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General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories. |
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General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories. |
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In Reply to: Re: Unless you're 199% certain.... posted by T&T on December 21, 2006 at 06:09:46:
... and I think I've been able to rationalise it down to a "phase thing" (aren't we humans marvellously adept at wasting our vocabularies?).For more than 15 years, I was satisfied with a Thorens TT, a Teac cassette deck, a B&O integrated amp and a pair of Kef Cadenza's.
There were contributory factors to this apparent complacency - notably, a new wife, then a baby, then a new home, then a second child, etc...
I did keep on accumulating music (on vinyl, natch!).
Then, just over 10 years ago, things just jelled - family financial demands slowed, CD became the rage, etc.
So, out went the old system and in came a "modern replacement":
- Rotel RCD965BX CDP
- Rotel RT930-AX FM Tuner
- Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1.5 (a lifelong dream, finally realised)
- Audiolab 8000A integrated amp
- Tannoy 613 dual-concentric floor-standersThis acquisition switched the 15 year focus on music to a mania of hardware upgrades. To be fair, some were triggered by burglaries, but the fact remains that I jumped on the upgrade bandwagon with a fair amount of alactrity...
The current system has been pretty stable for just over 2 years and - barring any further burglaries - looks set to remain undisturbed for a long time. The reason? I managed to look long and hard at what I was doing and decided that I had reached a point on the curve of diminishing returns where any further upgrades were unlikely to be viewed as evidence of sane behaviour... :-)
Now, I am very comfortable with the system and really enjoy listening to my music collection via its efforts.
My daughter still has the Rotels/Tannoy 613's albeit with a Pioneer A400 integrated (the Audiolab was stolen) and I occasionally get dragged out to listen to something she's bought. That is when I really appreciate the difference between music reproduced "adequately" and music that is "very well presented".
Similarly, I attend our local annual audio expo to keep a level of awareness of what's going on in the audio world and the last two shows have - if nothing else - reinforced my level of satisfaction with the music reproduction quality of what I have.
Having said all that, were we to get burgled again and the audio gear stolen again, my interest in the technology would probably re-surface as some of the components are no longer available and I would need to do some research to find/identify equivalent substitutes...
So, I honestly believe that - from my perspective, at least - there is a cyclic or phased pattern that is driven by external circumstances...
Finally, a question I am often asked: "Do you listen to the "gear" or to the "music"? It's always been the "music"!!! I just enjoy hearing and perceiving more than just the "tune" - things like individual performances, spatial cues relating to the performing venue, soundstaging/imaging, etc. To me, these are all an integral part of the performance and transcend the underpinning "tune".
The key element in all this is the fact that we are all different and have widely varying priorities (for which we cal all be very thankful or life would be extremely tedious) and, if you are quite convinced that you want "out of audiophilia", then that's your privilege - my only motive for my first post was to warn against the hazards implicit in impulsive actions (something you've obviously taken into account).
"Don't roll those blood-shot eyes at me!"
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Follow Ups
- The old "equipment versus music" argument has also been top of my mind... - DevillEars 07:20:37 12/21/06 (0)
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