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How can anyone afford this ?

I consider myself a dedicated audiophile. I am 36(which I am guessing is a little younger than the average here) and single. I have been interested in high-end audio since I saw my uncle's Mcintosh and Threshold equipment for the first time when I was 5.
Since joining the workforce and saving a little I have always been trying to put together a nice system on a budget. I do OK financially(I am a systems engineer) but I do live in NYC which may put some of this into perspective.
Over the last 6 months I have struggled to buy(all used on Agon) a pair of Dynaudio Audience 42s and a Threshold CAS2 amp, Chang CLS3200, and cables(I haven't gone out[I don't have a girfriend], purchased anything else and really haven't eaten too much to be able to afford these and it is still a real stretch). I am using the amp with a direct connection from my CD/DVD player(Cambridge Audo Azur 540D...slightly modified[op amps, PS caps, bypass caps] that I have had for almost 10 years). A fellow has a Threshold FET2 series II(to match with the CAS2) he is holding for me but that seems like a pipe dream at this point along with a turntable.
A few years ago the analogue bug hit me.
I had a setup consisting of an Audio Analogue Settanta integrated and a Nottingham Horizon SE turntable with a Rega RB300 tonearm with the Incognto rewire and structural mod. This was not an expensive kit by any stretch but for me it almost put me in the poor house. I had to sell the entire rig to pay my bills and it hurt.
It seems over the last 10 years or so I have not been able to keep a kit for more than 6 months before I had to sell it. Whenever I don't have a rig I am constantly scanning the online Ads lusting for the next bargain to set up a system and cannot even listen to music on a mass market rig(I have been spoiled).
Anyway, I guess my question is how can anyone normal afford this hobby? What type of money do you have to be making to be able to enjoy this hobby.....$100,000/year? $500,000/year? Do you need to be worth millions? $5,000 barely gets you in the door(some interconnects cost more) and you could possibly spend millions. I am not looking to put together a $10,000 system(not even close...and that is modest in this hobby) but if I wanted to I don't see it ever being financially possible. If I had a girlfriend or a family(hopefully someday) I would not event be able to think about this hobby with a good conscience. I guess I am wondering if all these people in this hobby are millionaires? I am close to selling my rig again to pay the bills(the amp needed repair/recap and that was $450). Any advice for an audiophile who lusts to put together a nice rig but can't afford it? Should I get out and save for 5 or 10 years and then try again? Maybe I am in the wrong hobby but it is more addicting that crack to me(and more expensive). Maybe I should be a crackhead instead...that might be the only thing to make me forget about it. Thoughts?
adamd1205
lewm
13,174 posts
 
I sympathize with your plight. Here are some ideas:
(1) Buy one system within your means and then think of that as basic to your every day life, something that is non-negotiable.
(2) Re-read what Viridian wrote.
(3) For bang for the buck, think used and even vintage gear. There is plenty of information available on the internet to permit you to select some great items that way, at a fraction of their original price.
(4) DIY. Teach yourself a little bit about electronics. You can then assemble kits, make mods, etc, to satisfy your lust for the new and different. If you really get into DIY, you can save a huge amount of money, but it's not essential to go that far.
(5) Use Audiogon marketplace as one source of good used gear, but refrain if possible from reading these threads. Temptation is everywhere here. Avoid envy.
hotmailjbc
571 posts
 
go with minimalist gear that sounds great and is hard/impossible to resell because no one ever heard of it.that way you havn,t spent a ton of money and can buy some music. look up audionervosa on the urbandictionary.com. good luck and good topic. i don,t think it is a matter of how much you have to spend. addiction to substances is not measured by how much you did but what consequences it had in the big picture of your life. ok ,,off my soapbox. thanks
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
I have put together what many would call a pretty good system, and it didn't cost an arm and a leg. First of all, I know what I want and how much I'm willing to pay for it. Then I scan the used gear websites every day, looking for the right deal. Somtimes it takes me 8-10 months to find what I'm looking for at the right price. I then pull the trigger, FAST.

Virtually all of my system, except for my TV and my Oppo BDP-93, I bought off Audiogon. And rarely did I pay more than 50 cents on the retail dollar for a piece. By doing so, I have been able to assemble a $15,000 system for around $6500. And I am quite happy with what I have. I do not run around chasing the latest and greatest, I am satisfied with what I have and do not upgrade unless I can find a smokin' deal on something.

That's basically it - know what you want, know what you're willing to pay, and have the patience to wait for the right deal. If you do this, you an be very happy for many years to come...

-RW-
kennyt's avatar
kennyt
1,226 posts
 
You just start out one day and keep upgrading and the next thing you know you have a ton of money invested in it. I think very few people just start out with $100K systems, though I know some do.

Most of us just keep feeding the hole so to speak and one day......
adamd1205 OP
2 posts
 
Thanks for all the great advice guys. I won't let it get me down for sure but struggling to do something you love really sucks(NYC is a hole...formally in San Francisco area and a few other places but SF is the favorite). I am not into the latest and greatest and bigger is better and flashier means better sound and I don't read the audio mags and I am not constantly trying to get better than what I have. I am a realist but the hobby does seem to consume me. I love the history of the hobby and I am a big Nelson Pass fan(theory and gear). I certainly think I am staying witin a budget but it never works out.

The current system I have I purchased a piece at a time over the last 6 months(minus the CD/DVD player which is the only piece I have seemed to hold on to...and my speaker stands). The Dynaudio 42s were $400(always come back to these). The Threshold CAS2 was $375(purchased with the intent of rebuilding/upgrading at $450...being rebuilt now...so $825 total for amplification which I think is really fair for the quality). The Chang CS3200 was $170. Cabling from Verastarr was $340(I guess I went a little high here and I don't buy into all the cable hype but I got a really great deal and plan on holding on to them...also picked up the extra RCA pair for the eventual addition of a preamp so at least I am set there). Fairly modest I believe.

It is a really great sounding system and hope/plan on it being even better when the amp gets finished. My plan was to add a Threshold FET2 series II preamp(and upgrade that later on...I am a big fan of modding quality older/vintage gear)and a turntable over the next 6 months. I am definitely putting the turntable on hold for a long while because I know what that involves and I am a very thorough person.

I am not struggling as much as I made it sound. I am able to pay my bills but always wind up selling my system to have that extra savings behind me just in case. I do date(yes...girls) but I do sacrifice other things for the hobby. Anyway, just rambling now. I am not selling the current system and I am going to add the FET2 series II or a Spectral DMC-6(if I can find one) with the hopes of adding a turntable(and all that goes with it[I do still have my vinyl] down the road in a year or so. And I am getting out of NYC. I am planning on going back to SF. I know the cost of living is the same but I will make more money and the quality of life is soooo much better.

Thanks again for all the thoughts and advice. Now if I only had my amp so I could listen to some music(I think that is why I got all frustrated and wrote this in the first place...it has been 2 weeks)!!!!
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