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I ask the question in the broadest sense, looking for an answer that goes beyond the specific information available in this excellent forum. In other words, how did the quality of music playback become so important to us? Or, is it just gear acquisition syndrome?
Today I attended the Houston Ferrari Festival. There was a huge collection of stunning cars there including a few La Ferrari's which sold new for $3 million. I spoke to the owner of one. He was a large man in his late 40's or early 50's. I have no idea where his money came from. In the conversation he said there was no such thing as a typical Ferrari owner. I can tell you a 10 year old one can be had for $150,000. They don't go down in value, and go up a little each year, unless there is a huge recession.
Then I wandered into a store where a pair of Wilson Alexx speakers were set up with a D'Augistino integrated amp. There was also some kind of streamer and what looked like a power conditioner on the equipment rack. Speaker wires were thicker than a garden hose and had strange looking boxes in the middle. A salesman said the setup was $250,000. Non US residents should take note there would be an 8.25% sales tax added to that lofty sum. I think the setup was temporary because this outfit has a store about 2 miles away and someone in the back was selling coffee for $5 a cup.
They were playing some electronic dance music. It might have been the recording, but I wasn't impressed.
Sometimes I can sit in front of my LS50's and be transported. Some people say they get goose bumps. That's not enough. I want to be sent somewhere where the music is being made. By standards around here my system is imperfect. My Crown XLS 1502 has a SINAD of a measly 76 and I only have one sub, not two. Lord only knows what else someone might thing is wrong with it as there are some around here who love to hate the LS50's.
So I ponder, how would someone become so obsessed with gear as to go out and spent $250k on an audio system which did nothing for me when for a couple of bucks more you can have a late model Ferrari. Even with traffic and speed traps it's good for more jollies. My 2017 Camaro SS is as fast as a 10 year old Ferrari and I don't have much money tied up in it. If it breaks, it will not cost a fortune to fix. I can even throw some junk in the back seat and trunk and go somewhere. Believe me, it's great for jollies. Sorry about that, Gretta.
I wandered in here because I was tired of nonsense discussions in other forums. Some important concepts like room EQ and house curves were introduced to me here. Many discussions go over my head. The quest for ever higher SINAD seems meaningless to me when one realizes in their best range the best speakers have .1% distortion and background noise varies from annoying to disastrous. That's just my thing. What's yours?
Today I attended the Houston Ferrari Festival. There was a huge collection of stunning cars there including a few La Ferrari's which sold new for $3 million. I spoke to the owner of one. He was a large man in his late 40's or early 50's. I have no idea where his money came from. In the conversation he said there was no such thing as a typical Ferrari owner. I can tell you a 10 year old one can be had for $150,000. They don't go down in value, and go up a little each year, unless there is a huge recession.
Then I wandered into a store where a pair of Wilson Alexx speakers were set up with a D'Augistino integrated amp. There was also some kind of streamer and what looked like a power conditioner on the equipment rack. Speaker wires were thicker than a garden hose and had strange looking boxes in the middle. A salesman said the setup was $250,000. Non US residents should take note there would be an 8.25% sales tax added to that lofty sum. I think the setup was temporary because this outfit has a store about 2 miles away and someone in the back was selling coffee for $5 a cup.
They were playing some electronic dance music. It might have been the recording, but I wasn't impressed.
Sometimes I can sit in front of my LS50's and be transported. Some people say they get goose bumps. That's not enough. I want to be sent somewhere where the music is being made. By standards around here my system is imperfect. My Crown XLS 1502 has a SINAD of a measly 76 and I only have one sub, not two. Lord only knows what else someone might thing is wrong with it as there are some around here who love to hate the LS50's.
So I ponder, how would someone become so obsessed with gear as to go out and spent $250k on an audio system which did nothing for me when for a couple of bucks more you can have a late model Ferrari. Even with traffic and speed traps it's good for more jollies. My 2017 Camaro SS is as fast as a 10 year old Ferrari and I don't have much money tied up in it. If it breaks, it will not cost a fortune to fix. I can even throw some junk in the back seat and trunk and go somewhere. Believe me, it's great for jollies. Sorry about that, Gretta.
I wandered in here because I was tired of nonsense discussions in other forums. Some important concepts like room EQ and house curves were introduced to me here. Many discussions go over my head. The quest for ever higher SINAD seems meaningless to me when one realizes in their best range the best speakers have .1% distortion and background noise varies from annoying to disastrous. That's just my thing. What's yours?