What is your upgrade philosophy?

Perfectimage summed up what I did so amazingly I am scared right now! I had something cheap for a long time, and new what I wanted and then piece by piece started buying them, I want a new digital front end(transport, hoping for Burmester), I would like to replace my avalon eclipse with eidolon's eventually(that being the final speaker upgrade), I would think(note think about only, there may be no action) about replacing my BAT-VK60 with a Boulder or Accuphase amp, the pre will not be replaced for around another 20 years!(accuphase, well it will be in 2 more weeks!). I like to upgrade one thing at a time, before the new pre, my pre was the weak link, now the CD player is the weak link, soon to be replaced....and so on. But I am getting close to the end of the affordable upgrades/the end of upgrades for me. Then I will be going cable crazy!!!!!!

Tim

I agree with a lot of the above post. Your system should be built around your speakers, it is better to try different equipment in your home, and the best speakers in the world wont sound that good with lousy electronics.

The key is though we all need to start somewhere and we need a reference point to compare different equipment to.

There are also drawbacks to a five year plan which is what I did. You never hear the potential of the products you do own until you are done. Manufacturers and models change as you build. Some of your equipment depreciates as you are still building although if you choose wisely its never by much. And before you are done there is a new format to compete with.

The advantages are. After five years you are further then you normally would have been. You have years to audition different products until you are ready to buy. Some of those discontinued models you originally wanted drop in price. You end up with an excellent reference point to start switching out new products.

I consider this hobby a life long adventure. I admit I enjoy the equipment almost as much as the music and I am looking forward to the next thirty or forty years of building and experimenting.

This is such a great thread I wanted to make another comment. I bought a lot of my equipment through a trusted dealer. I always got 15% off of list and although that is well above audiogon prices I feel that the money was well spent in expertise. They really understood what I liked and always had the best suggestions on what brands suit my taste.

Countless times I left their store annoyed telling them they were wrong. I would then go off and audition many many other products only to return months later to tell them they were right.

I was lucky to find them and the extra money I spent to get products through them was well worth the expense. I look back at what I originally planned to buy and I cringe. Never underestimate a good dealer.

Definitely start if possible with the that speakers you intent to keep for good. Build up the rig with the best that you can afford & don't try to cut corners / save $ by trying the cheaper stuff. I spent so much more $ by first trying to mid-fi economize, but was never satisfied until I started buying the good stuff & selling off the "bargains". If I had put more of the $ wasted into good equipment to begin with then I'd have an absolute killer rig today. It's still pretty nice now, but for the $ I spent along the way it could be that much better. Don't fall for "false ecomomy" it's much more costly in the long term.

Bob (et al),
Your last comments I have learned the hard way over the years on other pursits. Seems I am never sorry for buying QUALITY. A co-worker from long ago had two signs on the wall:
"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is gone." and
"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you find time to do it over?"
Probably applies as well here, huh?
Tim