At What Age Does An Audiophile Buy His Last Amp?

Remember what happened to the priest in Caddyshack.

Holocene epoch for sure.

True...you actually never know that was your last amp until it's too late.

Probably 2 weeks before he kicks the bucket after exclaiming "That's it! I've found it! I finally have perfect sound forever!"

Great question, great answers. For me music is a tonic. Last year I had major surgery and I spent months recuperating at home. I spent my time doing three things for the most part- listening to my music, watching James Bond movies, and sleeping the day away on pain meds (well, that was especially the case the 1st month). I also found renewed interest in my system through that time. I had been working so hard up to then I sort of neglected listening to music. In the 1 yr plus since my operation I have 1- changed my digital source; 2- had my tuner upgraded; 3- changed interconnect cables; 4- changed speaker cables; and 5- changed integrated amps. I also had my turntable tuned up; the only thing I didn't change were speakers and my phono preamp. And with my speakers, once I could actually move them around (I had a weight limit of how much I could manipulate; heck, I found it hard to open the fridge door at first)I used the Cardas placement program to reposition my speakers (it worked out well).

So my answer is this- as long as I am healthy and can still get enjoyment out of my music, and the funds allow, I don't see that there really is any age at which to buy one's last amp.

65 in my case, but then I thought my last amp was last one as well, so who knows. You can never say never and of course any amp, particularly a tube one, has a finite life, even the ARC Ref 75 I have bought recently.

I know half the fun is swapping and tinkering, but you have to stoip sometime. In my case it is retiring soon as the cut off.

Tbg- I hear ya. I'm beginning to have second thoughts about storing speakers I'm not using, but like too much to sell, in the basement! Getting 'em DOWN w a handtruck w/o a crash was a bitch, not sure what I'll do when I want to fire em up again.

My main issue now is with a listening room on the second floor is how big an amp I can carry up stairs. I think it is about 90 pound now.

I find that living like a maniac at full speed is the way to go. And I do mean go.

I am 67 and just put together a pair of NCore monoblock amps last month. What does age have to do with it?

Bob

I would add, that since seniors can remain healthy and active into their 90's, and if I am so lucky, I might just buy a new amp at that age!

Twb. That younger next year has some interesting ideas. I'm with you there.

I fully agree with Onemug.
When does age beget wisdom?

Hear me now and believe me later (Hans and Franz from SNL)...If you love music, when you have lived with a well built SET mated with the right speakers, that will be "the age" you stop upgrading. Well, close anyway.

I'm in my 60's and got the "vintage" bug a few years ago. I've enjoyed putting together a few nostalgic systems that in no way are an upgrade to what my main system is but I get a tremendous joy out of doing it and listening to it. I will say this though, the Marantz 8b/7c/120b tuner driving SF Guarneri Homages, that I'm listening to right now, gives me something real close to my ref system.

Hi Mitch, I`m almost 59 [march] I don`t see any end in sight, I am however loving the journey a lot more these day`s
Regards

NEVER!

I'll buy my last amp next time.

87 or 88

As a lifelong audiophile and music lover (aged 70) my system is the best ever, has recently been upgraded in a major way, and will undoubtedly get better in time, as long as I can hear and function. How we age is a factor of how we care for ourselves (diet, exercise, etc) and many live full lives into their late 80's and beyond. Thus, the 'last upgrade' is a completely individualistic issue. An interesting read is "Younger Next Year" by by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, available in paperback on Amazon. I highly recommend it.

Around the same age. Have yo-yo'ed countless times with the upgrade/downgrade beginning well before there was an audiogon. I'm concluding with an integrated amp, set of speakers, decent cables, modified disc player and music server/dac. I have a portable setup for travel, but my travel these days is usually for a funeral and those hotel/motels rooms can lonely places without a music respite.

How about installing a nice coffin system?

Not fair to generalize when comparing men & woman. How does the saying go: "Men age like fine wine and woman age like bread". Sorry gals, not my quote.

Excuse me while I trim my ear hairs and de-wax before my next listening session.

Wolf, we just get better with age... like a nice hunk of Limburger Cheese.

62...the perfect age...and part of the "new old."

I"ve lost track of the exact year that I told my wife that I had bought "my last amp",but it was sometime in the early 80's.

All I can say is that I still have the same wife.

I did have a friend- (fellow musician) who when quizzed about his preference for always buying red guitars stated-"Whenever I open the case, all she( his wife) sees is a red guitar".

I changed my system last year when I was 62.The new speakers are full range electrostats with tube mono block amps, sort of bucking the trend to downsize in the golden years.

But, I have started to train my ears to listening to headphones, just in case.

Looking forward to it, aren't you!

At what ever age I am when I scream out to my wife to turn on the rig, only to find it has been playing for the last few hours. At that point everything will go up for sale and I will use the proceeds to retire and live comfortably.

Die hard!

At What Age? Never, if we are true audiophiles.

Why does it all have to be done at once, rather than as strides in design justify? For example, there may be no great steps forward in preamps, like teflon capacitors, for 10 years; will yiou ignore the progress when it happens because you are too "old." It is like asking when you will stop learning.

I am 62, and upgrade as justified. Just got a new DAC and Bryston BDP-1 digital player last year, but have amp and speakers for 10+, pre for 5+, vintage tuners in and out, etc.

Keeps one young(ish), Mitch.

Wish I was there, Wolf.

Boy if all you are looking for is 3% I would quite right now. Give me a shout if you would consider more in the neighborhood of 30 to 45% .

I saw the late, great Don Ho at his peak in the mid 60s with his brilliant back-up band The Aliis at the original Dukes (my mother took me...she was a fan)...giant palm frond fans in the ceiling. That dude was great...met him a couple of times over the years and he even bought a Twin Reverb amp from me for his road show (it had a cool Anvil road case).

You mean like 'Summer of 42'?:)

The answer is: 42

Yea. FUN is putting it lightly. But if you didn't attend one of Don Ho's shows you sold yourself short (just kidding). I've never been there. It was probably way better then.

That band was named Cauldren, didn't last (less than a year) but we did have FUN...Mitch Mitchell jammed with us at a club gig once (bands stayed in Hawaii for weeks sometimes as an "in between tours" rest).

There's a colorful past. Mine's, well..., checkered. That's something isn't it? I am after all a product of the 'Lost' generation. What was your band's name?

Wrong. 1950 (late). I was 18 most of 1969 playing music in Honolulu, opened for Led Zeppelin and met Jimi Hendrix. Take THAT you young whippersnappers!*cough*now where's that blood pressure medicine...wheel me into the light...damn kid forgets to call me...*cough*

And what are we, chopped liver? The best year to have been born in is 1957 thank you very much. Birth of rock and roll. We grew up together:)

Mitch4t,

First of all, congrats on having been born in the best year of the last century. You are in distinguished company.

I think many of us as we approach retirement undergo the same sort of analysis. In some respects it is a farewell to higher income living, and a reflection on what our values are. I began about 7 years ago making a list of what remained to be accomplished in order to provide for retirement as I envision it. Music, of course, is a major and essential component of what I do with my now precious free time. That will surely continue when I have more time. Accordingly, I have nearly completely revamped my entire rig over the last two years. All of this was well planned in advance, and I am almost finished. My system as it is currently configured is good enough that I can live with it with no further improvements, and do so with no regrets. However, if, seven years from now, I have an opportunity (and money) to substantially upgrade, there is little doubt I will do so.

So, the answer to your question is this--- Stop upgrading when you lose interest or run out of money. Meanwhile, enjoy.

Simple: You stop upgrading when you stop having fun doing so. Or when other priorities set in and no longer can afford the toys. Nothing to do with age really.

I think you summed it up.

I'm 74 and soon expect my last turntable, arm, and cartridge. I expect next week to receive new interconnects and speaker wires. Very soon I will get a new Mac Mini based music server. My hearing is quite good again in my recent hearing exam. My only limitation is that I cannot carry 100 pound amps upstairs. Also, on late weekend afternoons I nap to good music for about thirty minutes.

What the hell are you guys talking about?

Your Final Frontier!

I'm over 70 and my hearing is either getting better or I’ve taught myself how to listen better. I didn’t do the concert thing back in the day so maybe that’s a contributing factor. Right now I’m seriously thinking about going 2 channel versus my Theta surround sound system. My plan is to start with a 2 channel amp… probably an Ayre… and see how my Casablanca III likes it. Arguing with myself about what to do next helps to "keep me young".

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Wrm57.....LOL!!
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My will stipulates that my heirs must upgrade.

I'm 60 next month and just bought another amp. The next one might need to have a remote. ;)

Well I'm 75 and still attempting to do the 3% squeeze. Don't know what I will do at 85, when I am working on the 1% of the squeeze left. Just hope I have some hearing left to make it worth while. So, when will you buy your last car? Never happens! Things break, wear out, go out of tech. That gives us opportunity to 'buy the last'.