

--Roy

[TheChairGuy]

I think the point the original poster is making is that now he enjoys his original system for what it is and is satisfied with that.  A life "free of the audio neurosis" as you said could certainly be had with a cheap $10 stereo or an expensive hi end rig; it is a state of mind rather than a state of gear.    I can get "chills" from the music in my crappy car stereo, my portable mp3 player or my dedicated rig (none of which I want to sell), and I appreciate what each brings to the musical experience.   

Yup - pretty much.

I don't know if I'd be entirely happy listening to a $129.00 all-in-one system (with TT) as my musician friend Tommy is....but, I'm not as far from it as I was.

As I mentioned, knowing the distraction that audiophool-ism has and was for me, I packed my system away for 6 years (1994-2000) to fully concentrate on marriage, family and business matters.  I listened to a Panasonic boombox (cassette).  For the most part, aside from the up-and-down nature of new business venture(s), I remember them as happy years 

Apparently, I didn't need to uber-obsess over my audio gear....it was about the music all the time.  I just took some more time to come to the realization of that.

John

[Wind Chaser]

Just before the dawn of the Compact Disc, I had a super nice system - with a kick ass state of the art analogue front end that would probably still rival some of the very stuff out there.  However a crappy or mediocre recording is still a crappy or mediocre recording.  That doesn't change no matter how much you like the music. 

But when you find music you really like that is recorded well, and then you seat yourself down in the sweet spot in front of an exceptional system properly set up in a dedicated room... it's priceless.  It sends you to the moon and beyond.

Over the years I have come to the same conclusion, partly because it's inevitable, you will always find music you like but the recording gets in the way so to speak.  Now if I hear music I like, I can enjoy it no matter what the source or playback device.  But still the same, there is nothing like hearing great music well recorded played back on a great system set up properly in an appropriate and dedicated room.

[launche]

Nowadays if I walk around a college campus it seems that everyone is either talking on their cellphone or plugged in to their ipod, detached from their surroundings. If you want to talk to them, you must intrude into their personal "media" bubble. A brave new world indeed!

--Roy

But how is this any different from the many of audiophiles in their man caves with their one chair setup in the sweet spot with a do not disturb mentality and even the swirl  of the AC unit is unacceptable.  Let's be fair, there's nothing wrong with a portable music player, car stereo etc... if you're diggin' the music then you're golden.   

I don't think it has anything to do with being unsatisfied with the big rig.  Even now I'm remembering wonderful moments in life were music was integral and KNOWN of them involve anybody's big rig.  Peter Gabriels "In Your Eyes" was best when on the beach at night coming from the boombox. Doesn't mean I don't enjoy my system, it's just a more static experience with the music.  I prefer a more dynamic experience where the music gets woven into the fabric of life.

Marvin Gaye on the big rig has more detail, space around his vocals, tone, texture etc...  But I prefer Marvin Gaye on the small setup in the bedroom at about 10pm.  I really can't explain it anymore clearly, two different sweet spots my friends.

[woodsyi]

Marvin Gaye on the big rig has more detail, space around his vocals, tone, texture etc...  But I prefer Marvin Gaye on the small setup in the bedroom at about 10pm.  I really can't explain it anymore clearly, two different sweet spots my friends.

I like THAT sweet spot better too.  aa aa

[rajacat]

If I go for a nature hike, I prefer not to bring music along. I'd rather listen to the sounds of nature and have a relatively silent background. Frankly, I'd much rather listen to the birds singing than have humankind's music cluttering my experience.

After the hike I can go back to my mancave and immerse myself in music and tinker with my system. I'm sure, with many, this tweaking and tinkering is much of the pleasure of this hobby.


There was a famous performance, for prepared piano, of John Cage in which after being introduced, there a long pause then he enters the room and sits down at the piano for awhile and plays nothing. He then gets up and leaves. End of Performance.
In the interval when the audience was waiting for him to play you could probably hear a pin drop. I imagine that other sounds were coming into attention. 

I think what he was trying to say was that there is noise and music all around us that we don't hear because we're so distracted by modern life. When you go out and always have MP3s and earbud and your Bluetooth in place that you isolate yourself from the rich sounds of everyday life.


Much music is emotional and you don't need super detail and close to live performance quality to elicit this response. However there are other perhaps more intellectual pleasures available which an excellent rig will make more accessible. Some music actually requires undisturbed attention. 


--Roy