How Much Have You Lost Thru' The Upgrade Process?

I know that room very well Jim.
It's the room where the Devil sleeps.
And wakes up the minute you enter the room.
Then you sign the bill with your life.

But hey....look at the bright side,
we are all in the same pot.
So, enjoy the flames Jim.
I sure will.

-A lot of this $$$$$. A lot of that #@$%&.
-But what I got, is smiles and friends.
-And lets not forget,
-Enjoyment of music, it is all that counts.
-The art of music is what you get.

Jeeezzz Louise, were we supposed to keep track?

I'm with John on this one. I'm not keeping track as no actual budget was previously ordained. My goal didn't include a budget at all. Perhaps that's where I screwed up in the first place.

Nope. That wasn’t it. It was when I went into that ‘room’… you all know the one. The room where the music was being played live, by those invisible musicians.

I’ve spent more than most reasonably sane people would have however… and I pale in comparison to many other Agone members, I’m sure.

Budget. What a concept!

short answer... enough to buy a really, really nice car.

The price for fun is sure as hell going up lately.

Do hair follicles count?? ...and what's the going rate on worry these days? I suppose tubes do count though.

...and shouldn't we include then, traveling time and expense for auditioning? Freight? Fright? electricity? Space? (I need a whole other building just to store empty boxes!).

How about bubble wrap, popcorn, tape, AND foam? tie downs, tie ups, and velcro? I’ve used enough tape to do King Tut and his crew!

There’s that therapy thing I’ve been postponing against the ongoing urging of my friends.

I’ve long since quit telling them what I’ve just laid out for a used extension cord to power a component! …and the bank? It’s still a ongoing joke there when they retell the story of the time I asked for $3K for uh, wires.

They weren’t a terribly understanding lot, but the ensuing laughter did enhance their day.

Yeah…. They still ask me from time to time, if I ever got the wire. It still amueses them a good bit. Sheeessh.

It bugs me enough now and then to see what I’m spending, let alone keeping track of where I’ve overspent, or lost on a thing I valued more than another.

In fact… I’d as soon not know the actual amount of expenditure thus far. Like the national debt, it’s still going up.

Enough that I could buy several Paul Reed Smith Custom 24's(retail price:$2500-3200).

If you're a pessimist you say: "I bought a used amp for $2000 and sold it a year later for $1800, so I 'lost' $200.

If you're an optimist you say: "I bought a used amp for $2000 that retails for $3000, then sold it a year later for $1800. So I'm still $800 ahead.

well, i've gone through 7 amplifiers since 1980- the last four were pretty expensive investments. but each change brought about marked improvements and therefore i learned a great deal about the effects of a really good amp (solid state) in my own system, all other things being equal. things you can't measure with test equipment either. so it really has been alot of fun in that respect.

I agree with Drubin. To look as an aquisitional or equipment based hobby with upgrades as part of it is looking at it somewhat convoluted. In this perspective, a round of golf once or twice a week @ 75-100 including cart snacks/drinks afterward,( or a $20K a year CC membership fee), or an evening of fine dining out @ $200+, or worse yet a cruise for $10K-$15K, or racing a vintage Porsche at the club level with fees tires tech equip etc, would all have to be considered hugh "losses" since at the end, the money spend is totally consumed or "gone". Not even a stately speaker or glowing tube amp still firmly in its place on the rack to look at. Maybe some good laughs or memories and possibly some digital photos but the $$ spent are gone. In that light our hobby of HiFi is, especially now with Audigon for trying various pieces, is really rather inexpensive in comparison to the others mentioned above. If I would add up the hours of enjoyment gained from my listening, and yes even the fun and enjoyment of upgrading and the accompanying anticipation of new equipment, and divide into the total net $$ spent (or consumed) , I bet the cost /hour of enjoyment gained (and stress relieved)is far less than any of the above mentioned or any of the many other forms of passtimes or entertainment. At least this is true in my case...

for over 30 years,it would have been far cheaper to be a hard drug addict. ironically, most of the components i know to be great, are things i kicked to the curb. still have a few, but the jones to experiment is always there, held in check nowdays.

I've lost some money for sure, but made even more friends in the process.

Ditto John....

You mean that you kept track? I lost track years ago. I know I've lost money, but I don't know how much, and I'm not sure I want to know.

John

Thousands! At least one 4 year tuition to a State University!

and golfers don't come out of it with anything tangible!

I look at the loss as the amount I spend on my hobby, in which case it's not a "loss" at all. I tell myself, what if I were into boats or golf or some other pricey hobby.

I have lost space. Since I still like everything I acquired before, I still have most of it. Who needs ten turntables and their attendant cartridges and transformers? More on this to come...

I don't think I've lost anything. I've traded some $$$ for items that I wanted. So far, I'm happy with the upgrades I've made. Like you, i don't upgrade as much as some do. But the ones I make are usually researched very good before getting them. My most recent upgrade was the signature arm for my ScoutMaster TT. Worth the $$$ to me

Not one red cent.

I think the answer to this particular question is too embarassing $$$ for some of us.
George