Musing About "Endgame"

Outside of the quest for good sound, one of the more exciting aspects of this hobby is trying out the equipment. I was just thinking today what is my endgame goal here? Then I started to think about everyone in here and what their endgame goal is? Is there an “endgame”? Anyways, just curious of people’s ideas/thoughts on the matter.

 

For me, there is no endgame, does not exist in my mind. Does that mean I keep spending more and more, no.

My journey has been long and fun. In the past few decades I have profited from my home stereo experience. I have now obtained equipment that pleases me as much as some of my high priced expenditures in the past for a fraction of what those items cost.

In the HP space, I have a very limited use case and little time spent per day hence a very low budget. For me it works.

 

Yeh it seems that there will never be a true endgame in this hobby.

 

While some may seek sonic perfection, others prioritize enjoyment or collection. Your question sparks reflection on individual aspirations within this diverse community.

In this pursuit, consider personal preferences and goals, whether it's achieving a specific sound signature, building a comprehensive setup, or simply enjoying the journey. Ultimately, the endgame is subjective and evolves as tastes and priorities shift

 

As long as new product keeps coming out that's touted as moar betterer (abetted by dozens of forums and thousands of YouTube reviewers) the answer is never.

 

I'm not really seeking anything in particular anymore. I have found what suits me within my budget. I'm at the point where I don't even want to really hear anything new. I just want to enjoy what I have when time allows. Really in mid fi besides some outliers everything is pretty much more different than better. Tune to taste and then listen to music. I don't want to listen to gear anymore.

 

The definition of living in the moment and realising that it's best for you that you stay this way

 

When all I do is press play, adjust the volume and enjoy the music. I’m pretty much at that point now.

I’ve come to realize that all the different varieties of music I listen to will never be served by a single setup that will satisfy all aspects, and I’m fine with that. What I have now, I genuinely enjoy.

 

^ Same thing as @JK47

Press play, enjoy* the music without needing to think about that, play with this, fix X and Y, reconfigure Z, etc. I too have come to accept that a single setup cannot do it all but my goal is to be able to do it with "just enough" gear to get it done.

*The cheesy self reflective part is knowing what "enjoy" is for yourself at a given time. I'm sure tons of people have not self examined this while others have spent a philosophical lifetime trying to define or answer this question.

I also do not believe there is a definitive end game for most people, just like most other things in life. Things break or wear out. Music changes and may dictate different playback. New things or technologies are discovered. We change physically (hearing) and psychologically. etc.

 

I like playing with new things. I LOVE plugging things into other things. I will sometimes re-wire my system for no reason just to move a cable an inch or two because I am bored and have an uncontrollable urge to mess with something. I like observing how things are manufactured and assessing build quality and listening to how engineers take age-old ideas and try to spin it into something new. What's Class AB can be new again.

I try to make sure it remains about the music, and I always encourage others to do the same when the conversation of "Hi-Fi" comes up. But it is impossible for me to get away from the new toy syndrome or just the monkey-brain urge to play with fun toys. The Devil is always in the details.

 

@Greg121986

You just reminded me, it is that semi-annual time to unplug everything and give all of my connectors a good wipedown with my magic silver cleaning cloth. Cheapest tweak in the world!

 

It would seem in my short few years in this hobby that this is the conclusion that most here would reach which is there is no endgame. There is just change,adjust,adapt and as long as we are having fun in the process what does it matter.

 

I would like to add, I’m almost finished school and I’m back working out in the field. So between, work, study, mountain biking, and golf, audio has slipped further and further down the list of priorities.

My well documented 2ch system is just fine for my small apartment, and my headphone rig with FMC—>PI2aes—>Yggdrasil GS—>MJ3–>HD800SDR is outstanding for my needs. It’s also the threshold I feel comfortable spending on audio.

Plus I need to get a corvette when I turn 50…Just a few more years to go before I get my “Old Man Car”

 

Was just thinking the same thing. I like quality stuff as much as anyone, and own a number of things that are probably my personal "endgame", but that is only because I'm not a billionaire and am constrained by financial reality. If I win a lottery, all of those personal endgames will change.

My car is what I consider the best for my budget. I'd rather have a Ferrari. For some folks one Ferrari is not endgame, you need a stable of them. I like my toys, mountain bikes, golf clubs, computers, TVs, audio equipment, firearms, cameras and optics, watches... Some will get upgraded over time, and so are not endgame. Some will not, but that is endgame only as constrained by practical considerations, like most people I'm pretty sure.

 

I think there's two general realms/concepts of endgame. One is the maximalist culmination of a divergent process and cost-no-object foray into all possibilities. This is where we may see big six figure or seven figure exploits of the ORFAS-funded microcosm of the ultra-fi. The other endgame is the culmination of a minimalist convergent process that, in my limited experience, requires finer sensibilities and more delicate bounding due to resource constraints. This is where we may see strange provenance/DIY/vintage sensibilities. It's also a minefield of seldom realized synergies inhabited by spooky weird hoarders that only eat liver and onions for dinner and have too many cats.

There is beauty in an impeccable balance of compromises. One endgame is flagrant and consumptive, the other is restrained and curatorial.

 

endgame is a state of mind where you realize you can listen to the Hendrix experience on just about any sound reproducing apparatus and become a 'voodoo child'. then you do whatever is fun and convenient and affordable, which means very different things to different people.

 

I can only speak for myself, but I believe that many of us begin with a tendency towards excess and consumption until we encounter limitations. These constraints compel us to adopt a more restrained and selective approach. Ultimately, the 'endgame' seems to be attaining a state of sensibility. It's an evolution from flagrant consumption to curated moderation, in my opinion. At least this is what Im gathering from the many responses. You guys are great.

 

For me endgame is the realization that no piece of equipment will produce a magical outcome as written by or spoken by some publication or influencer or casual forum dood.

Therefore, I don't have to spend boku bucks for unobtanium stuff. Just enough to zero-in on my preferred sound. Maybe someday I'll get a Sus and run it off a FW amp. Maybe not.

 

The endgame is when the gear is not the hobby. So in some ways, it's when you leave forums like this that you reach endgame: music.

Everyone here, including me, is at halftime +/- a quarter.

 

Some of us lurk in the shadows because we like to see the hamster wheel spin.