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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
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jjgasp
64 posts
 
1) not listening before buying
2) not properly packing before shipping
3) not figuring out synergy between amplifiers/speakers
4) not considering room’s impact on sound

I'm sorry, you said just one.
  

surferandy's avatar
surferandy
52 posts
 
Ham fisted and connecting arm cable to a high end Dynavector and pushed the connecting pin into the cartridge.
dgarretson
2,602 posts
 
Bought a pair of Wilson WATT3/Puppy2 new in the mid-nineties that I thought was the last word, but eventually took an 80% loss at resale for a better speaker at less than half the price.  Ouch! 
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jayh
63 posts
 
Biggest?- easy:
Had Old Wurlitzer 78 rpm jukebox, noise & static, reached in, wiggled the plug where it went in the amp to get better connection, got my finger & thumb around the speaker field coil output, most definitely got my attention. Lived, so not most costly.
coltrane1's avatar
coltrane1
807 posts
 
Selling gear I should have hung onto!
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