Hifi, why bother?

[ppppenguin]

I've not owned many pairs of speakers in my 63 years. First were Goodmans Maxims, given to me by an uncle when I was about 15 and he was upgrading. Amazing little things though inevitably lacking in real bass. I once A/B compared them in a rough and ready way against my ESL63s and they didn't come out too badly. I still have them. Then B&W DM1 that I bought secondhand. Perfectly decent speakers, I no longer have them. Then Spendor BC1, bought new from London Sound after extensive listening. I sold them a few years ago at the NVCF reckoning I'd never use them again. Lastly the ESL63s, bought secondhand c1991 and finally rebuilt by One Thing.

I also may still have a battered pair of Leak Mini Sandwiches. I thought I liked them but when my '63s were away I decided I didn't any more. I'd remembered them as smooth and domesticated. Perhaps they had deteriorated over the years. I've got one other pair of bookshelf speakers that are perfectly usable. Can't remember what they are, they are hidden away somewhere.

Not many amps, tuners, turntables etc either. In other words I'm not a real hifi enthusiast at all. I do like music.