When do you stop upgrading?

[Cableman]

Great list and totally summarizes the issues. Thank you.

No. It’s whenever you just stop and enjoy the music. If it’s NOT enjoyable then you’re doing something wrong and need to reconsider your choices.

 

[thedudeabides]

No. It’s whenever you just stop and enjoy the music. If it’s NOT enjoyable then you’re doing something wrong and need to reconsider your choices.

See No.3 / Post 117 because it covers a broad spectrum of those who participate in our hobby. However, I totally agree with you and have always believed in musical enjoyment as the first priority.

I interpreted the list as an "or" for each item versus an "and".

 

[twitch]

I'm right there with you Gordon, while my love of music and the enjoyment I get listening remains, I'm all good. Hell if anything I'm contemplating what downsizing will bring..........

 

[Blackmorec]

No. It’s whenever you just stop and enjoy the music. If it’s NOT enjoyable then you’re doing something wrong and need to reconsider your choices.

Im not sure I quite understand exactly what you’re saying. Stop what?
For sure if its not enjoyable then one most certainly needs to figure out where its gone wrong. If you look to the beginning of my post you’ll see I mention enjoyment as the one and only goal.
If one isn’t enjoying the music the reason(s) should be the target of the next upgrade(s). There is zero point in a hi-fi that doesn’t bring significant pleasure into life.

 

[Robh3606]

Who knows will there be a new format in our future?? I build DIY speakers and it was 5-6 years between my current build and last. If I can get my hands on a stellar group of drivers I see another build in my future. Don't get me wrong I am very happy with my current set-up but over the years I have learned if the right circumstance come up I will be cutting wood again.

Rob

 

[MackMcd]

i'm done with upgrades having two separate systems seems to have me settled in. The first is my "musical" system including a Synthesis A110T amp, Linn Akurate pre-amp/DAC/streamer and JA Pulsar 2 graphene speakers in a smallish room. The second is my "fidelity" system including a Linn LP12 Klimax TT, Linn Radikal motor/power supply, Linn Klimax pre-amp/DAC/streamer, Vandersteen M5 mono block amp and Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT speakers. These two systems cover my listening mood. This is also my "house" sound. Any upgrades may sound great but this sounds spectacular. And, I no longer worry about what is a new component does not fit in. Staying off the re-sale slide. Cheers.

 

[twitch]

Curious as to what will cause you all to stop buying gear

The 'money tree' lost all its leaves ...........

 

[ecwl]

I used to upgrade frequently but half the time I ended up changing the sound rather than improving the sound. So now I don’t upgrade for a long time. I have three takes on this.
First, I stop upgrading when I can’t afford or don’t want to pay for the next level of upgrade.
Second, as Jim Smith’s book Get Better Sound recommends, I have a roadmap to upgrading. I listen to a lot of systems and when I hear a component that’s a significant improvement over what I have, the component makes it onto my upgrade roadmap and then I bounce back to point one.
Third is that I use my USB microphone to understand the frequency response of my room and system and their limits. In fact, if I hear a demo system I enjoy, I sometimes cheat and play pink noise when the dealer is not looking and measure with my iPhone to make sure I’m not liking the sound just because of a different frequency response or better room acoustics.
At the end of the day, as others have said, if the system is setup great, you don’t need to upgrade and can just keep playing more and more music and just enjoy.

 

[exupgh12]

In my opinion, when you spend more time on music and much less on thinking about what's "my" next step it's a sign you are in the right direction to stop upgrading.
for me, when i'll find a digital source that will match my analog rig i'll stop looking for upgrades....at least that's what i tell myself.

 

[dcathro]

I stopped upgrading (changing components) when I got into DIY.

I have had my pre-amp for 23 years, my amplifier for about 15 years and my source for about 5 years.

I have kept the same speakers for about 20 years, although I have just finished building my own.

I do like to modify my equipment whenever I can think of something that I believe will improve the sonics - I've done this to my pre-amp about 20 times over the years and have another mod in the pipeline.

I have used the same speaker cables (Van Den Hul Revelation) for the past 25 years, but would change these if I could find something a lot better at a reasonable cost.

 

[Thieliste]

In my audio journey the only gear that has always brought me joy and satifcation is my Thiel speakers.
Since 1997 i've always had Thiel speakers and still cannot find a better speaker brand today even in much more modern designs.
I could easily afford much more expensive speakers but why do so if i'm not happy with the end result.
I will probably keep upgrading the amplification in the future because Thiel speakers are knowed to work best with separate pre-power and even better with monoblocks.

 

[Blackmorec]

In my audio journey the only gear that has always brought me joy and satifcation is my Thiel speakers.
Since 1997 i've always had Thiel speakers and still cannot find a better speaker brand today even in much more modern designs.
I could easily afford much more expensive speakers but why do so if i'm not happy with the end result.
I will probably keep upgrading the amplification in the future because Thiel speakers are knowed to work best with separate pre-power and even better with monoblocks.

Hi Thieliste,
Great that you’ve managed to find a brand that‘s remained constantly appealing over long periods. People typically have that kind of relationship with classic designs like the Tannoy Co-axial, Electrostatic panels like Quad, Magnaplanar speakers like Magnapan, etc.
One thing I would mention is that most speakers work best with separate pre-power and even better with monoblocks. The format itself isn’t the only factor indeed its not even the most important factor. First and foremost, the amplifier has to be a really good design that intrinsically produces very high quality, natural sounding music with all the attributes required to convince listeners. So the brand of the amp is critical. Its entirely feasible for an integrated amp of a certain design to outperform seperate pre- mono-blocks of another inferior sounding brand. But if you just look within a brand, then its almost rule-of-thumb that separates outperform integrateds and that mono-blocks are better yet and that holds true on practically every speaker. The question for you, as a lover of Thiel is, ”which type/brand of amplifier best synergises with Thiel such that 2 + 2 equals more than 4?” Find the ideal match and that should get you to 2 brands that give you joy.

 

[Thieliste]

Hi Thieliste,
Great that you’ve managed to find a brand that‘s remained constantly appealing over long periods. People typically have that kind of relationship with classic designs like the Tannoy Co-axial, Electrostatic panels like Quad, Magnaplanar speakers like Magnapan, etc.
One thing I would mention is that most speakers work best with separate pre-power and even better with monoblocks. The format itself isn’t the only factor indeed its not even the most important factor. First and foremost, the amplifier has to be a really good design that intrinsically produces very high quality, natural sounding music with all the attributes required to convince listeners. So the brand of the amp is critical. Its entirely feasible for an integrated amp of a certain design to outperform seperate pre- mono-blocks of another inferior sounding brand. But if you just look within a brand, then its almost rule-of-thumb that separates outperform integrateds and that mono-blocks are better yet and that holds true on practically every speaker. The question for you, as a lover of Thiel is, ”which type/brand of amplifier best synergises with Thiel such that 2 + 2 equals more than 4?” Find the ideal match and that should get you to 2 brands that give you joy.

Well right now the only thing that is not right in my system is the speaker cables and interconnects.
Thiel speakers are very allergic to silver cabling, they tend to be pretty bright in the treble region with this type of cabling.
I really need to audition good cooper cables, this is what i will do starting from january.
Other than that i'm pretty happy with my Diablo 300.

 

[twitch]

Well right now the only thing that is not right in my system is the speaker cables and interconnects.
Thiel speakers are very allergic to silver cabling, they tend to be pretty bright in the treble region with this type of cabling.
I really need to audition good cooper cables, this is what i will do starting from january.
Other than that i'm pretty happy with my Diablo 300.

Wait....... you've owned your speakers since '97 and haven't figured out speaker cables ?????? what 'cable kool-aid' are you drinking ? !!

 

[Thieliste]

Wait....... you've owned your speakers since '97 and haven't figured out speaker cables ?????? what 'cable kool-aid' are you drinking ? !!

No i've had several Thiel models since 1997.
Used to have Cardas cabling with older Thiels.

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

I'm just waiting for Lavigne to chime in...

Still waiting....

 

[c1ferrari]

Any day now!

 

[Ron Resnick]

I think that upgrading/box-swapping is one of the several sub-hobbies of high-end audio. Many people engage in this sub-hobby, and many people do not. See, e.g., Kenc Post #21 hereof (December 7, 2021) (“I must confess that I get bored with my main system if I don't change it. There's nothing wrong with the sound...in fact, it's the best sound I've had in over 50 years. But for me, the fun is in changing things up and seeing what happens.”)

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

When do you stop upgrading? You don't.

 

[Hilroy48]

After 4 years, I am done. The best decision I made was to trust in one audio dealer and not bounce around in the mid level gear loop. An upgrade is not a lateral move, it is an upgrade. I have 2 great audio systems in the house, and all my leftover gear etc that didn't sell is a third system out in my garage/ cigar lounge.

I am just finishing up adding new power cables to the basement system, as well as a couple of RCA cables on both systems. I am happy with the sound quality etc of all 3 systems. Time to spend money on my model railroad hobby.