Sometimes the best you can do is not go for perfect

Joey_V

Sometimes the best you can do is not go for perfect.

It ain't happenin'.

Sometimes you just have to realize, this is good and it's good enough.

I have learned that if you chase after something as elusive as perfect, you'll never get there and you'll just spin your wheels or go around in circles. Not to mention it'll cost you a pretty penny or more.

I have come to a point in my hobby where I think I am approaching my upper limits based on where I am today (physically mentally financially).

The room can only handle so much, my wife can only handle so much, etc etc

I used to envy those guys who had systems up the wazoo... Then the pendulum swung and then I envied those guys who had simple systems but enjoyed them.

Now I'm just at a place of contentment where I'm glad I hit what I feel to be near end of the road.

Sure there's a little bit more to add to the system but it is honestly getting to the point where it just sounds good.

Sometimes you just can't get to perfect, but atleast you have fun on the journey and you get to a spot where you can just say... I retire.

Paradoxex

Did we ever confirm what speakers you ended up with?
Your signature is still vague and your posts are not revealing.

Are you planning to reveal the answer at CEDIA like Polk?

Joey_V

A few people here already know.

And it not 1 but 2 pairs.

I'm just finishing up my audition and so I will know which brand I stick with.

teekay0007

Joey_V wrote: »

I used to envy those guys who had systems up the wazoo... Then the pendulum swung and then I envied those guys who had simple systems but enjoyed them.

I KNEW it right from the start, Joey! You should have just gone with a pair of Monitor 7's, an old Marantz receiver and a Sony carousel CD player....Easy-peasy and happy as a clam!

cnh

teekay0007 wrote: »

Joey_V wrote: »

I used to envy those guys who had systems up the wazoo... Then the pendulum swung and then I envied those guys who had simple systems but enjoyed them.

I KNEW it right from the start, Joey! You should have just gone with a pair of Monitor 7's, an old Marantz receiver and a Sony carousel CD player....Easy-peasy and happy as a clam!

If you just wanna hang with some music you could do a lot WORSE! Something to be said for NOT spending an arm and a leg. No offense to Joey as he can budget for that. But some of us don't feel so bad running old school. Dare I say, some of that top end stuff makes our ears bleed, not all of it, but much of it! They get you with terms like "critical listening" lol Maybe we should all get bionic ears we can wear to live concerts since our instruments (our ears) are in a state of needing new "crossovers", etc. I don't sit around with a notebook writing reviews on decay, detail, sound stage, and imaging when I listen because if I did I wouldn't hear anything!

MrBuhl

Joey, you have one of those systems out the wazoo in a lot of ways. Certainly in my ways. Nothing wrong with sitting back, listening and getting lost in the music for a while! Enjoy!

Nightfall

Nobody is judging you because you're reeling it in and sticking with a system in the tens of thousands instead of hundreds of thousands. Not everybody can afford the latter.

Dennis Gardner

You have to realize that the obsession with perfection is the same thought process that professional bodybuilders go through and we laugh at how "jacked" they look compared to someone that has a very well rounded level of fitness and health.

Obsessions aren't truly healthy, regardless of the object of the obsession.

mikeyb128

We always seem to be striving for perfection, and sometimes we lose direction and forget why we started this hobby in the first place and that is to enjoy the music the system plays, not the other way around. I'm guilty of obsessing over the smallest details to the point I get frustrated and walk away. I've learned to sit back open a beer and relax, it will all come in time. Joey, sometimes it helps to think back when you started this hobby, the lesser gear you had, the smaller budget, and just think how happy you were. That's what I do... once upon a time, long ago I was perfectly happy listening to a pair of AR 15's run on an old crusty technics receiver. Now I have power cables worth 8 times what I payed for that system.

ZLTFUL

I was chasing the proverbial rabbit pretty hard. And then, one day, out of the blue, I said to myself, "Why?".

I still see stuff that I go "OOooooOOooo" over and wouldn't mind having it but I look at how much time I spend listening to music and what other priorities I have right now and I need to step back and say, this is damned good for the money I have invested.

Sometimes, you just need to step back, take a breath and realize that while this is a great hobby and you have a pinnacle you want to reach, perfection though isn't always that pinnacle but where you find that life and happiness are balanced.

msg

easy to get caught up in the gear race/obsession and lose sight of what these systems are for in the end...

why, for showing off and getting chicks, of course!
(which doesn't really seem to work. In fact, now that I think it about it, all I've ever seen is you dudes attracting more dudes. But not me, though.)

but seriously, the music. it's all about the music. does feel good to get to a place you can enjoy the system(s) you have, and just kick back.

erniejade

Every situation is different especially with taste and rooms. For myself, it took a Antimode 2.0 to help give me what I was looking for or felt was missing or wrong. Sometimes It's hard as an audiophile AND music fanatic to have both to enjoy becase the audiophile in us tskes over snd picks apart what we think is wrong.

Maybe its time to look outside the box or speaker / amp combo?

megasat16

Sometimes, you have to accept the reality! But other times, there is always Visa/MC/Amex to make you happy. Just pull out the plastics and get that Q7 MKII already. lol

Dawgfish

teekay0007 wrote: »

Joey_V wrote: »

I used to envy those guys who had systems up the wazoo... Then the pendulum swung and then I envied those guys who had simple systems but enjoyed them.

I KNEW it right from the start, Joey! You should have just gone with a pair of Monitor 7's, an old Marantz receiver and a Sony carousel CD player....Easy-peasy and happy as a clam!

Actually, except for the Sony CD player, that is one of my systems! Lol! I use a USB tube DAC streaming Tidal or a turntable with it. It really sounds great and gives a big smile with not much coin spent on the system. If I were forced to have this as my only system, I could easily live with it.

Joey glad you're getting to a point when you can just kick back and enjoy! The core of my main system has been the same for a while now. I may rotate in a different turntable, cartridge, or tubes from time to time, but everything else remains the same. It's a good feeling to finally get there.

BlueBirdMusic

Sometimes a foot too far is as wrong as a foot too short.

Moose68Bash

@Joey_V gave this thread a title that -- strangely -- brought to my mind a couple of lines from Act IV, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's "King Lear":

"Edgar. [aside] And worse I may be yet. The worst is not
So long as we can say 'This is the worst.' "

To make sense of my free association of Joey's title with these lines of poetry, I had to edit Shakespeare's impeccable -- not to say "perfect" -- poetry, as follows:

"And perfect I may find yet. Perfect is not
So long as we can say 'This is perfect."

In short the quest for perfection, for those who choose to embark upon it, ends only at death! There is always something better out there -- or something we mere mortals perceive as better!

msg

I lol'd at this at first because I misread both it and the message -
the quest for perfection, for those who choose to embark upon it, ends only IN death
meaning, you'll kill yourself trying to reach perfection.
annnd probably miss a lot of good stuff along the way.

WagnerRC

Well said Joey. I really enjoy following your journey. Thanks

Conradicles

You have now arrived Sir. It's all about enjoyment.

rpf65

Perfection is over rated. Was married to her once, now she's somebody else's problem.

BlueFox

There is no such thing as perfection in this hobby. When my house was being remodeled, and my two channel was in the garage, I was perfectly happy with my HT system. I seriously thought of moving the two channel speakers into the HT and selling the rest. Anyway, now that the two channel is operational I am pleased with it. Since I added the Lumin about two years ago, I have not done anything to it.

Joey_V

Thanks guys!

It's nice to finally say that I'm getting to the end... we looked at the budget again today.

I typically have an annual budget devoted to my audio habit, this was approved by the wife for the last few years.

I told my wife, I'm ready to let it go. As of this upcoming 2017, I will have given up the audio budget. I think I only have a few things to complete (ceiling treatments, diffusors), some preamp tubes, and my room seating. Maybe a sub here and there.

After that, I'm done for a few years.

I ain't changing my amp. I ain't changing my preamp. I ain't replacing my digital source. The speakers are about as high up as I'm willing to go and I ain't changing it for a few years.

Is the sound perfect? Probably not. I'm sure there's a few things to nitpick here and there. But you know what - I've not had better sound ever.

But I gotta tell ya, it was a great feeling to finally admit, no more.

Wife: "You sure you're giving up the budget?"
Me: "Yep, I'm pretty much done."

I don't think she ever thought she'd hear those words. If atleast for a few years, I'll lay low. I'm going to keep up with the new stuff that's going on, perhaps go to some shows or audition some speakers, but I'm going to do everything I can to stay content and put everything in perspective.

Chasing hifi is not a good thing for the music lover, you just end up being obsessed with the best out there, and there's always something better or something newer than what you got.

Jimbo18

Joey_V wrote: »

Thanks guys!

It's nice to finally say that I'm getting to the end... we looked at the budget again today.

I ain't changing my amp. I ain't changing my preamp. I ain't replacing my digital source. The speakers are about as high up as I'm willing to go and I ain't changing it for a few years.

To continue the Shakespeare theme, and to slightly rephrase it "Me thinks he doth protest too much".

Joey_V

Jimbo18 wrote: »

Joey_V wrote: »

Thanks guys!

It's nice to finally say that I'm getting to the end... we looked at the budget again today.

I ain't changing my amp. I ain't changing my preamp. I ain't replacing my digital source. The speakers are about as high up as I'm willing to go and I ain't changing it for a few years.

To continue the Shakespeare theme, and to slightly rephrase it "Me thinks he doth protest too much".

Hah.. let's hope that's not true.

Either way, enjoy the music everyone. Gear is cool, but enjoying the music is far better.

gudnoyez

Joey you sell out!!! Good luck with your big plan, we all expect to no longer see the hey people here is the latest threads started by you. All kidding aside kick back and do what you went out of your way to achieve, that being listening to tunes on a system you enjoyed putting together. Once again good luck holding back.

OldSchoolPolk

Joey_V I've always enjoyed your posts, opinions and good humor.

Having fun with what you have is living in today. Knowing you don't need to change for change sake is a pretty bright future.

Enjoy!

Moose68Bash

@Joey_V ,

You've reached a state of satisfaction that you ought to sustain.

Enjoy the music; enjoy life!

The only phrase of concern in your post -- "Yep, I'm pretty much done" -- is "pretty much." That's a loophole.

Cheers, Joey. You've assembled a great system. Enjoy!

honestaquarian

WARNING: Adiophilia Nervosa is an incurable disease of the wallet. It mostly (*but not exclusively*) aflicts the male species. Sometimes if one is careful one can wrest it into remission. However the disease STILL lurks beneath the surface and will strike again when you least expect it.....................................

honestaquarian

As for perfection?
As we grow in years,experience and the wisdom which (*hopefully*) comes with them. We come to the realization that the PURSUIT of perfection is fine as long as one fully understands that the ACHIEVEMENT of perfection................weeeeelllllll lets just say my mother said it best.

"No haps"
(*meaning like Joey said above it ain't happening*)

One can only hope to wrest the dread disease Audiophilia Nervosa into remission and hope to blazes it bloody STAYS that way.
This shiggitty is expensive!!

mrbiron

Quitter.......

I'm not here to pump you up as if you're making the right decision. I'm here living vicariously through you and I AIN'T DONE YET!

Open up that wallet bucko, we're going on a spending spree!

lightman1

I see perfection in the mirror every morning.


Then I push her out of the way so I can comb my face.