Like many, dumping about $15k worth of albums for a pittance, SME tonearm, several cartridges, etc chasing the lie of "perfect sound" forever by buying a what later proved to be garbage cd player, dozens of what later proved to be garbage cds, etc. All because I wanted to hear Keith Jarrett, etc with no surface noise... Now albums I bought new for $3 each in the 1970s sell for much more if they can be found at all.
What has been your costliest mistake in this hobby?
For example :I recently learned a hard lesson- I accidentally ran voltage thru my $3000 MC cartridge (kiseki purple heart). I have a TT with 5 prong connector and a phono cable with a 5 prong connector. I accidentally swapped where they plugged into and ran electric thru the tonearm into the cartridge. It was a stupid - not thinking- hasty mistake. When I corrected the problem the cartridge was fried. An avalanche of four letter words followed!
So what has been your biggest and/or costliest mistake?
So what has been your biggest and/or costliest mistake?