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If you had to pay full retail, would you...???

I recently got the Music Direct catalog in the mail. Lots of cool gear, interesting tweaks, awesome LPs. Looking over the catalog several times, I said to myself, "man, there are a lot of expensive tweaks which the un-initiated must think is simply crazy". What also struck me is that all the stuff I want, is ultra expensive and the stuff at "real-world prices" are nothing really spectacular. Even at the low end side of "high-end" gear, I would be laying out considerably more than if I went to Best Buy and bought an All in one system.

So, here is where I am headed. I have put together a pretty nice system, almost entirely found here on Audiogon, over back in the day at Audiomart. I scored my amps which retail for $13,000 for $4000. My speakers retailed for $7500 and I got em for $1500. My turntable was $500, which retail was $2500. If, I bought a new $500 turntable, I would get like a Music Fidelity MF, entry level one.

if you bought most of your system used, if you had to start from square one and had to buy Full retail, would you still be into this hobby?

Entry level high end gear really does not interest me. it lacks pizzaz, like the Avid Reference has. For what I paid for my AudioLogic tube DAC, I could only afford a Mid-level Marantz. I beleive I would still be a Music lover, but if forced to spend Full retail for high end gear, I think I would opt for mass market mid-fi, or simply do a laptop based digital system through a mass market company.
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szutinglee
91 posts
 
to me some dreams are worth it: B&W Model Nautilus, Acapella Violon, Tannoy Westminster Royals, Avantgarde Trio Classico...

hey people pay many times above retail for new old stock tubes ^_^
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,241 posts
 
It ironic how the hobby of listening to music has morphed for some people into trading hi-fi equipment. It's a little like those people who ride motorcycles versus those who chrome, customize and end up building machines that are unsuitable to ride more than 50 miles at a time. On cost per mile basis the motorcyclist can pay full retail and still have the better deal versus the customizer who may have got a great deal on something, but doesn't really ride much. These comments may apply to audiophile, or may be they may not.
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drubin
3,274 posts
 
Are you saying there's something wrong with being into trading hi-fi equipment?
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,241 posts
 
Of course not! But I will say that riding is more fun than custpmizing. The sun, the road and the scenery versus the garage, the catalog and waiting for the UPS man. It's no contest.
vitalik
22 posts
 
Onhwy61,
Speaking of motorcycles;
There are people who ride motorcycles and have no clue about mechanics, some may understand basic principles of mechanics but never work or fix them. Some motorbike owners like to play with their toys, fix them up (or pay others to do it), etc. and that’s their hobby. Some like the sun, the road, scenery and even some like the speed with it. Look at the life of Burt Munro who constantly working on his Indian bike to make it go faster and faster. There is a great movie about him - The World's Fastest Indian. He never wasted his money at dealerships or mechanic shops and did all modifications himself. On a bike that was intended to go 50 mph and set numerous speed world records (190mph official record, 205 –unofficial). All of us here have various hobbies and some of us trade gear quite frequently and some not. Some improvements are good and some is just waste of money. All amount to how much homework someone has done and how much he understands about electronics. I like to learn about various designs and find those greatly underrated or unknown pieces of equipment to build good sounding system at a fraction of a retail price. For me to pay full retail for audio gear is like buying new car – waste of money. As far as paying full retail price – Yes I will: at gunpoint.
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