How do you deal with the OCD part

I feel like much of my time is spent thinking about what I should buy and upgrade rather than enjoying what I already have. So, what do you all do to help yourself disengage from the hifi rat race. Also, when does the headphone obsession become unhealthy. Discuss.

 

Buddy, if we wanted a cure from the gear lust, we wouldn't be here, now would we?

I believe obsession with any hobby becomes unhealthy when it cuts away from vital matters in life, such as money spent on nutrition, family, children, etc etc.


Some of us (me) are unfortunate enough to be in the headphones hobby and photography, which has its own severely unhealthy Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

 

have been thinking about the same thing... I'm myself going through a severe "gear acquisition syndrome" phase.

iems, ciems, players, portable amp, speakers, dac, headphones.... still I am not feeling fulfilled and I am already looking at the Schiit Multibit dacs and a few other gadgets.... but knowing it, surely helps. I have probably spent more time reading about equipments/measurements than I have listened to real music!

What helps is to acquire whatever we want but close to the upper end of the budget we can allocate... and to aim for something that "fully" or mostly satisfies us... otherwise it is mid-fi purgatory for sure!

 

The trick is finding the phone(s) you know you're going to keep long-term. Build a system around them, upgrading the other components as necessary.

Also, skip the intermediate stage on DACs and buy the best source you can afford as it's the basis for everything else.

 

I think the one thing that helps me overall, is how there's really not many headphones I actually like. And since I already got the trio for all my needs that part of the job got handled. So now there's just the last bits of seeing if there's any improvements I can make in amp/DAC, considering the current combo is excellent to my ears, I'm mostly interested in some upcoming stuff. I mean at this point I'm wondering how much improvement over my HDVA600 can be had that's truly worth it, before hitting something like a EC ZDS, which is currently outside of my budget scope.

Being critical helps I guess. I think my bigger problem is being obsessed currently with modding my 800s further to see what I can get out of them. Things like @Bill-P's mod but then using cork instead of felt or going for open-cell... I don't know I think the DIY part of the hobby is catching up on me.

Honestly if you catch yourself browsing the forums and vendor pages more than listening critically, be it music, games, movies whatever, is where I would say start re-evaluation.

@kapanak
Change the word camera for televisions/beamers (calibrated), gaming in all it's merits, movies, reading and cars and we share the same issue... I literally am doing my utmost best to stop getting new hobbies.

 

Have a baby. No money left, no time left. Problem solved .

 

You're a terrible person.


Gungnir Multibit here I come.

 

Some likely irrelevant musings on the subject. Things I tell myself:
Work to realize that 90% of what is communicated by music can be (metaphorically) communicated with pair of tin cans and some string. Be reminded that, short of actually being there or having a personally calibrated binaural experience, you have already accomplished the level of performance you set out to achieve when starting this endeavour. (So you took a wrong turn and crawled up the signpost instead of following the road, happens to all of us.) Understand that if the goal is an experience, small tweaks in equipment are on a subtle scale compared with the power of alternative methods for perception modification. (Assuming the technical system performs well and provides a comfortable experience.)

As a practical matter already suggested: if one exclusively explores new tracks and prohibits oneself from repeating tracks, it is easier to find "good enough". Obsessing on the perfecting of one's particular experience from a specific (set of) track(s) is the rabbit-hole to avoid.

 

You'd think so, but I found after having a baby my funds available for audio actually went up, because I had to give up my previous hobbies of traveling and drinking expensive alcohol!

Time is another matter, I'm listening at 4am when I should really be sleeping so I can get up for work...

 

I am with you. Thing is, I focus on low-budget solutions first. I know how to manage money and: hobbies + life + people = being broke potential.

I have to prioritise life for the long-term and hobbies always depend on positive cash-flow. I work hard for a reason.

 

After hobby you become obsessed. I have to stay rational about this, even when I am emotionally attached to the music I like.

You are right @sphinxvc, definitions vary but when it comes to audio "hobby" at S.B.A.F. means more than "consume, consume, consume." There is music, culture, learning to appreciate new things and works and exploring what you like and do not like. Sometimes I meet someone who appreciates audio and music for more than "check this new single from ..." and I am grateful that such people still exist.

 

This may be an unpopular suggestion given the nature of why we are all here, but if you really want to stop your lusting, it's probably best to stop coming to forums like this one. Or limit your exposure to threads with a very specific purpose or or that are off-topic, like info specific to your own gear or threads about music. But stop looking up info on new items.

A sex addict would try to stay away from porn or catholic high schools as they may be a trigger, likewise online discussion and pictures of new gear will likely lead you astray.

Pharmaceutical assistance and AA meetings may also help.

 

The hi-fi industry is making it pretty easy for me not to get too obsessed since they keep throwing either overpriced gear or junk, or both, out the factories. And they will keep doing that as long the majority of the consumers continues to throw money at them. So I can't really blame the companies, but I wish some would at least start to get a little more serious...

When does the headphone obsession become unhealthy? Like every other obession, when it takes control of your life.

 

Although I hate to cross-post, I think this might be relevant:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/701900/sch...s-most-improbable-start-up/8025#post_11992815

 

Self-control more specifically staying rational and impulse control are sometimes necessary. Companies like Bose and Beats like product placement.

 

Posting links to head-fi!?!



Or is that the other way around? Posting links to SBAF? I can never remember.

On a more related note, I've found that I never enjoy the summit as much as the appreciating what you have on your way there. I think Jason alludes to this in his piece at head-fi.

Even in things like video games, you get to the top with the best gear, can smite all enemies, and find yourself a little bored.

I personally have also found that being poor is also a good deterrent.

 

IMO the biggest cure for upgradeitis is to just go out to a meet and try a huge depth of headphones. Being able to filter out the hype and opinions and use my own ear has dramatically cut down how much I buy into hype of a headphone that I haven't personally heard.

As an example, the Philips X2 was/is hyped to death, at least on Reddit. When I finally heard it I was super unimpressed with it other than aesthetically. Use your ears, they'll guide you.

 

I hear you all. After being in the hobby a couple years I just recently have gone on a crazy spending tear (Ether/Gungnir Multibit/Mjolnir 2/THx00/Blackwood/cIEM...) and even with selling the gear it replaced, I step away and look at myself puzzled. I tell myself I'm doing it to get to a stage of contentment, and hopefully that turns out to be true. I'm lucky enough to be able to afford it (but not keep it up), so I guess its okay this once