Are you happy with your Hi-Fi?

There isn't anything I don't like about my system. What is wrong is that I don't buy enough new music--the radio in the DC area is dismal, and I rarely hear anything that I feel the need to buy. As a result, I get my novelty fix by upgrading--listening to better reproductions of the same old stuff.
It would probably be cheaper to by records and CDs at random, hoping for something that I like, than to get my kicks from upgrading, but I rarely find my way to the store.
Does anyone else have this problem?

David

I am very happy with my system, considering budgetary restraints. I got my recapped 160–62–HiCap for a total £1,078 (ex-dem on the Hi, 2nd hand for tthe other stuff) and with my speakers (19 year old HB1s) it really sings.

Ideally I would like a better CD player, more ideally I'd like a new cartridge for the LP12, but generally I'm happy yes. I'm not going to be able to make any serious amp upgrades for at least 18 months...

Which reminds me, I've got a question for you guys...

JR,

It's true that you can get more value out of your system by getting more music without having to change the hardware.

If you are stuck for new music, try the www.allmusic.com site or www.cdnow.com, or www.amazon.com which have methods of recommendations once you type in a particular artist you like.

DS

ITC - Roger Devlin - The Circle

Yes, I am very happy with my system. Unless I win Lotto, I'll just maintain my current system (i.e., replace cartridge when it wears out, recap) and spend additional money on concerts.

Phil

I'm very happy although I do feel an upgrade in the 92 preamp coming on. I'm sure I'm missing something like a bigger soundstage and detail from what I've read. I have enough to keep me happy at night with my P3 TT so I can do vinyl or CDs with the CD5.

Just house/dog sat for a friend that used to be in the music business and he had a Dennon system and don't remember the speakers. Spent one night listening to Wagner and really felt my system was better, warmer, more detail. Came home happy to be with my more expensive system.

glenn

Never and always.

Always when I am listening and never when I am on line reading about how much better it can be. But it sounds so good that I wonder how much better it could actually get, especially since the dedicated mains upgrade. But alas I gues it can get better because the Internet sys so.

But seriously I can really relax and enjoy it.

Ken

JRH,

goto www.bbc.co.uk/radio2 and www.bbc.co.uk/radio3 and listen to the Paul Jones, Mike Harding, Bob Harris, and Late Junction shows - you will find more 'must buy' stuff than (I at least) can afford

"All systems are perfectly designed to get the results they get."

I've always been happy with my systems, from student s/h bargains until today. For this reason I tend not to fiddle or tweak it endlessly.

The snag is that when I have upgraded it has always been worth it. What I thought was only a tiny potential for improvement turned out to be a big chunk. For that reason I will probably buy other bits in future. Until then I'll just keep grinning.

Bruce

After numerous box changes - i can now say that i'm once again happy with my system.

I've found the best method is to buy the best you can afford or be bothered to, get the setup right, leave it the f**k alone, and buy plenty of CDs

naheed. . .

On a good mains day, yes to a point, and on a bad mains day, no way. I'd be happier with it if someone'd give me a grand so I can buy some decent racks, and one of those Rega tools so I can do cartridge alignment myself...

Jekyll - modern houses suck - plaserboard is awful - my sympathies. Have you thought about pumping that foam stuff into the walls - it expands and deadens the vibrations in the cardboard...

If I didn't have to rent, I'd buy a mains spur...

When the music's over turn out the lights

My system is a CD3/72/140/Planar3/KEF Q35

I have recently noticed I've been convincing myself that I need to upgrade my speakers as they cost approx 1/4 of the rest of the components. However its just struck me that the music sounds absolutely brilliant with certain well recorded discs no matter what the type of music, complex rock/orchestral or simple acoustic. This surely suggests that if all music was recorded this well I'd be ultra-contented with my system.

Does this imply upgradeitis can purely be to strive to make bad recordings more listenable? If so a speaker upgrade for me may be largely futile considering what I hope to achieve

Jonathan

Shayman,

I have been looking for musical involvement from my system, too.

The difference between my first good system (MF A1 - yes I liked the A1 and Naim, neither being perfect) and my current one (LP12/ARO/Karma/82/2 x hi/250/CDS1...and some speakers) is that I get musical enjoyment out of the vast majority of discs or broadcasts I listen to. This is a very nice effect of upgrading.

Regards.

Phil

In a word.. no!

I am in the process of upgrading my CDX/XPs 82/Hi/180 to a cds3/XPS2 252/Super/300.

My old system sounds old and dull in comparrison to the new sistem. Haveing the new sistem installed is going to be a revalation.

Regards

NB

I often think whether the late JV had an ulterior motive to keep us poor souls locked into a never ending cycle of paranoia about "is my system sounding as good as it could?answer:upgrade"But then I just think I'm being pathetic and should stop worrying about conspiracy theory.
Seriously: there is always a slight nagging voice that says it could sound better if I upgrade various bits.Most of the time I'm happy with it.No upgrade has disappointed, so I reckon set-up is ok & I tend to leave well alone and avoid tweaking too much.
The emotional responce to music is not a constant and I think it is easy to blame equipment if the enjoyment is not up to the usual level.When everything's working well, I'm relaxed, kids are asleep and am drinking a decent bottle of wine, the music is usually played into the early hours and thoughts about is it sounding as good as it should just don't get a chance to surface.

Oh, yes I am happy with mine!

Christian

It's taken me about 25years to get from ;-
42/110/Kan's to cds/52/02/250x2/naxo/sbl's plus all the bit's Yes i'm very happy with it ,no ,I no longer read the mag's and I only listen to the tweakers on this forum with half interest as in my dotage I can no longer follow the upgrading route any more the only Fraim that I'm likly to get in the future is a walking frame
All the best
Oldie

Robin don't mention the m--a or you'll have all the forum down on or backs all the best
Oldie