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Author Topic: This quite expensive hobby and the how & why  (Read 868 times)

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Valentin Hogea

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This quite expensive hobby and the how & why
« on: January 31, 2013, 05:07:42 AM »
I do a lot of thinking, ergo I am human. Not necessarily saying it's all deep and such, but one question that keeps popping up is why.

Why do you take part in this quite expensive hobby and how.

I hope that the fundamental part is loving music. I know that's it for me, although the "tech part" is quite intriguing too. Learning more about something that I unfortunately did not have the privilege to make a living out of. To sit in my Barcelounger and suddenly forget I'm wearing headphones, dazzled by the music, tapping my toes, conducting the music and having a big fat grin on my face.

That experience can be cheap, but let's face it. A lot of us have spent a lot of cash to even approach this experience.

So how and to some extent why?

I'm not trying to emulate that guy on head-fi posting strange vids of my spouse singing along with music, but some degree of the personal side would be fun.

-----------

I for one had the privilege to get a quite hefty scholarship for conducting medical research which made t possible to spend about 7000 USD the last year. Funny enough is that about 50% of my income last year went into this. I wouldn't say that I've had to give up any "important" parts of my life because of choosing to invest in that way. Neither would I ever let it.

However, how do the rest of you balance this out. Do you have high waged jobs? Cut down on the rest (trips, clothes, eating out etc.)? Or simly scavenge the FS-listing on various forums?

It would be fun with a discussion about this, shoot!

/V
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wilzc

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Re: This quite expensive hobby and the how & why
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2013, 05:48:34 AM »
Scavenge the FS listings is a start.

Cutting down on the clothes is normal

Eating out reduction is also done often.

High waged job ..  not really....

Most 'audiophiles' are average earners at best. Their passions just shine through :P

Owh we drive really badass 15year old cars
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shadow_419

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Re: This quite expensive hobby and the how & why
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2013, 06:24:31 AM »
The truth is that it doesn't really have to be expensive.  Like with nearly everything else you can find a happy median if you're willing to settle a little bit.  If I had enough disposable income to get what I really want, I would.  I don't have enough so I try to make sure every purchase will give me the most "bang for the buck" as they say.  Will my setup be the best possible?  No, but if I get enough enjoyment out of it, it doesn't matter.
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Maxvla

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Re: This quite expensive hobby and the how & why
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2013, 07:37:52 AM »
Honestly an LCD-2 with a Bifrost and Lyr tallies about $1800 and gets you almost the entire way to the best sound possible. This is still a lot all at once for most people, but it is a setup that will continue to be high end for many years without changes. There may be other examples that are cheaper, but at this point I think that is about as low as I could stand to go if I could never spend another cent on audio gear and had to get rid of what I had currently.
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CEE TEE

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Re: This quite expensive hobby and the how & why
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2013, 08:09:47 AM »
Have tried to keep things within certain "budgets".   :)p8   Oh well.


As I listened and my portable rig created an "audio arms race" with my home rig plus I heard the "uber-rigs" multiple times...I've now got to have a rig that affects me like purrin's Balancing Act system.  Pretty much haunts me.


Music, pure sound experience, community, the tech, the MMORPG aspect (I think there's sociological truth here) keeps us going.


Also- some of us want to delve strongly into something that is NOT like our day job or using the same senses/faculties.  (If I was an audio pro, my hobby would be visual or something OTHER than using my ears.)


Transitioning from even more expensive, dangerous hobbies (motorbikes, cars, extreme travel) makes this a better bet.  Many tubes are still cheaper than wines/scotches that are long gone...
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firev1

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Re: This quite expensive hobby and the how & why
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2013, 08:16:02 AM »
Currently all I'm doing in this hobby is learning and discovery less so than buying (I have been loaning out from some generous people in the community), I think that is one way one can spend less on the hobby, by knowing what they want after a lot of research.

Of course other ways I have managed this hobby,

Selling stuff I make for other hobbies
I don't really go out too often
Buying old stuff(those darn old receivers are cheap and great for the money!)
Trading gear around

unfortunately my expenditure on music strips my wallet way more than gear.....
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Anaxilus.

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Re: This quite expensive hobby and the how & why
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2013, 08:20:19 AM »
Hell, what's a cheap hobby?  Headphones seem cheaper to me than cars, boats, guns, biking, photography, aquariums, and even potentially baseball cards, coins and stamps.  I guess pinning dead moths and butterflies to a board is probably cheap so there's always that.

Regardless, you can do pretty well for under $500 in a complete portable or desktop rig.  The rest is about pursuing perfection which obviously is neverending so there's your answer.  Frankly, it's a noble human pursuit as long it's not out of balance or adversely negative. 


Edit - Thx CT, forgot about the Habanos and Spirits.  Geez...$$$ for consumable/non-durables.
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CEE TEE

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Re: This quite expensive hobby and the how & why
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2013, 08:39:41 AM »
^Oh yeah, any review on the Miyosakae Tenmi?
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donunus

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Re: This quite expensive hobby and the how & why
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2013, 08:56:53 AM »
The truth is... We are all sick individuals LOL
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Team Delicious and Juicy Sound

ader

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Re: This quite expensive hobby and the how & why
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2013, 12:10:33 PM »
Quote from: CEE TEE on January 31, 2013, 08:09:47 AM

Music, pure sound experience, community, the tech, the MMORPG aspect (I think there's sociological truth here) keeps us going.


Also- some of us want to delve strongly into something that is NOT like our day job or using the same senses/faculties.  (If I was an audio pro, my hobby would be visual or something OTHER than using my ears.)

These two points are true for me, especially the later.  I get annoyed when people assume I'm going to be a musician because I like audio equipment or start asking me for advice on producing their shitty dubstep with a similar assumption in mind.  It's not unlike how people thought I was moving to Japan because I took some Japanese in high school and college.  I'm just a nerd, alright?
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