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When It Is Enough? [message #92262]

Sun, 06 September 2020 17:34

Csharp
Messages: 86
Registered: April 2012

Viscount

In regards to upgrades, when is enough enough for you? Is there a line you draw for expenditures? Are you looking for that perfect sound?

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Re: When It Is Enough? [message #92263 is a reply to message #92262]

Mon, 07 September 2020 07:47

Rusty
Messages: 1188
Registered: May 2018
Location: Kansas City Missouri

Illuminati (3rd Degree)

While I'm currently working on an 'upgrade' in the form of a preamp kit. It's been close to twenty years since I've done anything considered an upgrade. There isn't any perfect sound I think for music reproduction. Just a form of satisfaction. And getting on the upgrade-itis treadmill trying new equipment to find a holy grail is what Audiogon is all about. Boring I think.

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Re: When It Is Enough? [message #92269 is a reply to message #92263]

Mon, 07 September 2020 13:22

The Noise
Messages: 164
Registered: October 2012

Master

I'm not looking for a perfect sound as much as I'm looking for that perfect room. Some people have reading rooms......I want that perfect listening room.

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Re: When It Is Enough? [message #92275 is a reply to message #92269]

Mon, 07 September 2020 21:09

gofar99
Messages: 1949
Registered: May 2010
Location: Southern Arizona

Illuminati (5th Degree)

Hi, Hummm...This is a question like can you have too much chocolate? I kind of believe that audio is almost an addiction. There is no end. I suspect that for most of us it slows down a lot when the cost goes up. But it is always lurking in the background. Shocked

Good Listening
Bruce

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Re: When It Is Enough? [message #92507 is a reply to message #92262]

Sun, 25 October 2020 09:48

Mica
Messages: 117
Registered: October 2020

Viscount

Gofar... I love that answer. Too much chocolate? No way! I think for us we are always adding on or "tweaking" something with our system. When something new comes out, I want it.

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Re: When It Is Enough? [message #92719 is a reply to message #92507]

Tue, 01 December 2020 20:55

Concorde
Messages: 149
Registered: December 2013

Master

I upgrade my music, not the machines I play it on. Then again, I see no need for 3D television either.

The only reason I'll upgrade is out of necessity. If something breaks.

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Re: When It Is Enough? [message #92724 is a reply to message #92719]

Wed, 02 December 2020 12:04

Wayne Parham
Messages: 18786
Registered: January 2001

Illuminati (33rd Degree)

To me, "enough" is when an upgrade is either inaudible or the price/performance ratio is excessive.

For example, I sell loudspeaker kits and some upgrades are both measurable and audible. I distinguish between "audible" and "measurable" because I can measure some stuff that's too tiny to hear. So some upgrades are definitely worth it because they offer an improvement that is noticeable - you can easily hear the difference.

Other upgrades are more subtle. Those offer measurable improvements and yet you can't easily hear the difference. A person might forego that kind of upgrade because the improvement is so subtle.

Some upgrades provide measurable improvements so small that it may be impossible to hear, but yet cost thousands of dollars. The improvement is real - I can measure it - but it is small enough to be inaudible. That's an Nth degree upgrade, one that is only considered in "price no object" systems.

And even some upgrades are just brand names that don't even offer a measurable improvement. Can't hear it, and can't even measure it. So I tell folks those kinds of upgrades are really for "bragging rights." Of course, some people will claim to hear a difference but I think that's an "Emperor's New Clothes" thing. It's another "Nth degree upgrade" that might be worth it to some people but probably not for most.

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Re: When It Is Enough? [message #92726 is a reply to message #92724]

Wed, 02 December 2020 17:31

Vaiger
Messages: 102
Registered: December 2012

Viscount

I agree with the brand name comment. Doing that would just be a "social awareness" upgrade and not performance. I don't want to show off my equipment, I want to enjoy it.

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Re: When It Is Enough? [message #92788 is a reply to message #92724]

Thu, 17 December 2020 16:08

OutOfSpace
Messages: 20
Registered: June 2017

Chancellor

"To me, "enough" is when an upgrade is either inaudible or the price/performance ratio is excessive."
Think; extra fancy-pants audiophile speaker cables. In the grand scheme of things, we're talking about fairly low frequencies and a very low impedance environment. I'd bet $50 nobody could pick them out in a blind A/B listening test.

IMNSHO, the biggest bang for the buck is in transducers, not so much the electronics. With audio transducers (speakers, phono cartridges, headphones, mics), the spread in performance/cost is much better than with electronics. Sure, there are more subtle improvements with electronics, but transducers are where it's at, baby!

As an aside, I recently picked up a semi-fancy guitar cab mic to replace a really cheap 3/$40 mic, for my guitar use. While I can certainly hear a difference, the cheap one was surprisingly good, so the benefits of the fancier one are worth it to me, but it's close to the cut-off.

Also related, I replaced the pickups in one of my guitars (Strat), and oh man! What a difference! Yet another transducer, not so much the electronics.

Chris

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Re: When It Is Enough? [message #93358 is a reply to message #92262]

Wed, 24 March 2021 22:34

Acacia
Messages: 70
Registered: January 2021

Viscount

When I'm satisfied with the current upgrade, I tend to stop at that because I feel regretful buying new ones unnecessarily. With earphones though, I prefer having different kinds, wireless and not, depending on what seems comfortable using.

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