Advice from a masseuse to audiophiles

[caesar]

I was recently on spring break at a place that had a spa. After my massage, still in la-la land, the lady handed me a card with this note:

"Mr. Caesar, Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections."

I wonder how many audiophiles fail to understand this and hold unrealistic beliefs of how good audio systems can be, leading to upgrade carousel and gear envy vs. music focus.

 

[mep]

Caesar-What kind of massage parlor were you at?? Being in “la la land” after your massage, I wondered if it was a steam and cream joint.

As for your second statement, I’m sure many of us are guilty. I usually make my decisions to go another direction when the gear I have breaks down or becomes intolerable due to noises or hum. I always reserve the right to try and make my system better.

 

[puroagave]

spring break? this supports my notion about Ceasar, he's either a 13 year old savant that likes to chat it up on message boards with grown ups or he's a litttle older than that but still in school ...jess kidin' :b

reminds me of another quote "strive for progress not perfection" not sure what it has to do with audio but it dove tails with your quote - good advice nonetheless.

 

[jazdoc]

There is a similar saying "Perfection is the enemy of good"

 

[MylesBAstor]

There is a similar saying "Perfection is the enemy of good"

Unless you're 7 of 9

 

[NorthStar]

"Mr. Caesar, Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections."

Lol

 

[caesar]

Caesar-What kind of massage parlor were you at?? Being in “la la land” after your massage, I wondered if it was a steam and cream joint.

As for your second statement, I’m sure many of us are guilty. I usually make my decisions to go another direction when the gear I have breaks down or becomes intolerable due to noises or hum. I always reserve the right to try and make my system better.

If it were what you were thinking, I would be out cold, snoring. But I am a married man. And sounds to me like you never had a deep tissue massage. I would recommend it.

Back to topic, I wonder how many folks really have a sense of what an ultimate system sounds like, how close they are to that in their audiophile journey, and how much money it will cost to get to their ultimate system.

 

[NorthStar]

...Relative to each one's wallet. :b

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

And my wallet is empty.

For the record....I don't have gear envy, and I'm pretty much on the first rung of the ladder when it comes to it. It's always been about the music for me first, and that will never change.

 

[fas42]

And my wallet is empty.

For the record....I don't have gear envy, and I'm pretty much on the first rung of the ladder when it comes to it. It's always been about the music for me first, and that will never change.

Sounds to me like you're doing fine, John. Money is a less important element, it probably gets in the way more than anything else. The most important factor is knowledge, truly understanding what's required to get the best out of whatever gear you have.

As regards an ultimate system, I know what it should sound like; that very, very few people are in striking range of it; and that the amount of money required is extremely variable. That is, lots of knowledge and little money will do it; and a considerable amount of money, along with intuition, luck and the ability to recognise good advice, will also make the journey.

Frank

 

[Tonepub]

What I've learned is that the journey is different for everyone and measuring someone's happiness is nearly impossible. Some people enjoy the gear, some enjoy the music, some enjoy chasing down rare bits. It's the same with cars, cameras, you name it. What I find unfortunate is that there seems to be almost a reverse snobbery in some circles that "if you have a great hifi system, you can't possibly enjoy music too."

As long as you're having fun with it and it isn't driving you to madness in a bad way, carry on I say.

No matter what you have, there will always be five guys on an internet forum somewhere that will tell you your system is crap and that you don't know what you are talking about...

 

[NorthStar]

Well said. :b

 

[caesar]

What I've learned is that the journey is different for everyone and measuring someone's happiness is nearly impossible. Some people enjoy the gear, some enjoy the music, some enjoy chasing down rare bits. It's the same with cars, cameras, you name it. What I find unfortunate is that there seems to be almost a reverse snobbery in some circles that "if you have a great hifi system, you can't possibly enjoy music too."

As long as you're having fun with it and it isn't driving you to madness in a bad way, carry on I say.

No matter what you have, there will always be five guys on an internet forum somewhere that will tell you your system is crap and that you don't know what you are talking about...

Tonepub, good point. Maybe you should send a letter to Valin telling him to stop haranguing his readers in every paragraph and every award issues he writes that Magico is "best". While it maybe the best for guys who swap gear a lot to learn about that extra bit of detail on the recording, it is drek for guys who want to get immersed in the performance and forget oneself. In reality there are several bests depending on the person's goals.