Did you just have lots of spare equipment and figured why not? Did you have a spare room, hobby room, shop, or office that needed better sound? Did you want to set up separate music and home theater systems? Or digital and vinyl rigs?
What was the final thing that pushed you over the edge?
I guess I’m asking because I might be nearing that point. I lived in a series of small studio and 1 bedroom apartments for many years, so I never had the room for another system until I bought a house. I’ve only had a TV for the past few years (for a lot of reasons) so home theater never was a priority. Now as I’m improving my 2 channel system and branching out to try different types of equipment I think about it more. I feel bad burning up tube life watching (an obnoxious amount of) YouTube or Netflix. I’m sure that feeling will grow as I’m starting to lust after NOS and exotic tubes and higher end tube gear.
My reply is only 2? There is a cable break in system, a main system. A shop system. A system for outside. LOL You'll see. There are those that clean out and get rid of all the old equipment. Then there are those that still have their first transistor radio. I fall in under the latter, more so.
Have fun, as for warming the house with tubes, I been doing it for years, kind of look at it that way. I've used valves for 50 years. Save your money, on HIGH $$$ valves.. LOTS of great valves, at reasonable prices.
My secondary system was developed for use outside on the deck. I enjoy country living and listening to music on a relaxing afternoon (retired). It is kept indoors and placed out for sessions.
The family room system serves primarily to augment TV viewing.
My main system is located in my bedroom which is setup for audio.
I have two “second systems”. One is the basement in my exercise space and is composed of leftover components that I hung on to too long and when I finally decided to sell them I learned just how much they had depreciated so kept them. The second “second system” is at our country cabin and is built around gear that I always lusted after way back when I was getting started in this hobby, but couldn’t afford then like the beautiful Meitner mahogany encased mono blocs and pre. Depreciation works both ways 😀
Then there’s the Oppo/B&K/Totem video surround setup, the Pioneer receiver/Advent garage setup, backyard Onkyo/Polk setup, bedroom Scott/Design Acoustics setup. I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but I don’t really consider these “systems”. Way too much stuff!
Clear from the OP that second systems are not done out of dissatisfaction for the first, pace ebm.
If I start a second system, it would likely get its fuel from two different motives; first, I have extra gear that is not worth selling nor worth giving away. Example, I have some Adcom gear that sounds quite decent but is not worth much. It could form a nice second system.
Another motive might be to have a solid state system with different power and speakers which crave it OR a low power system with high efficiency speakers and a sweet low-watt tube amp.
First 2nd system came about when we bought a log home in the mountains. Wanted some music so had an extra CDP and tuner. Bought a new Grommes PHI-26 and used Klipsch Quartets. No Phone or internet.
Three systems, one in each of the places in my house where I spend a good deal of time, living room, office and garage workshop. All of them are tied together by WiFi so that I can move from place to place without any interruption in what's playing.
I spent a lot of time
at a friend’s house and the only music available was from their flat screen’s
speaker via cable box. They thought it
was fine. Drove me crazy. I brought over an extra Cary amp, Marantz
DAC, N802s and Cardas cables. Loaded
Roon and Tidal on their PC and I could not be happier.
Recently in another thread, oldhvymec gave me the idea to keep my extra cables broken-in on
a second system. Well I have one, it is
just at a friend’s house.
I think I have a problem! To many years collecting and hoarding, I have 3 2nd systems my main system in the basement for serious listening, a system on the main floor for every day listening, a system for the office, and a system at the cabin. I need help.
Basement surround system, shop 5 speaker system, garage 4 speaker system, shed (backyard) 8 speaker system, office 5 speaker system, bedroom 3 speaker system and finally both stereo and surround systems in the A/V room. 31 years in the same place will do that. No help needed
Different systems for different purposes - main system for serious listening (usually while reading or working on something) located in large walk-out level recreation/pool table room, outdoor system for the back porch and pool area, and living room system for television/movies and background/dinner music.
I have a small collection of vintage gear we rotate in our living room as a second system. Mostly use Tidal but have an PL12 with a Parasound phono pre as well.
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