I used to really be into the equipment end of things. But those who have been around this forum for any length of time have heard that I have a small, square room.... the worst type of listening situation there is. Along the lines of what Tom wrote, I live on a busy street, so traffic noise is always an issue as well. Within a few months or so of getting serious about this (by purchasing Axioms and better electronics) I was doing measurements and realized exactly how bad my room was affecting things. I was a bit pissed off for awhile, feeling like there was nothing I could realistically do to improve things.
But then, I came to the realization that it didn't sound nearly as bad as it measured. As a matter of fact, it sounded pretty damned good. I put away my SPL meter and haven't taken it back out in 8 years. And this is from someone who used to have a RS meter in high school...in the late 1970s... and ALWAYS was a believer in going that route.
My dream here is to build an addition onto the house. Something of a "great room" with lots of windows and an open concept. I would LOVE to get LFRs, BIG subs, and lots of amp power. But I don't care anymore if I have the perfect listening room or the top-level of equipment. I don't have any interest in a "theater", though I don't want to sound disparaging to those who do.
I want the setup to be good enough to not diminish the enjoyment of the media. But I'm no longer looking to measure myself into unhappiness.
Geeez, is that last line a setup, or what??
For me, at this point, it's all about the music, movie or even the TV show. I've achieved a level in equipment that satisfies me and I don't really think about it at all anymore.
