What causes Upgraditis?

What are the causes that start you to have the urge to upgrade (yet again)?

Spending too much time in this forum is one? Reading too much Hifi magazines maybe?

For me the past 2 years have been because every time I attend a concert I pay too much attention to the fact that sound of the instruments are so different. In fact the whole orchestra sound different. I tried to recreate that in steps. Eventually come to the conclusion maybe it is always going to be an approximation. You have to stop when it has come to the nearest that each individual is content with.

Then they tell us there are now new sliver disc with different names like SACD or DVD audio. What about LP? Maybe this is the key that will provide that perfection? The cycle starts again. Do I need another spinner?

 

Easy answer, spare/disposable cash.

We have money, and want something to spend it on, for us, we think that spending it on hi-fi is reasonable.

 

Coming in, and having one of those "bad music" nights where nothing sounds right, and believing your system needs upgrading + as already said, diposable cash. Boredom perhaps?

 

a) Yes
b) No - never buy or read them (other than maybe at the newsstand when waiting for a train :shame: ) !

Quick check here....are you and I the same person? Ah no,...that's all right then (It's actually...."every time I get home after attending a concert I pay attention to the fact that the sound of the instruments are so different"....)

No...you need a new amp...like this one :banana: . Problem solved ...except that the limiting factor is then the recording (those early '80s digital recordings do sound rubbish after all :chainsaw: , shame because there're some great performances around then )....and there's so little on SACD that it's not worth getting one of those yet....so maybe a decent TT and phono stage....
.
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oh bugger! :banghead:

 

Re: Re: What causes Upgraditis?

Now *there's* an example of smart thinking...

-- Ian

 

Maybe, buying the wrong kit in the first place?

I agree, trying to re-create every last nuance of a live performance is futile.

The best approach IMHO is to get a system together which you can happily live with, something that invites you and draws you into to listen to the music inspite of the imperfections. This is possible I believe, but as for the exact kit which will achieve this goal that's personal.

Also, some kit seems to be "just right" straight out of the box. Sure, tweaking might improve it, but from I've learnt today, the best kit is just that. It moves you and seldom distracts you from what it or the recording's not doing right.

Graham's amp is a fine example of such a piece of kit. I'm jealous. :MILD:

 

WM causes upgrading.

Especially when he gets to listen to your system 3-4 times a week.

And keeps bringing toys along that he's discovered.

He's a menace...

Cheers

 

:guitar: :drum: :beamup:

 

advertising and marketing...
the purpose of advertising and marketing is to keep you reasonably disatisfied with what you currently have. this produces a nagging doubt that you are missing out on something better.... sound familiar?

line the ad and marketing men up with the lawyers come the revolution....
cheers


julian

 

Advertising and marketing never work on me. Well, I suppose it sort of use to, but I'm getting so cynical these days. I won't buy something until I've heard it either in a number of systems, or at home.

Nah, for me, a combination of the getting out to lots of live concerts and going around to hear other people's systems is for me a worse trigger for upgradeitis.

My mind is suddenly swimming around with (zero cost?) box swapping ideas!

 

Any number of things can cause it, but especialy if the good lady buys another horse , then it's let me see...............

 

The thought that you may be missing out on something, and that all you have to do is do this and the road to audio Nirvana is made. Alas, it's not that simple. I've tried a few things along the way (cables, amp mods, a support that is well known in a Mana of speaking) and very few of them have had any audible effect - and by "audible" I mean one whose existence I didn't have to persuade myself that I heard. So, I've come to the conclusion that the only upgrades are ones that involve my spending amounts of money that I don't have and am not prepared to spend on hi-fi anyway, even if I did have.

 

henry,
just the knowledge that there's something out there that you haven't listened to and then wanting to listen to it to see if it's worth the outlay is the start of upgradeitis... and how do you know there's something else out there?.... advertising and marketing... it's insidious stuff and far too lightly controlled imho.
cheers


julian

 

I actually enjoy the journey! I've been faffing about with audio for about 25 years now and have run a whole host of very different systems over that period. If I've learnt one thing its that there is no right answer (or even a right question), each system or component gives a different slant on a piece of music and may reveal something about it that you hadn't noticed previously.

I love listening to music on everything from small portable radios right through to high end kit, everything brings a different slant. The key for me is in buying my kit second hand so that the little games cost nothing at all – I buy low and sell high so never have that horrible sinking feeling that comes from realising that whatever shiny box is getting swapped out has depreciated by x hundred quid!

Tony.

 

S'pose it depends on how long you plan to hold onto something really. If you want to chop and change all the time you'll get that feeling a lot (Tony, not saying you do BTW!).

Jay

 

I have a theory about this, I liken it to a new car (or marriage)..not that I have ever had one, BTW, but at first, you are in heaven for a bit, the car can do no wrong, then you get accustomed to it, and it no longer seems as fast, or brakes as good, it gets dirty, no longer smells new, etc., and you start picking holes in it.
Then you start coveting the latest model, even if we THINK the advertising pressure doesn't get us, it can do subliminally, we get dissatisfied, and spend our precious dosh again...only to repeat the cycle ad infinitum.....there is no hope or cure....especially as we WANT to so strongly believe the next is the greatest hit...it turns into an addiction, etc. that fuels itself...and destroys everyones life around you...if you let it...

 

More than anything else, it's HUMAN NATURE, the basic instinct for perfection. That's the biggest cause. Most people always aim for the best and greatest satisfaction they could get out of anything, be it material or spiritual.
_____________________________
If it ain't hi-fi, don't listen

 

Or put another way its dissatisfaction with what you have, either equipment deficiency or imagined equipment deficiency !

I've been there and back with the whole thing!

You need to find some gear that when you fiddle or tweek it, you get better sound. That means you have not got to the limit of performance of the equipment. IMO