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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
sokogear
1,100 posts
 
Can we take the personal attacks out of this please? Settle up or agree not to sell each other anything anymore.
unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma
1,000 posts
 
The hobby itself.

cd318
2,636 posts
 
@janehamble ,

’Only when doing some REW testing did it come to light that both my Seas tweeters were pressed in. $900 a pair, plus installation. I have no idea how this happened. Could have been a visiting child or dog - but most likely it was clumsy carrying by me.’


That’s a pretty unpleasant experience. Sadly it happens all too often when it could easily be prevented.

It’s bordering on criminal negligence the way some companies don’t offer any protective mesh on their tweeters.

The one that Harbeth uses on their M30 / M40 tweeter is a model example of what should be a standard practice.

This sort of protection should be compulsory. For metal ones full protection Harbeth M30 style should be mandatory.

Even those 2 wire protective strips you sometimes see in front of a tweeter are better than nothing, but not by much.

ATC even have steel grilles on some of their models. Great idea.

Otherwise sooner or later, tweeters will get pushed in. You may or may not be able to recover the shape with a gentle use of a vacuum cleaner, but it’s doubtful whether it will perform again like it should.
fredcdobbs
128 posts
 
Starting and running an audiophile cable company for twenty years. 
drkingfish
79 posts
 
to WSRRSW,My most sincere and heartfelt apologies to you.  I wrongly assumed it was a reply by the person I believed I told that lying was unacceptable.  It was not meant for you and I am sorry that I did not ck the post before replying.I never engage in internet war, never, but I guess I got carried away after a long day.  Really, I've told myself lately what does it matter (re many minor irritations) and here certainly about someone I don't know when all this stuff (actually a huge part of my life right now), is going on.  So I don't think I got up on the wrong side of my bed that day, but probably after a 14 hr day and that's the norm lately, went to bed that way.  So once again please accept my apology.
Semper Fi brother  May you have fair winds and following seas.
Mark
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