I cannot think of a serious downgrading...

NB would never consider a downgrade!

As Yazz once said "The only way is up... grade yeah (or was it baby?!!)"

Stevie

Yeah - unless it was "sell a kidney or be kneecapped" time, I couldn't see why you'd ever want to downgrade either...

Maybe keep some lower/side-grade stuff so if you're getting bored of your rig, you can swap other bits in with no outlay or loss - I reckon a different cartridge and different speaker, stored, would solve most of the issues involved with downgrading...

__________________________
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.

Well it's complicated, but ultimately it is about music and about wanting to listen to your system.

Reto - if you think spending more and more on bigger and bigger systems is going to make you enjoy music more (as opposed to just having a big hifi), then be my guest.

Tim

No, if one does not like music through a small transistor radio, he will not like it through a £50'000.-- system and he will not enjoy a life concert as well.
there's no musical reason to switch from for example a CDS3, NAC252,NAP500 combo (if you finally can afford it after years of saving money) to a entry level system from Naim or whatever.

Reto

Sigh.

The whole point is about wanting to enjoy music more. Some of us have spent a long time and a lot of money investing in our systems. Some of us miss the kind of enjoyment we got from much simpler systems.

If you disagree, fair enough. But please don't get pious with me about music or assume that the way to enjoy it is just to spend more and more money.

Tim

quote:

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there's no musical reason to switch from for example a CDS3, NAC252,NAP500 combo (if you finally can afford it after years of saving money) to a entry level system from Naim or whateve

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quote:

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Some of us miss the kind of enjoyment we got from much simpler systems.

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I certainly think there is something in this. If you have a top system then your expectations are very high, and problem with the music presentation (rather than it's musicality) will be noticed and once noticed a nagging doubt is placed in the listeners mind which ultimately affects musical enjoyment.

With a lesser system you might not expect perfection so it is a lot easier to ignore deficiencies. Ok downgrading will ultimately give a poorer sound, however the psychology might be such that you enjoy the music more.

I occasionally really enjoy a track or CD on the car CD system but feel ultimately cheated when listening on the real Hifi when the bass might be overblown or midrange distorted.

Of course if you can just listen to the music and not the system then you are likely to be a lot more content with your system.

quote:

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Originally posted by greeny:
With a lesser system you might not expect perfection so it is a lot easier to ignore deficiencies. Ok downgrading will ultimately give a poorer sound, however the psychology might be such that you enjoy the music more.

Of course if you can just listen to the music and not the system then you are likely to be a lot more content with your system.

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...and a lot less poor You're right re high expectations - problem is I have it at the level I have - let alone higher up the scale, but a downgrade would be a midi system!

My portable in the kitchen can do the groove thang quite well but I couldn't live with it...

Ditto headphones on this work's PC - listening to Atom Heart Mother (never heard before) and it is great - but I bet it'd not sound so hot on the home rig... ANYTHING musical at work sounds good quality-wise due to breaking up the boring slog...

__________________________
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.

Unfortunately there are many of us whose priorities have changed, but who love music no less. I have two young children and a lot less free time. I listen to the radio so infrequently at home that I couldn't justify keeping my NAT01. As money is tight it made a real difference to us. I downgraded to a Creek T40. Whilst this is a great radio, I had got so used to the NAT01 that I found it annoying to listen to. I sold the Creek and put the money to one side to spend on going to a few gigs which were great. I now listen to the radio in the car.
Why downgrade?

1. the mortgage

2. the taxman cometh

Noel

I can see where people are coming from with the harking back to cheaper systems / when life was simpler line, BUT I do find that having a less cheap, more revealing system means - for whatever reason - that I end up listening to all sorts of music that I otherwise probably wouldn't bother with. This I take to be a Good Thing. However, perhaps I am enjoying the resolved sounds/ tones / rhythms / general sonic complexity, to some extent independently, rather than evaluating and appreciating the complete musical argument...