Popular Post austinpop Posted May 21, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 21, 2020 I hear you, OP. We live in a stressful time. My PhoenixUSB review, in normal times, would have been done a month earlier. It took me longer because some days, news of the moment would upset my equanimity and I couldn't focus on writing about audio. Trust me, I fully relate to the guilt aspect — is it appropriate to talk about expensive gear in these covidian times, when so many are undergoing economic hardship? We all have to process this in our own way. Like Chris, I view the time spent here on AS, and on the hobby as a whole, as a salve for the stresses we are all going through. If I can bring value, even joy, to someone with my writing, that is motivation enough. I also want to highlight that @ray-dude is a long time AS participant. His journey, like mine and many of us here, started with modest gear, and he's tried to chronicle the path from those modest beginnings to the current "Extreme" state. To me, this is a far more engaging and inclusive style of review, because many of us, if not most, can identify with some stage of his journey. Even if we won't (or can't) go as far as he did, it connects us to his story far more than a conventional review that just talked about the Extreme vs. other high-dollar servers. This is also the reason why I didn't feel that twinge of "guilt" reading it, because I could see that his gains were hard won, and he had an exquisite appreciation for what he was gaining with his purchase. Had he taken an "entitled" tone, I think I would have found it jarring, particularly in these times. 2 hours ago, sdolezalek said: I'd be pretty willing to bet that if Rajiv took a look at my system, he might suggest the equivalent of trying a new spice, something downright affordable but at the same time making me smile hugely at how much better my system sounded and with zero guilt about what I had spent to get there. Any time! Between friends and people who approach me here on AS via PMs, I've given advice to dozens of people. I find that people are happiest when they drive (or pull) the info, and I only offer suggestions based on the situation. Trust me, I don't recommend my crazy spaghetti to all and sundry! Case in point. Someone up-thread mentioned the Node 2i. A friend of mine wanted to setup a little listening space to cheer up his wife, who was finding the self-isolation a bit depressing. He set up a little system with some existing B&W bookshelf speakers, driven by a Peachtree iDecco65 integrated, but wanted a way to stream her favorite Spotify playlists. I lent him my Node 2 to try, and also got them hooked on Qobuz. He now sends me pictures of her relaxing with a glass of wine with a smile on her face. Still, life has some possibility left. Yes indeed! AudioDoctor, DuckToller, sdolezalek and 8 others 3 7 1 My Audio Setup Link to comment
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