When I was in my twenties, I decided to buy a twelve year old 1971 Porche 911T instead of a new 1983 VW GTI for roughly the same amount of money. After about eight years I did a "cost per mile" calculation. I was stunned to realize I was paying about $2.00 per mile to drive that marvel of German engineering. But the fond memories of the incredible fun I had are priceless.
The same can be said of many things: cost per race of a sailboat, cost per run of a ski weekend. By doing these simple calculations, are we not missing the bigger picture? Is it not also about the fun of learning the hobby, meeting others with similar interests, etc.? We also should not discount the value of simply knowing that we have the option, at any time, of going into the next room, sitting down and losing ourselves in the moment of listening to good music.
In the end, one makes his choices based on priorities and affordability. It seems to me that these are good times to learn about and find good quality and affordable gear, whether on the internet, in catalogs or at the local dealer. In time, and as funds permit, the young audiophile can pursue the next step, or not.
The same can be said of many things: cost per race of a sailboat, cost per run of a ski weekend. By doing these simple calculations, are we not missing the bigger picture? Is it not also about the fun of learning the hobby, meeting others with similar interests, etc.? We also should not discount the value of simply knowing that we have the option, at any time, of going into the next room, sitting down and losing ourselves in the moment of listening to good music.
In the end, one makes his choices based on priorities and affordability. It seems to me that these are good times to learn about and find good quality and affordable gear, whether on the internet, in catalogs or at the local dealer. In time, and as funds permit, the young audiophile can pursue the next step, or not.