How long do you keep a component?


What is the average length of time between your audio purchases or upgrades? Which components do you trade out most often? Amplifiers, Pre amp’s, speakers, front end, cables, or tweaks? For me it seems to be Amps, speakers, cables and tweaks not necessarily in that order.
minutia
Let's see-- stuff in "present" system:
1. McCormack DNA2DX-- 3 yrs., but Rev. A upgrade 1 year.
2. SF Line 2 Pre-amp-- 4 years, but now in for SE upgrade.
3. ML transport and DAC-- each almost 2 yrs.
4. Vand. 5 speakers-- near new.
5. Syn Res spkr cables-- near 6 years and still excellent.
6. Syn Res ICs-- Active type-- less than a year.
7. Syn Res PCs-- about 2 years-- on everything.

But the above doesn't mean I haven't tried a bunch of other "stuff", especially ICs and power cords. It's the above components and wires that have survived in my system. Cheers. Craig
I occassionally buy something (or a few somethings) used as a "home audition", getting rid of whatever doesn't do the trick for me very soon for little or no $$$ loss. Obviously, many of the participants on this forum do the same. I don't really consider this as a component that I "kept" for only a couple weeks, since it's a bargain-hunters ethical way of auditioning components without leveraging the local dealer.

Of the components I "settled" on, I usually keep them for 1-3 years. If I wasn't married, or if speakers were less easy to notice, I'd try a bunch of different speakers, "keeping" many of them for less than a year, at least until I'd tried a bunch of different "flavors". -Kirk

Lordy, I guess my stuff would be considered ancient as main speakers are ten years old, turntable is almost eleven years old, phono stage is thirteen years old, woofers about fifteen years old, DAC/Transport seven years old and even my wires are over five years old....Only new things around here are the preamp at three years old and just completed the new JC-1 amps a couple weeks ago......All but the TT and main speakers have been updated/modified as it is easier, cheaper and more rewarding to rebuild/modify than to buy new.......

Bob Crump
TG Audio/CTC Builders/DDR Mfg
Ya think thats long The Amber system here is 26 years old and these seperates have been moded by me and cleaned and sound as good as some more upper end stuff. It still feed my Maggies with out missing a beat. Have you really seen the inside of new components. Look close on how there realy put togeather and are they really made in the usa or put togeather in China with US components.