2. misc-audio
  3. 159072-78103

What has been your costliest mistake in this hobby?

For example :I recently learned a hard lesson- I accidentally ran voltage thru my $3000 MC cartridge (kiseki purple heart).  I have a TT with 5 prong connector and a phono cable with a 5 prong connector.  I accidentally swapped where they plugged into and ran electric thru the tonearm into the cartridge.  It was a stupid - not thinking- hasty mistake. When I corrected the problem the cartridge was fried.  An avalanche of four letter words followed!

So what has been your biggest and/or costliest mistake?
polkalover
yuvalg9's avatar
yuvalg9
16 posts
 
...Not really a mistake I made with purchasing equipment (or damaging a component,) but about 15 years ago, at the launch of the CD format, I sold a perfectly-working Lenco L78 TT for about $75! Today, I see on various Vintage equipment forums that they fetch some $550...Silly me...
fastfreight
793 posts
 
My biggest mistake?...I'll call it experience that led me to spending money.
Went to a local home / dealer to audition a Parasound Halo Integrated amp. It was right in my 'wheelhouse'.for price point and has excellent reviews. It sounded good.  We listened for a bit then he swapped in an Esoteric DAC / and I don't know what else and I was blown away.  I stated it sounds like a 'completely different pair of speakers'.  First I really learned about the quality and impact of the electronics..not just the speakers.  So there I went, not Esoteric, but down the road of several upgrades and trade ins  and now have arrived at music that mesmerizes  me and is my escape.
 
toug27: "I decide to install a secondary system in my basement to let my wife sleep better while I could listen to live music level downstairs thinking that I could be happy with a basic system...read limited budget...God how naive"

This was also for a basement 'second system'  It is now better than my main system upstairs!

Buying and selling some equipment did cost some, but it was the price of learning. 
fastfreight
793 posts
 
Also blew out one channel of a nice Yamaha Receiver in the 80's.....disconnected the speaker to paint, the wires shorted and the unit was on.  Learned that lesson....
wsrrsw's avatar
wsrrsw
1,022 posts
 
Maybe spending inordinate amounts of time on line trying to decipher what will catapult my system into nirvana. 
Champagne tastes on a beer budget is difficult. 
Democracy (read as spouse) can be a limiting factor. 
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,046 posts
 
Maybe spending inordinate amounts of time on line trying to decipher what will catapult my system into nirvana.
Champagne tastes on a beer budget is difficult.
Democracy (read as spouse) can be a limiting factor.
Dont be discouraged.... All is possible, i made it, champagne taste on a glass of water soda budget.... :)
More to discover