Re: High End Audio
My case in point - mid fifties, mortgage paid off and could easily get a decent system, but since I now have tinnitus (partly caused by numerous rock concerts, plus one of my dogs barking too close once), a bog-standard set of headphones are just as good.
People have different tastes in music, and in their preferred method of listening. I dislike headphones (my ear-canals get really itchy with ear-buds, and my ears get distressingly sweaty with cans.), and I like to be able to feel the music I listen to*, which means I prefer a system that can cope with significant amounts of bass without fuzzing out. Unfortunately, this is not compatible with happy neighbours, so I very, very, rarely crank up the volume.
*Listening to a symphony orchestra in full flight is, for me, a whole body experience. I regard feeling the timpani and double-basses as an integral part of the piece. Listening to the Mozart Requiem or Carmina Burana on headphones is a bit like waving a sparkler around and claiming it's a good reproduction of a 6 inch chrysanthemum mortar shell.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
