Slaying the Upgrade Dragon

[Early B.]

Here's the scenario --

You finally assembled your kick ass 2-channel system and it sounds great. But over time, it begins to sound mediocre for two reasons --

1. You have become accustomed to the sound. The glorious detail and phenomenal soundstage no longer blow you away.

2. You heard your friend's system or visited an audio store and their **** sounds better than yours.

So now it's time to upgrade. Of course, you post here to get recommendations, talk to your audiophile friends, and scour audiogon for a good deal. Before you know it, you spent more than you can afford on the biggest, baddest components. You wait impatiently for FedEx to arrive, hook it up, and it sounds great for a while. In fact, you convince yourself that it sounds better than the setup you had before. Eventually (and perhaps subconsciously), you feel something is missing, so you change out interconnects, speaker cables, tubes, etc. to get it back to the same kind of sound you loved with your previous system! To make matters worse, the saga continues.

So how does one go about slaying this upgrade beast? Should I surrender my checkbook to the wife? Say it ain't so!!

Please help.

Signed,
Desperate

[shack]

Enjoy the music.....forget the gear.

[zombie boy 2000]

Nightly sessions of penance involving broken glass and rancid meat should do it....:D

[haimoc]

In my experience, I upgraded the system a few times. Until the last time, I realized I finally have a good sound stereo system at a "certain money spending". To this last time and and price point, I hear many different systems that are more expensive and/or a little less from friends, dealers, and showrooms, I found that each has its own good sound with different good sound flavors, and I am still strongly appreciated and happy with the my last stereo system. If in the future, I spend more to upgrade, it is just to have a different flavor of good sound. Of course, rich people or audiophiles have more and better vision to much more expensive/quality systems that I have ever or never known will have a different opinion or price point for a good sound or refence systems.

My point of my learning experience is "to a certain budget" spending, I have a good sound system that I feel happy, and upgrade is not a demand anymore... and if I need to upgrade, it is just a different flavor... I now concentrate most on good CDs and enjoyment.

I hope I don't confuse anyone.

[steveinaz]

Enjoy the music.....forget the gear.

Exactly.

[Early B.]

Enjoy the music.....forget the gear.

Uh-huh.

That's a nice slogan, but if all of us did that, we wouldn't be audiofools. It's the gear that allows you to enjoy the music. That's why we don't play music through boomboxes and Bose speakers.

[Schwingding]

Go over a friend's house and listen to their HTIB, or maybe BOSE Wave Radio, or boombox for a spell. Then go home and compare to the system you're needlessly worrying over.

Then go buy some new equipment anyway!

[Refefer]

Go buy some new CDs. A heck of a lot cheaper, no need to "upgrade", builds a library, and I can promise you, you'll hear details you've never heard before :D

[Zero]

The best advice I can muster is; Keep at the helm and never forget how good life is around you, followed by Shack’s; Enjoy the music. As tired and cliché as the above statements read, they carry the true fundamental principles that take far greater precedence over the latest wiz bang cable or glowing triode.

The gateway towards sonic nirvana can be as simple as a few upgrades for some, and as difficult as a multitude of system alterations for others. Some people like bringing home various electronics just for the thrill of experiencing what they are about while others are caught in a quandary of system rolling trying to find “that” sound. If you are one of those caught in the circle, there is hope! Here are some things to think about;

Even if you could hypothetically take half of all the stereo components available on today’s market you would most likely end up with over a million different possible combinations. Are you the type to spend hours browsing through audiophile websites and forums? If so, than you are already living this experience (albeit vicariously through other people)! For many audiophiles, it will be as close to exotic as they will ever get. So what can you do?

Take a break! As fun and informative as it may be to visit those outlets during your free-time, it can be one of the major contributing factors to your dis-satisfaction with your own system! There will always be enough information and opinion out there to have you second guessing your system and where it is headed. Take a step back and use that time to learn something new, or make good use of it in other ways you see fit and desirable.

Ultimately the mission of most audiophiles is to find “their” sound. It can be pretty difficult to proceed with anything if you do not have a general and fundamental idea of what it is that makes you tick. I always start with finding a pair of speakers voiced to my liking. After that is done, I then search for the electronics that compliment them appropriately. This hobby is a discovery process! During this time you should first discover the simple things such as; Do I prefer Towers or Monitors / Sub? How important are cosmetics to me? How important is name-brand? And so on.

Count your blessings! This is a wonderful time for any stereo enthusiast, regardless of budget! Careful attention to detail can result in you ending up with a three-grand system capable of extracting 75% of the performance of a super exotic system! While it is possible and even easy to build wonderful systems at chicken-feed prices – it still takes money to reach points of substantial improvement. The buck doesn’t end at $500 a component, $1000, $2000, $5000, $10,000 or even higher. Each range is there for a reason and all the gains are there for you to enjoy. Like everything in audio, it is all about intelligent planning, design, and execution. There can be a point to where you have exhausted your generic options at a price point and have little recourse but to open the wallet and dig a little deeper.

A solution to breaking the monotony of a single stereo system is to build a second system that sports a completely different sonic character that one still finds desirable. The benefit can be as good as the cure to your boredom! The detractor can be as bad as money having to be split between both systems. I personally have chose this route, and while it is taking me a whole lot longer to complete both rigs – in the end it will be worth the effort and wait and keep me from continuing down the long and windy road of speaker rotation.

There are plenty more words and lessons I have learned that I could share in this already lengthy response, but I feel the most important message is what I am about to say now; Perspective. Speaking on a personal note; I fully appreciate how much my stereo means to me. It serves to connect me with a passion I’ve had since I was little – it helps me heal the wounds of a bad day and gives me something to look forward to. Every time I feel frustrated with this hobby – I feel blessed. Yes, that’s right – blessed. If my life is so good that I can actually feel any degree of distress over simple toys, well then, I figure I have it pretty good! As I type this comfortably from my chair – there are thousands of people anywhere on this globe that wonder if they or their own family will eat, have a home, or even live to see tomorrow. That rather makes your concerns over attaining a rather small palpable degree of resolution / sound-stage / warmth from your system rather meaningless. It is a solemn reminder to be thankful for your life-style and the blessing you have before you. Yes, there are many things you can do to help your satisfaction with audio – and for me, perspective is the great equalizer.

[markmarc]

Zero,
A great post. The idea of a different sonic signature for a second system is so relevant, and important to audio enthusiasts.

[shack]

Uh-huh.

That's a nice slogan, but if all of us did that, we wouldn't be audiofools. It's the gear that allows you to enjoy the music. That's why we don't play music through boomboxes and Bose speakers.

Maybe...but every now and then I get the urge to upgrade the CDP, the amp the pre....then I grab an handful of CDs or LPs and just listen. Then I realize "This rig sounds really good".

I got off the search for better sound treadmill a long time ago. I still like to get new stuff from time to time but the criteia is because....it's cool, it's interesting or just because....

[steveinaz]

Early
It might be that you haven't hit the "synergy" point yet. If you think there's something wrong in your system, there probably is. Usually it is listener fatigue due to "digititis" or hot top-end speakers. I was going thru the same thing, and when I got my Energy C-9's it was NIRVANA. I had finally figured out what was wrong in my system. With the C-9's in the system, I believe I could buy a $129 Sony CD changer and be completely content with the sound. They allow me to "listen to the music, not the equipment" now.

[halo]

Zero - you make me want to sell off my entire 2 channel rig and donate the money to a less fortunate family.

You're right - we are blessed and have a lot to be thankful for :)

[Early B.]

Early
If you think there's something wrong in your system, there probably is.

Nope, I don't think there's anything wrong with my system, but it's "the grass is always greener..." kind of thing.

[Joey_V]

The grass is always greener on the other side...

Upgraditis will never end unless you actually lose several factors that play into it:
1. Financial capability, if you dont gots the means to buy the next level audio product, you dont buy.
2. Situational changes; if you have a family and your time from audio is cut, then you might not care if you dont have the latest speaker model by Polk.
3. Interest changes; if you simply lose interest in the hobby.
4. Satisfaction; if you love your system and you're tired of the hoopla and drama that goes with trying out different things in your system, you can choose to live with what you got and be happy.

However, I think that upgraditis is very hard to get rid of. There really is no end because a hobby is just that... an adventure. And adventures do not necessarily stop.

This hobby of ours is composed of two fronts; the music and the gear. We all get more and more music into our collections... that's upgrading in a sense. Upgrading to what's new and what we havent heard before.

Our gear is more of the same, we upgrade because we love to and because we sort of have to. As an adventure, we are obligated to move ahead with what we learned and put more at stake for the sake of our listening pleasure. Sad fact, but I think it's true. The deeper we go into this hobby, the more appreciation you have for what's out there... and the itch comes.

People can repeat that mantra, "It's all about the music."

I can retort, "Sure, but why not end with a boombox then?"

As audiophiles, I think it's intrinsic that we end up upgrading our gear to pique our interests long enough so we can step back and look at our systems and marvel at how far we have come since the last boombox we had. This is an adventure... and adventures are marked with paths conquered and pictures/memories of sites seen and discovered. In much the same way, the audio adventure is catalogued in much the same fashion... except with audio gear and piles of posts on forums like this.

Joey

[zombie boy 2000]

Well said Joey:)

[cfrizz]

You are only an audiofool if you CHOOSE to be! You've just said that you don't think anything is wrong with your system, so make the choice to sit back, enjoy the music & expand on your dvd & cd collections!

It's totally within your control, it is not a disease, you will not die from it. It is simply a weakness in YOU because you want it to be!

[Joey_V]

Hobbies are hobbies for what they are. If you go beyond your means in terms of spending, then you are a fool. However, it's a passion and no one's a fool for it.

Joey

[hearingimpared]

1. Throw up your hands in disgust.

2. Surrender to the fact that you are an obsessive loon who thrives on the, "I gotta get me one of those" feeling.:(

3. Take your system completely apart. Wait about two days . . . that should get the shakes going.:p

4. Put the system back togther ever so slowly.:p

5. Power it on.:)

6. Immediately put on your all time favorite audiophile recording and see how awful it sounds because the equipment is not warmed up.

7. Play other music for a week.

8. After a week put your favorite audiophile recording again. If it sounds great go to step 10, if it doesn't sound great, skip to step 10.;)

9. Mo$#%$%er @$#King Ob$$E$$ive $ickn@SS!!!;)

10. Go to Mapleshade.com and order "Cats Are Stealing My ****." :D Wait for the CD. When it arrives, play the entire CD non-stop on a rather high volume (caution ears & tweaters are sensitive) whether you like the genre or not. IF YOUR SYSTEM STILL SOUNDS menza, menza, it is time to upgrade something.:D

I'm not kidding here!, works everytime!!!

[heiney9]

Enjoy the music.....forget the gear.

+10

Also occasionally I just stop listening to the rig for say a month, absence makes the heart grow fonder. This time of year more time is spent indoors so my system gets more listening time. I also try to liven up point number 1 by going on a music buying spree. In the end a few new cd's or dvd's are ultimately cheaper than new gear :p

[pearsall001]

Kinda like those B-Day candles that you can never blow out. They just keep re-lighting. If you get the candles to blow out in this hobby then maybe your journey's complete. NAH!!!! what fun would that be!!!!

[W WALDECKER]

Here's the scenario --

You finally assembled your kick ass 2-channel system and it sounds great. But over time, it begins to sound mediocre for two reasons --

1. You have become accustomed to the sound. The glorious detail and phenomenal soundstage no longer blow you away.

2. You heard your friend's system or visited an audio store and their **** sounds better than yours.

So now it's time to upgrade. Of course, you post here to get recommendations, talk to your audiophile friends, and scour audiogon for a good deal. Before you know it, you spent more than you can afford on the biggest, baddest components. You wait impatiently for FedEx to arrive, hook it up, and it sounds great for a while. In fact, you convince yourself that it sounds better than the setup you had before. Eventually (and perhaps subconsciously), you feel something is missing, so you change out interconnects, speaker cables, tubes, etc. to get it back to the same kind of sound you loved with your previous system! To make matters worse, the saga continues.

So how does one go about slaying this upgrade beast? Should I surrender my checkbook to the wife? Say it ain't so!!

Please help.

Signed,
Desperate

Hey Early, i too have been on the Audio merry go round. over the last three and a half years I have owned three power amps,four CD players and four pairs of loudspeakers , i think that i posted recently that i am now on preamplifier number Six but i just took inventory and the actual number is eight. not to mention IC and speaker cables. the way my system sounds now is a far cry from how it sounded when i first started experimenting with seperates. was it worth it ? yeah i think so. we all seem to have to go through a learning curve and this hobby is something that we really enjoy or we would not be here posting @ Club Polk in the first place.i just bought a High end tubed CD player and i am very happy with it. i have been rolling NOS Mullard CV4003 12AU7's and now the Amperex Holland ECC186/7316 PQ's in the new Candela tube preamplifier and the result's are really stunning!i have also been buying CD's and this morning i ordered two sets of Isonode Vibration dampening feet direct from the manufacturer, one set for the tubed CD player and another set for the tubed preamplifier.i plan on concentrating more on listening and less on purchasing gear but who know's ? :D my wife who took off on july 5 1998 and left me to raise our two children showed up earlier this year and served me with divorce papers asking for custody of our 11 year old daughter Courtney and child support.we went to Circuit Court in Annapolis Md on 10/20/06 and i was awarded full physical custody and child support.my daughter and i both enjoy playing my two channel rig and Courtney has full access to the system and she does not need to ask for permission to play it. i came home from work yesterday and she was listening to Johnny Cash while doing her homework.Audio can be a expensive hobby but when the music sounds this good i think its well worth it.dont you ? thanks....WCW III

[halo]

i was awarded full physical custody and child support.my daughter and i both enjoy playing my two channel rig and Courtney has full access to the system and she does not need to ask for permission to play it. i came home from work yesterday and she was listening to Johnny Cash while doing her homework.Audio can be a expensive hobby but when the music sounds this good i think its well worth it.dont you ? thanks....WCW III

Awesome!

[hearingimpared]

Hey Early, i too have been on the Audio merry go round. over the last three and a half years I have owned three power amps,four CD players and four pairs of loudspeakers , i think that i posted recently that i am now on preamplifier number Six but i just took inventory and the actual number is eight. not to mention IC and speaker cables. the way my system sounds now is a far cry from how it sounded when i first started experimenting with seperates. was it worth it ? yeah i think so. we all seem to have to go through a learning curve and this hobby is something that we really enjoy or we would not be here posting @ Club Polk in the first place.i just bought a High end tubed CD player and i am very happy with it. i have been rolling NOS Mullard CV4003 12AU7's and now the Amperex Holland ECC186/7316 PQ's in the new Candela tube preamplifier and the result's are really stunning!i have also been buying CD's and this morning i ordered two sets of Isonode Vibration dampening feet direct from the manufacturer, one set for the tubed CD player and another set for the tubed preamplifier.i plan on concentrating more on listening and less on purchasing gear but who know's ? :D my wife who took off on july 5 1998 and left me to raise our two children showed up earlier this year and served me with divorce papers asking for custody of our 11 year old daughter Courtney and child support.we went to Circuit Court in Annapolis Md on 10/20/06 and i was awarded full physical custody and child support.my daughter and i both enjoy playing my two channel rig and Courtney has full access to the system and she does not need to ask for permission to play it. i came home from work yesterday and she was listening to Johnny Cash while doing her homework.Audio can be a expensive hobby but when the music sounds this good i think its well worth it.dont you ? thanks....WCW III

That's great that your daughter is 1. with you always and 2. loves and obviously appreciates music. Life is good!:)

[Early B.]

Let's clarify -- I personally have no plans to upgrade my 2-channel system. I've had my amp and CDP for two years. And my speakers are keepers. However, the desire to upgrade is always there. Hell, if I had the means, I probably would have taken my system to another level a long time ago. What can I say -- it's fun.

What I'm referring to is killing off the desire for new gear. Buying more CDs will only exacerbate the issue. I suppose this desire, coupled with the means for buying this stuff, defines an audiophile.

[hearingimpared]

Let's clarify -- I personally have no plans to upgrade my 2-channel system. I've had my amp and CDP for two years. And my speakers are keepers. However, the desire to upgrade is always there. Hell, if I had the means, I probably would have taken my system to another level a long time ago. What can I say -- it's fun.

What I'm referring to is killing off the desire for new gear. Buying more CDs will only exacerbate the issue. I suppose this desire, coupled with the means for buying this stuff, defines an audiophile.

Seriously, get the, "Cats Are Stealing My ****" by Mapleshade, you will really appreciate what your system can do. Hell it's only $15. If you don't appreciate it, I'll take it off your hands even though I have a copy. It is a really really a screwy audiophile CD. But it really will let your system SHINE.:)

[DarqueKnight]

What I'm referring to is killing off the desire for new gear.

You talk like the desire for new gear is a bad thing.;)

If you really want to kill off the desire for new gear, then you need to change to a non-gear intensive hobby. Even if you acquired a million dollar system whose quality couldn't be surpassed in your lifetime, you would probably eventually want something new, even if it was just a cosmetic change like a different speaker veneer or changing from black to silver face components.

Sorry I couldn't be more encoraging.

[amulford]

I build systems. I have five in various stages. All of them are different and they all sound good for the intended purpose.

One of them REALLY kicks ass...;)

[Early B.]

I build systems. I have five in various stages. All of them are different and they all sound good for the intended purpose.

Five systems? Holy cow!!!

When you get a chance, you're gonna hafta tell us what components comprise each system, post some pics, and tell us more.

[reeltrouble1]

My Doctor says my changing of gear is driven by the overall dominance of the square shaped chassis surrounding the curvesous tubes and circular controls. The plugging in of wires is great foreplay.

Getting a better piece of gear, of course, it has to sound good, but it also needs to look good and feel right. I enjoy HI-FI.

The advice to get away from your rig a bit is solid, some I hear even stay away for an entire month. Then turn that baby on and see what you think. Also, getting new well recorded material shakes things up a bit, of course those are "round" discs we spin and dont even get me started on the symbolism with turntables.

RT1