Constantly replacing gear.

[DavidEdwinAston]

Sorry guys. In all sorts of threads members refer to frequently replacing HiFi gear, almost just for the hell of it!
Their business, I know. I am not as remotely good at giving to charity as I should be, but, surely, the money spent on constant change would be better given to a good cause?
Only saying. NSPCC, just as an instance.

 

[JeremyFife]

Agree with the sentiment, and that it's personal choice.

On the flip side: ASR has pretty much stopped me buying new kit now

 

[Oddball]

Well a tight budget and excitement will get your there. Have been trading stuff relentlessly in that stage. Having a more generous budget and long term view will get you further in therms of cash.

Still running my 7 stereo amps and 6 surround speakers (used to be 5.1) that are 15+ years old. They were objectively expensive but given the tenure turned out to be a great value.

 

[F1Fan72]

Agree with the sentiment, and that it's personal choice.

On the flip side: ASR has pretty much stopped me buying new kit now

Yep same here .. it’s stopped me also

 

[TTT15]

If all DACs and Amps sound the same and spending more is a waste of money according to ASR I’m not sure what the objective need is to change equipment is. Objectively it appears to be wasteful. Therefore objectively the multitude of new and different models from the likes of Topping and SMSL are not justified and should not be promoted or supported by ASR if ASR is about being objective.

I’m not sure objectively either that promoting online globalised brands over HiFi stores and national brands is good long term for HiFi.

 

[tmtomh]

Sorry guys. In all sorts of threads members refer to frequently replacing HiFi gear, almost just for the hell of it!
Their business, I know. I am not as remotely good at giving to charity as I should be, but, surely, the money spent on constant change would be better given to a good cause?
Only saying. NSPCC, just as an instance.

Hi-fi gear consumption is just one small part of overall consumerism of course - and the need for wasteful (and environmentally damaging) overconsumption has been a structural problem of capitalism ever since industrialism really geared up and mass consumption became truly widespread.

But with that said, yes, I agree with you, there's a specific version of this problem in hi-fi audio, which ASR sort of strikes at the very heart of: there's a culture of "the journey," aka constantly switching gear in the hopes of obtaining audible sonic improvement. This culture of "the journey" is fueled in large part by unsupported (and often unsupportable or flat-out false) claims that certain design features, technologies, or materials produce audible changes in the sound that eventually comes out of the speakers or headphones. This is just one reason why ASR's influence on the audio landscape is so important and positive IMHO.

I'm generally critical of what I see as the sometimes rather conspiratorial-sounding claims some of my fellow audio objectivists make about this, but on the whole there's absolutely zero doubt that constant "upgrading" aka new purchasing based on specious claims and the culture of The Journey is a conscious business model for a lot of the industry, and one that is enabled (consciously and unconsciously, depending on the situation and person) by many influencers, reviewers, YouTubers, and everyday audio enthusiasts.

 

[egellings]

My amps & preamp are home-brewed vacuum tube types, so when I feel like an update, I flip them over and change something, paying for just a few passive electronic parts. Izz cheep! Speakers are another story, since I have no knowledge of speaker building nor the woodworking equipment to do so. I bought a very nice pair of floor-stander speakers by ProAc, and am very happy with them so they will not be changed in any way unless they are damaged beyond repair or stolen.

 

[Torin Krell]

Fine tuning a sound reproduction system (choosing gear, speaker placement, acoustical treatment, ergonomics etc) is often or even usually a process that plays out better over time. Constantly changing gear is like getting a new car every week. It can be fun, but one has to stick with both for a significant amount of time to get the most out of them, and even feel fully comfortable with them. This is also why recording and mastering studios generally don't change their main monitoring systems often - although recording studios usually include secondary monitors to check for how well a system translates, and sometimes as a "magnifying glass" to work on specific elements of a mix.

 

[Cogito]

Sorry guys. In all sorts of threads members refer to frequently replacing HiFi gear, almost just for the hell of it!
Their business, I know. I am not as remotely good at giving to charity as I should be, but, surely, the money spent on constant change would be better given to a good cause?
Only saying. NSPCC, just as an instance.

I work hard for my money and I should be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Charity begins at home.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

I work hard for my money and I should be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Charity begins at home.

Locally, there is the Shooting Star Hospice, which is a charity for terminally ill children.
How does your post work for them?

 

[BlackTalon]

People can spend their money on what they want to spend it on. What I want to contribute today -- or spend on my family -- is probably not the same as it will be next week, next month, next year. And for many people,m until they have financial security for retirement, etc. they may not be regularly -- or heavily -- donating anywhere.

 

[Doodski]

Sorry guys. In all sorts of threads members refer to frequently replacing HiFi gear, almost just for the hell of it!
Their business, I know. I am not as remotely good at giving to charity as I should be, but, surely, the money spent on constant change would be better given to a good cause?
Only saying. NSPCC, just as an instance.

I have 24 years employment in audio. I was in sales for 9 years and I for sure was disgusted with that so I re-educated and became a electronic tech. For those 9 years when I was a sales guy my personality was none other than a type A go-getter who worked 9 years without a holiday. Never took days off from September to the end of December and I was always in the top of the heap for highest margins until a very unethical fellow came along, broke my record, was investigated and subsequently fired for fraud. I maintained the high margins by down selling the crap gear and upselling the good speakers where it mattered to the customers and did so many active demonstrations for them they could only agree with me and buy better speakers. So it was always Yamaha gear and good speakers. I made a killing with that method and was well paid. I also participated in contests. Pretty much every single decent manufacturer has contests that run for part of the year or for the entire year. Yamaha had a year long contest. A sliding scale and the total sales of your year of sales would determine a credit amount in dollars and you could then apply that to any piece of gear from the Yamaha warehouse that you wanted. Anything at all. I must say it, Yamaha is one of the tip top best companies and products I have ever sold and owned. So... The speaker manufacturers and importers usually have a year long contest too. I every year won the Energy contest and went to Vega as a result to the Consumer Electronics Show for 4 days. I don't gamble, I did drink and so all day everyday I walked the show rooms and had lunch with lotsa scotch and dinner too and hung out nights drinking and going to various pubs and clubs. So... I had dozens of free speaker models over those years in my living room mostly KEF and a German brand, every year I had several+ new pieces of electronics of various types and I could afford some stuff that I had to buy with my own money. I eventually realized that this was untenable. I was not only physically exhausted of the ever changing gear but fed up with selling it from my living room, my employer was a bit concerned there might be a conflict of interest and so began a buy back program where it bought gear from me at cost so I was not selling it in the local newspaper. For example one year I won 14 pair of bookshelf speakers all the same make and model and delivered to my home in one truck and I was sitting there looking at a stack of boxes in my living room shrugging and wondering what the heck will I do. So I made intention to never do this to myself after I left sales and I would set the agenda and initiative that I would have one stereo, one pair of speakers and not change at all and keep one stereo for years. So... I bought all American and European gear that was more expensive and solid choices and that was it for about 12 years. Nothing changed. and.... What a improvement! The gear was better, the sound was reliably always the same and I became comfortable with it as I grew to love it.

 

[JeffS7444]

I think for newer enthusiasts in particular, everything seems new and worth exploring. And they may need to experience stuff for themselves before they'll be satisfied. One easy way to give back to the community is to donate gear which is no longer being used, to a charity.

 

[TurtlePaul]

What makes audio different than vacations, restaurants, cars, etc? Unless you live like Ghandi, you can always give more.

I feel like buying used equipment and selling my used equipment so it doesn't end up in the junk yard just isn't that bad.

There are many of us where spending a few grand a year just doesn't impact us financially.

 

[Cogito]

Locally, there is the Shooting Star Hospice, which is a charity for terminally ill children.
How does your post work for them?

It's incredibly unfortunate for those children and I feel for them and their families. At the same time, I'll keep contributing to my five grandchildren's college funds to help boost their odds of having prosperous and successful lives.

 

[mhardy6647]

I don't replace anything here.
It just kind of accretes.
Kind of like Saturn's rings -- but the gravitational field's different in New Hampshire than... you know... near Saturn.

 

[Power Pop 23]

I agree with the sentiment....

Audiophiles who frequently replace gear are creating a supply of gear that other audiophiles might not otherwise be able to afford. This option may leave the 2nd (or 3rd) owner with more discretionary income for charity.

 

[Power Pop 23]

I don't replace anything here.
It just kind of accretes.
Kind of like Saturn's rings -- but the gravitational field's different in New Hampshire than... you know... near Saturn.

For me, gear accretes like barnacles

 

[Chrispy]

An affliction for many unfortunately. I more accumulate gear as needed, using speakers/rooms for tweaks for the most part with a little eq help.

 

[Groove01]

Locally, there is the Shooting Star Hospice, which is a charity for terminally ill children.
How does your post work for them?

false moral dilemma argument - check.