How much have you invested in your audio hardware?

Crazy but true--I actually like my cheap two channel 2nd system I built with used equipment from the 80's and 90's than my pricier 5.1 1st system from the mid 2000's

 

Like some here, I buy mostly used or buy when item is on sales. Probably spent ~10k on items with msrp of ~20k.

 

Again, right on target! We old guys have gone through the equipment, and yes, in my case I downgraded on some things and upgraded on others, it's an ever changing thing, however, for me, about every 10 or so years.

 

I voted less than $1k as most of it is second hand, but really with the exchange rate it would work out to a bit more than that. Plus the other bits and pieces of hi fi I have that I'm not currently using I should really have voted 1 to 3 K. Definitely no more than $3k though.

 

AFAIK spending on audio equipment is an expenditure and not an investment.

I had plenty of systems, even now I have 3 separate audio systems in the house. I think that all in all I spend more than 30KUS$, perhaps even 50, but it's extremely difficult to assess because we are looking at a period of time measured in decades and some of the equipment is still in my possession but not currently used.

 

Stereo equipment is an investment in the happiness quotient the playback system gives you. If you are happy with a system for $2k then it's worth the investment. For some people they are "happier" at $20k or $200,000 or $2 million.

Spend what can you afford and buy what makes you happy.

 

It's a little complicated when you've been upgrading a system your whole life--you know, like buying and selling ten different amplifiers of various types, as many speakers, how many CDP, tape and TT units, never mind misc equipment like equalizers, record cleaning machines, room conditioners, racks...and cables, oh god, cables! It's a virtual cinch that if you give away or sell old gear you don't get what you paid for it so there is a debit on every piece of gear sold and those debits pile up.

And as you get older and if you are one of the fortunate few to be making make pricey upgrades (say $10k to $3ok to $50k and for the really privileged few many more extreme upgrades than my range suggests).

But if the question comes up I try to keep it simple and just use the list price off all of the various parts of my system. I tell people at list my present system is close to $83k. My next upgrade will almost certainly be the Magico S3MkII and at $28k (plus freight and tax) move the list price total into the area of $100k. Of course with a variety of discounts, buying used, and odd dealmaking the actual money out of pocket does not go that high (of course I don't include sales taxes...and then theres the debit on all the historical gear that has moved on...)

That $83k, or $100k, may sound like a lot but/and these days it strikes me as a good system but still rather middling in price compared to system you see featured in various publications and on any variety of audio user blogs. The setup in my dealers "big room" has to be $300k to $350k, if not more, even substantially more. And I know it is hard for many to believe, but it sounds like it cost that much.

The whole game has changed so significantly in the last few years. I feel fortunate to have been able to indulge in it to the degree I have but still when I hear those more mindlowing systems I get just a wee bit wishful...

BUT if forced by circumstances to do no more upgrades (I am 64) I could easily live the remainder of my days with the gear I own at present.

 

Not counting the gear that is gone - around $15K in the gear that's at home today. Salivating at the First Watt SIT-2 amp, a $5K affair...

 

When arriving back to my summer home from the country club, I like nothing more than to sit in my rhino hide recliner while listening to chamber music on my $4,700,250 system all the while sniffing my own farts.

 

Obviously members income on this site varies considerably. I don't like to let people know my income and I'm sure most would agree.
What I think would be interesting though, would be a poll set up like this:

If you took your home's value and your system's value, what would the ratio be?
No further comments would be nessesary.

When people look at my stereo magazines I have, I get a lot of crazy comments about the prices. I usually respond with " consider the house it's going in. That ultra expensive amp might be 2% of their home's value, but in my case it might be 40-50%"

If it was some sort of ratio like that, we might find that we all are more alike than we think. I don't want to know if 'mine is bigger than your's' type thing. I just want to know if everyone is as crazy as me! Hahaha

 

I read an article that stated that sniffing farts helps your immune system - but they must be other people's farts. At least I now know what the hell dogs are up to.

 

Thanks - next time the wife complains I can now tell the wife I'm simply trying to help her live longer

 

Main system around $11k, second system $5k.

Love what I have now but eventually both systems will be further upgraded.

 

I'd never have guessed this topic would trigger so many people; particularly on an "audio hardware" forum.

 

since I started.... almost 200k. Today it's about 50k.

 

As I am a cheap skate, the last 20 years I have only invested in some new needles.

 

I’m at around $4k or so and more than happy with my vintage gear. More bang for the buck for me but I don’t consider myself a true audiophile honestly.

 

But spend it wisely and you will gain greater audio riches!

 

My rig cost me around 15K. But like others, over the years I've owned various CD players, amps, preamps, phono preamp, cartridges, tape decks CD recorders, cables, racks, speakers, so the 15K's only part of what I've spent. Factor in 1000+ CD's and 3000+ LP's plus other assorted media and the number really starts to multiply. Tellyawhat, I haven't bought anything for the rig in over 5 yrs., combination of being happy with my system, getting older, and getting off the audio merry go round. While I wouldn't consider my hobby a good financial 'investment', I certainly consider it money VERY well spent relative to the amount of pleasure I've gotten over the past few decades.

 

Obviously not boring enough for you to skip this thread.

 

$7-10k for me, I'm guessing, over the last fifteen years (in 2002 I bought my first 'audiophile-grade' system).

I've also learned a lot about gear in that time, trading around and spending (particularly on speakers.) Were I to need to replace my current setup, I'd spend significantly less due to a) now knowing what amazing equipment is available that one can assemble for (say) $1-2k; and b) sadly, based on my current financial situation, spending close to five figures on hifi seems a bit unwise.

 

I think many of us are replying with different understandings of the question. I took it to mean how much I spent on my present main system.

 

My car system cost about 40k (including the car)

 

For me its about miles per dollar. If I listen for a few or more hours every day, whatever I spend is more than worth it.

I'm at around $3500, and use mostly refurbished vintage gear. I'm a small business owner, and can afford more expensive gear, and I've been down that road, but I just enjoy the vintage sound I'm getting now.

My biggest surprise in the 30 or so years I've been at this is my Elac UB5's. I bought them to see what the fuss was about fully expecting to return them for more expensive bookshelf speakers, but the synergy with my Sansui 9090 is amazing. Needless to say I kept them, and saved probably about a grand.

Seems to me now is a pretty good time for low high/mid fi end audio, which is surprising with how bad the production on new music usually is, but I wish in my younger days you could get such good sound for so cheap.

Edit: that didn't make much sense lol. I meant the high side of mid fi. Low side of high end

 

Thrift store buys only, under $200 (CAD!).