Systems over $100k

So you bought a system worth over $100,000 and now you’re going to Disneyland?

It’s all about the journey and the destination sometimes not as much fun unless it’s Disneyland. Is it possible to ever be satisfied?

It’s incredibly difficult to learn about all there is to learn about and then to make decisions and then to find something Nice to look at and then if you’re married you have to satisfy your wife which is the toughest challenge. Of course if you’re single it makes it all a whole lot easier.

Of course rationalizing justification for spending in excess of $100,000 to improve how something sounds is something that many of us don’t really think about unless of course you’re married.

Add then there is the local dealer you’ve worked with in the past who doesn’t sell the stuff you really want to buy which makes it more frustrating since you can’t really see and hearsomething before you buy it. Taking delivery via UPS of a box costing a lot can be risky. I would prefer giving money to someone who I know and have worked with in the past. I think this industry will migrate to more direct sales from manufacturers as dealers unfortunately don’t offer much value as manufacturers tend to talk to you in more detail vs a dealer.

And then the choice of selling off equipment that has been upgraded is a pain in the ass so i have a dedicated place to store all the stuff as I hate selling stuff at such a huge discount.

Then my greatest fear if something should happen to me is that all the expensive cables I have bought Will be sold off for pennies on the dollar since no one will know what they are.  In this case I am labeling all my expensive cables with a $ amount.  No doubt this will be shocking.

I know it can be daunting to think about, especially for a young person starting out in audio to see the high cost of hifi gear.  Most of us did not walk into a store and buy a complete system at one time.  I couldn't even imagine trying to build a system and know it is optimized in a single purchase event.  Most like me, I'm sure have built up their systems over decades through a slow methodical process with many twists and turns and even backtracks.  We all have our stories that go with the evolution of our hifi's.

The best path for a young person getting into audio is to first and always stay within your means.  Patience and learning payoff over time.  Key is to buy well known trusted brands- used or new.  These brands over the years hold their value.  Many new names and what appear as terrific design ideas pop up but these purchases can be risky and may be worth very little in the future.  Perhaps the best thing about the hifi hobby is that you can essentially make payments on your system as you go so to speak.  As you save up for an amp or speaker upgrade you can still enjoy the amp and speakers that you have.

I started in this hobby in 1977 with a used Kenwood receiver and a couple of beat up old speakers.  I spent many hours looking longingly at the hifi gear in stores over the years imagining what joy it all could have brought me in my home.  Learning about gear and synergy of the various hifi components through a network of friends or clubs is priceless.  Tweaks and upgrades from as simple as bass traps to new capacitors in crossovers can provide a lot of satisfaction and learning in this hobby. And the gear is just the half of it.  Then there is the whole world of music to discover.  Many musicians and bands are just as amazing as a half million dollar mega system.

@tonywinga 

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