How can anyone afford this ?


I consider myself a dedicated audiophile. I am 36(which I am guessing is a little younger than the average here) and single. I have been interested in high-end audio since I saw my uncle's Mcintosh and Threshold equipment for the first time when I was 5.
Since joining the workforce and saving a little I have always been trying to put together a nice system on a budget. I do OK financially(I am a systems engineer) but I do live in NYC which may put some of this into perspective.
Over the last 6 months I have struggled to buy(all used on Agon) a pair of Dynaudio Audience 42s and a Threshold CAS2 amp, Chang CLS3200, and cables(I haven't gone out[I don't have a girfriend], purchased anything else and really haven't eaten too much to be able to afford these and it is still a real stretch). I am using the amp with a direct connection from my CD/DVD player(Cambridge Audo Azur 540D...slightly modified[op amps, PS caps, bypass caps] that I have had for almost 10 years). A fellow has a Threshold FET2 series II(to match with the CAS2) he is holding for me but that seems like a pipe dream at this point along with a turntable.
A few years ago the analogue bug hit me.
I had a setup consisting of an Audio Analogue Settanta integrated and a Nottingham Horizon SE turntable with a Rega RB300 tonearm with the Incognto rewire and structural mod. This was not an expensive kit by any stretch but for me it almost put me in the poor house. I had to sell the entire rig to pay my bills and it hurt.
It seems over the last 10 years or so I have not been able to keep a kit for more than 6 months before I had to sell it. Whenever I don't have a rig I am constantly scanning the online Ads lusting for the next bargain to set up a system and cannot even listen to music on a mass market rig(I have been spoiled).
Anyway, I guess my question is how can anyone normal afford this hobby? What type of money do you have to be making to be able to enjoy this hobby.....$100,000/year? $500,000/year? Do you need to be worth millions? $5,000 barely gets you in the door(some interconnects cost more) and you could possibly spend millions. I am not looking to put together a $10,000 system(not even close...and that is modest in this hobby) but if I wanted to I don't see it ever being financially possible. If I had a girlfriend or a family(hopefully someday) I would not event be able to think about this hobby with a good conscience. I guess I am wondering if all these people in this hobby are millionaires? I am close to selling my rig again to pay the bills(the amp needed repair/recap and that was $450). Any advice for an audiophile who lusts to put together a nice rig but can't afford it? Should I get out and save for 5 or 10 years and then try again? Maybe I am in the wrong hobby but it is more addicting that crack to me(and more expensive). Maybe I should be a crackhead instead...that might be the only thing to make me forget about it. Thoughts?
adamd1205

Showing 3 responses by blkadr

Recently, as you know, new residential construction has all but ceased to exist. Subsequently, so has my stereo budget. I thought my hobby would be on permanent hiatus.
Over the last year, I have sold off this and that, tweeters, cables, a cartridge, all from my closet of unused toys.
This little bit of cash has been converted into a HLLY Tamp-20 t amp and a used pair of Klipsch Forte IIs.
I know t-amps don't get any cred here, but talk about fun?! This little palm sized wonder sounds as good as any high dollar set amp, and with the Klipsch it compares with any setup on the planet! ....psyche!!! Of course I'm joking! But it is a fun listen and does sound really good. BTW the t-amp sounds pretty good with most of my speakers.
The point is, (to my surprise) there is virtually no budget constraint to enjoying this hobby and good sound.
Ever notice when you hear "sink or swim!". it's always coming from the guy in the boat?
Well, the fact is, that when the Bush "temporary" tax cuts went into effect, charitable donations declined. If they were left to expire, taxes would still be about what they were when Reagan left office (Reagan actually ended up tripling the national debt).
Does anyone here ever think about "the good old days, the golden years", maybe the 50s, early 60s? The tax rate for top earners was above 90%, and that included the Eisenhower years. These days, there are loopholes and off shore strategies that make the actual rate lower for those who can take advantage. Multi-billion profits in one quarter, and Exxon Mobile pays virtually no taxes.
No one is against the American dream, work hard and enjoy the fruits of your labor. But the playing field is not level, and the "redistribution of wealth" goes both ways. Power from money influences policies that help a small group of Americans funnel earnings to the top. But now hard working mid and lower class earners, white and blue collar, have been devalued, the spoils only going to the richest. There was a time when a skilled tradesman was appreciated and could provide a decent life for his/her family.
Those with means provide better opportunities for their children, nothing wrong with that. But millions of young people have never been given a car by their parents and sent to college. So many people get a job because they or their parents "know somebody". Simply stated, not all Americans enjoy the same opportunities.
If too much regulation makes an unfair socialist state, recent events teach us that too little leads us to financial ruin. Evidently the "invisible hand" that guides the economy tends to get a little grabby when left totally unchecked.
Since the Reagan years the country has been shoved to the right. What was once considered moderate is now called liberal. That is just a fact. The government looking out for the welfare of all it's citizens, not just those with power and money is not socialism or communism. There is a middle ground, not just a black and white choice between free enterprise or socialism.