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What’s a mistake you made by being impulsive?

I’m looking for cautionary tales to curb upgraditis.

After living with the same speakers and integrated for 20 years, I’ve now replaced everything in the last year. I even have a list of next steps that may or may not be necessary. Like I probably should finish mounting all my acoustic panels before getting a subwoofer. And do I really need a better pre if I only use one source and might eventually upgrade to a DAC with volume control? Did I mention I’m waiting for new speakers to ship? But SET amps sure are interesting and now I want one of those, too.

So when did you make a purchase and then immediately regret it because you decided to go a different direction?
cat_doorman
willgolf
940 posts
 
Cat ---I just went through that last year. I sold my house and they bought my two channel system.  The good news is that I was going to get a whole new system   The bad news is I bought it in the wrong order.  After having a high end tube amp, I was talked into Class D Mola Mola Amps.  I bought them and never heard them play.  I then went on a journey to find speakers.  Unfortunately, I ended up having a pair of Viking Acoustic Grande Voix Dual Horn speakers made.  Well Class D and Horns do not go together.  I tried to sell the the amps that I never played.  I got impatient after trying for 4 months and no takers.  I panicked.  I ended up trading them to a dealer who cut me a deal on higher end mono tube amps.  BTW he sold the Mola Mola in a day.  To be honest I still do not have the proper match for my speakers but I do have tube amps.  Then I decided to replace my Lumin X-1 which I absolutely loved.  I bought a Lampizator Pacific,  I sold the X-1 but did not get my price.

So the moral of my story is....if I would have taken my time and purchased the speakers first, I then could have matched an amp to them.  But I impulsively bought those damn Class D amps and that was spiraled into many actions I did not need to take.
elliottbnewcombjr
5,740 posts
 
I just got lucky, a mistake I made had no consequence, but it certainly could have.

I researched a lot of vintage preamps, I needed shallow depth to sit on top of a bookcase. Luxman stood out.

ALL the Vintage Luxman Tube Preamps had pre-out/main-in and/or a tape/processor loop. Then I crossed path with a very good deal on a current Luxman Tube Integrated Amp: SQ-N150. It has both MM and MC stages built in, oh boy!

Only 10 wpc, and the Wharfedale bookshelf speakers are only 87 efficiency: that’s both the lowest power and lowest efficiency speaker I ever tried.

Solution: pre-out to Velodyne self-powered sub, remove the need to amplify low bass. Both the Luxman 10 wpc and bookcase speakers would have a much easier job.

Offer accepted, delivered in 2 days!

Arrived, cables in hand. NO pre-out/main-in. No tape out/in or processor loop, just in/speaker wires out. Oh you dummy, how the hell could you miss this?

Some Luck: Sub allows line in/out OR what I am doing: speaker wires in/out. Amp still amplifies low bass, the bookcase speakers only get a break, the sub does the low bass.

I had the Luxman hooked up downstairs with my very efficient horns and 15" woofers. Very nice, but would never play loud live levels down there.

The REAL LUCK: 10 wpc is enough volume in this small office with no clipping occurring.

Whew! I actually printed the circuit diagram, was considering having Audio Classics add a pre-out/main-in loop. Goodbye 3 Year Warranty!

a lesson for the future, IF I can remember.


2psyop's avatar
2psyop
1,753 posts
 
A good question for sure. I lusted after a particular brand X amp made by a boutique company until I had the money to purchase one. I also purchased the preamp....then another preamp. I won't disclose the name here but the experience with the quality and performance was poor and the guy who makes the equipment was an arrogant jerk. I ended up losing lots of cash (mind you this is a poor's man's system bought with hard earning money) and I will be much, much more careful in the future. My current system has had no problems, while I see other people buying brand X and still having QC issues. The term still applies "buyer beware" to audio equipment.
BTW I did not immediately regret my decision.... but rather learned that some hyped up brands do not always meet expectations. In the case of poor workmanship, you must determine how much a company will cut corners to sell products.
A good example of this is by Danny Richie at GR research. https://youtu.be/1S-jTJK43t0
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