'Satisficing' -- What is Better? 'Good Enough' for Now, or Buying with a Longer Term Perspective?6/16/2020 Juan C. Ayllon Back when I was tan and fit, working on my Bachelors degree in Business Administration at Cal Poly Pomona in the 80s, I encountered the concept of "Satisficing." It was a hybrid term espoused by a textbook guru that combined the words, "sufficing" and "satisfying." The overarching idea was that in business, often decisions with big ramifications must be made against hard and fast deadlines, and often the best outcome was not ideal, but one that sufficed and was generally satisfying. Through subsequent years in industry and, later, education, I have seen companies and school districts execute this concept countless times. Sitting through district inservice meetings, fellow educators and I were inculcated in the merits of some new approach that was going to revolutionize student buy-in and achievement -- only to be replaced by something else a few years later. With the plethora of new, bigger (or smaller, more compact) and better products and services being pumped out daily, the tendency for many of us is to either run out and buy what we can, scrimp, save and purchase, then a few years later, sell and repeat the process. Reaching back to my business admin classroom, I am reminded of a basic investment concept called "buy low and sell high." The thing is that so many of us do the exact opposite -- we buy the shiny new technology that's going to revolutionize our audio/visual experience at high prices, only to liquidate it at a loss a few years later to get the new latest and greatest. It's no wonder that like a collective OM mantra chanted at 47Hz, worldwide, audio enthusiasts' partners regularly let out large sighs in desperate exasperation. To help stem financial hemorrhaging, some turn to the secondary market, turning someone's loss into their gain, or Do It Yourself, where they build their own equipment at a fraction of the cost. In the former case, that can be a cost-effective way to get what you want, but with a caveat. Some years ago, I purchased a used Mark Levinson amplifier at a great price, however, several years later after some repairs, it broke down for good and I had to sell it on eBay for "parts or an ambitious DIY project." With DIY, you have to rely on the skill of the builder and help from more experienced mentors (if you can get it). I had some successful mods to some of my equipment as such. However, there are risks; as one experienced DIY audio builder reminded me, you could get electrocuted building your own amplifier if you aren't extremely cautious. As I was leaving his home on our last visit, I overheard his wife chastise, "John, only spend money on groceries and what you really need," after the mailman delivered yet another parcel of capacitors. Bottom line, being an audio enthusiast can be an extremely costly proposition. So, what am I saying? Am I suggesting we just don't purchase good components and services? Not at all! That would be hypocritical, especially since I enjoy a nice system and often review audio products and services. I am suggesting that we don't merely rush out and buy the newest sensations, but choose our purchases wisely, and take the time to truly appreciate and enjoy them. I mean, what's the point of getting an Uber expensive system if we bankrupt ourselves and end up having to sell it all for pennies on the dollar? When I was younger, sometimes I'd run late on my mortgage because I just HAD to buy a component and could not bear to wait. Now a little wiser, I don't lust so much for speakers that, realistically, are beyond my means -- especially since retirement looms a few years off. I want to enjoy my golden years, not be stressed out because I'm trying to figure out how to pay the bills. Bottom line, we all have our domestic and financial circumstances we have to live with. Yesterday, when I was visiting with my friend, Michael, the topic of acoustic room treatments came up and I blurted out, "I would LOVE to put in a ceiling cloud in my listening room, but Belle won't let me!" True, it wouldn't cost much to build, however, my beloved wife would find having yet another acoustic panel in the room made her feel more like she was in a padded cell rather than our family room. That's quite the quandary for me, as quite honestly, I want optimum acoustics, but domestic tranquility and peace of mind are worth more to me than a little auditory enhancement. So, in a way, I'd have to admit that's satisficing, but you know what? I can live with that.
2 Comments
Good post. Thomas from Thomas and Stereo made mention of this as “ Good Enough” audio. I look at all of it as “End Game” audio based on case use. It SHOULD vary as we travel on our audio journey. Teleporting to some perceived “Last Station” robs us of all the joys of discovery and personal discovery along the way...
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6/19/2020 11:18:32 am
Hi Salsa,
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Juan C. AyllonA writer, artist, educator and owner of Prairie Audio Man Cave, he lives with his wife, Isabel (AKA Belle), and their Goldendoodle, Liam, enjoys listening to high fidelity music and all things hi-fi at their home in the greater Chicagoland area.. Archives
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