How much gear do you own?

Well, I have less at the end of the year than I did at the start. I have 3 working systems that I use, my main system when I want to do some serious listening, a second that is more than just background and my work office system that is used nearly every day. I found a really good tech and had him look over each piece before I let it go, make repairs/replacment as needed on each piece I sold. So I am 2 pre and one amp lighter. After the holidays will start with a set of "spare" speakers, another amp and then start with cabling. As I get a little closer to retiring then the office system will go. None of these owe me anything as a lot are 'vintage' being passed from one system to another. Sold them all at what I felt were fair prices, they must have been as the sold in just a couple of days and now someone else gets to enjoy them.

@rosco88 ,

Great post.

"Definitely, you really need help as I have heard that its a serious compulsive disorder."

 

There is a funny side to this, but it can be tragic as well.

My dad had (still probably has, but just can't maintain it like before?) serious hoarding issues and it caused a lot of family stress.

His was an extreme case, but I've seen this problem far too often to realise it's fairly common. I've seen houses where it's impossible to actually walk in a straight line in any of the rooms. Where virtually every flat surface has been used as a shelf or a table

If I could have, I'd probably have filled all of my living space with books (as some people have). I guess I've been relatively saved by family commitments.

In fact only today I read something relevant in Rolf Dobelli's excellent (reference) book, The Art of Thinking Clearly.

He stresses the importance of letting things go, and advises looking at possessions as things the universe has merely lent you.

Things it might one day take back without warning.

This, to me, seems like a sensible way of looking at things and it doesn't even really matter whether I like it or not. 

The matter ultimately is not in my hands.

It never was.

I grew up in a military family and we moved every couple of years so I was brought up to either use it or lose it.Over the years I somewhat stayed from that and I had some gear that was to old or worn to bother with selling but still had some value so I have been donating it to a modest brick and mortar audio store as I would love to see them  survive . 

While I have bought and sold a bunch of stuff over the years I currently have a turntable, preamp/DAC, amp, streamer/music server, and a set of speakers. Also the cables to put it all together.

While I spent a boat load of cash on a high end TT - I find I do not use it as much as I thought I would and I am considering selling it to a good home. Will stick with the remaining gear for the long hall.

 

 

I figured I wasn't alone in my misery.  😉

I live with just my teenage son in a house so I haven't been blessed with the more intelligent of us giving proper guidance on what toys not to buy.  Or questioning why certain rooms and closets have foregone their intended purposes to house audio gear.

I probably have over 3k records and have listened to maybe 20 records this whole year.  And yet I can't bring myself to letting them go.  99.9% of my music listening at home is streaming.

Just the stuff I have is too much.  Oh, when I got out of audio a decade back I got into electric basses with the same devout fervor that I applied to electronics and ended up with, like, 40 or so basses.  I've sold a bunch but still need to dump 25 or so.  And yes, I suck at playing bass.  And no, I was never in a band.

I sometimes wish I'd get burglarized.  But with my luck they'd just take the big screens and a few Bose speakers as all my other gear wouldn't have name recognition to your average thief.

 

 

Sold another piece of spare kit again today - A Parasound Z-Phono phono pre-amp. Not expensive, but added the funds to the "what next" pile. Of the original list of equipment I sat out to sell last week, only have one inexpensive phono pre-amp left. 

Time to move on the the next grouping of stuff to sell...

This is one thread I feel a whole lot better after having perused. I no longer have that feeling of being TOTALLY batshit crazy. Just plain crazy will do it……

I currently have 5 systems that I listen to regularly.  Each has its own character, sound stage and good/bad.  Some are better for classical, some are better for jazz, and others just rock.  My issue is I have not been able to find the "perfect" system for every type of music. 

Also, there is a size and portability problem.  Upstairs I have my "smaller" systems to make the spouse happy.  In the basement, I get to spread out and have my 2 "big" systems down there for when I want to have a long listening session with a wee dram of pour.  I'd hate to have to move systems every time I wanted to move to a different area of my house. 

I had 6 systems, gave 2 away to family, and just picked up another yesterday.  My other issue is that when I give away or sell something I miss "that sound".  For example, I gave my son a pair of JBL 4312's.  Missed the "JBL sound" and picked up a pair of JBL 4311's yesterday.  Had a pair of Linn Kan's, sold and missed the sound for vocals, bought another pair. 

Personally, I think I’m on the verge of having too much gear.  I have two tube monoblock amps (4 pcs) that I always wanted, two solid state amps (1 stereo, 1 pr monos), a single CD spinner, and a single preamp.  I have two speaker pairs.  I enjoy mixing matching, and getting different sounds.  At times I feel dumb when I look at it all, but when I connect my Lamm to Focal Mezzo Utopia or Von Schweikert VR4 SR Mk3 speakers, I remember why I collected the gear.  I might sell my Audio Research DS450M Class D amps, but they sound so good and they don’t generate room roasting heat like my large tube amp monos, which makes the ARCs a good summer amp, heh.  I toy with the idea of finding a preamp I’ve always been sort of fascinated with, which is a Hovland HP-200,, or a Lamm L2 R, but I stop myself, when I come to my senses because I have enough stuff.  

I have always been laser focused on achieving the best sound possible and therefore all funds focused on only one of each component. What I did end up collecting was mostly interconnects, cords that got evaluated while getting to the best match.

@audiodwebe,

Perhaps some of the following tips taken from the Hoarding Disorder article by OCD UK might be of help.

I know they're not specifically audio related but OCD does seem to be a particularly adaptive form of affliction.

I should know, and even though I love having more living space, 
I've still barely kept mine in check, although I'm fairly sure my wife would disagree. Thankfully, she is not a hoarder.

Anyway, here are few of the tips and things not to do mentioned in that article:

----

Throw things away straightaway without checking.    

Throw things away at times the refuse collectors are coming.    

Ask family and friends to join you for a decluttering day, rent a skip and direct your family/friends in throwing clutter for you.    

Get a paper shredder.    

If you can’t remember the reason why you have it, get rid of it.    

Buy things in limited quantities, and do not restock until used.     Stop junk mail, newspapers etc. 

 

 

There are some things family members should not do:     

Do not get extra storage space. This won’t solve the problem and the clutter often quickly builds up again.    

Do not call in the council or environmental health to clear the rubbish away without the persons permission, otherwise this could cause additional psychological distress.    

Do not push the subject if the person is getting upset and angry when bringing it up. Take a step back, and try again another time.

 

I sold most of the excess stuff I had about a year ago. Now I’m down to

2 integrated amps

1 pre/power

2 pairs loudspeakers

1 DAC

1 CD player

All the above except one(1) integrated amp are in use.

Enough for the time being....*s*

Entering a 'paring phase' to eliminate any potential 'loops 'n goofs'.

Growth is many things. ;)

" 'Botsylvania, the high point of this TekTour. has been the Nascent Node....."

*Guide'bot's voice trails off....*

I've lost track...must take inventory....too much to list.....could probably open my own store at this point. 

" 'Botsylvania, 

Isn't that where all the robot vampires come from?

@ryder,

Congratulations and well done!

You're better off for it, and so are the new owners.

For me to get rid of my extra stuff is going to be a far far harder challenge than I could have imagined some 10 years ago.

 

I remember buying a set of the Spherex X-Box 5.1 speakers that the late Peter Aczel glowingly reviewed. I didn't consider just how I was going to use them, only that I would, and one day the space to do so would appear.

I didn't, and it didn't.

So maybe next year I ought to sell them on.

They could be ideal for someone who's into gaming and cares about the sound. Or for someone who has the space for them and doesn't mind the wiring.

Then there's a pair of Tannoy R3s I couldn't bear to part with, but haven't used for 7 years. Okay, they'll probably go for peanuts, but what good are they doing sitting in the attic right now?

Ditto Rega RS1s. A lovely sound, but right now they're silently boxed up next to the Tannoy's.

You know, in a perfect life an audiophile would have at least 3 different listening rooms with a different system in each.

And all the time in the world to listen.

Alas, this is not a perfect life and OCD can be a very clever and versatile enemy.

 

Enough for two systems,with the ability to swap in different amps,or speakers when I feel like a different flavor. 

Too much but been comparing and learning a bit.

4 A/B integrated

2 class D integrated

1 sacd player

1 cd player

1 transport

5 tuners

1 receiver

2 dacs

1 streamer

11 sets of speakers

 

Neither Robin nor Hood

 

I don’t own so much as a cable. Plans for the new year:

1. Room Treatments!
2. Legacy Whisper XDS
3. Dual Benchmark AHB2
4. Legacy Wavelet II
5. Some durned Music Server

Gotta say the music server (research thereof) is the thing which has sucked up as much of my time as everything else combined, and I still haven’t decided. Grumble.

2amps

4 sets of speakers 

1 streamer

1CD

1 turntable 

1 headphones 

I have several location what I consider 6 system plus boenickie on boat. 2 turntable bunch boxes for tubes.

Lots of cool stuff!!

Too much!! Yeah, I've got multiples of amps, headphones, speakers, cables, tubes, etc etc etc... Some are up for sale now on Audiogon or USAudiomart, and some need to be!  I've got so many empty boxes for gear in storage right now, 'cause they won't all fit in my apartment! 

@thecarpathian ...well, not quite 'vampires', per se...

They tend to inoculate anyone that stumbles into their 'hive', waking up in front of a screen or two keyboarding into the night....pallid from a lack of daylight and ethos....and Esoterica, wherever That is.... ;)

'Bot's Gnu Witch U. 
(For high level programming only....) 

It started innocently. An obsession with integrated amplifiers from my youth. IMO it was unfortunately not worth restoring my beloved NAD 3140 as they were just made to cheaply. After acquiring a number of KA8100 & 7100 Kenwood pieces and having them restored I stumbled upon the Supreme Series Model 600 to add. An Accuphase E202 later and I soon had Junji Kimura‘s bookends, the Pioneer SA900 & Kyocera A910. Ask me which sounds better 😉. That led to a CA2010 Yamaha as well as a Tandberg 3012. Mix in a McIntosh MA6100, Marantz 1060, Kenwood KA7002 and I am still missing a few key pieces of Sansui such as their AU-7700, AU-D11 as well as a G-8000 receiver to sit next to the only receiver in my collection, the Marantz 2330. All pieces have been lovingly restored by Paul Hovenga of Many Moons Audio.

Along with ads L810 (mirror imaged!), JBL L96, 2 pair of JBL 4313B and Original Large Advents, I also have KEF 103/3 (w/Kube & stands in original boxes) as well as 2 pair of Meridian M100 & a recently retired pair of M20.

Turntables tonearms & cartridges abound as well including a 100 pound steampunk with Empire/Pabst motor to 5 AR models w/arm boards, a couple of Kenwood KD-500 and a Thorens TD150 and a couple of Technics 1200 Mk5 in full updated trim.

Newish gear on the sidelines is the Sony TA-A1ES and matching HAP-Z1ES as well as a Rogue Sphinx II and a smattering of headphones and cables including the excellent Little Labs Monotor headphone amp from Jonathan Little. 

Current system needs to be updated to reflect the Dynaudio Heritage Special, Accuphase P-250 (w/Many Moons driver card update) & Koetsu Vermilion.

Doubtful that I’m done although I should probably start to thin the herd . . .

I believe at least 1 backup for every component is prudent.

You never know.

I have, and listen to, four systems raging from very simple to quite complex.  I had issues with getting rid of gear I have enjoyed for a long time and tend to reconfigure it into a secondary (tertiary etc....) system both for a change in listening and as a source of backup gear if anything screws up in the main system.

I hate wasting anything, including space, so I guess I am lucky that when I see something that I don't use it irritates me until I get rid of it. Usually it is somewhere I don't look at it regularly. 

I disconnected my CD player 15+ years ago and it sat on a floor under a bunch of stuff so it didn't cross my mind until I had to get something on top of it and was reminded of it. For the hell of it, I turned it on and it didn't work. That day I dropped it off to Best Buy's recycling bin along with a couple of old laptops sitting on top of it (took out the hard drives first).

Now the only thing sitting around is a BluRay player that get plugged in when my wife wants to watch old videos that were transferred from tapes or produced on DVD with a pretty nice interconnect that I replaced with a better shorter one (taking the waste philosophy to an extreme). I can't stand the sight of it next to my stereo equipment, and even put the cable box on the ground below the cabinet out of sight (thank goodness it works via wifi with the remote).

1 turntable (interconnect to phono stage attached directly and comes with power supply/power cord)

1 phono stage

1 interconnect from Phono Stage to amp

2 cartridges (1 is never used, but is theoretically for emergencies)

1 integrated amp

1 set of speakers

1 set of speaker cables

1 power conditioner (came with a power cord)

2 power cords (1 for phono stage one for amp)

platforms under the speakers, turntable and amps that take up minimal space

That's it. I hate making decisions and if I had to think about which turntable, cartridge, system or whatever to use in different situations I'd be wasting WAY too much time and mental energy.

Same with records - if I don't play it, I move it out of the selection area to the end because I can't stand looking at it, and once I  need that space, I'll sell or donate them.

I guess I am a reverse hoarder, and yet my wife doesn't throw out empty pill bottles and I get anxiety whenever I have to get something out of one of her "junk" drawers.

4 operating systems in a two bedroom townhouse (living room, bedroom, office and dining room) plus some bits and pieces I've collected over the years that are not all hooked up. I'm saving for a bigger house next.

I'm envious of those with the minimilist lifestyle.  

I currently own 28 pairs of speakers.  Twenty-nine if I count the desktop AudioEngines.  And most of them are mid to higher end stuff, and they all sound pretty good in my room.

I think my treated, smallish (12x16) listening room makes damn near anything I throw at it sound good.  So whenever I've attempted to pick a winner in an attempt to select gear to keep it's been a pain.

2022 I'm doing it, though.  Goal:  Just one of everything, with a backup.

 

Way too much gear.  But have 3 operating systems in 3 different rooms that all sound really good to me.  Lots of unused gear but I often take in unwanted pieces, test them to make sure they are working OK, and give them away to people setting up new systems/rooms.

Those times are long gone.

Since the downsizing to post-divorce condo life, I just can't justify having anything extraneous to clutter up the place.

Especially in downtown Vancouver where it's over a $1,000 per square foot.

I've sold a number of speakers and other components that I now regret selling.  I have three separate systems that I like to experiment with and plan on buying many more stereo components and tweaks thru the next several years or so. One thing for sure, I will never sell any of my treasured  electronics again. 

Too much!!!  5  DACS etc  :  )  Look for some bargains from my closet of used gear including an HH Scott LK -150 Dual Mono tube amp! Coming soon!!

 

Happy Holidays

Just sold my final piece from last week's Craigslist postings. All total, sold 7 pieces. All had their original packaging too, so I picked up quite a bit of shelf space. Now, on to round 2. Don't know how much stuff I'm going to sell, but 1500 CDs and a huge CE shelf that houses all of them, is likely on the list. Might also sell the complete set of 5 Thiel PowerPlane in-wall speakers that I accumulated for an HT setup that never materialized. And the Receiver and Subwoofer that was purchased for that setup. Liberating!

I have only one of everything that I need, but after buying a mostly-clean TD-124 I haven’t been able to stop thinking about buying another, in rougher shape, to restore.

I have three kids and an 80-hour per week job. I need a project like I need a hole in my head. And still I can’t stop thinking about it.

Perhaps this is mental illness.

3 integrated amps, 7 turntables, 3 cassette decks, 4 pairs of speakers ( that’s not counting my dedicated home theater 5.1 + atmos)...4 headphone amps, 4 phono preamps, 15 cartridges, 15 or more pair of headphones, 5 tuners, 3 dacs, 1 sacd player, 1 cd player, 2 cd transports, 1 mini disc player/recorder, 1 streamer, 2 bluetooth modules, countless cables and interconnects, tubes, etc....and I lost count on the LP’s, CD’s, cassettes....I'm sick...

I cycle through gear and sell what I'm not using. I've seen too many episodes of HOARDERS to do otherwise.

But I'm also realistic. I know if I sell my Oktoresearch DAC8 Stereo or Krell amp I'm going to hate myself. Even my wife, who is gear agnostic, advised me to keep the Okto, because she knows how amazing it is and how hard to get. 

At least 7 integrated amps. 3 CD players, 2 turntables. 1 tuner, 2 streamers. Multiple cables, 5 pairs of speakers. That's only for two rooms. 

In my late 60s time pair down, just been too lazy.

OK.  So I’m already starting to back-track my decision.  Maybe I’ll “keep” the gear that’s difficult to replace should I ever decide to get it again but still dump the majority of the stuff.

 

 

 

Two tube integrated’s. Both KT88 based and one also does EL34, which I’m running original Winged C Svetlana’s in. I don’t miss having a preamp. 

OH Boy! I don't feel bad now geez, I have three lockers with three sets of Klipsch and 4 sets of Acoustat speakers plus 10 power amps and other toys and I'am paying $350 per month per locker. but i will be getting rid of this stuff, because they keep raising the locker fees, plus Northern California has Smart Meters which raised my electric bill, because the meter calculates the kw down to the penny, so my bill comes in at $355.00 to $475.00 per month when I leave on my Pass amps.