What has been your costliest mistake in this hobby?

Turned up the volume on a Phase Linear 400 amp.

Having the partial  mentor on this hobby.

Lucky enough, not too costly as both items pre-owned.
— Transparent Digital Reference and
— Transparent XLR Ultra Music Link. 

Both cables don't live up to promise, despite their rather elaborate constructions.
SAD. 
M. 🇿🇦 

Biggest mistake:  listening to too many of the armchair experts in these forums. 

Biggest mistake: Bow to peer pressure and then impulsively upgrade, unnecessarily.

 well I tried to take my McIntosh integrated amp off the top of an Onkyo receiver now these were approximately 7 feet off the ground on the top shelf of my closet in the process of trying to just get the Onkyo out cuz I was going to give it to my brother  the Macintosh slipped started to fall I tried to catch it with my other arm and didn't do it it landed on the corner smash the glass the front end of the mac and it made me sick I have not tested it yet to see if it's okay I'm either too scared or just don't want to know

@chrisoshea,

'Spending time on audio forums....'


Maybe, maybe not. 

In my experience it's far better than following advice from magazine reviewers and their ilk who nowadays mainly serve as the advertising wing of the manufacturing industry.

Perhaps if forums like this had been around years ago many of the previous posts in this thread could have been avoided. 

For sure there's also fair share of advertising and promotion happening here, unsurprisingly as it's free, but at least there is also a balanced warning of some of the various pitfalls too.

Not to mention plenty of valueable experience thrown in too. Sometimes I wish there was an easy save function for the really helpful posts. 

Nothing wrong with a legitimate upgrade if you set $$ aside to spend some "pin money", or for a forced replacement from a broken component that is not worth the cost of repair. A merry go round of change for change sake looking for the holy grail doesn't make sense. If you can actually hear the difference and are willing to pay for it and it doesn't impact your finances, why not? The addictive urge to continuously improve is unfortunately part of many areas of consumerism in our society. As you get older (and hopefully wiser) you don't make purchases impulsively (like I used to do in college, not knowing what the hell I was doing).

But if you are like me and your cartridge stylus completely wears out after 9 years (yesterday) that puts you in a state of panic because you have no legitimate back up, and the time to repair is 4 months or more after shipping overseas with the virus delaying everything, you can make a pragmatic decision.

Luckily, the manufacturer apologized for the extended wait time and accommodated me with a brand new replacement for a few hundred bucks more than a service overhaul. You thank them and will be loyal forever. I could have paid more for an upgrade, (with a similar credit for another $1500) but I was totally happy with the sound out of a cartridge that is still at least on the level of the rest of my system (probably better), and I'm going to be in the same situation sooner this time as am probably listening to my system 3 times as much as normal.

I had a similar situation with a cable that was too short after some box reconfiguration and the manufacturer allowed 100% towards an upgrade of the current price. I couldn't beleive it. It was 25 years old! I will never buy another cable that doesn't say Kimber on it. Plus, now they get free advertising on Audiogon.

I’ll be a contrarian here ... the most COST EFFECTIVE thing I’ve done is to have gotten off of the upgrade roller coaster years ago. I now tend to keep equipment for a very long time and have stopped looking for the latest and greatest. It’s worked well for me, and saved me thousands.

Throwing good money after bad:  In 2006 I purchased a one-off Odyssey Audio HT3 from Klaus.  In warranty, it needed a new cap.  Parts and labor were free, but shipping this 64 lb beast wasn't.  12 years later, catastrophic cap failure.  Klaus was surprised it took so long to fail (!).  I shipped it to him at great expense, and I agreed to a full Kismet Internals upgrade of the L/R channels for $900 + shipping.  After a long, long wait, I received an amp apparently damaged in shipping that failed.  Klaus offered to repair it yet again, for free, but again, round trip shipping was well into the hundreds of dollars, as Klaus insisted that he return it to me via air freight (fortunately I live near a major airport).   I had it for 5 months before it failed again.  I had decided after the last repair not to lug this thing to and from shippers if it ever failed again, so it is now a boat anchor underneath a better sounding Class D amp from Arion Audio.  Trouble free for over a year, it weighs just 20lbs., so I can handle it if it ever does need a repair.  And it is one of the cleanest amps I have  ever heard.  

Buying speakers that I was certain must be fabulous based on a review and talking to the builder...without hearing them personally first...put 'em in my system, was sure they were breaking-in, waited, waited some more, and then realized they just didn't work for me...by the time the builder had sent me the proper serial number badges (6 months at least) he wouldn't allow a return...lost a couple hundred bucks when finally sold. Good news was the speakers I already had sounded great, and I was simply looking for more efficiency. Bad news for the builder as I'll now have nothing to do with him or his products. 

rickytickytwo, did you ever find a power amp that could drive the Kappas? I would think that some of the Class D amps might qualify.

Absence of knowledge is a killer.
My biggest mistake was buying speakers that dipped below 1 ohm (9 Kappas) and pairing them with power amps that had a lot of watts, but only a 4 ohm output rating (2 Carver M-4.0t). To make matters worse, I was going to change the crossovers on the speakers and I had bought a couple powerful subs with passive crossovers to try to see if I could still get the speakers to open up, but never got the chance due to a fire. 

phd:
Right you are. In 2001, I really liked the sound of the B&K electronics. It took less than 10 sec. to pick it originally vs. more mass market brands. Hot sucker! I almost bought one of the 2ch amps when I kicked HT out of bed, but why tempt fate? I used to have a dickens of a time selling against B&K. Who'da thunk they'd come and bite me in the butt after they were dead?
BEWARE! VAMPIRE AMPS!

denverfred, some of the B&K receivers were problematic and were worth walking away from. But their two-channel gear is built well with little problems if any. You would want to be careful with some of their older amps because their mosfet outputs are not available for individual replacement and you would have to opt for a complete expensive re-build on both channels.

My costliest mistake was not stopping while I was ahead and thinking by turning over gear to try I could go back and re-buy the pieces I liked the most! Wrong! Not so easily done any more.

Yeah, I went thru the dimpled dome experience after a flood. The complex’s lawn irrigation system sprung a huge leak next door and left my basement listening room with about 3" of water. Emergency crew moved my Dynaudio C60 speakers. Yes, I should have done it myself, but in the panic . . . .
My most expensive mistake was buying a B&K AVR307 from a local dealer--a former employer. Great sounding receiver in all respects, but when rear-channel noise showed up I took it in for service. I was informed that they no longer carry B&K, that B&K was out of business with no parts access. I was so disgusted I didn’t even protest. I knew if I did, I would eventually have to insult my old boss, who I still like, and the service manager, with whom I always had a good relationship. I walked out, leaving the B&K sitting on the counter. $3000.
I later followed my audiophile instincts, having discovered the limitations of HT for my idea of Hifi.
Now that I have surrendered myself to fuller immersion in this hobby--a solitary exercise in constant frustration as the transitory sounds of whatever comes out of the speakers gets evaluated against some ideal swimming around in my memory--I realize that I should have put the thing up for sale for parts.
I’m still pissed. But I should have known more about B&K at the time. Online sources weren't what they are today and I trusted my old employer too much--especially a service dept. that had never lived up to standard when my customers had problems years before. Live and learn.

millercarbon

How exactly do you usually bias a tone arm?

Bias = anti-skate

@cd318 thanks for your sympathetic words.  You're correct that these expensive components are extremely vulnerable on my particular speakers.  Tiny protective grills for the tweeters would be helpful.  

After my expensive accident, I've taken to using the mesh grills most of the time.  Unfortunately they diminish the sound quality so I remove them whenever I settle down for serious listening sessions.  As they attach magnetically it only takes seconds to remove them.  My wife prefers the look with the grills on and I do appreciate the peace of mind, knowing there's some kind of protection.

How exactly do you usually bias a tone arm? Eh?

My biggest mistake was getting a 'high end' tonearm from Origin Live.  $ Thousands!  It is not better than the standard Technics tonearm on an SL1200.  Origin Live  talk the talk but they do not walk the walk.  The latest version of their conqueror was a pain to set up, impossible to bias correctly and had no sonic benefit.  It was worse than a Jelco.  Short point if you have a Technics TT then keep the tonearm or get a Jelco or SME.

to WSRRSW,My most sincere and heartfelt apologies to you.  I wrongly assumed it was a reply by the person I believed I told that lying was unacceptable.  It was not meant for you and I am sorry that I did not ck the post before replying.I never engage in internet war, never, but I guess I got carried away after a long day.  Really, I've told myself lately what does it matter (re many minor irritations) and here certainly about someone I don't know when all this stuff (actually a huge part of my life right now), is going on.  So I don't think I got up on the wrong side of my bed that day, but probably after a 14 hr day and that's the norm lately, went to bed that way.  So once again please accept my apology.
Semper Fi brother  May you have fair winds and following seas.
Mark

Starting and running an audiophile cable company for twenty years. 

@janehamble ,

’Only when doing some REW testing did it come to light that both my Seas tweeters were pressed in. $900 a pair, plus installation. I have no idea how this happened. Could have been a visiting child or dog - but most likely it was clumsy carrying by me.’


That’s a pretty unpleasant experience. Sadly it happens all too often when it could easily be prevented.

It’s bordering on criminal negligence the way some companies don’t offer any protective mesh on their tweeters.

The one that Harbeth uses on their M30 / M40 tweeter is a model example of what should be a standard practice.

This sort of protection should be compulsory. For metal ones full protection Harbeth M30 style should be mandatory.

Even those 2 wire protective strips you sometimes see in front of a tweeter are better than nothing, but not by much.

ATC even have steel grilles on some of their models. Great idea.

Otherwise sooner or later, tweeters will get pushed in. You may or may not be able to recover the shape with a gentle use of a vacuum cleaner, but it’s doubtful whether it will perform again like it should.

The hobby itself.

Can we take the personal attacks out of this please? Settle up or agree not to sell each other anything anymore.

@drkingfish,

What, in Gods name is your problem?  You spewed quite a bit of BS in your post.  Get up on the wrong side of the bed or are you always this way?   You seem very angry, perhaps some Anger Management Classes are in order?   I don’t think your drama is helpful or warranted. 

drkingfish32 outposts

Your response to my attempted humorous answer (with a lot of truth in it) is completely uncalled for.

You have attacked another post on this thread. Is that how you roll?

Saying to someone their manhood or charter is deeply in question, aka horribly flawed, is over the top.

Semper fidelis.

Last year I moved house.  For months after the move I couldn't understand why my sound quality was apparently worse than before.  I blamed the acoustics of my new room.  

Only when doing some REW testing did it come to light that both my Seas tweeters were pressed in.  $900 a pair, plus installation.  I have no idea how this happened.  Could have been a visiting child or dog - but most likely it was clumsy carrying by me.

That being said, the new tweeters are great and my Kudos Super 20's sound better than ever.

My costliest mistake was not stopping the purchases before I spent all my disposable income from savings. And, secondly not finding someone locally (maybe a knowledgeable dealer) who new audio (since I was a newbie back when) to help me with system-building instead of the trial and error I went through on my own buying here at the Gon. Couldn’t see that the money was dwindling slowly. Didn’t realize what I had done until it was too late. Burn and churn was what I did. Now the disposable income is spent. I can only afford small purchases - for a couple $hundred here and there. My days of spending several $grand here and there are all over. I have to look to retirement with significantly lowered savings. I spent above my means without understanding it. You newbies in the pursuit of high quality sound reproduction should learn from my experience.

Never any costly mistakes, just "happy little accidents."
(Bob Ross) RIP

Really......."I paid for it alright".  That's your answer to having no morals, no values, no ethics. no character, no manhood.  OK I'm sure you think in simple, one thought sentences.  I'm sure you have never asked yourself what it means to be a "man". You sold your soul for $250,  People have sold theirs for less. I'm absolutely convinced that you have never asked yourself, how can I leave this world a little better than I found it.  A lot of us work a lifetime doing just that.  We sacrifice our families, our friends, our health, and untimely die younger than the average stats say we should.
Some people would never put themselves on the front line of dangers and you are obviously one of them. Because you need character to do that. Marines have a saying...most people stand behind the flag (I'm not so sure anymore unfortunately, my addition) Marines stand in front of it.I'm sure you would never make the grade, wouldn't even be close.
You know I'm not too hard to get along with, even though I am and most people I work with are Type A ++ personalities.  You want to see some nutso geniuses and or pretty smart people or at least that's what they think they are, walk around with me a day.  But I do know the Bobfather, I even examined  him once., what an honor that was)  All I am going to do is send on exact copies of what you and I posted here, nothing else and ask him should your Silver's ever need repair would he be willing to it.  This is a man with no affiliation with some companies he was no longer with and repaired out of warranty and no charge because the products still "had his name on them"  Again, Karma has a way of coming around.  I like birds a lot, I think my favorite is the Swallow.

I have, on occasion, sent prime examples (VERY low hours) of tubes from my NOS, backup stash, to AudiogoN members who’ve asked about, "the best" of the 6SN7 and/or 6DJ8/6922 types, to taste for themselves.       A little over 2 1/2 months ago; I sent a pair of Amperex Navy 6922 (early Sixties/large halo getter/maybe 10 hrs) and a pair of early Forties Ken-Rads (bottom gettered/staggered plates/copper rods/less than 10 hrs) for a member to try in their Cary SLI-80 F1, based on what they described as presentation preferences.       They loved the presentation so much; they asked if they were for sale and- did I have anything else, that they could audition.        Glad I didn’t, because: it’s been at least a month of attempted communication, without response.       When purchased (some 20 yrs ago), I paid around half of what they’re worth now (around $500, today, combined).       Glad I’m not as bankrupt (financially or morally), but- that still stings.       No one to blame, but- myself (of course)!

Asking my wife. 

Need a further explanation? I paid for it alright.

My cat enjoyed the comforts of the heat radiating from my Mark Levinson amp.  Unfortunately he apparently couldn’t control his bladder and the result fried the circuit board. I got about $100 for the salvage parts.

Agree with Kenny, starting hobby....  actually not too many mistakes except for  buying a used VTL..... that was a costly mistake.....   some "lifetime transferable warranty" that proved to be.

@stereo5  I've read of your problems with the VR33s on AudioCircle.  It could be any number of problems but they didn't work in your room.   Nearly all of the owners wrote that it could have been your room/floor/acoustics, cabling, equipment, etc.  Something didn't jive for you.  I own speakers some people hate.  The reason is they are trying to play my big speakers in small rooms-it doesn't work.   

Bought a Signature 9 SE CD(and DVD) player for nearly $4,000 25 years ago. Used it for about 50 hours. Just sold it for $500 on Audiogon. It had much worse sound than my Kyocera 300 and 400 CD players from 1984 (sound like a Mac 30 amp, gorgeous mids, light bass, not overally detailed). It sounded sluggish and mediocre at the frequency ends. It had a difficult dual function remote, tough to use. Another big mistake was selling my Acoustat 2+2s and replacing them with Martin Logan Monolith IIIs. For the little money I got for the Acoustats, I should have kept them and just upgraded my system more (this was back in the 1990s).

If this is a true story, and I doubt it.  I don't know how you can smile every evening at 6:30.  I honestly don't understand it. 
You admit in a public forum that you are a liar and in this case also a cheat.  It is one thing to say well I don't know if and how well they work, bad tubes, and the cost of any repair etc, I'll offer you $250 for the pair.  He can accept or reject.  Only looker or not, you knew what the were,  $30,000  + monoblocks (new) and you told the kid they were “organ amps” from an old Hammond electronic organ... not worth much."  Now he should have done his homework there is no excusing that but you lied and therefor cheated him.
I and most other "real" men who know who and what they are, including their flaws, work on their flaws to improve themselves and have character consider what you did disgusting!  A "real" man has character, honesty and integrity. They can be trusted.  You have none of those qualifications.  Maybe your wife is mad at herself for marrying someone who has no character.Karma has a way.....maybe some day you'll get home early and find your wife blo...g that 23 yr old kid.Have a nice day.

In my early days of diy modding fried out CJ MV-55 after upgrading all caps, still have the fried thing, someday...  Another early modding attempt building a mm only phono preamp, adding tubes and many circuit changes, adding step up transformers to the design, couldn't get it to fire up, still have this one as well. This one wasn't a great financial loss, but lots of labor time.  Think I know what's wrong here, so have future plans for resurrecting.

Diy  modding can be expensive early on, hopefully one learns. Haven't damaged any thing in the past ten years or so. I suppose I could rationalize these aren't losses as they've taught me what not to do. Still, I'd like to get both units up and operating just to see how they sound.

Taking this hobby too far. Believing your satisfaction will come with buying the best of the best. Trying to reach the holy grail of sound with each purchase.
Not focusing more on the music than the equipment.

A Psvane KT88 with a lint short brought down my beloved VAC Phi 300.1, requiring that it be shipped to Sarasota, Fla. for repair. This happened prior to a national show, so VAC couldn't get to it for 3 months.  No music for 3 months. One of the most depressing periods in my life. Psvane no more and the VAC now has circuit protection.

Linn CD-12, I bought it new in 1999 for I think it was $12,000, maybe $20,00; not sure.  I loved it, but when it died less than 5 years later. Linn said that they couldn't get the parts to repair it. I still have my 1981 LP-12, but never again will I buy a Linn product. No support on a top dollar component, 

 My biggest mistake was trading in my tube McIntosh C-22 preamp for a solid state McIntosh C-28 preamp. I got $140 trade-in. My wife said I could not keep both. The dealer promptly sold the C-22 to a person in Japan for $800. This was long ago. I see the C-22 is still highly regarded. The good news is, I was given a C-20 later and I still have that. I still have the C-28, also.I also blew up several power amps in the basement with a Yamaha PS190 keyboard. Lately my solid state McIntosh 2300 power amp (128 lbs.) seems to be working so far with the keyboard. The blown power amps were fixed at a reasonable price by an audio genius in St. Louis.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/coda-audio-video-based-in-san-francisco-is-running-a-fraudulent-operati

Buying a power amp on reputation alone. Bought an Audio Research GS150 thinking it had to be great. It was ok but hated the non responding power meters. I'd sell it in a heart beat if I could.

Buying excellent components in the first place based on the recommendations of others before I had developed the expertise to really evaluate it, then selling it for better (?) stuff to 'improve' my system.  I knew nothing (to speak of) about synergy or set up. There is quite a bit of stuff I wish I still had which is now considered quality vintage, is hard to find, and is quite expensive. Go figure.....:-)

My costliest mistake, not buying a copy of Donald Fagen’s, ‘Nightfly’ vinyl album (Mobile Fidelity’s, 1step Process). At the time that it was available, it cost $125. Now, it’s out of circulation. You can still get a copy, but they’re going for $400. Ugh, I could kick myself for not getting it when it was available! What the hell was I thinking???