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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?
polkalover
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Actually now that I think about it the most costly mistake I made was CD. It came out right after college when I was broke and moving around and storing my Technics and records. Bought into Perfect Sound Forever. Only years later when I dug it out of storage and hooked it up did I realize my mistake. Still had kept some records, but gave most away. Listening to stupid CD BS cost me thousands.  

Made up for it since though, let me tell you!
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,506 posts
 
I had a Superphon DM220 amp on the floor. Ataxia was starting to make it difficult to balance bending over so I was pushing on the rocker power switch on/off with my toe. Missed one time and pushed the power LED in.  The amp became a welder and popped both woofers in the sacrifice.
Ended up with better woofers and a 400s amp.
Total ~$600 damage.
brauser
520 posts
 
Hooked up an Audio Research D200 amplifier to a pair of low Ohm Electrostatic Speakers. Damage to both pieces. Definitely learned an expensive lession.
audioquest4life
726 posts
 
Was installing a brand new Benz LP Moving Coil cartridge, my first ever high end cartridge and was wearing a long sleeve shirt, well, you know what happened. I snagged the cartridge tip somehow with my shirt, and after a few expletives, saw what I had done...the tip was canted sideways. That was a bad day. 
audiovideonirvana's avatar
audiovideonirvana
56 posts
 
Marantz DV9500 (B-stock): bad drawer mechanism, went tits-up after a couple of months, it was deemed unfixable; Marantz SA8260: ditto, plus background hiss and noise; Audio Research CA50: bad power supply caused massive pops at random during music, not disclosed by Agon seller who shall remain nameless. All three were not cheap and ended up being turkeys. I suffered a loss on all three.
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