Don’t let the upgrade bug bite you in the “bum”: Be happy with what you have and enjoy the music

cjfrbw

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
3,323
1,313
1,730
Pleasanton, CA
What kind of heresy is this?
 

thedudeabides

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2011
2,126
651
1,200
Alto, NM
Hi Bob,

My only upgrades will likely been the "edges". No more major component purchases but items that are relatively inexpensive that increase performance far above the cost of the item.

I use the following logic. Spend 5%+/- of total system cost that amps the performance by 10, 15, 20% or more.

Most recent effort was switching to all Shunyata Research power cords. Quite a modest amount given the fact that I bought either used (30 to 40% of MSRP) or on sale (20 - 30% less than MSRP) and being able to sell my previous PC's to offset replacement costs.

Takes time but well worth the effort.

Major performance bump with minimal out of pocket dollars.

And yes, all with the end result of enjoying the music.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Bonjour Monsieur thedudeabides,

The other day I've read something that vibrated a chord in my spinal tap of my music subconscious. :b
Mike Lavigne said that in this audio hobby friends we make and share with is one of the great joys.
The music we share, we love, we listen to. Being happy with who we share with. It's an important part of the music too.
...Just like the musician/singer/artist relating to us through pleasurable emotions.
Those solid and very satisfying emotions; I have from what humble the music is playing from.

I am closer to my friends from all life's backgrounds with a common interest; the essence of everything life, including the music playing.

It's inside us, the true happiness to share what we love with others who understand that love.
I don't know how else to put it. Life's good, life's simple, we let it expands naturally, go with the flow...of the nature, of the people, children, music, films.
It's part of what's best, one hundred percent.

* I just push manually the power button of the Rotel CD player. ...I'll hear ....
______
 
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Fiddle Faddle

Member
Aug 7, 2015
548
2
16
Australia
With the respect I feel I am wiling to show the author of that article, I don't really think it is very relevant to most people here. Infact I couldn't disagree more with them. The author doesn't really appear to have a high calibre setup and doesn't even have decent cables so their credibility as any sort of authority on audio is out the window already so far as I am concerned. In my opinion continual upgrading is fine if you have the funds to do it since there is no system on the planet that doesn't have a deleterious effect upon the quality of the source material it is playing. But the more you spend and the more you upgrade, the closer you get to that impossible-to-achieve goal of 100% transparency (of course I will ignore some enthusiast's desire to deliberately colour the sound which will often result in a subjective improvement).

I will never be satisfied unless I know a system I am using is 100% transparent to the source. Since this is impossible to achieve, I will never be satisfied. I still enjoy my music nonetheless because I have set my goals to achieving sins of omission only. A far more reachable goal. My ability to upgrade however, is thwarted by funds. Therefore I enjoy participating in this forum as more of an observer since I enjoy bearing witness to the pleasures others get from their high-end upgrades.

Someone buying their first dCS DAC for example or getting an open reel machine is about 2.4% as exciting for me as it is for them. And 2.4% is better than nothing :)
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
1,425
1,820
Manila, Philippines
My takeaway is that the author spent 20 years going through all sorts of permutations to get to where he's at. Now that he's happy there it really should follow that he just sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor. I don't see how he can tell others still in the development process to stop in their tracks right now.

That said, I think taking breaks to just to enjoy is imperative. It creates a stress free mindset where honest evaluations can be made organically.

My thinking is that one should first try to make the most of what he has before proceeding to introduce another variable (piece of equipment).
 

John57

Well-Known Member
Sep 29, 2015
237
39
260
Melbourne, Australia
Agree with you all, especially about optimizing what you have and enjoying the music. I take a very liberal view of optimisation for example, extending upgrading to include EMI RFI protection to all internals of all equipment I'm running, electronics and cables. The performance improvements I get from such investment is well worth my commitment from my POV. Going outside the norm like this demonstrates another line of upgrading possible to existing pieces of equipment.

Which stage of system building, and which budget, price point and goals you are pursuing are quite individual. The hobby is just a hobby and we get serious about it for emotional reasons, first to enjoy the fruits of our labour. Its a personal pursuit that hopefully we can socialise, finding friends who have similar interests to share this path with.

Thankfully with today's media, forums such as this one thrive. And I enjoy a lot reading about others equipment experiences and opinions within a positive environment. Its great fun to read about equipment I'm not likely to own from Russia to Italy, from France to Central Europe.

Development is a life long pursuit, at least for me, even vicariously :cool:
 

Rodney Gold

Member
Jan 29, 2014
983
11
18
Cape Town South Africa
1/2 the fun of being an audiophile *is* upgrading..
 

XV-1

Well-Known Member
May 24, 2010
3,591
2,573
1,860
Sydney
Hmmm.

So should I upgrade my D'Agostino stereo amp or continue to enjoy listening to music?

With that nagging off and on chatter in my head rationalizing how great the upgrade would be or not ;)
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,601
5,411
1,278
E. England
John, just heard a $250 upgrade to a $400 USB cable, that no kidding, is equivalent or greater than a wholesale component upgrade at maybe 10-20x the cost, at the v least
Giant Killer doesn't quite sum it up
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,601
5,411
1,278
E. England
Well, it's pretty much as per my comments on the cables thread, and Blue58's responses too
I've been lucky enough to have regular exposure to his system evolution from his Audio Aero La Fontaine cdp days to his current SGM streamer/T&A Dac8, playing 512 dsd thru HQP and Roon, w two iterations of his superlative home made 45s tube amps and venerable Avantgarde Acoustics Duo Omegas horns
Initially 3 years ago, his sound via Audio Aero was impressive, but somewhat recessive, reticent and a bit distant
But they had tons of promise
In the intervening period he switched to a whole loom of Sablon Reservas cbls, and dedicated lines
This brought the punch of the system up a step or three, pulling the sound into the room, much more tangibility and earthiness, but w more top end air as well
Going SGM w Dac8 was a giant leap forward, suffice to say as an analog diehard, I was doubting my devotion to lps for the first time
At this point, the system had really gone to the next level
However there appear to be more levels, and that was my discovery yesterday
The swap of powered standard Reserva USB for the unpowered Elite Reserva has just given the system another vitamin shot
I'd call the upstick a major dose of "juiciness", just an analog like vibe of energy, texture and dimensionality
It was apparent as I walked in the room, warmth at the bottom end and lower mids, a kind of agility in the mids I only hear from Lp, and ability to soar further up
But it's this pervading textured warmth which I truly believe to be natural, since it has no impediment on speed and see thruness, that stopped me in my tracks, song after song
So much life was present on challenging recordings like Rush Signals from 1982, that again we were closer to the musicians and their heartfelt intent
A triumph in every way
And at $450+$250, the v definition of a no brainer
 

John57

Well-Known Member
Sep 29, 2015
237
39
260
Melbourne, Australia
Very nice experience SOM.

As I sit nashing my teeth over items I can't afford right now. T+A DAC 8 vs Total DAC1, or a dozen other nice offerings.

I am reminded in your story about the power of source material it's obvious primacy in a transparent system.

Have you hear about Root Mastering? It's a file conversion algorithm that successfully restores digital files to analog presence. I can hear the difference ... http://www.rootmastersound.com/home/
 

Sencha

Well-Known Member
Nov 11, 2013
110
13
323
U.K.
There is a Buddhist saying that goes,'if your not happy with what you've got, why want more?' Of course the other aspect of human nature is striving for perfection and we tend to focus that externally on our systems rather than on ourselves. While that may not always be the best use of our time it does make for some stellar hifi systems! Personally I think it's best to enjoy whatever you have and if you can afford and want to spend your money on a better one then enjoy that one as well. I just wish I had enough time and money to visit as many of you to get the chance to enjoy your amazing systems with you. At the moment we are becoming a dying breed so for myself it's great to spend time with likeminded individuals who share the same passion. And passion is also not to be underplayed. As you are all aware there are many passionate individuals here who are complete hifi nuts, absolute bonkers, who will go to the ends of the earth to achieve the next level in their own personal quest for audio nirvana. While I may not be at that level I love to read about their exploits and applaud them for their drive and focus. Being happy where we're at with our own sound and system is one thing but the other just as important side of that coin is being happy for others whether their systems cost $10 or 100,000 and eclipses ours ten fold. I'm open to invitations from anyone for extended listening sessions and if any of you get as far as Bonny Scotland then you are most welcome for a session here.

Happy listening!
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,601
5,411
1,278
E. England
Sencha, your 70s time warp in top class audio awaits in sleepy Norfolk
We can finally put to bed whether Birds Of Fire beats Inner Mounting Flame or vice versa
And ponder on the promise of Lost Trident Sessions
 

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