What is your upgrade philosophy?

I started off with a very cheap system. Then I put together on paper my dream system and bought one piece at a time. I wouldnt shop so much by what component I wanted next as much as I did by good deals. I kept an eye out for an exceptional price of anything on my list and bought whatever was the best buy.

It was hard for a while because I drove an $11,000 pair of speakers with a $500 amp but after five years it is just about finished. As first when I changed out components the difference was huge. Towards the end it was more of an elimination of small but particular weak points but it was just as rewarding.

Now for home theater.

I agree with a lot of the above post. Your system should be built around your speakers, it is better to try different equipment in your home, and the best speakers in the world wont sound that good with lousy electronics.

The key is though we all need to start somewhere and we need a reference point to compare different equipment to.

There are also drawbacks to a five year plan which is what I did. You never hear the potential of the products you do own until you are done. Manufacturers and models change as you build. Some of your equipment depreciates as you are still building although if you choose wisely its never by much. And before you are done there is a new format to compete with.

The advantages are. After five years you are further then you normally would have been. You have years to audition different products until you are ready to buy. Some of those discontinued models you originally wanted drop in price. You end up with an excellent reference point to start switching out new products.

I consider this hobby a life long adventure. I admit I enjoy the equipment almost as much as the music and I am looking forward to the next thirty or forty years of building and experimenting.

This is such a great thread I wanted to make another comment. I bought a lot of my equipment through a trusted dealer. I always got 15% off of list and although that is well above audiogon prices I feel that the money was well spent in expertise. They really understood what I liked and always had the best suggestions on what brands suit my taste.

Countless times I left their store annoyed telling them they were wrong. I would then go off and audition many many other products only to return months later to tell them they were right.

I was lucky to find them and the extra money I spent to get products through them was well worth the expense. I look back at what I originally planned to buy and I cringe. Never underestimate a good dealer.