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Audiophile x 5 months.

I got my hi-fi system about 5 months ago. First one I've ever owned. Some of you probably know that it was essentially an inherited system. I got it with no current knowledge of hi-fi. From what I've read it is a thoughtfully matched system:

Audio Research LS-16 tube pre-amp.
Transparent XLR cables
Madrigal Proceed HPA2 Dual Monaural 250 watt amp.
Transparent Super Bi-Wire 8' speaker cables
Aerial Acoustics 7B tower speakers
Arcam CD92 CDP w/ Transparent RCA cables (DAC dead and now just a transport)
Sony PS T2 TT (cheap) w/ Grado's lowest end cartridge.

Got a lot of help here on Audiogon. My intentions (some of you may remember) were to enjoy the system and not spend ANY money on it at all and definitely not get drawn into expensive audiophile nonsense.

I did not succeed. I have been drawn in. Thought I'd take stock of what I've done. Mostly for myself but thought I'd share. Below is a list of the ways I've spent my money so far and how well I feel that money was spent:

Denon Tuner with remote. Used. $120. Pretty big waste of money. Charlotte, NC has no decent radio stations. Broadcast SQ on most of them is poor. WDAV is the exception. All classical. I occasionally listen on Sunday mornings.

Various cables. Some decent. Some average. Maybe $150. 

Monoprice Monolith component stand. $100. Had to have it. Pretty sturdy. Will soon be replaced by built in shelves.

Various raw materials to make spikes for the speakers. Originals were lost. $25. Do they make a difference. I don't know.

Sorbothane pads for various components. $20. No SQ difference that I can tell.

Art DJ Pre II phono pre-amp. $50. Probably commensurate with the low end turntable. Probably should have skipped it.

Grado Black phono cartridge. $50 after original needle broke off. Probably another waste of money. Should have skipped LPs until I decide to get into it more seriously. Between the old TT, low end cart and pre it really doesn't sound all that good.

Schiit Modi 2 Uber. Used. $110. Great purchase. Has opened up playing ripped CDs from computer as well as streaming. Now allows me to use Arcam as transport since its DAC died. Generally happy with SQ. Exploring upgrades.

Logitech Harmony programmable remote. Used. $20. None of the components came with original remotes.

40 or more used and new CDs. $250 or so. Best money spent in the whole 5 months.

So, all-in-all close to $900 in about 5 months. Way more than I ever intended. If I had skipped trying to get the TT running and skipped the tuner I'd have saved maybe $250.

Enjoying the hobby. Especially the music. Will probably be spending some more money in the future but not tons. Considering a DAC upgrade and still researching inexpensive streaming options. Running through Apple TV is okay but not great.
n80
n80 OP
2,100 posts
 
gdnrbob said: "Though I would ditch those speakers, asap."

I would but they're too heavy.

uberwaltz, agree about the forums. Lots of good help and advice here.
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whart's avatar
whart
2,967 posts
 
Most of us learn by mistakes, trial and error, and steps forward, backward and laterally. It usually takes time, effort and money to get to a place that you want to be. Writing out the big check isn't always the right answer.
Part of this game is the relentless quest to keep improving, trying to extract one more iota out of the source, make it sound better, more real. So much has to do with set up in the room and the source material, which varies so widely in SQ. I really thought I got off the treadmill a while ago, focusing on buying more records and exploring 'new to me' music (mainly through older pressings). 
But, "necessity" always seems to call. I moved. I "had" to upgrade the electrical system and install a subsystem for the hi-fi;
I "had" to buy an isolation table for my turntable. Neither of these were intended to be "oh WOW" improvements- just meant to address system installation in a residential environment with potential for noise, vibration and interference.
I finally jumped into digital for the first time in my main system- I didn't go crazy, but am actually pretty happy in terms of performance, particularly because I didn't go crazy. 
Some is just usual maintenance- some NOS small tubes for the amps, I will eventually need to replace my cartridge. 
When it's all working as it should and I'm in the right mindset to enjoy it rather than listen with an ear to what's wrong with it, it is an immense source of pleasure. I also take great pleasure in learning about recordings, performances and artists that I've missed or ignored. 
The only thing that may be more rewarding is making your own music. Do you play, @n80?
falconquest's avatar
falconquest
1,108 posts
 
It's too bad but there is very little in the way of FM radio that is worth listening to. Mostly college stations that play something other than the stuff every other station is playing. I would never bother to buy a tuner.  I grew up listening to rock music before it was known as "classic rock". Back then it was called AOR or Album Oriented Rock and was obviously very good. I became a diehard prog rock fan due to our local station. A steamer is a good option because then you can listen to pretty much anything you can think of. I certainly do like the spontaneity of FM radio though, too bad it's all pre-programed now.
three_easy_payments's avatar
three_easy_payments
2,097 posts
 
@n80 I'm on a similar trajectory as you down the sonic rabbit hole.  What's amazing is how your sense of price and value change so quickly as you sense the separation between components at certain price points.  I find that any tangible benefit is worth paying a premium for.  I'm trying to set some hard stops for myself once I get into an upgraded speaker.  
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