ASR makes me go back to other expensive hobbies ...

[shinewu]

I still own about 300 CDs, 40 fountain pens and 25 watches. I thought HeadFi would keep me spending for a while. Now I have:

DAC/AMP: Aune T1 (pre-ASR), Drop GRACE DAC, SMSL VMV VA-2, SMSL M500 and Singxer SA-1
USB Dongle: Xduoo Link (pre-ASR), TempoTec Sonata HD Pro and FIIO KA3 (incoming)
Headphones: Sennheiser/Drop HD58X, HifiMan Sundara, AKG K712 Pro, HiFiMan HE6SE V2 and Sennheiser HD 800s
IEMs: Etymotic ER3SE, MoonDrop Blessing 2, Dunu DK-2001

Now I also started using EQ. I think my next step-up will be probably 2k+ purchases, which will have to wait till I buy my house.
Thanks for all the information that you folks shared here over the years. I surely wasted some money. But I got the expensive ones right.
And now whenever I started Tidal, a smile flashes across my face and then stays there!

The downside is that I started drooling over some expensive watches now...

 

[shinewu]

I just pulled the trigger on certified FIIO K9 Pro from Apos Audio. 20% off and no tax, just can't control myself. Also I don't care about MQA, hence most of the problems from this device are actually non-issue to me.

 

[murl]

Just bought a deep sea, new speed master, and am on the list for a skydweller. Also started flying again. Lots of expensive hobbies out there.

 

[soundwave76]

Same here… now gravitating back to watches a bit and there is of course bicycles and especially emtbs!

 

[PeteDzi]

Beautiful cars and fast women?

 

[ADU]

I still own about 300 CDs, 40 fountain pens and 25 watches. I thought HeadFi would keep me spending for a while. Now I have:

DAC/AMP: Aune T1 (pre-ASR), Drop GRACE DAC, SMSL VMV VA-2, SMSL M500 and Singxer SA-1
USB Dongle: Xduoo Link (pre-ASR), TempoTec Sonata HD Pro and FIIO KA3 (incoming)
Headphones: Sennheiser/Drop HD58X, HifiMan Sundara, AKG K712 Pro, HiFiMan HE6SE V2 and Sennheiser HD 800s
IEMs: Etymotic ER3SE, MoonDrop Blessing 2, Dunu DK-2001

Now I also started using EQ. I think my next step-up will be probably 2k+ purchases, which will have to wait till I buy my house.
Thanks for all the information that you folks shared here over the years. I surely wasted some money. But I got the expensive ones right.
And now whenever I started Tidal, a smile flashes across my face and then stays there!

The downside is that I started drooling over some expensive watches now...

The luxury economy thanks you (and others here) for your support.

 

[Paperdragons]

Oh gosh...I used to be into watches. I'm really glad I ended up liking the apple watch way more than I expected too. It's easily saved me thousands at the rate I was going.

 

[murl]

I wear an Apple Watch 90% of the time but there is something special about a nice watch. My wife got me the new speed master for my birthday and I love wearing it.

 

[wacomme]

Fountain pens are manageable, but watches are too rich for my blood. It was fun for a while, but watches are just too expensive. I have a few inexpensive ones now, but that's it..

 

[Keith_W]

I was in my favourite watch dealer last week, and a guy came in to look at Rolexes. I stayed quiet as the dealer showed him Rolex after Rolex, and I was astounded by how much they cost. After he walked out, I told the dealer "you should have pointed out that JLC, which is cheaper and better than the Rolex he was looking at". He said "he is different to you, he has never owned a luxury watch. He has made up his mind to get a Rolex, and it is not up to me to talk him out of it". I mentioned that none of my watches cost as much as that Rolex. He said "collectively, they do. Many times the price of that Rolex. And what about your love of hi-fi?"

Hmmm.

 

[Mart68]

I have a couple of Rolexes I bought new in Tijuana. I think they were fifteen dollars each. Neither of them works any more.

For my thirtieth I thought I'd buy myself a proper dress watch, could not afford anything flash so got a Pulsar, with the gold metal strap and face which is still going strong more than two decades later.

Oddly enough a lot of people, usually but not always women, comment favourably on it but when I wore the 'Rolex' I think only one person ever mentioned it.

If I was going to get a real high end watch it would be a Rolex though as that's what James Bond wore - case closed.

 

[NoSnakeOil2]

Fountain pens are manageable, but watches are too rich for my blood. It was fun for a while, but watches are just too expensive. I have a few inexpensive ones now, but that's it..

I collect ountain pens, and the good thing about the hobby is the variation. One can get high quality at $20 and at $2,000.

 

[Doodski]

I collect ountain pens, and the good thing about the hobby is the variation. One can get high quality at $20 and at $2,000.

Do you buy handmade pens from people in the local area that make them? I ask because I met a guy downtown one day and he had pens that he turned on a small lathe and they started at $20 each and went to about $100.00 each for the fancier ones. He used German made high quality pen ink refills and his pens where really nice.

 

[tomchris]

Do you buy handmade pens from people in the local area that make them? I ask because I met a guy downtown one day and he had pens that he turned on a small lathe and they started at $20 each and went to about $100.00 each for the fancier ones. He used German made high quality pen ink refills and his pens where really nice.

Do you know if this guy has a website?

 

[Doodski]

Do you know if this guy has a website?

I think it is one of these. The last time I saw his website he had details about his workshop which is a comprehensive assortment of woodworking gear for large and small lathes. Today I see only sales of pens and no other details so I am a bit confused as to which guy he is at which website. When I met him he was not selling and I struck up a convo and he was very receptive to that so we gabbed about pens.

Just Write Ink

Handcrafted, custom-made pens, pencils, shaving sets and other great gift ideas for all occasions. Just Write Ink can provide you with corporate gift solutions to meet your needs.

justwriteink.ca

https://www.pensbyscott.com/about

It is not Ralph Sears pens. I would recognize the guy but this one looks good too.

 

[tomchris]

@Doodski Thanks! Hmm, I wonder if he is able to make/turn fountain pens in metal? I am looking for something

 

[Doodski]

@Doodski Thanks! Hmm, I wonder if he is able to make/turn fountain pens in metal? I am looking for something

Hmmz metal. That's a whole different set of tooling for production. Especially if it is a stainless steel pen because that requires cobalt cutting drill bits and lathe cutting bits. You might have difficulty finding somebody that can manage that sort of operation. On the flip side it would be very sturdy.

 

[Timcognito]

stainless steel pen because that requires cobalt cutting drill bits and lathe cutting bits.

Does not I do it all the time.

 

[Doodski]

Does not I do it all the time.

I've canned round stock and bored a lot using stainless and cobalt bits as well as when assembling electronic-over-hydraulics systems with instrumentation stainless is common and I did a lot of drilling there with cobalt. Pre-cobalt bits it was a mess. Post cobalt bits it was a work of art. What are you doing with stainless and cobalt?

 

[Anton S]

I have a couple of Rolexes I bought new in Tijuana. I think they were fifteen dollars each. Neither of them works any more.

For my thirtieth I thought I'd buy myself a proper dress watch, could not afford anything flash so got a Pulsar, with the gold metal strap and face which is still going strong more than two decades later.

Oddly enough a lot of people, usually but not always women, comment favourably on it but when I wore the 'Rolex' I think only one person ever mentioned it.

If I was going to get a real high end watch it would be a Rolex though as that's what James Bond wore - case closed.

Ha-ha! Folks who aren't well versed in timepieces are rarely able to recognize an outstanding watch, and typically gauge a watch's worth by the size of its dial. I have a Patek Philippe 3711 that no one EVER compliments me on. The dial is way too small.