Why do we do it!

[walpurgis]

Part of my journey is more or less over. I doubt I'll ever buy another pair of speakers.......................not ready made ones at least, unless it's something as a restoration project. In future I intend to buld my own speakers should I need any.

[paulf-2007]

I was certain my front horn set up with valves was it and then a failure at Scalford made me rethink my tri-amped set up. I sold most of it off, tried various box speakers and settled on the zu's with PX25 mono blocks. I had dismissed box speakers but these sound as good, maybe my memory of the horns is not so clear. Again I considered valves to be superior to ss as my experiences of ss guitar amps back in the seventies was that they were total garbage compared to valves. Then in a mad moment I bought a Sony receiver and loved it. I sold the PX25's without comparing them to the receiver and have remained contented, listening to music and not the kit. My only disappointment has been my headphone playback and so I've bought and await delivery of a little dot 1 headphone amp.
My only other itch is to build the lowther alerion speakers just to know if they are what I expect. The smaller lowther dx drivers are not shouty like the 8" drivers but have that transparency that not many drivers have. I don't believe there are many if at all any alerions in the uk as they were made by lowther America.

[Marco]

I also think the journey is part of our interest in hifi and once hooked it's like a drug, you want more and more. Personally as much as I have a great interest in the subject I don't feel I need to change anything significant in my system as I feel through 35 years of messing I have arrived at a place I feel very comfortable with.

Absolutely, Jim. It basically boils down to your ability to control the 'What if?' demon, and also I believe, if you suffer from having an addictive personality, which lends you to obsessing over and changing things, to the point of it becoming an addiction, controlling that, too.

Fancy taking the 'Top 10' test, to see if you're a 'Hi-fi Victim'? Ok, here it is... See how many of these you answer 'Yes' to:

1) Do you find yourself regularly (or constantly) browsing ebay and/or the classifieds sections of forums, 'just in case something interesting pops up'?
2) Do you have a Gallery thread here, many pages long, where it's mostly you posting, telling folks about something you've just bought/done to your system?
3) Are your posts here and/or elsewhere, about music-related subjects, dwarfed in number by your hi-fi related ones?
4) Have you started more threads on forums, outlining some problem or other with your system, as opposed to ones outlining how it's delighting you?
5) Overall so far, have you spent *significantly* more on hi-fi equipment and ancillaries than on music, whether in a downloaded, streamed or physical format?
6) Is your ratio of 'tinkering to listening' *significantly* biased towards tinkering?
7) Do you own more equipment that's currently sitting redundant, as opposed to being used regularly for its designed purpose?
8) Does your listening space resemble a hi-fi shop/museum/'workshop' more than simply a comfortable space to relax and enjoy music?
9) Do you buy hi-fi equipment under the premise of it being 'easy to move on', if necessary, as opposed enjoying it for as long as possible, regardless?
10) Does the cost of the hi-fi equipment/ancillaries you currently own *considerably* outweigh the cost [what you've paid, not current value] of your physical music collection?

Everyone here should have a go at this, and see how many 'yeses' they have!

Marco.

[SLS]

The difference is that Geoff describes his system in his signature as if he's after a Pulitzer, and mine is more telephone directory plus the fact that I don't even mention that my system has a turntable.

Also that my two systems use the same brand of source and speakers, suggests I've finally made up my mind.

[struth]

not really yes and no answers.

[walpurgis]

not really yes and no answers.

Maybe.

[Marco]

not really yes and no answers.

The key ones are!

Marco.

[walpurgis]

I reckon my response to your questions is about 50/50 Marco. The equipment and the tinkering with it or the building of something are the hobby part for me. The music playing part of things being the enjoyable end product.

[Marco]

That's cool, Geoff, and I get that. However, I note that no-one has yet gone through the questions one by one, and responded (as closely as possible) in a 'Yes' way or otherwise...

That's what I'm looking for, and essentially finding out how closely the content of the questions mirror your 'hi-fi habits'. Anyone fancy trying it?

Marco.

[Macca]

1) Do you find yourself regularly (or constantly) browsing ebay and/or the classifieds section of forums 'just in case something interesting pops up'? NO
2) Do you have a Gallery thread here with over 50 pages of input, where it's mostly you who's been doing the posting? NO
3) How often do you post here about music-related subjects, as opposed to hi-fi ones? 20%?
4) How many threads have you started here where the subject involves discussing some problem with your system, as opposed to how it's delighting you?
Not many
5) When listening to music, do you listen to albums all the way through, or simply select favourite tracks and/or ones that sound best, whilst ignoring the rest? always listen to the whole album
6) Is your ratio of 'tinkering to listening' heavily biased towards tinkering?
No
7) Do you own more equipment that's sitting redundant, as opposed to being used regularly for its designed purpose? yes
8) Does your listening space resemble a hi-fi shop/museum/'workshop' more than simply a comfortable space to relax and enjoy music? No
9) Do you buy hi-fi equipment mainly under the premise of it being 'easy to move on', should it not suit, as opposed to adopting a more considered and thorough approach? No
10) Does the cost of the hi-fi equipment/ancillaries you currently own VASTLY outweigh the cost [what you've paid, not current value] of your physical music collection? No