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Is there a box for too damn much? Thank the American social structure for food stamps
Reader Chuck Jones wonders to what extent financial means affect readers' audio equipment purchases.
I have a wish list of components which I review based upon available reviewed equipment. Unless there is a system failure, I choose an item from the list to audition and purchase. As I have upgraded my system, it has become more difficult to audition the components. Phono cartridges are the most difficult, but this year I purchased a D/A convertor after hearing its older brother. Maybe your next question should be, "How easy is it to hear the components you are interested in seeing reviewed?"
About 3-4% Whatever else I can glean off of my income is spent on concert tickets and new recordings. There's still enough money left over so that baby can afford to buy new shoes and my family won't have to shop for groceries at one of those warehouse clubs.
I don't buy as much as I did when I was younger, and now that I'm retired it's difficult to keep up with all the changes. I did buy an SACD player and a new preamp this year which gobbled up two months' pension checks with just two clicks of the ol' mouse. Maybe the government ought to consider voting on legislation that gives free components to those over 65.
I'm not sure how much I would spend if I weren't the father of two teenagers. Right now, I listen and learn and try to make my upgrade choices count. I look for equipment reviews that highlight true "value" pieces (like the Rega Planet CD player).
How much I spend every year varies greatly. I can't afford to change components like Imelda Marcos changes shoes. Each upgrade must be significant if it to justify the required sacrifices. Some years I don't spend anythingothers quite a bit.
I do my buying in the used market nowadays. The prices there reflect the initial depreciation and from there on the resale value remains rather constant. So, once the initial investment is done, one can turn stuff over and over at a reasonable cost.
Well, for me this is difficult question. When I first got into hi-fi, I was living on a meager University teaching fellowship stipend, and yes, as meager as it was, I spent well over half of it building the basis of my system. Now, only the wire, the CD transport and the speaker stands remain, the rest replaced systematically by snazzier components after every promotion or better job. That said, I've "stabilizied" both my employment and, coincidently, my system. The last upgrade (finally, class "A" limited LF speakers!) was made two years ago, almost to the day: the day I signed the contract for my current job! So, while at one time my answer would have to be "60%+ " the last two years have been "0%," and the years in between were somewhere in between! Confused? I sure am.