How can you justify spending so much cash??

[BigSkreen]

Spending that kind of money is something I've always struggled with. My background is from a less than wealthy family so my parents really instilled in me the value of the dollar. They also instilled the importance of an education. I went to college and got a degree in engineering. Now I earn more dollars but I do so because I worked extremely hard to pass my classes.

I live in a very high cost of living area and pay more than I ever thought I would for pretty much everything but I also make more. I also have a hugely supportive wife who encourages me to spend money on myself all the time. I mostly refuse because my family comes before myself in every way. That core value is what I was taught makes a good man.

So how do I justify it? I look at it as an investment. If I get a good set of speakers how often am I going to have to replace them? Not often. I'm also working on building a subwoofer and since I like working with my hands most of my electronics hobbies don't allow this. When people come to visit I can show them that I had a hand in the entire thing.

Also I think the community here is awesome and you can't help but get enthusiastic. One of the other guys on here, Swerd, invited me into his home to listen to his speakers which I find astounding. The fact that so many people are willing to help and donate knowledge to others is great. Not many other hobbies have the community that you find here especially on AH.

Finally a lot of guys I work who buy nice cars and they love that stuff. I like HT and that is my thing. Plus I spend waaaay more time using my HT than they spend in their cars.

 

[ErnieM]

Family time together

I have spent far more on my education than I probably ever will on my audio/video system. I have two master's degrees and a Ph.D. and all together I've probably spent more on that than many spend on buying a house (I'm actually afraid to add it all up!!!).

Having said that, I enjoy good music reproduced as accurately as possible. My entire family enjoys listening to music, so it is something we do together (when my kids are all home from college).

One of the things we'll probably do over Christmas break is watch all three Lord of the Ring films back to back. We might spread it out over two days. It will be a fun family time and, with the system I now have in place, a new experience for all of us, despite having seen those films (extended versions of course) multiple times before.

Some folks spend $5000 on a family vacation where they go and barely tolerate one another. I've spent much less than that on my system and our family will have two days of enjoying the LOTR films and the various comments we all hurl at the screen and each other

 

[jostenmeat]

The first two expands your mind, a one or two person max participation.

Unless you play bughouse.

The latter is not cheap, so that gets deleted.

Huh? All you need is this.

 

[mtrycrafts]

....
Huh? All you need is this.

That's barely under water I was thinking scuba type underwater

Just looked at the link for chess. That could be interesting. A new variation for me.

 

[fredk]

Who knew there were so many cheapskates on AH. And here I thought it was only me.

Personally, I hate beer so I am doing penance by spending tons of money on audio stuff.

I agonized over whether or not to spend the money, but I really wanted to get back to enjoying music the way I did when I was younger. I have been totally blown away by how much better the movie experience is with quality sound. I got way more than I was expecting out of what I spent.

 

[Shintsu]

I don't! Almost everything I have bought I have bought at what are IMO very reasonable prices. The most expensive thing I've bought was my Denon AVR-4802 receiver which I paid $275 for (Unless you count my TV, which was $740 and some change when I bought it). I justify it because it's my interest, I want quality sounding audio. Some people are happy with trashy sounding Bose speakers or a cheap JVC or RCA HTIB, I simply cringe at the thought. The worst piece of equipment I ever had was a pair of KLH tower speakers that were surprisingly nice (They remind you more of those dual 6" driver Polk speakers and sounded close, not as crisp as the Polks I did buy later to replace them). I turned around and sold them at cost because my cost was a great deal in the first place!

The rest just dominoes for me, this doesn't image well - so I get bookshelf speakers. I see a great deal on XX piece of equipment and feel I'd be a fool to pass it up so I buy it and then try to find a use later. I started out a purely stereo guy, but I'm all about the surround now (When I get around to mounting and installing my rear and side channels...and buying a decent center channel). No receiver ever impressed me enought to for-go my NAD pre-amp and Adcom amplifer which were both great - but this Denon did IMO, fancy surround options, lots of support for all the things I'd ever need to use, and enough power for my small room to be overkill - with the option to stick seperate amps on it to make it even more overkill (Or as I like to view it - future proof, for me anyway).

And just to put it out there, I'm 19 and I highly disapprove of drugs, alochol, and all the other amoral banter (Strippers = gross) that was going on the first page of the thread (And no I'm not Mormon, though sure seems like I am when you look at the list of my "Do not's"). I hear enough from idiots at my university, somewhat disappointing to find it here too. I'm sure most of you are older than me too...*Imitating an old person* Ya dang hoodlums!

 

[cfrizz]

That's quite an impressive system you have put together for a 19 year old, well done!

As for the rest, idiots will be idiots Compared to some other forums this one has a bit more class & good manners then others. Other boards it seems like everything seems to degrade in sexually suggestive, derogatory comments about women. It gets very tiresome.

Although I suspect it is because of what the board owners will & will not allow & the men on here are smart enough to abide by whatever rules are in place. There is a time & place for everything & an audio forum isn't the place for it.

Or maybe most are simply conscious of the fact that lots of people are looking through these threads every single day & they don't want to stand out as some uncouth, ill mannered dog.

 

[walter duque]

My system has a retail price of $27.750.-- and it cost me $12.650.--
I am OK with that. Bought everything new except Pre-Pro and Voltage Regulator. I feel like I came out ahead of the game. Everytime I turn it on I say to myself "what a deal".

 

[bandphan]

lots of.....

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

That's quite an impressive system you have put together for a 19 year old, well done!

I guess some of us mature faster than others.

I think I had a boombox when I was 19. Does that count?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I'm 19 and I highly disapprove of drugs, alcohol, and all the other amoral banter (Strippers = gross) that was going on the first page of the thread (And no I'm not Mormon, though sure seems like I am when you look at the list of my "Do not's").

Ah, but you have much to learn, young JEDI.

 

[cfrizz]

I guess some of us mature faster than others.

I think I had a boombox when I was 19. Does that count?

Some boomboxes don't sound half bad, but it gave you the idea to think that it could sound even better. So every little bit helps!

 

[syd123]

My system is about $13k (and it's only 2-channel). ..I do get razzed by friends over this, but most of them have motorcycles, fishing boats, snow mobiles, wave-runners, or some sort of classic car. ..And for most of them, they get to enjoy their extravagant toys only a few times each year whereas I listen to my stereo system EVERY day. ..And, as one poster noted, my system is enjoyed by my whole family. So yes, it's extravagant, but when compared with others, it compares very favorably.

 

[oppman99]

My system is about $13k (and it's only 2-channel). ..I do get razzed by friends over this, but most of them have motorcycles, fishing boats, snow mobiles, wave-runners, or some sort of classic car. ..And for most of them, they get to enjoy their extravagant toys only a few times each year whereas I listen to my stereo system EVERY day. ..And, as one poster noted, my system is enjoyed by my whole family. So yes, it's extravagant, but when compared with others, it compares very favorably.

Couldn't have said it better myself syd. I'm willing to bet if I take what I've spent on audio and divide by the number of hours listening, the cost/hour becomes very reasonable. I'm not at the $13K mark, but I'm closing in. Very nice set-up you have there!

 

[Shintsu]

That's quite an impressive system you have put together for a 19 year old, well done!

As for the rest, idiots will be idiots Compared to some other forums this one has a bit more class & good manners then others. Other boards it seems like everything seems to degrade in sexually suggestive, derogatory comments about women. It gets very tiresome.

Although I suspect it is because of what the board owners will & will not allow & the men on here are smart enough to abide by whatever rules are in place. There is a time & place for everything & an audio forum isn't the place for it.

Or maybe most are simply conscious of the fact that lots of people are looking through these threads every single day & they don't want to stand out as some uncouth, ill mannered dog.

Thanks! I do my best to get good stuff, I'm lucky enough to have a father who was an audio nut since he was 16 back in the 70's running around buying and selling speakers all the time. He got into selling speakers in the 80's and was still big into it (Although he unfortunately has hearing damage now and doesn't like anything loud). As a 5-10 year old I remember seeing lots of speakers and audio stuff but I was so little I didn't even know a thing about it. For the longest time I had an old 27" JVC TV that I still think has the best built in subwoofer for a TV ever (Hyperbass, it sounded very deep!) and some fancy surround emulation for a '92 TV. Anyway I finally bought an LCD and the sound was so awful! I knew I needed speakers so my fathers uncle gave me an old Technics SA-EX140 100 watt stereo receiver - that was what got me into the pursuit of higher fidelity. It all went from there until I have what I have now.

A lot of you on here have a nice budget for this stuff but I'm just about tapped and me spending money on one thing takes from something else. I have always been all about computers and have a pretty nice gaming computer which I built for about $900-1000, expensive graphic design LCD monitor. On top of that, I dabble in photography as well - all I have for now is a Canon Digital Rebel with the stock kit lens but I have a pretty nice regular digital camera for taking quick pictures and video. So you can imagine how much all that stuff costs, and I'm going to college too! I'm so amazed at some of the nice things I'm lucky enough to own. And I hate people my age who are such lo-fi people! They listen to music all the time but have no appreciation for sound quality, just loud subwoofers in their cars which are also low quality subs on top of it (I have a single 10" RE Audio subwoofer set at a level to provide quality sound, NOT SPL). I'm a car nut too, but I don't really spend money in that regard - more or less drool over what I can't have lol.

Speaking of boom boxes though, I did have a pretty nice Pioneer setup when I was 12. Dad bought for my mom but she stopped using it and I asked if I could put it in my room so I used it like crazy. It wasn't a cheap one either, it had seperate speakers and was from like '97-'98 so it was all black, 25 disc capacity, plus dual cassette. I guess you could say that was truly the beginning of my audio interest. Although my dad has always had a pretty nice system in our basement, but it never gets used anymore: DCM TimeFrames (The biggest ones I forget the model), I think a Def Tec 12 or 15" sub with some massive power - it's from the late 90's but the bass it provides will seriously rattle our entire house, old but nice Technics surround receiver with DTS, an old Pioneer turntable, one of those old first DVD players (I think it's a Sony but not sure), and a 70" Mitsubishi big screen (Old style projection). As a kid I loved listening to music on that system, I'd play records on it all the time. So it's not like I just randomly stumbled into hi-fi audio one day, that's for sure.

One thing that I've seemed to notice, as with some other hobbies - I have never seen a woman Audiophile. Every person my dad knows as audiophiles are guys. Imagine if you will, a woman who wouldn't complain about big speakers that were "ugly"! Heh, someone who'd love a big pair of Carver Amazing speakers or similar such large speakers - or is that just a fantasy?

 

[cfrizz]

LOL! Well don't faint, but I'm a woman who has been into audio since I got my first real job at 20 years old.

While I love audio, I don't really like huge speakers. It seems like the bigger they get the more expensive they get & the UGLIER they get.

The only way they would come into my house would be if I had a huge house that where the monstrosities could have their own room that I wouldn't have to look at them.

 

[MidnightSensi]

Everything is relative, but, I think this is a fairly inexpensive hobby, unless you really go nuts.

For quality equipment, you can find stuff on a pretty good budget now days, especially with the help of a forum like this.

And if money is tight for a while, it's a hobby where you don't need to spend a bunch to keep it going. You can just enjoy some music and movies with what you have, tinker with speaker placement, settings or cables... It's kind of fun and stress-free to look forward to what you'll do next, or thing about the next little tweak.

The other nice thing about it is that a lot of equipment doesn't date itself quickly. Video and multi-channel processing does a bit (although less so lately), but a good two channel processor from 10 years ago is still good today. A good amplifier doesn't really date itself either, sure they have gotten more efficient, but, the iron stuff still works great. And speakers, well, a good speaker from a decade ago is still a good speaker today.

Also, the used market for high-quality speakers isn't too bad. The stuff moves, can be sold without involving a broker.

 

[njedpx3]

Everything is relative, but, I think this is a fairly inexpensive hobby, unless you really go nuts.

For quality equipment, you can find stuff on a pretty good budget now days, especially with the help of a forum like this.

And if money is tight for a while, it's a hobby where you don't need to spend a bunch to keep it going. You can just enjoy some music and movies with what you have, tinker with speaker placement, settings or cables... It's kind of fun and stress-free to look forward to what you'll do next, or thing about the next little tweak.

The other nice thing about it is that a lot of equipment doesn't date itself quickly. Video and multi-channel processing does a bit (although less so lately), but a good two channel processor from 10 years ago is still good today. A good amplifier doesn't really date itself either, sure they have gotten more efficient, but, the iron stuff still works great. And speakers, well, a good speaker from a decade ago is still a good speaker today.

Also, the used market for high-quality speakers isn't too bad. The stuff moves, can be sold without involving a broker.

Nice post- Is a Marantz 1060 dated?

Peace,

Forest Man

 

[highfigh]

With a great sounding system, who needs drugs or booze?

 

[njedpx3]

My system is about $13k (and it's only 2-channel). ..I do get razzed by friends over this, but most of them have motorcycles, fishing boats, snow mobiles, wave-runners, or some sort of classic car. ..And for most of them, they get to enjoy their extravagant toys only a few times each year whereas I listen to my stereo system EVERY day. ..And, as one poster noted, my system is enjoyed by my whole family. So yes, it's extravagant, but when compared with others, it compares very favorably.

Syd123,

Very Nice! I am afraid to add the cost of my systems: Media, Den, Music room and even 5.1 in garage, but it is close to your cost. I agree , I listen to HT and/or music every day and I am at a point where I can afford, enjoy, and appreciate good quality. However, I have decided to back -off my new car hobby since I retired.

Peace,

Forest Man

P.S. - The Forest Cabin is going to have a simple bookshelf ( Cambridge Audio S-30) two channel system.