I have not spent anywhere close to $150k, more on the order of $30k or so. But I am a very careful/patient/savvy shopper. And I have as much, or more, tied up in my source materials as I do in equipment. And I think this is how it should be...
-RW- |
You will go much farther if you try to think with your brain instead of your wallet, advice I should have listened to myself when it comes to Alfa Romeos, having had five of 'em in a row. Fuggeddaboudit! |
Spent about $5k on equipment and close to $100k on music. |
NO, Let's face it: All "indulgences" can get a lot more expensive, so whether we go to sports events or concerts, buy flashy car, wine, trip, clothes, jewelry or gambling. Those things can add up to a lot of money. Smoke a $6 pack of cigarettes every day, and you'll see close to $22,000 go up in smoke over the next 10 years. In that context, dropping cash on hi-fi doesn't seem out of line.
Upfront costs are expensive, when you stop and consider that you will enjoy your system for 10 years. the investment may be well work it and provided an enormous amount of enjoyment over the years.
My wife always encourage me for system upgrade instead of spend more time and a lot more money outside the house. |
I probably should have clarified; out of the 150K (or so), a good part of that has been for source material. At this point, I'm pretty much set as far as equipment is concerned and will be investing in new digital source content options both for music/movies and especially high quality concerts in HD formats. |
If you are talking total money dedicated to the hobby, you are not only talking about money spent on hardware and software, but also room treatments/design, electrical upgrades, magazine subscriptions, trade shows attended, tweaks and everything else.
Having been in this hobby for almost 40 years now, I don't think I could even hazard a guess. I also don't think that I really want to know either. |
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Have you factored in "opportunity costs"?
The money you COULD have made by investing Hi-Fi money into stocks, real estate, etc.? |
Geoff: I feel your pain. As a poor graduate student several (ha!) decades ago, I let my gut override my brain and bought a Fiat 124 rag-top, from a guy who must have been clairvoyant. Started breaking down within a month. Or maybe not, that was probably "normal" for that car. F(ix)I(t)A(gain)T(ony) ;-)
As far as this hobby goes, I'm w Jmcgrogan. Not gonna add it up, don't want to, don't care. If you do, don't forget to deduct what you got selling your used gear. |
"03-18-15: Dweller
Have you factored in "opportunity costs"?"
You pretty much have to. It costs $x amount to have the opportunity to listen to a system that sounds y good. |
I took my Alfa GTV-6 to an Italian owned Alfa Romeo dealership and asked for a rough estimate. So they beat the crap out of me. |
Let's see, is this retail list, purchase price, the price quoted to significant other, or the amount your friends think you wasted? |
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The issue with investing your money instead of spending it on audio is that audio equipment inflation very likely outstrips the return on investment! The responsible thing is buy more stuff. |
"The responsible thing is buy more stuff (Ohlala, 2015)." I agree, life is to short. If you manage your purchases in anything and are also planning for the future sensibly, then how much it costs over the years is not an issue. The same analogy can be applied to automobile racing and modding your car. The brakes, suspension, tires, etc.....let's see, the power regenerators, the dedicated power lines, or how about the new house in some cases, I am sure their may be people who have moved in order to get a nice listening room. I like response above, it depends..the wife price, the friends and neighbors price, and how about the contractors who come into the house price? I avoid letting contractors in the room, even the pest control company.
I think I would, and perhaps my wife, have a heart attack if we tallied it all up. Source material, mostly LP"s, has recently surpassed 6,500...new and old, and consists of those pesky limited edition box sets which have appreciated in value over the years, better than any of my investments. I told the wife, this row of LP's will be a nice cans out when I am gone...she says, never, they are your memories....I had nothing to say to respond to that except that "I love you". Like I said, life is too short and if you ever experience something that is a life changing event, than you really start to discount the costs of doing things, and simply live within your means to the maximum extent possible.
Ciao,
Nico |
I refuse to answer on the grounds it may incriminate me. |
Gross or net?
Back in the day, I would buy to try. Of course, many here remember that, back then, it was a lot easier to sell gear that didn't work out. Sometimes you could even sell for more than you paid. I am thrilled with the sound of my current system and am pretty much "done for now" with respect to new gear and upgrades.
Honestly, even though it has been fun, I would rather have the time back that I have invested, than the money. |
Spent 5K last week but it was a slow week. |
To hard to recall, been purchasing gear since the early seventies, but a guess would be between $250,000 and $350,000, not including music. |
... live within your means to the maximum extent possible. Best statement I have read recently! |
Like others I think it's a good idea to plead the 5th. But I can tell you it's enough spent that I am out of the market for good, except to sell. |
A better question would be to ask ...
... How much have I saved over the years buying used, demo'ing something and deciding it's not for me, listening to the wife when she says "no more - not now"? |
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This forum is on the internet and accessible to anyone. If I posted my total, someone I know might find out and I'd be totally shamed.
So, for that reason, I will never tell what I've spent.
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too old to remember everything... |
It's all relative to where people are at various points in life,....amounts spent are usually a factor of the 'right' set of circumstances all lining up just right to allow for higher-end purchases (those at higher price points). In retrospect, alot of money has been spent (here) on going through different revs of equipment, and particularly on power options including conditioners, cords, interconnects, etc...from many manufacturers. Doing it all over again,...I'd try to be much smarter about the spend aspect on cables and power-level gear as there were many decisions along the way that could have been done much better. Another big 'sink' has been the years I spent trying to have a killer hybrid HT and 2-channel system which I accomplished at the time however, there was alot that went over the transom to have killer HT that I wish I could have back ;-)
Then there is the money spent following the current 'popular wave' of opinions posted on various forums or 'that dealer or friend' who seemed to know so much but wound up causing a lot of money to be spent on 'that brand...' that in retrospect was pure foolishness on my part to have listened...
As for actual amount...all I can say is that WAF is not high here so I like the amnesia factor and its influence in that aspect of life coupled with someone's response earlier on the thread that everything costs about $1500 LOL!!!
Have a great weekend everyone! |
3 divorces ..... it was worth it |
I try not to think about it.... |
Syntax: You are my hero :-)! Bit of divorce humor...how do you know you are "flukked"? Answer: you find yourself in the state of MA. sitting in front of a mediator and you hear the phrase, "....the lifestyle you've allowed me to become accustomed to...." and the judge is a woman in most Probate matters"! Never again if I can help it....
MikeL: Good morning Sir,...hope you are well! I can relate; but I admit I think about it 2 times per year to be sure,...whenever we pass out the new sales quotas and I figure out how far about quota I want to be to justify the next purchase!
Have a great Easter everyone! |
At least $60k since 1988. |
I've had over $170K of equipment (retail value), in my possession since I started this madness. |
No small change but not a lot in the overall scheme of things considering I listen to my gear all the time and get more enjoyment out of it than perhaps any other material possession. |
