joessportster Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 an epiphany i recently went thru . After our second son was born on may 27, 2008. i was not able to listen to music for a coupe months and when i would find the time i just couldnt get into it. i have spent the better part of 5 years putting togeather what i believed was a true reference system. I had met some folks and we got into this arena where our goal was to best the others system (without actually saying so), and we would use our listening time critiquing the gear (never just relaxing and enjoying the music) i decided i had way to much money (20,000.00) invested and that i was no longer enjoying the music, and i was actually at a point where i dreaded turning on the system because i knew i needed at least 2 hours of uninterrupted listening to actually make it worth while. so i decided it was time to liquidate , i have sold off almost all of the system and went out found a mint pair of cornwalls and am using a pioneer spec amp and pre-amp (these will do for a short stint although i will have to get a decent tube unit) and have decided it is time to listen to the music again. I am a firm believer that the gear adds to the enjoyment of this hobby and the music but i found it is very easy to get caught up in the ever evolving improvement of the system. yesterday after setting up the pared down system i turned it on for a little over 3 hours and went on about my day doing little chores all the while with music in the background, i would stop and take a moment when something sounded particularly good and listen a little more intently from the next room. this is the most excited i have been about listening to music in what seems like a long time. I beleive i have come upon my so called curve in the road and i beleive i like it. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 I gotta say, that is Top Notch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SET12 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONI REFUSE TO BASH OR FLAME ANYONES PERSONAL CHOICE OF GEAR REGARDLESS OF MY THOUGHTS ON SAID GEAR I like your New Years Resolution, Well said! I to was in the same boat once. I got into DIYing designed and built my own amps modified my Forte's with world class crossover components and have never enjoyed audio more! SET12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 i turned it on for a little over 3 hours and went on about my day doing little chores all the while with music in the background, i would stop and take a moment when something sounded particularly good and listen a little more intently from the next room. this is the most excited i have been about listening to music in what seems like a long time. Now, all you need is to add in a pneumatic nailer, sawzall and circular saw and find even more bliss! I think it's great your finding your nirvona. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Equipment is nice ...................... but, ........ The Real Magic is the MUSIC !!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Gear fixation is so completely different from the rest of us as to leave very little to discuss. It's cool, but it's like a wine tasting where some folks are interested in the wine and the others only in the glasses. I love trick gear...but only to the extent that it gets me closer to the source material. As I have said so many times, I'd rather listen to fine source material on a car radio than to garbage on a 500,000.00 system. Of course, you may not really be over it. If you had it real bad, you may find yourself wondering if there is too much oxygen in your wires, whether a change of caps might cause a leap of ecstasy, etc. Try to resist the dark side...unless you have unlimited wealth. Of course, if you did it wouldn't be fun anyway and it still wouldn't really help. You'd rent an orchestra, then start obsessing over needing a new hall and replacing that Amati with a Strad. [] Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kuisis Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Joe: I guess you really shouldn't have sold me your Cornwalls [] ! However I must admit the walnut look a little better. Congratulations on your second child and your epiphany. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 For me it was always about the music. Granted, it certainly made the music that much more enjoyable listening to it on a nice system. However, I was never one to get all obsssed over what type of amp (I like my trusty ol' B&K solid-state), all the Heritage vs Reference vs Palladium nonsense (I also really like my RF-7s, although, admittedly, it would be nice to have a pair of Palladiums), nor any of the CD vs Vinyl vs Tape nonsene or even that whole Digital vs Analog thing. My system sounds good to me with the material I like to listen to be it on CD or MP3 (I don't have any vinyl playback in my current rig). Probably why my setup has pretty much been virtually unchanged for the past few years. Yeah, I've added some new components, such as an HD-DVD player and just now, I've added a PS/3. I do want to eventually get a new pre/pro (I am hearing about B&K Reference 70 pre/pro). There are those that do like to play with the gear and try out different things, and I'll admit there is nothing like the excitment of getting a new piece of gear, but I figured I got to many other things I need to do that I just cannot spend all my time and money chasing around that supposed "ultimate" setup. I am quite happy with what I got and most likely will stick with it for a few more years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyKlipschFan Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Dave said... "Of course, if you did it wouldn't be fun anyway and it still wouldn't really help. You'd rent an orchestra....." Stop the press!!! LOL I have a opportunity soon to sing with a live band, karaoke style... I can't wait!! hehehehehe Is this the same thing Dave? BTW, I got your piano recording I absolutely love it..... I am not so sure about the in house band though??? hahahahaha Just not my type of music, but still good. Thank you again for the discs, I got them at the Pilgrimage this year! Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joessportster Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 one benefit about my pilgrimage that brought me to the point i am now, is i learned alot about my likes and dislikes, what i expect from my gear and what i can live with when it comes to sound reproduction, i started at a 500.00 system and i never stopped moving til i ended up with a 50,000.00 (new prices) system, that i bought used and have been able to sell it and get back every dime i put into it !!!!!!! i now know what i want my music to sound like and i have a very good idea of what gear will get me there and how much it will cost, i even know which gear to buy so that when my time is done my wife / kids can keep it or sell it and get all the money back out of it. yes it was a long way around to get here and i lost alot of time just enjoying music. but i believe i am better having taken the journey.. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornman Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Yea, " Taking the Journey" I can defineatly relate. Thanks again Joe for that Conrad Mv 55, that I got from you. It was one of those steps along the journey. Cornman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitsuMan Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Congratulations on the birth of your second child. Hopefully it doesn't take an epiphany for you to appreciate him. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 joessportster: Thats awesome!!!! I have found myself really pulling back the reins on the equipment acquisition ....I have a very nice system...but was getting caught in upgradeitis.....I'm sure there is some stuff I still want but I have found myself taking joy in (to quote Mallete) the best sources I can find.......This has given me so much more bang for the buck and much more listening enjoyment... Just this week I found a great Vinyl shop in Toronto spent about 5 total hours over two days .....picked up about 24 mint LP's ...a few 10 47th blue notes and some really like new Miles on prestige......Can't stop listening since I got back home.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doobie2 Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 Good for you Joe (kids will change a man). I love this forum and a couple others to discuss gear, but only so I can listen to the music. If it sounds good and you enjoy listening, who cares what the graph says!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 A pair of Cornies would work for me! That's where I started. For about a dozen years that's all I used. Good call on realizing what's really important. It's fun acquiring and tweaking all the toys, but stuff is just stuff after all. Sometimes even I wonder if it's all worth it. Maybe I should just shuck it all, then I say naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwww! But that's just me. M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 I never met deang, but I wish he would follow the general idea of this thread. I could live very happly with Cornwalls or RF-7s and some serious SS ampage or RF-7s and a sub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWL Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 I could live very happly with Cornwalls or RF-7s and some serious SS ampage or RF-7s and a sub. That is the realization I've come to over the last year or so. Middle of the road (maybe a few notches higher!) gear......Klipsch speakers and kick a$$ subs suits the majority of my music tastes very well. Might not be as refined as some of the the systems here.......but very impressive nonetheless. When I can throw in a live recording......crank the pi$$ out of it from begining to end......and feel like I just came from the actual show........priceless. [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ69 Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 It's all about enjoying the music. If take your system too far, you can end up with a system that sounds good for just a handfull of CD's. The real secret is to get your system to sound good on all your CD's. Sometimes that means taking your system down a notch, away from being too critical. I use my second system 10 times more just because it can play anything and sound great. It's a long way from my main system but I enjoy it just as much, maybe more. Thanx, Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 i prefer to listen to test tones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauln Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Is it an unfair generalization to suggest that those who "listen to the gear" tend more to hear music as sound, and those that "listen to the music" tend more to hear sound as music? It is a subtle distinction, but I see it all around. My gear is modest, but the music is awesome. I notice that a lot of musicians (me included) seem to "hear into the music" more than their gear should actually be able to objectively produce. This just makes it even more difficult to know what is really going on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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