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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 onhwy61

onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,135 posts
 
First, you live in NYC which means that every night there's high quality live music available for you to hear. Take advantage of that situation.

Second, the equipment can get costly, but the real expense are space and time. Having a living space where you can properly set up and listen to your system and then having the time to actually do it.

Finally, it's been my experience that the least well spent money involved upgrading from OK sounding equipment to slightly better than OK sounding equipment. Don't change equipment unless it's a really significant upgrade.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,135 posts
 
Raquel, from your Blackberry deal obsessing Avery Hall seat are you really qualified to talk about the majority of New Yorkers? I lived in Manhattan for 10 years and there was music everywhere and most of it was cheap to moderately priced.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,135 posts
 
I believe there is research showing that Americans don't compare themselves to people they are doing better than economically, but instead to those who are doing better than them. Hence, someone making $350,000 doesn't consider himself wealthy even though he is making 6-7x the average income. Instead he thinks he's just getting by because he knows many people who make $2,000,000+ annually. He doesn't exult in what he has achieved, but envies others for what he aspires to. It plays out in the audiophile realm...people describing their $15k systems as modest. As the great philosopher L. McCann spoke: "Trying to keep it real, compared to what?"
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