Greetings, I have been into music and audio equipment since I was a kid. It started with a hand me down system from my uncle when he bought a new system. I was around 12 or 13 at the time. He gave me a stereo receiver, a pair of speakers, a turntable, and an equalizer. At the time all I had was a "boom box" and a Walkman. This was in the early 80s and I was listening to the endings of classic rock and hard rock and the beginnings of hair bands and glam rock with a little early rap in the mix. He also gave me a few records for the turntable. I don't remember what all the components he gave me were but from what I can recall it was a Realistic receiver and turntable, Pioneer equalizer, and Fisher speakers. It was well used but he took care of his stuff and he was an electronics wizard of sorts, always at Radio Shak buying resistors and capacitors and transistors, heat sinks, wire, etc... for his various projects which included repairing and upgrading stereo equipment so I'm positive that it wasn't stock but it certainly was plenty loud enough to get me on everyone that lived in the building's bad side immediately. I was doing just fine at that with my boom box, hence the need for the Walkman but once I got that stereo hooked up in my room and started blasting Black Sabbath and Ratt, all hell broke loose. But I was hooked so I ended up moving to my uncle's place where things were more tolerant of loud music.
I'm 52 now and have had many different systems over the years. But I've never made myself much money so I haven't had the greatest equipment. I've always been limited to what I could get commercially and locally for the most part with the exception of being able to buy things from the internet in more recent years. So i have been able to do a lot more as far as shopping goes by having access to equipment from pretty much anywhere. However still being limited for funds, i haven't been able to break into the super high end stuff. I've always known that there is a realm of equipment above what I've been limited to but I've never had the money to even be interested enough to explore any of the equipment.
I still don't and I don't expect to ever have that kind of money, however I decided to take a peek at what exists for the super wealthy portion of society and I am completely floored at the prices on some of the equipment I'm seeing. I just don't understand how people can spend the kind of money that this stuff is going for. Nor do I understand what kind of people are willing to spend it. I guess not being a part of that sector of society has a lot to do with this and if I were included in that sector I may feel differently about how preposterous it seems to me. However I'm not in that class and often thankful that I'm not. I've just always had a job and made do with what I get from that, which is not much. That's partially my fault for not having more motivation but also a lot of it has to do with circumstance. These circumstances include where I'm from, my family's background, and factors of society and how I have interacted in it. That's enough material to write a book about and doesn't really have any significance here. However in any case I'm just not one of those people and can't see myself being one. So with that mindset I can't consider how it must be, nor do I wish to.
I've always had to struggle to get what I do consider decent equipment to play my music on and thought that the few things that I had managed to scrape up enough for was pretty good but none of it was or is anywhere near as expensive as even some of the least expensive offerings that I see here and in a few other places that I've visited while checking this stuff out.
I'm also positive that I have damaged my hearing over the years blasting my tunes as well as with some other things I've exposed myself to but I still feel that my hearing is decent. I don't have trouble in conversation and I can hear many things that others around me can't. I do also have Tinnitus but it's only really noticeable when it's dead quiet. I try to avoid that kind of silence and I do this by listening to music when I'm not exposed to the noise of everyday life. I live in Denver Colorado now and it's usually pretty noisy most of the time so it's easier here than when I lived in Maine. I lived there all my life before moving here in Feb of 2014 so I had to have my tunes on much more often.
My boys are grown now and I'm divorced so the struggles of that part of my life are past me and I am doing somewhat better financially being in a city with a thriving economy so I have been slowly building my system. Piece by piece when I can afford a new component or upgrade one of the ones I have and I'm at the point where I'm pretty content with what I have for the time being so I got a little bored and decided to take a peek at the next level and I see that I'm going to have to explore other interests to cure my boredom because there isn't any way that I'm moving to the next level. And from the looks of things, I don't think I would want to even if I somehow did become financially able to. The way I see it, even with things that I'm passionate about, there comes a point where the gains in whatever is being sought after become simply not worth the expense of what it takes in order to achieve them. I find this to be true and consistent with whatever endeavor it is that I might be interested in pursuing. I feel that once a certain level of quality is achieved that going any further is a waste because the expense to do so far outweighs the minimal gains that are the result and this is very accurate with audio equipment.
My system is pretty damn impressive to me and those I choose to associate with and bring into my life to the point where they get to experience it. It's taken me over 5 years to get it to the point it is at and the total I have into it isn't enough to even put a down payment on many of the items for sale here and in other places aimed at the same target group. And I like to think that even if I had tons of disposable funds that I would still be happy with my current system and be sickened by the thought of having enough to buy what is included in the next level. There's definitely some things about society that just don't add up. At least not to me. But then again, who am I...
Price are like the Crazy Eddie commercials The Price are Insane....but he waa talking about cheap prices.I bought mh first real system from him in 1973 Sony STR 7065 Receiver $349,AR turntable for $99 dollars with Shure Cart.,the Speakers I bought used Bose 901s Serues 2 with stands and a wooden round block with brought them up to ear level if you were sitting in front of them .They were $315 .If I bought them new they were fair traded...Price is as is..under law $550.i sold the AR and bought a Technics SL 1350 with Pickering 100 for $379....none of my friends had anything close to that system....It was Insane.
If you’re not happy with what you have, you’ll never be happy with what you get.
Sure, I often think about upgrading this, changing that, fantasize about what I’d get if I came into 100k in disposable income, but 95% of the time as I listen to what I do have, I’m very pleased and amazed at the quality of the sound, almost to the point of pinching myself… :)
Price are like the Crazy Eddie commercials The Price are Insane....but he waa talking about cheap prices.I bought mh first real system from him in 1973 Sony STR 7065 Receiver $349,AR turntable for $99 dollars with Shure Cart.,the Speakers I bought used Bose 901s Serues 2 with stands and a wooden round block with brought them up to ear level if you were sitting in front of them .They were $315 .If I bought them new they were fair traded...Price is as is..under law $550.i sold the AR and bought a Technics SL 1350 with Pickering 100 for $379....none of my friends had anything close to that system....It was Insane.
To me, all of this discourse is really nothing than an oblique orbit around the audiophile segment of “happiness”. As in all things in life, aspirations are good until they impinge on happiness. Be happy with what you have and don’t let what you don’t have spoil that happiness. The sooner the now vanished OP realizes that life never has or will be fair, the sooner he will happier with his system, which seems to be a projection of his life. Peace.
I just bought an AudioengineUSA open box desktop speaker as my new office speaker. Cost me $170. I learned a long time ago fighting a room is possible but a lot of work. I do not have the time anymore. Headphones are also a way to avoid a room.
@grislybutter I lost the office space to a bedroom. New space is not really 2-channel friendly. I will post a photo once I sell of the gear. It looks like mission control.
Dedicated listening rooms are certainly the best option when available. But you can make small rooms into outstanding audio rooms with very careful component choices and acquiring deep knowledge of how to set up a small room.
I am done with my audio gear and super happy with the results. I still have a headphone upgrade to do but that is a long-term item. One thing that I did was sell some very expensive items for much cheaper and better to my ear's replacements. My best DAC being a perfect example. My phones being another. This is not always the case but I was surprised at how many times this worked for me. The $800 Schitt Aegir 20-watt Class A amp being another example (for my phone) replacing a $10k amp.
I am actually selling my office system now since I no longer have the office room. I just sold my Magnepan LRS+ for $700. That is a steal and the best small room speakers I have ever had. I would not take the $15k TAD ME-1 stand mount over the LRS+ for my former office. Though both would work in that room. Price is not the only factor.
Actually, the excellent sounding TAD-ME-1 is a good example. TAD dropped the price to $12k (or maybe $10k) and I was debating whether to buy it. However, about 3 months later they jacked the price up to $15k again. Why? The perception of more expensive being better.
Sorry, @mrdecibel . I guess I started getting sarcastic after it appeared to me as if you were telling me that I was not listening correctly and not hearing what I am pretty sure I was hearing.
@immattewj, people spending good money on gear, whether to listen to the gear, or the music, or both, should have a room to accommodate the expenditure. I have a dedicated listening room and have always for 55 + years (I am 70). It allows me to hear the performances and the compositions of my recorded music, without the room being an artifact or a bottleneck of the experience I am enjoying. Why do you have such a problem with me and the way I listen? We started out friendly. My best, MrD.
Mr D hit it out of the ballpark about dedicated listening rooms. Without it you are shooting darts without a target trying to achieve sound nirvana with equipment alone.
I guess it's okay to listen to the room instead of the "performance"?
For us "mortals" financial decisions are a factor of "This OR This" as opposed to ultra wealthy "This AND This".
Living in agony over what you can't have is a guaranted formula for misery. But, yes, I'd buy a better system (and a room to put it in) if money were no object. However, I have a special relationship with my current system and am grateful for what I have.
Mr D hit it out of the ballpark about dedicated listening rooms. Without it you are shooting darts without a target trying to achieve sound nirvana with equipment alone.
Welcome, sir! I hope you can brush off the negatives, but absorb all the positives, here at Audiogon. I've made the mistake of having a bit to drink before posting, then questioning my opinionated posts later. It happens, so don't let users get you down. They'll often come back with useful or relatable information.
To the OP, welcome, and do not let one or two of these posters dissuade you from posting here. Nice story, and a meaningful life lived, so far. If you are happy with your system, more power to you. Many posters here are not happy with their systems, believe me. I see mega bucks spent, and the room remains a problem, because they do not have a "dedicated" listening room, with is unfortunate. A "great" room with a moderate system can be much more engaging than a room that is filled with super expensive gear, and the room is the bottleneck. I have seen this all of my life with clients. As long as you can enjoy the music, and it seems that you are. I am known for long paragraphs, and those who are interested and welcoming with what I have to say...great. Those that are not, need not be. This is a forum of "audiophiles", equipment fanatics, and some of us are that, but music lovers too. A’gon can be a nasty place, nowhere as friendly as it once was, as you can tell by a handful of the responses. The shame of grown men, and unfortunately, the "mine is bigger than yours" theme comes out in the very way their words are spoken. If you decide to no longer post here, you will be missed. We need passionate people like you here. The enjoyment of music is worldwide, and in these times, it matters more than ever, whether you are an equipment geek, a real music lover, or both. My best, always, MrD.
Two grave diggers had to dig a huge burial plot for the funeral coming today. The procession arrives along with a crane and a flatbed truck. The crane promptly lifts a brand new Cadillac (with the deceased behind the wheel) and lowers into the grave. With that one of the grave diggers leans to the other and admiringly says "Man that's living!".
Yeah I'm a believer that you can have a great stereo system for alot less of you shop around. Buying used or close outs will save you alot.Just be very careful with used equipment. I have been burned a few times on equipment costing a thousand dollars.But for less than 5,000 you can have a killer system...read ,shop ask questions and your wish will come true.
Surprised it hasn't been used for a s-f pic by now, but having 'said' that, you can go all jaded and yawn..... "Seen it....wouldn't wait that long for it...." *L*
I've got a pile of this 'n that....all s/s, except for a 'vintage' 6X6 manually switched Niles CPM-31 patchbay......the only object I've hoarded like Gollum with The Ring.
A digital version would cost like a new Mac, and still couldn't do what it do....
Have a s/s AV unit that's 8X8 that can loop twice but no daisy chain like the Niles can handle. Used for picking the source, whereas the Niles links the major elements....amp, pre, eq's....and the 8x8 in/out...
Relabel all, and take notes on how to 'get back' if I've gone 'wondering what if...?' *L*
I think I am almost maybe kinda sort of close to my final setup. I’ve just started to do some research on a different DAC. Not sure yet what I’m looking for to replace the Pontus ll, but when you’re in no hurry, something will surely fall into my lap.
BTW, Love the house. It kinda reminds me of the house in Forbidden Planet. And until recently, I built my own computers too.
@curiousjim....you need a wingman or eyes behind? I’m 🤷♂️ a quarter new, the most spent on an ’puter (diy, of course) built for purpose.
I’ve a similar Lotto lean dream.....
GetUPoff the floor....lawyer, accountant, and a very select group on a burner cell.
We’ve no dependents, no major debts, spouse dislikes her stepsis who married $’s so she can squat. I’ve a niece, a nephew, and the widow of my brother who’s passed and has med issues....*pow*3X
Invest in some nice RE, there’s been some FLWs’ on and off the mrkt.
I don't believe you have to spend big $$ to get good sound. And I do believe in diminishing returns. That last five percent will cost you greatly.
But I also don't have an issue with people who choose to buy the big ticket items. Some are rich, no doubt. But some just make sacrifices in other areas of their lives to afford the "good stuff". Neither scenario is any of my business. If I had more money, I'd certainly spend more of it on audio.
We need to keep in mind that nothing means anything without a point of reference. Most people that buy 50K DACs could lose a thousand dollars out of their wallets and never notice. For many others, that would be a devastating loss. It's all relative.
It may not be considered polite in some circles, but it is a legitimate inquiry to wonder how some people have some much money to spend. There's not a crime behind every great fortune, but I'm sure there are some interesting stories. Talent, who you know, hard work, good fortune, you were born with it, etc. can explain much, but that's really a political issue. As it pertains to this forum some people swear that you have to spend large amounts of money to get great sound and others say you don't. Some people are happy with there systems and some people are always "upgrading". I'm not sure there's always a positive correlation between money spent and happiness.
You seem to be making some assumptions. There are plenty of guys who would be considered wealthy by US standards perhaps...could afford to buy anything in vulture priced audio and throw it down the drain, if they felt like it. But, they won’t ever look a moron, i.e., let some vulture have the last laugh, i.e., they know exactly how much anything is worth or not.
When you begin to understand something about science, engineering and finance, none of it should be a mystery.
"I just don’t understand how people can spend the kind of money that this stuff is going for. Nor do I understand what kind of people are willing to spend it. "
It is called "Concentration of Wealth". Due to changes in the financial rules of this country we now have greater concentration of wealth in a tiny fraction of the population than occurred in Feudal Europe during the times of Kings.
And it is not going to change, because the Uber rich now buy control of the legislatures (laughingly called "campaign contributions") who make the tax and financial laws
Anyways, that explains the ability of a tiny fraction of the population to spend $Millions on a hi-fi system. It isn’t a lot of money for them...
Every so often I actually buy some lottery tickets, and for a short time therefater I fantasize about what I’d do with a few million:
Buy a bigger house that has suitable listening room.
Hire an electrician to put in a few circuits in that room, and have them put in the way they should be put in (if I had a few million, I wouldn’t be doing it myself).
I have thought of several approaches, to figure out how to have any budget - like putting x bucks a day in a piggy bank would let me proceed with a nice upgrade plan - but that's for another thread.
Easy credit and bad debt is still another solution.
Sounds like you’re content and that’s what counts in life to me. Many people have little and are happy and many have much and are miserable. Being content is the biggest blessing I can think of.
He freely gave to charity, he had the common touch,
And they were grateful for his patronage and thanked him very much,
So my mind was filled with wonder when the evening headlines read:
"Richard Cory went home last night and put a bullet through his head."
But I work in his factory
And I curse the life I’m living
And I curse my poverty
And I wish that I could be,
Oh, I wish that I could be,
Oh, I wish that I could be
Richard Cory.
Richard Cory/Edwin Arlington Robinson/as adapted by Simon and Garfunkle
Bob buys a DAC for $250. Believes it is all you need and is astounded that anyone would spend $2500. Bill buys a DAC for $2500. Believes it's the right choice and it provides much better sound than any $250 unit, and he's astounded that anyone would spend $25,000. Dave buys a DAC for $25,000. The money is not an issue and he has a high end audiophile system. He knows the sound is significantly better than any $2500 unit and he's astounded that anyone would spend $250,000. Elon buys a DAC for $250,000. Money is not an issue and he only buys the best of everything. There must be an improvement in sound and it matches the rest of his system. Are you seeing the trend yet? Spend what you want and if you're not hurting anyone, who are we to disparage your actions? This is not the first and won't be the last thread that looks down its nose at people who spend. Until the day comes when I'm spending your money, get over it.
For some of on the lower end of the economic spectrum like myself, it’s about priorities. I drive a 22-year-old Lexus With nearly 300 000 miles on it but my speakers are worth many multiples of what my rig is worth, and I’m just fine with that. Others may not be. So instead of $100,000 truck like the Meatheads I work in construction with own, I've got my system.
@danagerI don't doubt a $3000 sub sounds better than a $300. It was just an example. Kind of a reality check - am I really missing that $2700 difference. Same with cables, which I couldn't care much about.
Regarding priorities, I think I put it in a different context: you can only prioritize discretionary spending. If you have a discretionary budget and you can choose between X and Y.
I have thought of several approaches, to figure out how to have any budget - like putting x bucks a day in a piggy bank would let me proceed with a nice upgrade plan - but that's for another thread.
Sounds like you’re content and that’s what counts in life to me. Many people have little and are happy and many have much and are miserable. Being content is the biggest blessing I can think of.
Enjoy your system and your friends, and try to not put your stuff before the people in your life. This place is full of cautionary tails. (Tales)
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