upgrade fever.....

[TroyD]

OK, here is another hypothetical. Most of us are in a constant state of flux with gear, it's sort of the nature of our hobby. I notice folks making comments along the lines that once the fever hits or they decide to upgrade or whatever, do you lose enjoyment in the gear that you own?? Let me also say that this is a purely opinion question, I'm not looking to sway anyone or say one view is right or wrong, just trying to provoke some conversation

My personal take is that no, I've listened to a lot of gear, some I like better than what I have. However, I've never heard anything that has made me think that my gear sounds like crap, be it the mancave rig or the garage rig.

Personally, the day that I don't enjoy my gear or am dissatisfied with it will be the day that all of it will go on the flea market and I'll take up basketweaving or something.

BDT

[Zero]

Here is my novice approach to this.

It all depends on the experience with the gear you owned already. We all start somewhere and few of us have the opportunity to start mid-range or on top. Those who do are either full of money or lucky bastards who inherieted a system from someone.

Regardless, it all depends on what sound you wish to achieve. If your budget is low and you have a bottom-grade system, then once this fever hits and the cash is available....I think its entirely possible for someone to work themselves up to the point to where they begin to lose enjoyment with what they had.

Personally, I think a lot of it is relative to your pocket-book and simply what pleases your ear. But to each their own.

[Aaron]

Once I heard the Magnepan MG1.6/QR's (and later the B&W N805's and Revel M20's) I no longer liked my system. For me, once I heard that next level of performance I never wanted to go back. Also, I've found my Yamaha amp mated to my RT55's to produce a fairly hot high end. That's my biggest beef with my current system.

Aaron

[mantis]

Really,
never heard a rig that blew your socks off and made you weep???
You just love your system that much?I find that cool.
I will be there with you on the love thing after I get all my crap and get some serious gear.
O by the way the Power Towers are for sale soon, want first bid?????going at a good price!!You can have the bi wires to go with them...hell i will make you a custom length pair for you......you like em in banana or spades???

[TroyD]

Yes, I have listened to a lot of gear that I really dug. But has any of it made me think less of my gear? NOPE, not at all.

Get your read on about the DQ-10. I'm willing to wager that if you took a survey of 100 audiophiles and asked them for thier top ten speakers, 95 percent would all have the DQ-10 in thier list. An empirically classic design.

Yes, I love my system that much. I love all my gear that much, even my Marantz 2215/Pioneer CS-88's. I like my gear for what it is, rather than what it isn't.

BDT

[Zero]

Troy, I envy you. I wish I could share the same feeling for my current rig *note, not the one that is on its way*

[TroyD]

man, my rigs are nothing special probably to anyone but me....Man, you got some cool gear on the way, ENJOY IT!

BDT

[nascarmann]

*note, not the one that is on its way*

When you get that setup......well, I bet I can see your big smile here in Tennessee:D

[DarqueKnight]

I know that there is better gear than what I have, but the thing that keeps my "upgrade fever" in check is the sad fact that most source material (CD's, records, cassettes, etc.) is of average to poor quality. Plus, I would have to spend a lot more money for subtle, or incremental improvements in musical resolution.

The equipment I have provides a very pleasing and convincing illusion of an actual musical performance, provided I am playing well-recorded source material.

Ultra high-end gear (like $100,000 speakers) is not very practical when you consider the scarcity of good source material. However, I'm sure such gear provides psychological benefits to those who buy it. Similarly, $100,000, 200 m.p.h exotic sports cars provide pride of owership and psychological benefits to those who buy them, even though there are very few places to drive them to the limits of their performance.;)

[Aaron]

You make some really good points there. It really is a shame that recording quality is often poor. Hopefully SACD and DVD-A will force recording engineers to be more diligent.

Aaron

[RuSsMaN]

Is it so much the recording, or the transfer that's at fault here?

Cheers,
Russ

[DarqueKnight]

The fault is that record companies, their indentured servants ("artists"), recording engineers, producers, etc. know that most people don't give a **** about audio quality. So why would they go to the extra effort? Back during the vinyl era, they used to make "audiophile" pressings of records, but they stopped because they didn't sell worth a damn.

The lyrics and the "beat" seem to be the two most important criteria for the record buying public, hence the popularity of rap "music". Nowadays, unless the artist is particularly picky about the way his/her final product sounds, minimum effort is made in the recording studio for optimum sound quality.

Digital recordings and digital transfers of analog recordings can sound great if done properly. The best sounding discs in my CD collection are of jazz recordings made during the 1950's and 1960's.

[RuSsMaN]

Speaking of Vinyl, is there a good source, with a good selection of 180 gram pressings you know of? $30+ for an LP isn't cheap, but the handfull I do have sound amazing.

I've always had (and continue to add to) my LP collection, but some of the LP's could be done a lot better. There is a lot of room for improvement in the tables I own, I do realize that, but I hear a noticeable difference in some 'labels'.

Example, my old Floyd LP's, I sought out the original pressings under the 'Harvest' label and you can see AND hear a difference(vs the 'Capitol' releases).

Cheers,
Russ

[meestercleef]

2 places that have good vinyl are www.acousticsounds.com
www.sundazed.com

I've only ordered CDs from them, but some of the vinyl looks nice
(to me, altho tastes differ)

[gidrah]

Sure I want to upgrade, but for now I'm just "looking for a little strange". Lately I've been checking out high-efficiency speakers. Especially single driver speakers. I'm not looking at anything expensive enough to be considered an upgrade, but it'd have a different sound than any of my current arrangements.

Russ: I agree on the Harvest pressings.