Where do you draw the line with audio gear purchasing?

z-adamson

Addicted Member
If we buy whatever catches the eye, we become neck deep in gear with just a few devices in use.

So there must be a line that is drawn to minimize the potential candidates. There has to be something in place that keeps purchases in check.

Myself.....solid state only. 100wpc and up, stereo only. Early 70s, through early 80s (other than my cdp). CDs are my only source. Good service manuals must be available. If this criteria is not met, consideration for purchase will not be given.

Speakers....."west coast" only. Vented cabinets only. Large bookshelf only. Cast aluminum basketed drivers only. No horns. This criteria must be met for me to consider buying.

This limits the playing field quite a bit and keeps things in check.

How do you keep from becoming a total hoarder? Let's face it, gear is addictive.
 
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If we buy whatever catches the eye, we become neck deep in gear with just a few devices in use.

So there must be a line that is drawn to minimize the potential candidates. There has to be something in place that keeps purchases in check.

Myself.....solid state only. 100wpc and up, stereo only. Early 70s, through early 80s (other than my cdp). CDs are my only source. Good service manuals must be available. If this criteria is not met, consideration for purchase will not be given.

Speakers....."west coast" only. Vented cabinets only. Large bookshelf only. Cast aluminum basketed drivers only. No horns. This criteria must br met for me to consider buying.

This limits the playing field quite a bit and keeps things in check.

How do you keep from becoming a total hoarder? Let's face it, gear is addictive.
Well the difference between a hoarder and a collector is how much room you’ve got and how well you store your equipment.
 
I like you post. Direct and to the point. having been in the business a long time, I stay away from most Oriental products. Pioneer Elite and professional Sony are the rare exception. I don't like horns either but if you are trying to fill a large room with less than 100 watts you don't have any other choice. I don't like ported, bass reflex, or labyrinth woofer boxes. Mcintosh has always been my preferred electronics, where available. They don't build everything so I use some broadcast equipment. UREI, Crown, Sony, Ampex, DBX, JVC etc. I have retired the R2R along with my consumer Revox. I still have a couple of Nakamichi's, they did build the best cassettes, and I still have my Thorens. But I'm shopping and SME and Clear Audio are on the top of the list. Ortofon and Dynavector are still my favorite cartridges. Shure is gone now and I assume Stanton isn't far behind. They should have never stopped making, 981s & V-15's. They needed was upgrading . If I win the lottery, I'll do some serious shopping. I figure the next up grade in just speakers and amps would be about $240,000. What happened to the good old days when you could by a Klipschorn, a Concert Grand, a patrician or Hartsfield for around a $1000.00 each. You could by a Paragon for less than the price of two Grands. And you only needed 100 to 200 watts per channel . This needing 2000 watts for peaks is crazy. Some subs require 4000 to 6000 watts each!!! So they say.
 
Well, I reckon anything I can afford that is of at least middle class quality and up, I figure if I can't use it or have no room for it, someone will probably
be willing to pay me for it. But, until I haven't enough room (and with my pocket book that's highly unlikely) I'd certainly have gear setup in every room that is appropriate for a sound system.
BTW, that just excludes bathrooms.

Oh! And one other thing.....I wasn't a collector of gear till I came here, I was just fine with the equipment I own.
 
I like you post. Direct and to the point. having been in the business a long time, I stay away from most Oriental products. Pioneer Elite and professional Sony are the rare exception. I don't like horns either but if you are trying to fill a large room with less than 100 watts you don't have any other choice. I don't like ported, bass reflex, or labyrinth woofer boxes. Mcintosh has always been my preferred electronics, where available. They don't build everything so I use some broadcast equipment. UREI, Crown, Sony, Ampex, DBX, JVC etc. I have retired the R2R along with my consumer Revox. I still have a couple of Nakamichi's, they did build the best cassettes, and I still have my Thorens. But I'm shopping and SME and Clear Audio are on the top of the list. Ortofon and Dynavector are still my favorite cartridges. Shure is gone now and I assume Stanton isn't far behind. They should have never stopped making, 981s & V-15's. They needed was upgrading . If I win the lottery, I'll do some serious shopping. I figure the next up grade in just speakers and amps would be about $240,000. What happened to the good old days when you could by a Klipschorn, a Concert Grand, a patrician or Hartsfield for around a $1000.00 each. You could by a Paragon for less than the price of two Grands. And you only needed 100 to 200 watts per channel . This needing 2000 watts for peaks is crazy. Some subs require 4000 to 6000 watts each!!! So they say.
Well it definitely sounds like you’re more of a collector and expert than a hoarder. Just a dude with a serious passion for audio equipment.
 
I have no difficulty keeping a low component count. I'd rather have one really good specimen than a plethora of mediocre gear, which is too often what I've seen with 'collectors.' I also am trying to declutter the abode generally (esp incl non-audio stuff, as well as audio). Some of you here actually collect TOTL audio, though, not just the cheap stuff - more power to you. I plan to pare it down further but there isn't a lot of extra hanging around here, anyway.

One advantage for me is that I no longer feel the pull of the allure for vintage equipment. I simply no longer desire it, for the most part (there are exceptions to any generalization, of course). I have fond memories of many components of that ilk, and I like looking at the images. I'm down to Klipsch Fortes on the bedroom system, driven by the Adcom 535 baby amp as my remaining vintage in use. They pair well, and I feel no need change it.
 
I got involved with audio by way of family and friends who staged an intervention to address some motorcycle issues I was experiencing.
They actually encouraged me to find an indoor hobby to divert me from track days and mountain twisties. Fools. But I played along until the point that my little circle of friends and loved ones had to expand their group to include some professional advisors and counselors, social worker, shrink, priests...even some asshole that wrote reviews for a HiFi magazine who told me everything I bought was crap, and set up wrong. Even the Fedex and UPS guys are against me, calling my wife ahead of a delivery and ratting me out.
So, to answer OP's question, I keep from becoming a total hoarder by using tequila, cocaine and handguns to chase everyone out of the house, then lock the doors and close the blinds (or "Room Treatment Panels"). See, you can't be a hoarder if nobody knows what you're doing in there. "Hoarder" is just a label your enemies try to put on you...get 'em out of your life, and you'll be fine. Now go buy yourself something nice, you deserve it.
 
Speaking personally on my own situation, less has become more. While I never have been a collector or hoarder, when I have had a couple of pieces that I could rotate in or out of my one and only main system, things became more difficult, maybe more of a chore. I typically take a lot of time and effort into deciding what piece I buy, and the direction I want my system to go. If something is felt a substantial improvement, not just different, then it becomes a potential buy. Obviously price comes into play as well, but I typically live with my system for awhile, I am not one of the flavors of the month club.

No right or wrong on any person's chosen way to handle it, I would guess if one is starving themselves, the kids etc. to take care of their "fix", then it might be a real problem. My end thought is relax, enjoy the ride, however it may go.
 
For me the best way to draw the line is to quit looking. No lookeee no buyeee!

Always remember when buying for a profit, make your money at the time of buy!
Be prepared to walk away if the math will not work in your favor. Walk and forget about this one. Cut the line and move on.

I don't go after anything tape related as a rule. Not saying one would not follow me home just needs to be that special one, or part of a package.

Finally condition is key any more, well always has been important.
 
Depends, how much does it cost, how much money in the bank account, what are you going to do with it, how bad is the condition. I stay away from BPC, post 80's rack junk, AVRs(unless it's nice and inexpensive), no dual cassette decks of multi-disk CD changers either.
 
What a great post and a great thread. Probably one of the best and most though provoking threads for a good while.

I will sleep on my response, but kudos for attempting to work out what presses our collective, and individual, buttons.
 
I went through a life simplification process several years ago, finding new homes for a lot of things (not just audio related) that I just didn't feel I needed, and what keeps things in check for me with hifi is having just one system and not buying new gear unless something needs to be replaced in the system I've got. Old gear goes out if new gear comes in.
 
I will not bring home any low efficient speakers or large(heavy) speakers.

Power units must be tube and must be integrated or amps. I have enough units with tuners and they look cool. However, they add a level of complexity in a world of diminishing radio program choices and use.

No tt projects. No tape decks.

Any flip potential units must be salable via CL. If it must be sold via Ebay to make the flip viable, I will pass.

Condition, condition, condition.

I sell something every winter even if I have the space available. There is usually something I am not using enough, to warrant keeping it.

Mark
 
Well, I reckon anything I can afford that is of at least middle class quality and up, I figure if I can't use it or have no room for it, someone will probably
be willing to pay me for it. But, until I haven't enough room (and with my pocket book that's highly unlikely) I'd certainly have gear setup in every room that is appropriate for a sound system.
BTW, that just excludes bathrooms.

Oh! And one other thing.....I wasn't a collector of gear till I came here, I was just fine with the equipment I own.
"Oh! And one other thing.....I wasn't a collector of gear till I came here, I was just fine with the equipment I own."

I wasn't either! Then I came to my senses. :)
 
Functionality … does it pass the common sense test … will I use the gear enough to justify the expense .. is it a need or want .. is it the best use of my resource budget .. how soon will it become obsolete .. did I do enough homework on the product .. are there better alternatives .. etc.

Never been that hard for me .. I've been known to think about a purchase for several years (even longer) before I pull the trigger.
 
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After years with dynamic speakers I limit myself to planars. They're "flat," sure, but they tend to be tall and not stack well. I'm pretty much limited to one pair by space constraints, so that takes care of the speaker hoarding.

Other gear is now more problematic, since planars tend to be more transparent / less forgiving than dynamics.

So now I just have a growing stack of amps.

Damn.
 
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For the past five years or so, all I have bought have been p-mount phonograph cartridges and replacement styli, and I don't see that changing any time soon.
 
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