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Retired audiophile?

Maybe it comes with age. Fatigue with upgrades. Wisdom and satisfaction with the material world - acceptance of the audio system and a return to enjoyment of music without audio analysis - acceptance of deteriorating hearing and the resultant judgement that "what's the use" in the pursuit better fidelity - more restricted finances of retirement.. a feeling of "done for now" or forever. (Unless something brakes down) After improving and "investing" in my rig for over 30 years, I've come to the realization that I have little interest in the latest/greatest. "Tweaking" has little or no monetarily corresponding reward.
I'll still peruse the web, but the magazine subscriptions have elapsed and I don't miss the self-congratulatory reviews and commentary.
I suspect I'm not alone on this although the Audiogon community by it's very nature, is active in the hobby. Other retired audiophiles out there?
papermill
czarivey
4,494 posts
 
I have retired. Maybe too early, but my hearing isn't best by far. Often have to ask "can you repeat" when talking on the phone and often same music day by day isn't sounding same and it's getting kinda worse as well. Quit upgrading for good -- No point. Getting new music or some super-rare desirable titles on vinyl is my current passion.

ptss
1,649 posts
 
I’m with jafant,dopoque and others who find retirement a time for even more appreciation of music and quality of reproduction. Ever since assembling front end kits and loudspeakers and evaluating speaker wires,in my late teens,I’ve appreciated the musicality,detail and dynamics obtained with improvements in reproduction. I also feel the thrill of live music and this exposure continues to feed my interest in enhancing what I hear at home. Naturally my measured hearing is far from perfect,however, my ears are trained and sensitive. I will change the phase on my Spectral preamp to suit what’s playing; whether Classical or Opera on FM,or any extended piece from any source. I find the improvements very satisfying.For those content with their main equipment,as I am,but who haven’t tried AC power isolation/conditioning,I feel confident suggesting experimenting with it as it will most likely take any enjoyable system to an entirely enhanced level. Cheers! Pete.
psag
450 posts
 
As our systems improve, our hearing declines. At some point the curves cross. Then, any enjoyment we derive from improving our systems is imaginary. Not that there's anything wrong with that..
don_c55
823 posts
 
You are part of the "VAST" majority of audio lovers, not on the internet!

Enjoy the life you have left!
normansizemore
473 posts
 
Papermill,

My wife and I moved a few years ago, and when I went to set up my system I did something different.  I took my time and my wife and I listened to all the amps, preamps, receivers that I had collected over the last forty years.  I ended up favoring my ancient Sansui 9090db over everything else I owned.  ( Krell, Mac, Citation, GAS, Mark Levinson, etc. ). I have friends that think I'm nuts, but I am enjoying my music like never before.  Listening is fun again, and what's upsetting is that what I am listening too now is pretty much the system that I started with. (So much wasted time and money)

So, yes I am a retired audiophile.  I now call myself a music lover and am buying more LPs then ever before.  


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