Poll: How often do you change your stereo system's components?

When you hit 60 it's now or never. It set me off on a major system overhaul. Back channels about all that remained

 

Hm...hard to say since I'm fairly new to this game. I started about 3 years ago. Bought an Arcam A19 integrated amp and a pro-ject turntable. Added a muscial fidelity DAC and Sonos setup to it shortly thereafter. A year later I sold the Arcam and got vintage McIntosh, 2105, C28 and MR77. Since then, last month, sold the pro-ject and got a new VPI Prime Scout and an McIntosh MP100 phono preamp. At this point, I do not see EVER replacing the VPI, ever! It's a big boy table and I don't see upgrading that to the Classic actually. I love it. And the sound from the vintage McIntosh is fantastic. I'm sure I'll prove myself wrong but I could see myself with this setup for many many years to come. Maybe I'd upgrade to floorstanding speakers at some point, maybe. But I have a small listening space, 9x20 or so

 

I said every two years, but that's just an average over the last 8 or 10 years. I added a second system in my office a few years ago and just this winter did a major overhaul of my main rig to include a new power amp, new phono stage, a new rack, isolation platforms ,new cables and a new turntable and cartridge.

 

agree!

 

words of wisdom! Indeed...

 

Here's the current main system:
Bryston 4B ST amp 18 years
Bryston BP25P preamp 18 years
Arcam CD 33 CD player 10 years
Tekton Pendragon spkrs 3.5 years
VPI Prime TT 2.5 years
Graham Slee Accession phono pre 1.5 years
Just starting to look for a DAC and transport to replace the Arcam, but in no hurry to buy. The system as it stands is giving me a lot of pleasure, so no urgency in replacing anything.

 

ten years is about right

 

At this point if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. For any significant improvement I’m going to have to work on my room before I replace any equipment

 

Too many other things to pay/save for...college, repairs, food, etc.

 

Only when something becomes obsolete or couldn’t be cost effectively repaired or changing accessibility issues dictate.

Another reason is one I’ll be facing in the near future. As I’ll be adding new front end components like a DAC and server it might be sensible to add a DAC/PREAMP as my current preamp has no remote source switching only remote volume.

Also something like moving into a much larger space could possibly dictate some changes.

 

I chose every 6 months, although, this is not entirely true. I rarely change components in my primary / reference system. I'll research and listen in great depth before I decide on pulling the trigger for a piece with the intent of keeping that component for a very long time. When it comes to audio components I'm not an "early adapter" who needs to have the latest / greatest thing as soon as it hits the market.

When it comes to my second system in my home office that is another story all together. It is composed solely of vintage used components that I buy and sell on a regular basis. While I allow myself $1,000 a year "loss" on my buy / sell activities for this systems, I usually break even or make a small profit on my sales. This allows me to "experiment" with functionality / sound to satisfy my need for "newness" while having fun and keeping the budget in check.

This is a nice balance for me but YMMV

 

I try and enjoy what I buy for a couple of years, makes it easier on the wallet. Though it's crucial to be able to demo any big purchase before committing. Part of the fun, at least for now, is trying out different components for different sound flavors.

 

3 things can cause a component replacement:
1.) Failure. It has happened.
2.) I clearly start to detect a deficiency. Rare. Not that my stuff is that great, but I hear what I want most of the time.
3.) I run into something that I just gotta have! Man, I hope those days are over.

Oh, I guess, how could I forget, there is a #4:
4.) Gifts

 

I only change if I have to. I'd love to make changes here and there but I'm happy with what I have (doesn't stop the window shopping).

My speakers - Infinity Sm 122's - The item that's up for change as soon as possible. They work fine and do sound good to me, but I know they're not the best. I got them from a friend who downsized to bookshelf speakers around 1996. I was going to switch them a couple of years ago but other expenses came up, then I bought a house...I guess you have to have priorities. Hopefully within the next year....but I've said that for four years running now.

Receiver - Sony STRD 1011s - Bought new around 1993. I look and and like to dream about a new receiver and getting a newer A/V capable unit, but this works great and is a powerhouse capable of making the SM 122's sound good.

CD Player(s) - I have two hooked to my system. A Yamaha changer CDC645 which I bought around 1995 that I thought died on my a few years ago, and at that point bought a Cambridge Audio Azur C550. It turned out the plastic gears had warped on the Yamaha and it was repaired. So now I run two CD players, the changer if we have folks over or doing housework and the single Cambridge for regular listening.

Turntable - Project Debut Carbon - bought new about 7 years ago now. I've upgraded the platter, and it works just fine.

 

That's why I just spent about $20K in the past 2 years upgrading everything before I go deaf or die. Fortunately for me much to my surprise my hearing is pretty damn good despite the 1000 or so concerts I've been to and some very loud groups up close

 

that's cool...you get it : ) yea Led Zep from a few feet away will do it to you! luckily I was very young.

 

Usually I only upgrade once in a blue moon. To give some examples:

Wharfedale E20 speakers - purchased 1982 and still in the attic and very usable.
Pioneer SA-706 integrated amp - purchased in 1980 and changed it in 1997.
Arcam amps and CDPs: 1997 and still use my CD73T.
Leema Pulse: 2010-current, replaced my Arcam A65+
Monitor Audio RS6: purchased in 2005 and replaced them in 2012 with my PMCs. The RS6s still in the attic.
Marantz ML 2060 FM tuner: 1980 and the Denon replaced it in 2013. Still in good working order, collecting dust in the attic.
Garrard turntable: Purchased in 1979 and replaced in 2004 with a Pro-ject Xpression 1
Pro-ject Xpression 1: 2004 to 2017 replaced by the Classic.

As you can see once I find the right combination I'm reluctant to change.

 

Before 1987 a few times.

Bought my current amp and speakers in 87 along with a deck, I was forced to sell my deck and bought a CDP in 2002, that died and I bought my new DAC 3 months ago, I purchased my sub around 2005.

From 87-2002, I certainly had the money to upgrade but never even thought about it.

 

I bought a new receiver eight years ago. Everything else dates back to the ‘70s.

 

Sadly, I haven' t upgraded since '93/85, when I upgrades to a wholle better rig, except for speakers an sub in my profile, which I got in '93 :

*
Only when one of my components won't work/can't be repaired. And yet I don't feel like upgrading, except I could afford a McIntosh integrated, or top-of-the line Klipsch speaker, but that will mst likely happen.

I tend to see the glass half full luckily.

 

Going by my last system changeover I seem to average about 7 years with loudspeakers being the components I keep the longest and cartridges the shortest.

 

Although my stereo system consists of a digital audio player and a set of headphones, I do regularly change out both occasionally. I tend up upgrade my Walkman when a new and significantly better version appears (I just upgraded to the NW-A45 from the NWZ-A17). When it comes to headphones, I have a continuing search for a better set of headphones in terms of sound quality and comfort. I recently purchased a set of Sony MDR-V6 headphones that turned out to be uncomfortable to wear (due to the size of my ears) so I returned to my Koss PortaPros. But my search for better headphones continues, although I think I will stick with on-ear headphones in the future since to me over-ear headphones tend to be uncomfortable and in-ear (like ear buds) don't sound very good to me.

Since it is part of my audio system I will mention my music management software (since it's how I put music on my player and how I listen to it on my computer), which is MediaMonkey. On a regular basis I tend to try new programs to find something that works better for me. I recently stopped using Media Go because Sony stopped supporting the program and I didn't care for its replacement, Music Center For PC. Thus I returned to using MediaMonkey, my current music management software.