55, business owner, $50000 in equipment, New York State. I've been in audio since I was old enough to buy my own "record player". Even back them I stressed over choices and had to choose from two differnt all in one record players.
Greg |
I am 53 years old,I am a Rocket Scientist,I make $237,458.00 a year,my home cost $375,862.00,my stereo cost $22,868.00,I have 3271 LPs,986 CDs,437 SACDs,I drive a 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe,I have a 1972 Corvette,I have a 1976 Jeep CJ-7,I have a 1957 Harley Davidson Duo-Glide,I wear boxerbriefs,I eat mainly a vegetarian diet,I do not smoke,drink or partake in illegal drugs,I am divorced,I have one child,I do not have a criminal record,I was not molested as a child.Need to know anything else? |
55, Electrician. But if I had my choice, I'd rather be shooting frozen chickens at airplanes. |
I'm 45 and a biomedical sales rep, pacemakers that is. |
I'm 34 I'm an ex butcher that has just finished an apprenticeship as a carpenter and now supervising for a construction company. My system probably retails for about 7 grand but paid a lot less than that, just getting started really, pretty happy at the moment but looking to upgrade my amplification in the next 6 months |
I am a university teacher. I am 54 years old. My system is all Coincident Technology: speakers, amps, preamp. Near 25K, I guess. |
54, EVP Marketing in the SEMI industry. I am afraid to do the math on my audio equipment addiction. My first stereo was purchased in 77 while deployed on an aircraft carrier and currently have two home theaters and three stereos. I guess I should have started this by saying, "Hi my name is Greg and I am an audio addict". Audiophile anonymous anyone? |
I am 53. Pro Guitarist 44 years of working the guitar 12 years performing. Pro Artist 25 years of sales & Inventer/Creator of Light Etchings & Light Etching designs. Sr. Designer- Electrical/Mechanical. Inventer & Designer of The Human Vehicle- a human powered mid sized car. |
56, Lawyer - Been at this about 10 years, wish I had started 40 years ago |
Electrical Engineer, 55, system 8K. Been at this since I was 15 years old when I had a Dynaco/ Electrovoice system. |
26 Putting my system back together after hard times. Im a Multi-talented workaholic. nothing fancy working on a cj pre, parasound halo a23, matrix 804's. I NEED a Velodyne HGS 18 though |
If I see nowadays prices, my system would be around 50K$
which I consider ridiculous. If I paid half of that amount, it would be a lot.
I am still a violinist, my love is in violins and bows (!!),
Age by now (still bang in the middle of statistics) 43.. |
Damn....I just realized that I'm now 10 years older than when I first responded to this thread. Getting old sucks. |
Dang, John. I didn't think we'd be hearing from you anymore. Are you back? If so, I hope you are well and yes, it's good to see you back. (o: |
Interesting thread! I always thought people with $20k+ systems were wealthy MD/Biglaw/Exec type people, but there's a lot variety in professions here, although the middle-to-advanced-aged male stereotype seems to hold true. Now I don't feel so guilty with my relatively "modest" system. I should show my wife this thread, haha.
Me: 29 years old, "systems engineer" (computer) by title, sysadmin without the overblown label. Main rig is ~$11k retail, paid about $6.5k used. Bedroom system is $2700 retail, paid about half.
Then again, I upgraded to all this in the current year from a $1500 integrated/monitor setup while also getting married and having a baby, and my wife does not work, so maybe I should feel a touch of guilt. I think I'm done for a while though... except for maybe swapping gear that's lateral in price :D |
I'm 45 and a finance director at an industrial firm. Two beautiful kids. I have a main system that retails for about $7k. Still upgrading but it sounds very good.
18 months ago I decided that I had better listen to all that music I had been putting off for years so I'm on a full-scale program, working my way through Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, moving gradually into his late period and will veer out of Austria and into France in the 19th-century for next year. Been listening to all kinds of music for 30+ years but wanted to be more systematic, which I'm finding to be a really interesting adventure. Just started getting into audiophile equipment a year ago after owning a decent mid-fi system and I have to wonder why I didn't do so earlier. |
Now 65, and with my new insurance my hearing can be upgraded to where my $6000.00/$7000.00 system gets the attention it deserves. 35 years as a shipwright/cabinetmaker/furniture builder has brought me to building speakers for enjoyment, though the enjoyment of hundreds of live concerts as well as the sound levels produced by power tools makes every sound that is music more precious. |
I'm 49 yrs.old, used to work in Radio (disc jockey at Jazz and rock n' roll stations, and also a news producer at a news/talk radio station for about 10 years). Got tired of spinning my wheels in the dirt, making shit money, working shit hours. Quit the broadcasting industry in 1990, went to work for U.P.S. as a package car driver. Better health benefits, WAY better money, paid vacations, and a pension plan. Never regreted leaving radio/tv. Almost retired now.
Been into music, and had audio systems since I was 10 or 11 yrs. old. Very passionate about music. So is the lovely wife. Got systems in EVERY SINGLE ROOM of my house. Including my garage and backyard to. Got a kickass home theater set up too. My dedicated 2 channel high end system (which is in it's own dedicated listening room in another part of my house), is kickass too. Got somewhere in the range of $150,000 to $200,000 between the gear, and all the room treatments and customizations. |
I am a 55 year old executive with a heavy equipment company, and my 2 channel system is worth around $40,000 retail not including home theatre. Thanks to the internet, and a trip to Taiwan, I paid much less. |
Im 40 yrs old, IT manager. I used to work for a computers store when i was younger. |
Physician, age 56. have a diploma in Studio Technology and Practice from the Institute of Audio Research. Have a few systems. Ah yes, the law of diminishing returns applies so well to audio.
First stereo was Rectilinear speakers, Sony integrated, Empire Troubador turntable back in 1973.
In the living room now -NHT-xd with Audible Illusions preamp and Opp. Computer room has NHT-VT3s, Rogue M150s, Cary preamp - direct line from the iMac into the preamp. Still have held on to #2 N.E.W. A 20 amps- still sound great.
Lots of stuff in storage. |
Eugene81, with the exception of my Radio Shack electro-static tweeter speakers, which cost $180, I use Health or Dyna kits and a AR turntable with a Stanton cartridge after I moved from cities with good fm stations.
By your age, I had moved up to Rectilinear 3 speakers and Dyna ss gear. Yes, being able to get more expensive gear comes with age, but, of course, so does inflation. In the early '70s, I had Infinity ServoStatic 1s, ARC SP-3 and two ARC Dual 75A for a total investment of $4500. I was only making $19k per year, but had book royalties. |
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I am a physicist currently working as an independent scientist in university. I have turn 34 this month. In the last 3-4 years, I have invested a bit more the 20k euros in my system. |
I am retired electronic tech. Age 73.
So many people here have great systems. And lousy ears. If you are 40 YO and above, and think you have great ears......your Audiologist might differ with you.
My system, about $3K worth, is better than my ears....
But I still love hearing some of the old songs and remembering when me and the artist were both young. |
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Federal employee of 25 years working for the Army in DC. Am 58 with hearing to match. |
Work @ Tulane University, I'm 27, and my system is worth more than my age in thousands. |
I'm a male with a BFA & MA who's a 49 year old gallery contracted (otherwise published) painter, sculptor, and a pedagogue, and sometimes substitute teacher. As with artists in general, living as 'the other' lends itself easily to methods of creative financing and making sacrifices for a later benefit. My system would retail new for around $55,000.00. |
Retired radio broadcast engineer, 66 |
Retired, 67. Last posting was research biostatistician. System worth $50,000 plus the electronics, which are home brew.
Beg to differ, Southern. My hearing is down 6 dB at 12KHz, and I can clearly differentiate VCap and RelCap teflons, and brands of premium resistors in a discrete-resistor gain stage volume control. My father, who couldn't hear much above 4 KHz, clearly preferred a Nakamichi tape deck to a Denon in a single blind experiment (sadly, as I thought, for one was to be a gift). A friend who was a shooter clearly differentiated digital and analog vinyl from the same performer, same era.
Are you sure you aren't underselling your abilities? |
My company manufactures color concentrates and additive masterbatches for all manner of plastics & plastics processing. I manage the southeast region. I'll be 47 in April. |
35 year old Broadcast Engineer |
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I'm a trust fund baby....., sorry I was just trying to top "adult entertainment". I'm really in law enforcement (38). I am at 8K so far. Deftecs, SVS and Parasound. |
57...a guitar playing avid fly-fisherman that practices the art of the long-release. |
57 yoa. Audio since 15. I’m the restless sort and never stuck to one profession. Army infantry paratrooper(82 ABN), cop, chiropractor, fraud investigator, and now a teacher. It’s been fun. We adopted 6 yr old twins 6 yrs ago and are presently adopting sisters, age 8 and 11 from Russia. Kids wear you out, but keep you young. |
I'm 35, head coach of the Duke University Cycling Team, and work with private clients at all levels of the sport.
www.pedalgogy.com |
Semi-Retired from the High Tech Industry. Have been a public school teacher (7th grade math) for the last 7 years. Age 56, Retail value of my system: $7800, if I did my mental math correctly. |
28 yo Firefighter system about $30,000 |
53 years old, electronic tech. I repair audio gear for Kicker.Music lover and long time audio nut! |
Metrologist, working on radar equipment, software programing
to measure noise and signal transmission -(ex) NAVY -
61 now, with a hobby in audio research. |
Hey Cjl, another Meteorologist here. I only got 1 year in at the National Weather Service before the Clinton budget cut. Me being the new guy, was laid off.
I'm loving building speakers full time now, but still have a passion for weather. |
I'm currently working as a cook, hopefully soon to be selling real estate. I just turned 34 last week. |
Psychotherapist PhD / Professor (p-t)/ Buddhist Minister (student) 64yrs. I feel life slipping away as I write this....
Zenith Reord player portable, bought on time
Hitachi Recevier used, burned out bldg., used zenith speakers
Radio Shack receiver, Hitachi Speakers
- sold everything
Kenwood receiver, Advent Speakers, big mothers, used
NAD Recevier, used 40wats
Boston Accoustic 5 pce, w sub
NAD Recevier 70 wats
Paradigm speakers,
Silverline 11s
Silverline 12
Linn k
NHT
EPOs 5
Triangle es
*Tyler's mini. .( *) still have
*Silverline 17s
EPOs els3
* Silverline something...
HK, Arcam
*Triangle 202
*Totem Rainmakers
*Totem Dream.
HK/ Cambridge
* Tetra U120
Not dead, yet.... |
I'm a Hitman. I'm 87 years old but still do contract work from my wheel chair. In fact, I have had more successful hits in my wheel chair due to the sympathy I attract and the increased access available to me in restricted areas. If it wasn't for the Super Beta Prostate formula I would've retired long ago. |
Non-practicing physician/scientist. I have a simple system consisting of Zu Def 4s (upgraded from Def 2s), Ancient Audio Lektor Prime CDP, and Ancient Audio custom-made 300b SET with Takatsuki TA-300b tubes. All of these were acquired new for about 25k. However, when I began with Zu Def 2s, I experimented with EAR Acute CDP and EAR 859, Yamamoto A-08s, and Deja Vu Audio 45/2a3 amplifiers - all of which were purchased used and sold for their purchase price. |
Master Electrician, Electrical Contractor, college Professor. Started collecting equipment at the ripe old age of 19 way back in 1976. |
I am 65 and retired for 12 years. I would say to you, don't worry about the cost of your system. More importantly is how it sounds to you. After all, you are the expert of your system. I started my hunt for my sound along time ago. 1968. I bought quite a bit of Japanese new receivers and reel to reels. A few years later I was buying, piece by piece American made Speakers and started into separates. Then the kids come long and suddenly a long hiatus of 20 plus years. Then I started all over, why? Because I could I guess. I amassed over 4,000 records and then retiring and making a few trips traveling and listening to equipment not available in my area I ultimately ended up with a system I am proud to own. Cost about 83,000 without tax. It truly is the sound we are after That all elusive sound makes magic! And then, even your wife joins you in your hunt. In this case you honestly can say the catch was worth the chase! So take your time, enjoy the experience and let it take you wherever it goes. Wants and compromise...... |
56, Information Technology consulting, amateur musician.
Owned stereos since high school. Got hi Fi bug at 22 when I heard set of Acoustat thru mark levinson gear at shop in silicon valley. Been on upgrade journey since then |
