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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
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.
rosey
9 posts
 
selling my trl gt 400s, gtp preamp, and soundlab a1s. still chasing that lost Magic! rip P.W.
rosey
9 posts
 
I think even the dog misses the emotion
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