I do not have the similar feelings of sorrow for the wasted time. Whatever we do in a life is a wasted time in a way and life in pretty much what we sell to ourselves. I would like to note that people enter to time wasting ceremonies purely voluntary…

In my “time wasting” with audio I usually never in the mode “let see what happen” but I rather in the mode “I need some aspect of reproduction and I am trying to discover how to get it”:

http://www.romythecat.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=432

…so, my “time wasting” uselessly precede my initial interest, so I do not feel SO bad for my “time wasting”. My “time wasting” also imply a lot of consulting with other individuals who are specialists in given narrow field that I need. With a certain level of communication skills it is possible to make my own problem and frustration as somebody else’s problems, and I LOVE to outscore problem with my playback to the people of my selection.

My biggest problem is that I very much know what I need but I very frequently know HOW to accomplish what I need, consulting with other helps only to a degree. In a large scale, I think the "wasted time" with audio is not so bad. Man by nature is biologically predisposed to do "time wasting" and to waste time in audio experimenting is not the worst time spending I have seen. It has also a lot of to do within own recognition of what one looking for. One might look for externals evidence of Sound. Another might use Sound to learn something about himself. It just look like the people do the same things – polishing cable elevators but in realty then might have different super objectives and even they are engaged in the same activities but they do different thighs.