Who's happy with their current set-up?

Greetin's Smiley Shiny Happy peeps. Greetin's. And salutations and jubilations to you one and all. Deep deep bow from the waist, Japanese style, Arigato.

So this is one of those posts (hopefully it will grow up to be a whole healthy thread... or it may crash and burn and die prematurely... let's see) where we fellow travellers in time and space who's lives are forever touched and nay, ALIT with music, can get a little bit more 'intimate' with each other, in purely platonic ways of course.

The question being, as suggested by the title.. who amongst us is/are truly happy with our set up? Are we indeed, in musical nirvana? Not wanting to change a thing, so to speak, and if given free mulla, (ie money), would rather spend it on music than more equipment? Please share freely. Would be good for you to list your playback system, and if pictures can be thrown in, all the better. Describe what you love about your set up, let us know, in depth, how you feel, how the music makes you feel, when you let it warm up and then you sit in the hot seat and you melt into time and space itself, melding with it, becoming one with the music, forgetting your physical existence for a brief hour or so. ...

So who's first?

Bal, shouldn't you be telling us if you are satisfied with your system in the first place?  LOL

The question is a double-edged sword. If we say yes then it can be misconstrued as being boastful and if we say no then we are just berating our equipments. Maybe, you should ask who haven't  changed their equipments for more than a year. That would give a hint but then quite tricky. Either we are not perfectionist for wanting to improve further or basically people with wooden ears.

I will start the ball rolling and admit I haven't changed my system in years and the last few months didn't  even experiment with speakers placements. I am even enjoying music from the cheap Onkyo IPod dock connected to my system. 

But I have heard better systems and if given a choice I would be upgrading every year. Otherwise, just one more Amp upgrade to a Passlab or Halcro. Why? Because Absolute Sound and Stereophile said they are the best Amps. 

For now I wouldn't mind breathing my last breath while listening to my humble setup which is more like enjoy drinking beer. It is an acquired taste. If you get my meaning. It is so mundane and the euphoria of powering up the equipments is relegated to a simple  routine act like turning a wall switch. This switch just fills the room with music like how the other switch fills the room with light. 

Good point. I recently purchased an Aragon 4004 driving my maggie mmg, using a home made pre, sony 1st gen blu ray player as transport and Buffalo II dac.

I am almost there. Playing with one or two speaker cables at the moment to decide final system. It sounds so musical and makes me want to sit hour after hour just listening and staring into space, or move about and dance. Feet cannot keep still. Head bobs with every beat. Soul is filled to the brim. Powering down late at night after a listening session just makes me want to jump forwards in time to fast forwards to tomorrows listening session. I ordered a pair of speaker cables on the net... lets see what the next few weeks bring. I suspect they will be the final piece in the system. Then i'm done (at least until something breaks down...sigh.)

Thank you for your honest input STC, appreciate the effort. Anyone else?

Bal, wishing all a good night and a brilliant tomorrow.

bal wrote:Good point. I recently purchased an Aragon 4004 driving my maggie mmg, using a home made pre, sony 1st gen blu ray player as transport and Buffalo II dac.

I am almost there. Playing with............................

a-haa.... another happy Aragon owner here....

bal,

Reply from a real Music lover: "Of course I am happy with my setup even with a mp3 player."

Reply from a die hard Audiophile: "Not really, I believe my system Sound Quality could improve further as I have not achieved Audio Nirvana even with my Super High End System."

I believe 99% of us are in between this two extremes, that is what makes this hobby so addictive and interesting

After many years of trial and error, i am finally begining to listen to music instead of equipments. Realised that i am going round in a big vicious circle. A good setup after awhile will sound ordinary. I usually appreciate my kaki's system more than my own, and guess what?, they said likewise.

Curious dear Dr...

in your travels to the future, do we ever get to experience 'perfect music forever?' or does music cease to exist completely?

Or perhaps we will have microchips implanted directly into our brain, like a direct feed... thus making hifi retailers, elevator music and phone 'on hold' music obsolete.

Where would one stick the volume knob, me wonders out loud...

Blink your eyes twice and twist your right ear forward is volume control and trice is balance control.

Twist your right nipple for volume and left for channel balance.

bal wrote:Curious dear Dr...

in your travels to the future, do we ever get to experience 'perfect music forever?' or does music cease to exist completely?

Or perhaps we will have microchips implanted directly into our brain, like a direct feed... thus making hifi retailers, elevator music and phone 'on hold' music obsolete.

Where would one stick the volume knob, me wonders out loud...

Yes, the size of an rice grain microchip with septillion bytes implanted into the brain and connected to the sensory nerves will negate the use of any wire or control etc. Not only audio but virtual video as well.

STC wrote:Twist your right nipple for volume and left for channel balance.

Excellent one!!

Ive not done jack to my system for over a year.

Theres a bunch of mismatched stuff in 3 different systems thruout the house, not to mention a bunch of other stuff which hasnt been introduced to any of the systems just sitting around. I still havent put everything together, since the home minister is currently using whats supposed to be the "audio room" as a store.

Am i happy? Yes. Go figure

it all depends on the balance of my saving account, I am not happy when it grows to 4 figures, I am happy when it drops to 2 figures...       

constantly want to try something different.Now itching to change amp and speakers. I use Chario, but every time I mention this to someone, the remark is, "very difficult to drive". So have been wondering; can it sound better.

Sorry to revive an old thread.  Just to share my current set-up, bought a NOS NAD M series Home theater separates with 7 channel. Since I have 2 channel unused (using 5.1) decided to try running my old magneplanar active using behringer ultra pro electronic cross over. Results : the maggies sounds more detailed and relaxed and the stereo separation is more pronounced, I'm able to pick out each instrument more easily. the downside is the behringer is introducing a slight veiling effect. Point is, I'm content with my system for the moment. Try running active speakers, behringer and multichannel AV amps are the easiest way to get into it IMHO (no need to calibrate output of different power amps).

I am. When you find a system that has little to fault and covers most of your tick boxes,.... I know that I am about to cash in but I do not desire any further even with mega disposable income coming. At my age, its a case of been there done that (too many Hi Fi shows / live music - home and overseas). What's most important is be sensible and listen carefully and consider the technical side. There are plenty of expensive items out there but there comes a point when the best buy are the ones that do the same if not better but for less. Point in case are the use of aluminium cones for speakers, sounds exotic but paper cones are still lighter and stiffer (per equivalent mass). 

@Rijang has a point there about active speakers. Fact is, properly designed actives will just about beat any passive out there regardless of price.

I believe i can say that i can NEVER be fully satisfied with whatever i will or might purchase (on my budget of coz) unless i have the absolute best of everything from its source, amplifier, speaker and cables. That would be like... around myr 2,000,000.00 sounds good? 

Hahahaha... for audiophile mania it might sounds unrealistic but would be a dream come true! Hei a brand new Maybach in malaysia cost about the same right? Some people like cars but a hifi kaki lovesssss audiophile

Fyi... i m using roksan with atc speaker at the moment... still not happy

As to me, I have owned Audiolab 8000Q+M driving through Mission M66i for many years and I have been tweaking cables and interconnects until I settled down to Audiolab 8200CD...that's when I stopped tweaking and listen more cds.

Now I have added Rega RP3, oh boy that TT tweaking itchy keeps coming and more lps on the buying list. So far since Bias2 to Elys2 and latest Nagaoka MP110 plus Rega Spacer+Rega White Belt...I think I'm almost there when addressing its shortcoming. Not to forget adding those Bada power conditioner and isolation feets to the tab.

It is easier to say spend more on the higher end but in my audio journey I prefer to go to the most affordable and sensible modes.

If every one are happy ..the hi-fi industry is sad ...

Nothing is perfect. Hobby is something you spend and feel happy about it.

I think I have reach audio nirvana.
When I play concert video thru my rig, it touches my soul to a point that I could literally cry on the same song over and over again regardless which time of day I played it.  Even my breathing is disrupted by some sad songs as if the music has taken over my brain & re program the way I breathe.  I now can understand why the video frame was taken in different angle. I feel like all video frame have meanings and they are connected between each other synchronously with the way the music flows. I am awed how genius the guys in the studio blending all these video frames together and matching them to the music to make them as one. All the human expression whether it is the singers, the musicians & also the audience are believable, period .This includes the way the dancing is choreograph  & even the subtle body movements of the singers to express their feeling , and last but not least the uncontrollable  screaming of joy from  the audience .  Everything is connected to each other & most importantly, all these make sense - believable
I achieve this thru head fi rig & not hifi.  The headphone I am using is the legendary  HD800 with DHC compliment cable because I  think the stock cable  ÿucks’’. I use a benchmark dac & overkill tailored made dedicated power line .  Yes, I can hear huge soundstage but it is not the huge soundstage I yearn, but it is actually believable soundstage that I want.  Yes, I can hear a very minute detail. It is not the detail that I care but it is the believability in the detail I seek most.. It has to touch my soul & myself has to admit it is true. I don’t want to listen to music which is beautifully reproduced, but I want to hear which is reproduced the way it is , at least I have to believe it is .
Again.. to me audio nirvana  equal to  believability in music  that touches my soul .
Well that is just me. Perhaps others may have different opinion.  
Am I happy with my set up.   Yes .
Would I trade them for an head fi expensive one.  No

Headfi is a beast on its own. I do find a good headfi set up can be very satisfying.

At this point in writing, I am happy that I got the preamp I wanted that is a used Audiolab 8000Q from UK. More neutral sounding than the 8000C. With my new Behringer Ultramatch Pro SRC2496 DAC, I am now on the digital streaming path starting this year. I guess my next upgrade will be subjected to my hearing down the road as you as you get older your hearing might not even hear the extras when I fork out more. The upgrade will have to be on my ear then.

HT can join??

My 2 cts,

I believe 'Auditioning' or testing out equipment whether new stuf at de shop/store or at a friends place brings out de 'comparo' gene in us [ evrybody has it , in some degree.. ]
Me.. l am happy wif my ol gear [ since l added a Sony Hw55 proj, last year ]
Of cos.. if got free moola n no restrictions from 'home minister' then ya .. l'd upgrade -
 
my ol Rotel rb985 5 channel power amp to a more powerful one say a emotiva..

upgrd my Marantz 7002 to a newer marantz avr - maybe a 8800 series one wif better evryting..

O ya, since we are 'dreaming' a full set of Atmos spkrs complete wif full cabling [ now just 7.2 ]..

O well.. if pigs could fly..
D