I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the majority of them/us are that, to varying degrees. You all probably know that restless feeling, either that something isn't quite right about the sound of our systems or that better sound is always just around the corner, if one is willing to quest long and hard enough to find it. This can be both blessing and curse, keeping us forever improving our systems yet never delivering us to complete musical satisfaction.
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Of course it doesn't mean a thing, it's only others' viewpoint.
The only viewpoints I care about are those of my personal friends and of people in fields of my interests whom I esteem.
Well, I don't know about complete satisfaction, however I derive enormous satisfaction from my sound setup, while knowing for a fact that there is a huge room to improve it (should I'd win the lottery).
I was waiting for someone to offer such a statement. If you feel that there is room for improvement, then it seems rather obvious (as you appear to acknolwedge) that you have not achieved complete satisfaction. I'm rather certain that most of us enjoy listening to our systems, which is a bit different than what I'm referring to.
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AFAIK, complete satisfaction is attained only at Buddhist Nirvana, or Yoga Enlightenment, if at all.
There may be a thin line between truly enjoying what there is and suffering over may be attained. I enjoy all I have in life and I don't suffer even a bit about whatever I could possibly have, if…
As for my sound system, as much as there is a huge room to improve it further, to the best of my knowledge it sounds fantastic, not only to my own ears.
To the contrary, I know many people, I'd say most of them in fact, who are completely satisfied with their current audio playback (iPod, receiver, or what have you). They have absolutely no nagging feelings about the inadequecies of their system and feel completely satisfied with their present listening experience. They seem to totally enjoy their music without the limitations of the medium causing distraction. In some ways, I envy them. So, we are not talking about some metaphysical state or religious experience. A good part of what makes audiophiles, audiophiles, it seems, is that nagging feeling of slight disatification which eventually seems to ever raise it's ugly head.
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I tend to concur with Joshua_G here - the knowledge that there are bound to be more 'i's to dot and 't's to cross is not a feeling of dissatisfaction with the present. Its the hope for further improvement, for an even brighter future. Parallel this with personal growth - psychologically its impossible to develop oneself from a feeling of dissatisfaction. Only from a feeling of hope for evolution is there a possibility for change.
I can't quite agree with this view. My experience is, that one can grow both from dissatisfaction with one's current state or from a hope for evolution, as you put it. If you consider Maslow's hierarchy, feelings of dissatisfaction would typically be associated with the more primary levels of human need than would feelings of hope for evolution. Hope for evolution would seem to be associated more with the upper levels of the hierarchy. Therefore, I would argue, feelings of dissatisfaction are more common and also typically precede feelings of hope for evolution. I would agree that there is a continuous range of motivations among audiophiles, with improvement being the goal whatever the basis of the motivating need or feeling. I don't doubt that some are probably in this hobby for the equipment lust, or as a display of conspicuous consumption. I exclude such folks from my postulate of audiophile motivations.
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I'm not in any way denying your experience here - just telling the therapeutic view the way it is. 'Resistance is persistence' - a feeling of dissatisfaction is evidence of a resistance to what is. No change comes about from resisting what already exists. Rather progress comes from accepting reality and choosing to evolve it. In your case I'd hazard that feelings of dissatisfaction happily co-exist with hope for change and its the latter which gets results.
I don't dispute that feelings of dissatisfaction are very common. In my post I was describing my own experience, which is far from typical. I experience no feeling of dissatisfaction with my current audio set-up but I am still curious what modifications will do to improve the sound. Thus dissatisfaction is by no means IME a pre-requisite for improvement.
I think that some level of dissatisfaction with some current state is very often, if not always, a precursor to change, hopeful or otherwise. Dissatisfaction produces the RECOGNITION of some need. I don't disagree that the ACTIONS taken must then be based in the hope of achieving some better outcome.
If dissatisfaction would be considered resistive in a therapeutic sense, I think it could also be considered constructively destructive - as in, disposing of the old and clearing the way for something new and hopeful, in the taking action sense. Just thinking out loud here.
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No disagreement at all with 'very often'. My experience (and probably Joshua_G's too) falsifies 'always'
No disagreement here because I'm not talking about a need to upgrade one's system. If there was such a need then sure, I'd be feeling dissatisfied. I do have a need to know what's causing any colourations I hear though - that's curiosity again. The feeling of curiosity isn't one of dissatisfaction, quite the opposite.
No, dissatisfaction is a feeling, feelings aren't resistive in any sense. Its attitudes that are resistive - in this case the attitude of resistance (rather than the attitude of gratitude) creates the feeling.
Going from dissatisfactions looks like running backward from visible troubles in order to hit invisible troubles behind. It causes frustration and endless series of disappointments.
I personally prefer being attracted to some desirable results, step by step. At least, it is visible and motivating.
I personally prefer being attracted to some desirable results, step by step. At least, it is visible and motivating.
I think you are right. In studies I am aware of, dissatisfaction is consistently a much stonger motivation for action than 'mere' hope for better.
jan
This discussion reminds me of the intense argument between two professors as to whether the small plant they are looking at is a shrub or a tree.
'-).
Progress generally comes from wanting to do more and better. If it is your hi fi, then progress might be trying a new circuit, phono cartridge, etc. Some have more money and more compulsions, so they might change their phono cartridge every month, for example. Others might be happy with their packaged player and prefer to spend their time and effort elsewhere. So what?
Have you ever met someone who is perfectly happy with drinking a cheap American beer, and could care less about that imported stuff?
Do we admire them for their complacency?
What amazes me is WHY people want to pick and poke at the motivations of audiophiles, when most people have other interests.
'-).
Progress generally comes from wanting to do more and better. If it is your hi fi, then progress might be trying a new circuit, phono cartridge, etc. Some have more money and more compulsions, so they might change their phono cartridge every month, for example. Others might be happy with their packaged player and prefer to spend their time and effort elsewhere. So what?
Have you ever met someone who is perfectly happy with drinking a cheap American beer, and could care less about that imported stuff?
Do we admire them for their complacency?
What amazes me is WHY people want to pick and poke at the motivations of audiophiles, when most people have other interests.
Well, I do care about the sound quality of my setup. It is superb to my taste, it can be much better and I don't have any nag about the need to upgrade. I also don't have the money for major upgrades, like from Pass Labs XA30.5 which I own to XA60.5 or XA100.5. I also don't have the money to move to another house with a better geometry of the listening room.
As of others, I don't envy anyone, I am satisfied with what I have.
Not in the context you meant, however AFAIK, in my case I feel no *need* to upgrade my setup. At the same time I keep looking for means I can possibly upgrade the sound quality with the money I have. For instance, building my own power cords and experimenting in building my own interconnect cables. Also looking at various DIY options.
Scott,
In not a fortune cookie and not in silicone valley I found this:
The analogue signals produced from digital signals transmitted by digital systems using analogue parts are listened to by ears that operate on an (electro) mechanical level digitally.
Confused?
Join the club.
Ciao T
In not a fortune cookie and not in silicone valley I found this:
The analogue signals produced from digital signals transmitted by digital systems using analogue parts are listened to by ears that operate on an (electro) mechanical level digitally.
Confused?
Join the club.
Ciao T
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