About $15,000.00 retail Gentlemen, When your wives do find out about your little habit you will need to call me immediately to help save your marriage! I own a jewelry store and can help get you out of trouble in no time! Albert, we should start with you! |
Good idea Irishwolf, but I'm not in trouble. I only paid $1724.00 for my entire system........just ask my wife. |
I offer $1800 for your system Albert....thats PURE profit and I will be waiting for your reply! :) |
Thank you Chadnliz, you are nice to offer that profit when I have so little invested :^). |
Albert-we already spoke to your wife..the jig is up guy! |
You didn't tell her did you?
Wait......I hear her coming. I need a blanket for the sofa while I can still get in the bedroom... |
Albert, I've got diamond hearing aids for your wife in the shape of Rolls Royce head lights. Forget the sofa and do your self a favor! It'll come back to you buddy. |
|
$36,370 - although I didn't pay that, most of my components were bought used, my system makes me very happy, but alas I know there's better out there... |
A bit over $ 14,000. It feels like so much more though! |
Most of my gear is Audio Note. Retail price is $63,000.00
My wife knows how much I spent on this system. She tells me often. She is off by $3,000.00 so she rounds it off in my favor at $60,000.00. Nice wife hay? |
Around $25K not including the DVD transport. Sadly, that price is essentially a single disc CD player. Maybe it's getting time to rethink this hobby... |
Mine adds up to about $45k. I have been involved in this hobby about 28 years- a little longer if I count the used 32w/ch Kenwood receiver I bought Sophmore year in college. I wish I had the money to put together a really good system. I wish I had invested my money in a 401k so I could retire someday. But then all my stock investments these days have appreciated less than my stereo system.
Truthfully, my sound system sounds better than ever, but in the old days there was a certain sweetness to pulling out the soldering iron with my buddies and making our own mods and upgrades with WonderCaps, wiring and connectors. |
|
Askat1988,
You know about the ill effects of loud headphone listening have on the hearing?
Let's all be careful so we can enjoy this glorious hobby 'til end days...
My system adds upto the grand total of > $500.
The reason I don't upgrade is the $30,000 system at the hifi shop I goto is not much better.
Mine does 90% of that at least !
If buy used and are patient and do research, you can get good sounds for peanuts - if we get to know the good mid-fi offerings, we can give them to our kids, and our parents (and loved ones) - let them in on this exciting hobby. |
I stopped keeping track after 10k ..if you talk to my wife it's worth a few grand at the most ..lol |
currently 2 channnel only retail is around 60000 usd ,
but since its not in USA, it should retail over 85000 usd locally in thailand.
there is a lot of upgrades needed still and i can see it reaching 100000 usd inside a year easy. |
Now I'm just a bit over $22,000 US, but I don't have a source right now, so I'll have to add that soon. Will probably be about $25k soon. |
About 2,000. Give or take. |
$35-$40K Retail
$11k - Speakers - front/center/surrounds/sub
$4.5k - CD/DVD Player
$7k - PreAmp
$4k - Amp for mains
$4.5k - Amp for surrounds/center
$1k - Tuner
$7.5k - PCs, IC,s, Power Conditioners, Power strips, Speaker cables, Jumpers, all the stuff behind the scenes
Somebody stop me, please :-) |
I bought it all used (except the table and cartridge) and paid under $4K.
B&W 801 Matrix 2
Forte Model 2
Rotel RB-1080
ARC CD-2
Technics SL-1200 II
Audio Technica ATOC9MLII
Orsonic AV-II
Chang Lightspeed 3200
XLO 150
Speltz anti-cables |
30,000 invested sounds like 100,000....I like that. |
$42,460 mostly purchased through Audiogon!!! Next addition Vandy 5A's or....? |
I heard an interesting talk on TED today about the price of happiness. My intention is not to negatively remark on anyone's choices but the title of this forum and the escalating costs of everything we "want" connected with the talk. If anyone would like to hear it the address is:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/benjamin_wallace_on_the_price_of_happiness.html |
A buck three eighty. Or was it tree fitty? |
That's a buck two-eighty-five and some change.... |
Ahhh, that was what it cost. |
$23,000.00 CND; Audio Note. |
My husband says he paid too much. |
|
$8,020, thank god my girlfriend doesn't read this site. Of course with this site i've only spent about half of that. |
Looking back, I have pretty much replaced EVERYTHING since my last post to this thread 3 1/2 years ago, when I thought I had already spent WAY too much money. I have since sold most of the old gear (thank you Audiogon). Fortunately during this time period my business did OK and my purchases were mostly out of cash-flow and at good prices thanks to Audiogon and relationships with various manufacturers. I was also able to pick up some good gear by being in the right place at the right time(I NEVER underestimate the value of TIMING!). My system has come a LONG way in the past 3 1/2 years.
With the arrival of a new DAC from Bulgaria sometime in the near future, my system will finally be pretty much set for a while. IS it worth what I paid(30-70% retail)? Absolutely - I have heard more expensive and less expensive systems that sounded very good, but to my ears, mine sounds better and makes me the happiest. That feeling, repeated every time I listen to my system, regardless of the musical genre, to me is PRICELESS. I now enjoy my gear every chance I get - lots more often than 3 1/2 years ago. As my system got better, I found myself listening to it a whole lot more often. (I doubt that I am alone in this...)
There will ALWAYS be something bigger, better, faster or shiney-er. It doesn't matter what you spend or don't spend - what matters is that what you have makes you happy. Life is too short to view this hobby any other way, IMO. |
4 systems here.
They range from $4-40k if build with used components.
Also at least $100K spent on CD's and records.
John C. |
I use a front projector crt which originally cost $25,000 in the 1990s and early 2000s, but now can be had for $5000 new. Which number should I use. Accountants can chime in please. |
I'm at about 8k and still going |
$11,640.00 - too much money, but just right sound - Dave |
40,000.00 in equipment Thank God for Agon |
10K canadian dollars for a system and cables worth 27 K US mrsp. Great sound, classic components, pure enjoyment and envious visitors. All bought used but good for many many years with proper care.
Add 2K$ for full collection of NOS tubes and extra cables. |
Bad question. If you do it right, you can build a very good sounding system on the cheap.
I wonder how many of the big spenders listen to records as their primary source. Analogue still rules in both audio and photography. (On the photo side, I'll put my 6x6 Hasselblad with Zeiss optics up against anything photo-digital. And, yes, I have rented and tested the digital back for the Hasselblad. One word in response -- film.) On audio, I am not talking cheap phono; spend a little on the phono source, like $4k for turntable, tonearm, and cartridge. That's a very good start. You could spend half that and have a very decent start. And, you'll get a source that surpasses most digital easily. Spend enough on analogue and digital will never touch it. Analogous word in response -- vinyl.
Here's a question in response to your question -- why this question? Are you a marketing guy looking for demographic stats? |
About $66 000 Aussie dollars retail paid around $38 000 in it's current state for 2 channel front of house not including AV or computer sound systems but including current room treatment band- aids. This thread made me add it all up for the first time so I am feeling a little dizzy and seriously questioning my mental health at the moment. But I don't think about upgrading anymore even though I have $20 000 worth of parts stored away to build the 250 watt rms/ch active valve amps and crossovers. These have not been included in the final retail costing otherwise I would be spending far more on medication and down time with a good therapist. Sounds awesome right now to me though. |
Hey Bicycle_man you can do things even cheaper if you really want to. One of my friends built his own turntable from scratch. Magnetically suspended and mu-metal shielded with a marble plinth. The bronze alloy CNC machined platter weighs in at 28Kg and features teflon sleeved bearing housings. Admittedly we have lathes and a few friends who are engineers. The total cost to build was about $1700 by scrounging and networking. Uses various motors poached from other decks. His set of tonearms were a barter for some gardening work for an old lady whose audio nut husband had died and she had no use for being deaf as a post. These included a JH Audiolab formula 4, Some Kazumi look alike that is very well made and the original Mission 774. He is currently looking at upgrading by building his own phono stage for about $500 in parts. Cartridge is an Ortofon something Bronze MC. This remains one of the best turntables I have ever heard after 30 years in audio. Problem is some of us don't have the time to do what my friend did. In answer to your question I doubt anyone could discern a useful demographic from the question as it will by its very nature attract a particular mindset and that negates the randomness. I enjoy as a side hobby putting together systems for friends who let's say are financially challenged. System 1 Tannoy HPD 12 inch in marine ply cabinets and a Yamaha 100 w/ch/rms receiver Swapped the Tannoy's that I picked up for $400 for 2 years supply of freshly caught fish [He is an amazing fisherman] and the receiver cost him 100 bucks. System 2 $40 garage sale no name OK DIY speakers, Pioneer quadrophonic receiver [given to me free and passed on for the same] and an amazingly good NEC cd player, $10 at the local junk shop. The old RCA speaker outputs required custom cables that cost $10 more to make than the whole system. My point is I do not think you can objectively judge other peoples motives by your own bias. I found the post an interesting insight. I am a part time musician and I invested what I did because I love music not some base motive to bloat my ego about how much I spent which considering the performance is still inexpensive. The rest of what you had to say I totally agree with including the film vs digital camera analogy. I hope this won't be seen as off topic but I see a need to question the questioning of the question. God that sounds ridiculous! Cheers with tongue firmly planted in cheek. |
More than I would ever tell my wife. |
Gentlemen I once got into a very short argument with a FORMER girlfriend. It went something like this. You love that stupid f#@king stereo more than me, That's it! I've had enough! It's time to choose,me or the Stereo!
My instant Answer: So when are you leaving?
I think more of you should exercise your regressed alpha male testicular fortitude. My stereo never says NO! Could explain why I'm still single though. Oh to meet a woman that understands and accepts as big boys we NEED big toys. |
I found one...and she will listen. |
$22,000 two channel, plus another $10,000 for HT |
26,105 including rack, ic's, & speaker wire. I took my time and put it all together for 12,630. It's well worth taking your time, and saving 13,475 just for waiting sales. Cary tube amp and preamp, Linn for the sources. IC's Audiometallurgy, Speaker wires Morrow Audio SP 3, Salamander Archtype 5.0 amd 2.0 rack. |
Maybe around 15K. (btw, I feel better now. :-) ) I'm still using an older power amp I bought used. I was up at my dealer last night and they were just setting up the new McIntosh preamp combo--$12K. Gorgeous (especially when paired with their newest tube monoblocks--yikes) but it's all so far past my means that all I can do is look at it in awe. |
Hi Thermonicavenger,
Thanks for your comments. I was trying to understand why the person would ask this question. The only reasons I could think of were to get free marketing information from this forum, or to give people the chance to show off how much money they have spent on their systems. Perhaps it was asked in earnest out of curiosity.
I appreciate your stories on how to build decent systems using resourcefulness rather than cash alone. Actually, I built my turntable set up for about $800; I got the tonearm for free -- someone was throwing it out because he thought the bearings were shot. I decided to try it, and it still sounded fine to me; there was a tiny bit of play in the bearings. I built the turntable from used parts -- VPI is good for this. And, I bought a reasonably priced cartridge.
For my amps, I bought a Dynaco St70 with Pas3 pre-amp, dirt cheap, and have modified them extensively. I was also given a Fisher 400c pre amp by a friend who's parents didn't want it. Nor did any of the siblings. Lucky me! For speakers, I got a pair of Kef R102's dirt cheap off ebay.
Of course there are great alternatives to buying new equipment. For turntables, a person can get great results from buying an AR. My first good turntable was an AR that came with a Grace arm. I sold it for what I paid after five years of enjoyment (~$300).
I tend to get emotionally charged sometimes about audio, and loose my sense of tolerance. I was probably perusing a thread on "audio grade" fuses right before I viewed this thread. My apologies for my acerbic comments.
By the way, I am lucky that my wife appreciates my stereo. She even likes the way it looks -- "industrial." I think I won her over by the sound. This was the first time she heard some music she liked on properly played vinyl. There are women out there that appreciate good audio. Best of luck finding her; don't loose heart, she is out there! Now if only I can to convince her that I should buy Quad Esl-63's. |
Qgap Wow I would love to hear about your system that was so inexpensive and yet is able to fool others into thinking it retails for several thousand dollars! |
HOW does it sound is the important question money spent does not always mean great sound!!!! |
