Let's don't mistake someone commenting on swapping gear as being the same thing as getting wound up over people who swap gear. As far as being someone's business, it's no longer private when you talk about it publicly. Whenever you post something on a public forum, whether you realize it or not, you are opening yourself up to be criticized and/or judged. It just comes with the territory. However, people are buffered somewhat on AS because AS is the audio forum equivalent of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood where people are expected to get along and act neighborly towards each other which is a good thing.
In the Art Dudley thread, I thought Myles wrote a masterful post about the benefits of long-term listening vs. short term listening and I think it's applicable here as well. Sometimes even when you think you have the fastest ears in the West, it doesn't mean your ears are correct at telling you the truth at Mach 3 listening speeds. As Myles says, sometimes what appears as really good in the short term turns out to be not so good over the long haul and vice versa.
I have said this before and I will say it again, it is my opinion if you change out too many key pieces of your stereo system within a short time of each other, you really have no idea what you are listening to. Why? Because you truly have no reference and no stake in the ground where you can judge where you are at and which direction you are heading.
I've to side with mep on this one as well, it's not a matter of jealousy or being a naysayers, nor box turtle in so much as some might actually enjoy their systems as is!, it's not about cost, or having funds to explore every freaking component that comes out month to month, I for one like some here have sold audio components for a living ( and did quite well at it, I can assure you ) but I was first and foremost concerned about the consumers whom trust I had gained over a period of time, to direct them to components that formed a certain synergy that was hard to find flaws in weeks/months or even years down the road, here I'm referring to the Linn/Naim buyers of old, where one could add a PSU to the preamps - here or there at a later date, or add newer versions of either Linn or Naim PSU for the LP12 when funds permitted?.
Yet, synergy is one of those key areas we're all aware of, yet sometimes forget how to hold it all together, as mentioned there are times where changing one component or cable, can in fact throw a wonderfully balanced system out of whack............., but as always, that's subjective to the end user, is it not?. I for one, could care less how one spends his/her money, time, energy, days and nights, but I do tend to care about some of the younger music lovers buying blind - case in point, as I've mentioned to more then a few friends of late -
In buying into the small group of dealers whom follow/believe in the wares introduced to them by the likes of Tone Imports ( Shindo Labs - Leben - Line Magentic Audio - Auditorium 23 - Acoustic Plan, and a few other brands of worth ) as heard with either DeVore Fidelity or Harbeth Speakers in tandem with say a Well Tempered Labs Amadeus GTA with either a Dynavector XXmk2 or EMT TSD-15 installed............, one knows there's something very very very very special going on here between these extremely well matched/balanced components that form said synergy, that shouldn't be altered, and said music lover either understands why these components have gained strong followings, or they do not?.
And I should add, that if I had the means........, I'd own say an Audio Note/Kondo ( Japan ) Overture EL34 based Integrated ( $33.000 or so ) with a humble pair of DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 3XLs, and could care less what might be advertised as better, I tend to pursue things that work together seamlessly - and as the olde adage goes, if it isn't broken, why change a thing!.
I'm not one to follow anyone's path besides my own, but even if I'd change component on a monthly bases and afford the lost ( because the more you spend, the less one gets in return while selling ) I'd still give them ample time to show me their full potential which in some cases takes upwards of 6 1/2 months before some components are fully broken in, lest you think it's at its best right out of the box?. And in some cases, I merely ask myself.............., do these same guys ever listen to these items before hand?, like at a dealers?, or even better in their own homes with items that worked with them, before purchasing them?, I wonder.
So, call me a box turtle, or so-called jealous ( of what?, and why? ) when in fact, while some have funds for all the latest and greatest ( in theory, no doubt ) I can pride myself of being a music lover, and have you beat when it's comes to said music with an LP collection approaching 28.000, might I ask, where does your music collection stand?, at the forefront?, or behind the box count?.
Yes, I do believe in speaking my mind, always did, always shall.
Salaam.
