If only we could educate people on the true long term cost of purchases. Both in having to buy another in too short of a time, but also in the waste generated in production, transportation and disposal.
It took me too long to realize that it isn't the larger purchases that harmed my savings the most, it was the small $150 purchases that I made far too often that did the most damage. Spending what was a lot at the time on a receiver and speakers seemed crazy, but still using them 20+ years later made it quite a bit more sane.
We likely won't ever know because that falls into the price category of throw it away and move on. People don't expect them to last so most don't even notice when they don't. We've been conditioned to accept it when devices fail.
Between 'it is cheap enough, who cares?" and "oh, look at the shiny new one!" it is a cycle that many are okay with.
That argument is harder to make in a world where those same people have phones that cost $500-$1000 plus $50-100 a month and they have built in obsolescence due to time limited security updates. And it circles back to my other argument, how many $150 amps will they buy in the same time that $800 one could be used? Even if it isn't due to a failure, the perpetual fear of missing out will likely drive them to go through more 'low dollar' amps as each new one becomes the flavor of the moment. Sure, they might be tempted even if they have a more expensive amp but changing one's entire mentality to buying for the long term could be a great side effect.
I have a Vidar 1, for the record. No complaints, but it and my Parasound 2125 and Adcom 545 MkII are all pretty close in performance. It took the move to a D class Nord VL NC 252 to actually get a noteworthy bump.
I meant to mention the Adcom previously in regards to longevity. For over 30 years, mostly with 4ohm speakers, I beat that thing like a rented donkey. It's missing the cover, binding posts and is on it's 10th set of fuses. Every time I plug it in, the unit works and sounds great. For $400 in 1990, it wasn't really cheap, but hell at a $12 a year metric, it is STILL competitive. To argue with myself, I'm not sure we are that that breaking point with D class yet, but I am open-minded as witnessed by my presence here.
The amp-receiver I actually want is....
https://www.safeandsoundhq.com/prod...rid-digital-dac-amplifier-factory-refurbished
To the point I hear ya about the numerous $150 purchases, verses "all in" at $400 or $600, lol. I can afford anything I wanted these days, but nope, I'm still cheap.
Seriously, ASR participation pleases me more than any other audio forum ever. Those were just- get in, read enough to make a purchase and leave....never going back!