Keeping backup equipment?

Backup (S) Only one? I think I'm up to B45 or so now.. :-) 

Regards

One audio system?
What about the basement, the shop, the garage, the bedroom, the backyard shed?

I only keep speakers and source equipment that I find exceptional compared to what is available today. Some components just seem to find a special place in my mind and aural memory. IF, I SOLD, I know that I would regret it sooner or later. If I needed the money to pursue an upgrade that would be a tough decision and I am sure it would require some serious internal debate. Newer is not always better, then again,  we only live so long and we must balance the curiosity of owning something different and perhaps letting others enjoy our past favorites. 😉

Only one system. It’s in the living room as I am happily single.  No need for cramming it all away in a room due to aesthetics, I run the place as I see fit.

so with that said it seems wasteful to keep a perfectly functioning amplifier socked away. But then it was handy to know I will have tunes and my daughter can keep on her cognitive therapies from Home if this one goes down. For what I paid (used) that.m money could be out to use elsewhere.

I run 6 systems, so yes I have spares. 

I think I usually tried to keep a small number of backup components which could work their way into an office system... a break in system. It’s a question of balance. But using for trade in is a great way of giving your dealer a way of discounting the piece you want to buy. This way he can show the manufacturer that he changed you full price, but give you a great deal by paying you too much for the trade in. 

I like to have a backup for certain components on hand.  I don't like to be without music at home, so if my integrated amp or my phono stage were to give out, I would need to start shopping (not a bad thing, of course).  But I keep a (B-stock) Yamaha A-S701 and a Schiit Mani on hand as backups.  They also serve as a good basis for comparison to whatever gear I have in my main setup.  

In addition, I try to keep my stereo spending as close to budget neutral as possible, so I sometimes sell something before deciding what to purchase to replace it.  With the backup gear, I can keep the music playing and take my time to make a good decision and find a good deal on the next component.

I keep some older components as backups. I hold on to any component that won't make much money when resold
Right now I have four amps that I upgraded stacked in my back room.

Doesn't hurt to keep something around just in case. Doing some spring cleaning, I came across an older Teac CD player (half width model) that I thought had a channel go out and when I tried it out, the sound was very impressive and almost to the level of my Marantz SA15S2b SACD player. 
Nice to know if the Marantz goes sideways.

All the best,
Nonoise

I eould keep spares for investigative AND backup purposes. You have to do what you feel comfortable with. Sell the Vidar and replace it with a cheaper one to reclaim a small sum.
But...  
If your main amp failed could you live with it?

Gday, from Australia. 
I have a Parasound P6 as a spare, only because I went down the tube path. 
Might look at setting up a full solid state system, in the future. 
The Parasound is a beautiful looking unit...
Cheers

Yes backups are a good thing. 

I used to have 2 pairs of speakers and 2 amps as spares. Just lately I thought it’s a waste of resources so I set up another system with the spare gear. I still have another spare though.

The spare equipment is from my collection. I used to hoard hifi gear and at one time own 5 or 6 amps at one time. I have sold most excess gear and kept only the good ones.

If you can use the money for something else you want, sell it. Amps don't fail that often from what I've seen. That being said, I do have spares.

You need to have all kinds of backups because different speakers need different kinds of amplifiers keep the schiit amp and possibly even setup a second system around it that you can enjoy.

If the amp on my music system went out, I'd scavenge from my home theater system.  But if you don't have a home theater system, maybe you should hang onto the Shiit...

Keep it I have 4 systems in the house 1 in my workshop and an old Yamaha for the back deck.

If I had more than one system, I’d go completely insane.

Backup amps? I have a collection! I don’t consider them backups. It’s a portfolio of different amps with different characteristics. 

Four 'systems', each rather 'site specific'.....

'Back ups'?  Not really in our audio universe....

More 'puter relics, Yes.  Some of which are still 'doing', but at different tasks than previously...

A newer and the oldest are all audio all the time.
(That, and what they're up to takes more space, however.*L*)

Let’s see how many amps have I had go out... in fifty years... actually more like 60 years... 0 failures.

I have two systems but one runs fully balanced with mostly no option, the other single-ended, so I cannot exchange electronics.

I’ll probably just keep it and build a little system for my kiddo.

I have a stereo at work put together from stuff I replaced at home. 

My audio system has two sets of amplification. When I want to really sit back with a fine single malt and get involved in the music, I turn on my tube mono blocks using CDs as my source. When I just want to have background music on or tunes for a party, I switch over to my SS amp. This saves life on the tubes and gives me a backup in case I need service on my main system. Both systems use a tube based preamp and the same set of speakers so its not exactly like having two separate systems but it serves my purpose well.

J.Cjip

I'm keeping enough separate components on hand so when my daughter gets set in any one place long enough she will have a system set up.  I gave her a McIntosh RS100 for their current apartment, which sounds great (if they would just play it loud enough).  When they get settled someplace, I'll give them a real system to play their "indie folk".

If you can afford it, hang onto your "emergency" gear.  If your car needs tires, brakes a new fuel pump, and a tune up, then sell it and take care of more pressing things with that money.  Let's face it, getting to work is the absolute most important thing in life, that is while one is still working.   

If you run tube gear, as i do, it is quite nice to have a backup ss amp around for a couple of reasons, 1) The ss sound is a different 'flavor' to the tube sound and 2) if the tube amp needs service, the ss amp is there.

I keep a PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC and NAD M22v2 amp as backup to my main system.  Over the last year, I've used them at different times when I sent in my BHK pre amp and BHK 250 amp for service.  

The M22v2 sounds pretty good in my main system; the Stellar DAC sounds OK but the SQ is no where near the BHK pre amp.  At some point, I plan to buy a decent pair of speakers to pair with them.

The only reason I keep so called "back ups" is so when I’m sick of something I can just readily grab something else that is put away and install it. Prevents buying more crap and tossing away more money. Always have some "back ups". To be honest, I do not look at what is stored away as a back up. Instead, I look at these things as stuff I love equally as well as what is currently being used. They only make certain models for so long, then you gotta buy them used. Then who knows what your getting. At least I know my stuff was treated well. I've often sold things I wish I hadn't. I stopped making that mistake. 

I have stuff I haven't gotten around to selling.  Just realized I have basically another system worth of electronics that I should sell - server, preamp, monos, and dac.  I also have an extra set of speakers I will probably keep.  I recommend you sell your  Schiit - while good amplifiers generally hold value, dacs and servers not so much, due to the fast-moving changes in the area of digital electronics.