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Are you a keeper or a flipper?

Do you keep you audio gear for a long time or do you tend to change gear frequently? 
I would say I’m a keeper. I’ve owned my Linn turntable 28 years; I’ve owned my Revel speakers and Pass amp/preamp/phono 11 years. I’ve also had my cd player and tuner over 10 years. 
Ironically, my newest piece, bought in 2025, is the oldest hifi gear I own- a Thorens TD124; I bought that from the daughter of a friend who passed away. My friend was the original owner. I view my purchase of the Thorens as a special circumstance. The friend that passed had a lot of hifi gear - all of it interesting, but the only piece that drew me in was the Thorens. I knew he used to have a Marantz pre and power amp- tubed- but those were sold years back. 

zavato
mark200mph
883 posts
 

I just have the old gear refreshed. Rotate alot of equipment and like the batch of speakers 14 or so that was mentioned above. I'll bet that's fun. Not all things sound the same. Its fun to rotate. Enjoy the experiment.

davidhrc
11 posts
 

Constantly trying to flip up one component at a time. Satisfied with  Zu dw6 speakers but amp and sources always subject to flip. 

jsalerno277
518 posts
 

I am a “keeper”.  I have made very few changes since I started this hobby in 1973 and changes were made for purpose.  Over that time I only had 4 systems that I can generalize as follows 70’s Pioneer/Advent, 80’s Amber/DCM Time Windows, 90’s Krell/Apogee, current retirement system Burmester/Vivid.  Changes for purpose include, without limitation:

  1. technology change (phono only to CD, CD to streaming, newer DAC technology, or planar to modern dynamic speaker designs),
  2. where my analysis of my system’s sound quality leads me to a specific improvement in a specific area (a recent, successful cable change to provide more detailed harmonic richness as opposed to previous stress on detailed clarity).
  3. admittedly, when financial means permitted a spend at a higher price point category, but only for a goal of a specific improvement in  mind and only after extensive research, auditioning, and internal struggles of whether there was a favorable benefit/cost ratio.  
allenf1963
509 posts
 

 I've never sold any of my audio equipment, and still have every piece of gear I've bought since 1977.  I use most of it in the multiple systems I utilize.  I enjoy listening to different sonics: all vintage systems, newer systems, tube setups, solid state, a mix, Chi-Fi, horn speaker setups, etc.

 

I'm lucky to have a wife that tolerates a system in almost every room of the house, although I'm certain the day I kick the bucket she will be utilizing the spreadsheet I've put together showing current resale values smiley.

patrickalston
182 posts
 

I try to buy it right the first time. By once, cry once. I'll keep what I have until I can find something that I enjoy better and that I can afford.  I'm a keeper.

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