I'm bored with hi-fi.

[jjbomber]

Isn't this normal to loose interest in any given hobby or persuit every now and then.
It happens to me in cycles

I wish people on cycles would lose interest in their hobby!!!

 

[Gray]

Already spiked my floorboards (don't tell my other half🙄)

🙂 Just as well I haven't got another half.

I screwed 4 crosshead screws through the carpet and into the boards - so the heads acted as receptacles for the spikes.

What I thought that might achieve, God only knows 🤪

It's why I don't get bored - I always find stupid things to do.

 

[record_spot]

I've had periods of losing interest too, PP.

Sometimes these have been forced onto me by circumstances and partners, other times it has just been a natural and probably inevitable thing.

I've done enough chasing, swapping and listening to know that 'improvements' can often be marginal at best, however expensive. In a typical real-world home there are limits to what is possible, and changes often result in 'different' rather than 'better'. Apart from the enjoyment of having a new box, that can make this hobby become stale pretty easily.

The part I never tire of, even when I've had to fight for the time and space to listen, is the music. That's the centre of my world, and it's all too easy to lose sight of it when distracted by the hi-fi. 20 years ago I had a NAD C521BEE, C325BEE and Mordaunt-Short MS902i's and it brought the music to life. I've had some great kit along the way since then, though quite a bit of it has been disappointing in relation to the investment made, and nothing has been more engaging. I'm re-living that now with a C320BEE, which makes a great team with the Cyrus Linear ONE speakers. I'd like a C521BEE to match when I have the funds and find a good example, but the Sony is doing a great job anyway. My other system is also very affordable and highly involving.

The key is that both leave me to focus on the music and mostly forget about the boxes, and I would venture that your system achieves the same. Are you exploring new music? Perhaps this is what you need - a focus on the whole point of the hi-fi habit. Why not add a streamer, use a hi-res service like Qobuz which offers a whole world of music, and then buy physical copies of the things that really hit you. It's what I do, and a good streamer doesn't need to cost a fortune. The WiiM Pro Plus is good enough to challenge much more expensive streamers, but even the WiiM Pro is very capable.

All of this and more Matthew - My gear's been fairly stable for a while, though I did make a few changes in 2023. Cambridge DACMagic 200M and the Alva ST turntable came in. Last week, the Wiim Pro Plus arrived (an unexpected arrival at that, but it was at a heavily discounted price) and it's been a revelation.

Sure, you can blow £3,000 on a Naim streamer, or more on a dCS one, but I'd be hard pressed to justify any of that when the sound I'm getting pairing the Wiim Pro Plus and the 200M is far beyond the value of both.

Right now, I'd say it has to be one of the best bargains in hifi. Great stability with the app too which is as important as the hardware these days.

 

[nopiano]

You will hear better sound quality if you stop your heart. However, you have about 20 seconds before you lose consciousnesses, and the onset of death after about 5 minutes.

I take it you don’t speak from experience? 😂🤣

 

[plastic penguin]

Do tell - an Elise?

No, a 1968 Elan +2. Owned one before but this one is in need of TLC. It drives fine but the interior has a tear in the drivers seat and they need connolising and paintwork has micro blisters, a respray at a later date. The seller says the engine and gearbox is good, no rust (if true it's a bonus).

Won't know exactly until I check it over thoroughly.

 

[Dom]

I take it you don’t speak from experience? 😂🤣

I passed out once.

 

[Friesiansam]

You will hear better sound quality if you stop your heart. However, you have about 20 seconds before you lose consciousnesses, and the onset of death after about 5 minutes.

Methinks, that is a bit extreme...

 

[Dom]

Methinks, that is a bit extreme...

Yeah, I was being flippant.

 

[matthewpianist]

All of this and more Matthew - My gear's been fairly stable for a while, though I did make a few changes in 2023. Cambridge DACMagic 200M and the Alva ST turntable came in. Last week, the Wiim Pro Plus arrived (an unexpected arrival at that, but it was at a heavily discounted price) and it's been a revelation.

Sure, you can blow £3,000 on a Naim streamer, or more on a dCS one, but I'd be hard pressed to justify any of that when the sound I'm getting pairing the Wiim Pro Plus and the 200M is far beyond the value of both.

Right now, I'd say it has to be one of the best bargains in hifi. Great stability with the app too which is as important as the hardware these days.

I completely agree. I was slightly underwhelmed by the WiiM Pro, good though it was. The better DAC in the Pro Plus takes it to a totally different level, and I also couldn't justify spending more on a streamer. As you say, the app is very stable - more so than I've found with Bluesound in the past. I think now its the time to have one, as I'm sure WiiM products will go up in price over time.

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

granite chop boards are genuinely an upgrade....
increased bass grip and wider soundstage !
picked em up for £20 today and messed about with PMC positioning.....spikes still in but mated with the spike float feet on top of granite...
dun elm blocks are 2cm deep asa well, an added weightier bonus !

 

[plastic penguin]

For the time being I'm going to roll with it and see what the end result is.

 

[jonboywalton75]

granite chop boards are genuinely an upgrade....
increased bass grip and wider soundstage !
picked em up for £20 today and messed about with PMC positioning.....spikes still in but mated with the spike float feet on top of granite...
dun elm blocks are 2cm deep asa well, an added weightier bonus !

Thanks for the update, sounds like it's worth a try.
Sorry to sound ignorant but what are the spike float feet?

 

[jonboywalton75]

Thanks for the update, sounds like it's worth a try.
Sorry to sound ignorant but what are the spike float feet?

Aah just googled them 👍

 

[plastic penguin]

Do tell - an Elise?

This

 

[mxer]

For me…
It isn’t the gear.
It’s the music.

After all…
Isn’t that the point?

 

[ianrjones]

In the early 70s, I worked in a factory, there was 50 men amongst 400 women. It seemed we all watched TOTP's. and openely discussed the episode. It was so simple. I and many of us (men) loved Prog-rock. But we were open to new sounds. The stereo's we owned were total ****, but we were satisfied with our lot. It was the experience of music that kept us going. During lunch break, we would drive to the pub, and listen to cassette tapes getting chewed up in the car stereo. It was normal. We were not sad about it, it was life. It was so simple.

 

[plastic penguin]

For me…
It isn’t the gear.
It’s the music.

After all…
Isn’t that the point?

You're right. Perhaps I'm fed up with music.

 

[Florestander]

More into my cars at the moment. My Alfa is in the garage to have the front brake discs and pads renewed (MOT advisory).

Next week I'm going to look at a Lotus for sale.

I haven't even used the Dac for weeks. So unme like.

So this may not necessarily become bored with hi-fi or music, - just the perfectly ordinary situation of competing priorities....

Nevertheless, even if you were finding that this particular hobby is not currently giving the thrill that it once did, is that necessarily a negative? Probably not, if you have enjoyed the experience, up to now. (And if you have, you will likely return at some point, reinvigorated
I find, that in life, that most serious hobbies and interests, demand a large investment of time and often large amounts of cash too. This is certainly true of this hobby, where upgrades often cost hundreds if not thousands of pounds, depending upon the particular upgrade/piece of kit being purchased. I always get to a point where I have to consider the cost versus the value, simply because it is rare to find that perfect combination of kit, installation and environment, where all appear to be perfectly balanced. There are too many compromises. Life takes over, technology moves on and after a while we come back and look at things anew- and so the cycle begins again. Good luck!

 

[DCarmi]

You're right. Perhaps I'm fed up with music.

I don't know what sort of music you listen to or how broad it is. For me, breadth is important. I'll go through phases where I'll play lots of one artist or genre and then not for months or even longer. I also mix genres I listen to, which keeps things fresh.

I'll seek out stuff I don't know just to try it. Often it is a miss but sometimes it is "not bad" or "interesting" and I'll listen to more. It might take a little perseverance and streaming can be good for that.

For example Cool Jazz (50s and early 60s era) or any Jazz was something I never really has time for. I picked up a couple of CDs including a Miles Davis collection really cheaply, and now I have about 20 albums on CD or Vinyl. Probably none would make it to my Desert Island Discs but I do enjoy them, now and again.

 

[Lubosh]

Still love the sound of my bundles, have used it sparingly over the last couple of weeks. Hope I'm not falling out of love with the kit. Perhaps I've had the amp too long, I don't really know - I'm scratching for an answer.

I know this feeling very intimately too. I have been collecting music on various media for decades. I have vinyl records, CDs, music flac files and DSD on my computer and also some cassettes from the 80s. Recently, I added a Tidal streaming system to my hifi equipment. When I was building my new hi-fi set, I made a point of quality output. The one I had before slowly wore out for many years. It's been maybe 6 years already. However, I still think that the sound quality is at a sufficient level for me. I also just recently bought some awesome big Beyerdynamic headphones. Just as a supplement for my night listening. They play really well. But despite all this, there came a time when I just wasn't in the mood to listen to my collection. That feeling as "I can when I want" was enough for me, but I don't have to when I don't want to. And this state continued for quite a long time. Maybe even for half a year. I walked around the shelves of my records and CDs and just looking at my collection was enough for me. The sight alone could bring a smile to my face. But I had no need to pick one and put it on the turntable. I recently started exploring YouTube Music and Tidal for the new music. I already know every piece of music in my collection very well. I wanted to find something similar in genre to my taste, but at the same time contemporary. Something brand new. And I found that there was so much new and great music available that it drew me back into the action. New bands, new voices, new musicians and singers. I started it again and it hooked me. Try it. Maybe the same thing will happen to you.

 

[Dom]

Forget the fancy Hi Fi, it's the music that matters.

Great music isn't about expensive sound systems, it's about originality. Today's music scene is full of uninspired tunes following the same tired formula.

No matter what, my love for music will never fade.

 

[jjbomber]

Today's music scene is full of uninspired tunes following the same tired formula.

Try Crown Lands!

 

[jonboywalton75]

Try Crown Lands!

Just had a quick listen, obviously Rush influenced, in a good way 😁
I'm liking this, thx for the tip 👍

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

Just had a quick listen, obviously Rush influenced, in a good way 😁
I'm liking this, thx for the tip 👍

Ozric Tentacles also like RUSH !

 

[plastic penguin]

I don't know what sort of music you listen to or how broad it is. For me, breadth is important. I'll go through phases where I'll play lots of one artist or genre and then not for months or even longer. I also mix genres I listen to, which keeps things fresh.

I'll seek out stuff I don't know just to try it. Often it is a miss but sometimes it is "not bad" or "interesting" and I'll listen to more. It might take a little perseverance and streaming can be good for that.

For example Cool Jazz (50s and early 60s era) or any Jazz was something I never really has time for. I picked up a couple of CDs including a Miles Davis collection really cheaply, and now I have about 20 albums on CD or Vinyl. Probably none would make it to my Desert Island Discs but I do enjoy them, now and again.

Most genres: Classic/modern Soul, Funk, Indie, Grunge, Pop, SKA, Reggae, Jazz....