Is this really happening...?

AsSiMiLaTeD · August 2008

I think I'm getting a little burned out on all the audio stuff. After years of tweaking, swapping out gear, etc I'm just tired of it.

It's not that I have my ideal system and I'm in audio heaven, and on the flip side of that it's not that I don't like what I have. I also don't 'dislike' the hobby, I just don't really have an enthusiasm for it any more.

I was listening to some music earlier on my LSi system and it sounded great as usual. Then I came in here to get some work done and am listening to the same thing, compressed, on my Klipsch PC speaker setup. Now I 'know' this doesn't sound as good, but was sitting here, listening, and thinking "You know what, it sounds fine to me". Then I thought 'No, that can't be right', but yet, here I sit, listening, completely content....

Maybe my hearing is going bad, but I just don't seem to care anymore. I'm not feeling 'down' or anything like that, so that's not it. I'm perfectly happy, audio just doesn't seem to do it for me anymore.

I'll admit I do have a couple new hobbies, so those may be temporarily stealing some attention, but I think this started before I took either of those up.

Any of you guys ever go through that? I think there should be a support group for it

Hopefully it's just a phase...

dkg999 · August 2008

Your ears have become trained to hear the differences, but your brain still has not decided what sound is best. The cure is to reward yourself with new audio gear that you can listen to while thinking about or enjoying your other hobbies. It's the only cure! We're all in this together.

treitz3 · August 2008

No, it's not happening. It's all in your head.

Hehe, seriously. ^^^what he said^^^

bigaudiofanatic · August 2008

Yes even I have and I have just started in all this. It's not that I don't love audio and great sounding music. It's just that I can't afford it and that makes me want to get rid of what I have to try ti get better stuff but usually dosent work out.

Demiurge · August 2008

You're better off. I'm pretty satisfied with what I have right now, and it's nothing special. I've got upgrades planned, still, but I am in absolutely no hurry to replace gear.

treitz3 · August 2008

Think about this. [What's written below]

By Wes Phillips August, 2007
"Back on April 13, Stereophile assistant editor Stephen Mejias posted the following thought on his "Elements of Our Enthusiasm" blog: "Is it possible to listen to music and listen to the hi-fi? Or are they two entirely different activities, incomparable and incompatible? Right now, for me, they seem to have nothing in common, whatsoever."

Oh Stephen, Stephen, Stephen, I thought. What a simple question. How easy it is to answer.

Until you actually attempt to do so.

Is audiophilia about the gear or the music? All audiophiles think they know the answerjust as all non-audiophiles are convinced they know the answer. I think the bigger question is, why do we have to have an answer?

Three days later, Stephen came up with the definitive answer to his own question:

"Listening to music on the hi-fi is:
1. Listening to music.
2. On the hi-fi."

I like that answer. It seems to encompass all the fake divisions that Balkanize our hobby. It makes no distinction between formats or design philosophies or camps. As a result, I imagine it will be completely unacceptable to anyone whounlike Stephenactually considers himself an audiophile.

Because audiophilia has a 500-lb dead elephant lying in the center of our hobby: We like being exclusive. We like being disputative. We just loves our arguments. How else can you explain the putdownthe most typical audiophile response to any question?

Based on my experience of music-making systems owned by audiophiles, we're living in a golden age. I've heard a ton of themit's in my job description, after all, and I enjoy hanging out with audiophiles and music lovers. I have almost never heard a deliberately assembled hi-fi system that I could not enjoy listening to. Maybe I wouldn't want to live with all of them, but I get most of them.

I'm not talking about hearing systems in showrooms or at hi-fi showswhich are quite frequently just plain wrong. I'm speaking of systems that have been lovingly put together piece by piece and lovingly tweaked.

Yet, ask a question on an audio bulletin board and you'll get ripped apart for liking thin-sounding solid-state gear or distortion-laden tube kit. You'll be savaged for preferring LPs and derided for choosing harmonics-deprived digital. Heck, DSD fans will mock you for liking wide-bandwidth PCM. And cables and interconnects and AC management? Fuhgeddabouditmy ears burn just from mentioning it.

It's:
Listening to music.
On the hi-fi

But you know what really gets my goat? It isn't the condescension from my audiophile brethren, it's the disdain from everyone else. I was busy unloading a truck at the Park Slope Food Coop one afternoon when I discovered that the guy I was handing boxes to designed tube gear. We began jabbering about audio, and a musician on our crew sneered, "Oh, you guys are one of those." I mean, this from a guy who, if he didn't have a girlfriend, would be homeless?

Of all the audiophile putdowns I dislike, I dislike most intensely the one implied in Are you a gear lover or a music lover? How come? Well, it's two slams in one. First, it implies a hierarchy that I think does not exist. Well, maybe it exists a littlesurely there are folks who purchase an expensive hi-fi just to prove they can, but I don't really count them as audiophiles unless they really hew to the "listening to music" part of Stephen's koan.

Yes, we audiophiles care about the equipment. Whether we fetishize it or merely tolerate it, it is necessary to our doing what we like to do:

Listen to music.
On the hi-fi.

The second thing I dislike about this putdown is that it implies that there's something purer about listening to music than about caring about how that music sounds. Musicians care about how their instruments sound; producers care about how their recordings sound (well, some of them do); and most recording artists want their records to sound like them. It seems to me they'd appreciate that I care, too.

I used to correspond with someone whose e-mail tagline read: "Listening to music ennobles the soul." What I remember most about that correspondence was his contempt for audiophiles who didn't hew to his party line. Perhaps his hi-fi wasn't good enoughor perhaps he wasn't listening to it enough.

I'm sorrythat was catty and uncalled for. I think it's time for me to do what makes me an audiophile:

Listen to music.
On the hi-fi."

Could this have something to do with it?

ohskigod · August 2008

same here.

I dont have a perfect 2 channel or theater.....but its at a point I'm not going to get real improvement without SERIOUS investment. for what I spent, I like where it is, and love how the systems sound.

a couple more hobbies didnt help (modifying the Mustang and Bass Guitar/equipment and lessons.

Also got an Imac, and am exploring the Itunes/Ipod route for convenience. I know, its the darkside....but i notice I REALLY appreciate my systems alot after rolling with the ipod for a while.

either way, I'm still an audiogeek, just in hybernation

shack · August 2008

Since I am not a constant tweeker...what you are experiencing has not been an issue with me. I go through spells where I don't listen as much, but it is generally because I am involved in something else. I have several other pastimes/hobbies (golf, photography, ect...) that I enjoy a lot. For the last 40+ years it has always been about the music first and the gear is a means to better enjoyment and not the main point. My HT rig has changed very little in the last 6 years and my 2 channel rig has evolved without much drastic change. I always enjoy the music.

dkg999 · August 2008

Great sounding audio doesn't have to be expensive! Yes, we all envy nice gear, and I tend to spend more on audio than is probably wise to do, but I'm always amazed at the sound quality you can get with a vintage system, or by building your own speakers. It's a hobby. Your enjoyment shouldn't be defined by what someone else has or thinks sounds good.

Last weekend I spent a couple of hours listening to a friends newly restored 1950's vintage Wards Airline (I believe that was the brand!) console system playing 78 rpm albums in glorious mono sound. It was good, in fact it was better than good. It brought tears to my eyes because it reminded me of listening to the same vintage gear and albums with my grand parents. It doesn't get much better than that.

hockeyboy · August 2008

I have a variety of hobbies (home theater, music, playing guitar, collecting comic books) and my passions sway back and forth with each one getting more focus for a period off and on. Your passion will return, it always does.

jdhdiggs · August 2008

I've actually put away most of my "high-end" 2-channel gear because my HT system is more than good enough and I just got tired of listening to the gear and not the music. I'll put it back together when the basement is finished but it's just not worth it with my current motivation level.

AndyGwis · August 2008

When I just sit and listen to music (on really any decent system), it always sounds great and makes me happy. Even iPod, car, lesser systems sound good when you listen to the music. But, when I get 'critical' and start looking to hear faults, I can find them on almost any system.

Just the mindset you're in when you're listening, IMO.

I still enjoy swapping gear as long as I'm breaking even or making dough doing so. I think I'm more of a gear junkie than music fan these days, though.

cfrizz · August 2008

You have finally started listening to the music & not the gear. Congratulations!

As usual, Shack nailed it!

concealer404 · August 2008

I just hit that stage with my 2-channel setup...

The separates i just picked up made such a huge difference that the only thing i would even consider doing to it at this point would be to get a DAC, and maybe some better speaker cables. That's it. I could sit and listen to it for hours, but it's the music i'm listening to, not the gear.

I like to get the gear to the point that it doesn't bug me, then i listen to the music. Once i reach the point that it doesn't bug me, no glaring flaws, then i stop caring about upgrading.

I was tentative about moving to separates, because i thought that it would just start an uncontrollable avalanche, but it did the opposite. For less than $800 invested including all cables, i think i have a very good sounding setup.

And i'm ok with that. Just like you're ok with your Klipsch computer speakers. (I hope they're at least the Promedia THXs.)

steveinaz · August 2008

You're enjoying the music instead of picking your system apart--nothing wrong with that. I was sitting out in the garage last night (planning the 70's room) and listening to the 70's channel on XM, thru the TV speakers! I was thoroughly enjoying it.

zombie boy 2000 · August 2008

To be honest... ever since the ex made off with all my gear, I'm having a hard time finding the incentive to dive back in. I love this hobby. I really, really do. But it was a helluva blow.

Jstas · August 2008

I think you guys are putting way too much thought into it. If you have to analyze why you enjoy something so much, when do you actually have time to enjoy it?

You wanna know how I replace gear and upgrade? I listen to stuff. Anything I can get a chance to. If I hate it, I walk away, if I like it, I keep a mental note and if I love it, I think "I gotta get me one of those!" Then I set about doing just that. When I finally get it, I go home, hook it up and promptly forget to eat, sleep, go to the bathroom and so on while I sit there and play with my new toy until the wee hours of the morning and realize I gotta be in work in a couple of hours! Crap!

Find what you like. If you haven't found it yet, stop talking about it and go listen to stuff. If you don't have time for it right now, big deal. You aren't "burnt out", life just sometimes gets in the way. I haven't had nearly as much time to listen to my rig or enjoy a movie because my life is very hectic right now with lots of major changes. I just look at my rig and say "Ugh! That's alot of effort and I'm really beat! That bed is lookin' awesome right about now." Am I burnt out? No, not at all. One day I will get more time to go and play with the toys again and all will be fine and dandy. Just like it is now.

Just tune in and turn on and "get your ears on". Listen. Doesn't even have to be to your own rig, just listen. That's the whole point. Listen to whatever you want. Listen to the accuracy of the recording, the soundstage the equipment presents, the imaging the speakers have or just listen to music. Even if you are going all "Risky Business" and dancin' in your underwear singin' to a spoon, just enjoy it. Even "audiophiles" gotta let loose sometimes! Just crank it and feel the music. It usually helps to have a beautiful woman with you to help you feel the music.

disneyjoe7 · August 2008

Dibs on anything going to be sold here

danger boy · August 2008

my cure for the audio blues is the cheapest.. just turn off the system for a couple weeks... and you'd be surprised how much better it sounds after that.

I think it has something to do with getting used to your systems sound if you listen to it for hours every day.

but yeah I am going through that same thing right now. I don't have the money for any upgrades... even though I would like a new CDP... but it ain't going to happen. So I just avoid the 2ch system and find something else to occupy my time..

currently listing some stuff on ebay to occupy my time.. that helps me get rid of some stuff I don't need, while also making some money that i can put towards a new CDP.

EFanning · August 2008

Here is a possible test for your newfound apathy:

Buy a new CD or vinyl record that you expect to enjoy. Buy a 12-pack of Sam Adams lager. Put the beer in the fridge, open one and walk toward your hi-fi system. Play the record, read the companion book and drink the beer.

If the high-quality sound has no emotional effect on you, see a doctor.

zingo · August 2008

I second the "turn it off" cure. Start doing some of your other hobbies and try to forget about the music. If after a week or two, you just have to listen to music, problem solved. If after awhile you are satisfied with your new hobbies, that's not a bad place to be either.

AndyGwis · August 2008

Oh, and buying new music is a great way as well. You don't have expectations for how it "should sound" based on other systems you've heard a song on.

With new material, you are just listening to the music. I love to get new stuff and pop it in. If I do that, I rarely worry about the gear.

AsSiMiLaTeD · August 2008

I guess that's it, I guess I've just hit the point where I'm happy enough with what I have that I just don't want to upgrade. I know it could sound better, I just don't feel motivated to make that happen.

demaples · August 2008

May I suggest this. Take a day and find the crappiest music device like an old portable boom box, you can find and listen to it all day. Next day you'll probably be ready for your good equipment again. Just a thought.

mmadden28 · August 2008

AndyGwis wrote: »

Oh, and buying new music is a great way as well. You don't have expectations for how it "should sound" based on other systems you've heard a song on.

With new material, you are just listening to the music. I love to get new stuff and pop it in. If I do that, I rarely worry about the gear.

I am discovering this myself..
I am still relatively new to my gear, and am still being wow'ed :eek: by its capabilities, but have also been turned onto new music and artists and styles, etc (via this forum) and have found I am thoroughly enjoying what I am hearing. Like you said I can't really compare it to a known sound so I am really just listening to the music, not the gear.

One of the things (several factors) that started me on the path to audio bliss, is while at a cocktail party, near the end of the night, the host cranked up the system. He had an impressive looking setup. Not sure actually how impressive it was (materially), but certainly way more than I had. I really have to find out what gear he had-he wasn't an audio enthusiast though-its more likely that he just bought from a boutique shop and probably had the setup installed professionally.

He was playing a variety of music, a lot of 80s stuff, a style that I never particularly cared for. But then a song was playing that I wasn't familiar with, yet was distinctively of the 80s style I disliked. I don't know whether it was the alcohol or what, but I found myself lost in the audio fidelity of it. I was taken to another place. I never had that happen with my setup. I think that truly was the seed.

Since then I've amassed my own audio gear that rivals anything I have ever owned, and am rediscovering even music that I am quite familiar with. Discovering subtle nuances I never knew existed. A rediscovery so to speak.

I'm sure that I will hit a plateau one day, but I have plenty of hobbies. I would just take a break, go out and get some fresh air-go check out the new 3D movie theaters and start you're plans to upgrade that area. Oooh I know have you tackled your car audio system yet?

BaggedLancer · August 2008

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

I think I'm getting a little burned out on all the audio stuff. After years of tweaking, swapping out gear, etc I'm just tired of it.

It's not that I have my ideal system and I'm in audio heaven, and on the flip side of that it's not that I don't like what I have. I also don't 'dislike' the hobby, I just don't really have an enthusiasm for it any more.

I was listening to some music earlier on my LSi system and it sounded great as usual. Then I came in here to get some work done and am listening to the same thing, compressed, on my Klipsch PC speaker setup. Now I 'know' this doesn't sound as good, but was sitting here, listening, and thinking "You know what, it sounds fine to me". Then I thought 'No, that can't be right', but yet, here I sit, listening, completely content....

Maybe my hearing is going bad, but I just don't seem to care anymore. I'm not feeling 'down' or anything like that, so that's not it. I'm perfectly happy, audio just doesn't seem to do it for me anymore.

I'll admit I do have a couple new hobbies, so those may be temporarily stealing some attention, but I think this started before I took either of those up.

Any of you guys ever go through that? I think there should be a support group for it

Hopefully it's just a phase...

I'm in the same boat, what I have isn't perfect but I enjoy it. I also have a couple new hobbies as wel and I got an additional 20 hours/week tagged onto my work schedule leaving little to no time for listening. I go to work at 6am, come home, go to the gym, come home, rinse, sleep, repeat....day in and day out now.

Is this really happening...?

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