• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

How much money do you have invested in this "hobby?"

How much have you spent on your current system?

  • < 500 USD

    Votes: 9 1.8%
  • 500-1000 USD

    Votes: 15 2.9%
  • 1000-2500 USD

    Votes: 90 17.6%
  • 2500-5000 USD

    Votes: 101 19.8%
  • 5000-10000 USD

    Votes: 116 22.7%
  • 10000-15000 USD

    Votes: 68 13.3%
  • 15000-25000 USD

    Votes: 49 9.6%
  • 25000-50000 USD

    Votes: 40 7.8%
  • >50000 USD

    Votes: 23 4.5%

  • Total voters
    511

Martin

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 23, 2018
Messages
1,896
Likes
5,536
Location
Cape Coral, FL
Corresponding with various people on this thread has we wondering how much people have invested on their current main system. I'm talking about how much all the components currently in use in your main system cost you. Not how much you've spent on this hobby over the years. (That could be depressing. :facepalm:) If you have multiple systems just use what is on the one you use most to listen to music.

I have a stereo, a home theater and an office system. I chose my stereo system as it is the one I use when I want to sit and listen to music. I have right around $11,000 USD in my system as it sits.

What do you have invested in yours?

Martin
 

MRC01

Major Contributor
Joined
Feb 5, 2019
Messages
3,424
Likes
4,030
Location
Pacific Northwest
Some of my gear is > 20 years old, so the values are questionable. Either too low because the dollar has less purchasing power, or too high because of depreciation. I put in a value ignoring all that, based on what I paid when I bought it. Also I included only audio gear - not video, recording, microphones, etc. I included the headphones and speakers. That amounts to about $15k.
Of course most of us including me have "invested" (using that word very loosely!) much more than that in this hobby over the years!
 

LeftCoastTim

Senior Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 15, 2019
Messages
375
Likes
757
This forum helped me a lot in getting the price/performance ratio high:

Pair of JBL 708P's ($2000, B-stock from Harman)
JBL LSR310S subwoofer ($300, sale)
Behringer DEQ2496 ($180, Ebay)
Calibrated mic from Cross Spectrum ($100)
Cables, etc ($100)

Total: <$3000 USD.

I had the 708P's without a sub, so I was using the built in DEQ for room correction. But I missed having the sub. After purchasing the Behringer DEQ, I was able to add the sub back and now it sounds fabulous. On any program. On any loudness.

These days I'm looking for more music to listen to, instead of tweaking my gear. Which is both good and bad ;)
 

Sgt. Ear Ache

Major Contributor
Joined
Jun 18, 2019
Messages
1,894
Likes
4,151
Location
Winnipeg Canada
Laptop - $800 (but of course used for more than just music)
Topping D10 - $100
Yamaha R-S202bl amp -$200
Pioneer SA-7700 amp - $500
Micca RB42 speakers - $179.95

all amounts are Canadian $ so not even $1800USD
 

doodlebro

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 20, 2019
Messages
118
Likes
132
MSRPs for the older KEF speakers are a guess, if anyone remembers let me know. I'm leaving out a few things like records, A/V stand, NAS, and record stand but it's pretty complete down to the interconnects.

Room treatments are sorely needed and likely the next thing I spend money on but I'm still in an apartment so I can justify forgetting about it. After spending some time in ListenUp I am convinced I need to spend 10-20 times what I have for a noticeable and justifiable improvement.

Yeah, my record player is janky. I have a soft spot for p-mounts.
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2020-02-07 at 1.53.29 PM.png
    Screen Shot 2020-02-07 at 1.53.29 PM.png
    112.4 KB · Views: 186
Last edited:

MRC01

Major Contributor
Joined
Feb 5, 2019
Messages
3,424
Likes
4,030
Location
Pacific Northwest
... These days I'm looking for more music to listen to, instead of tweaking my gear. Which is both good and bad ;)
Ditto that. And it's mostly good! Once you get it right, stop. If ain't broke, don't fix it.
Music lovers use their system to listen to music. Audiophiles use music to listen to their system.
 

vitalii427

Senior Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 19, 2017
Messages
386
Likes
531
Location
Kiev, Ukraine
Whether you’re a believer or not, $50k is a lot.
Sure. But when people has 200k+ stereo systems 50k it’s much. There’s a lot of speakers that has higher price than 50k
 
Last edited:

Fluffy

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Sep 14, 2019
Messages
856
Likes
1,423
I'm not sure which value should I put in. I have three main "systems":

The cheapest one is the traveling set, consisting of a Fiio X3 and either Meze 99 classics or Bose QC25. All together these cost me around 900$.

The main speaker system consists of Focusrite 2i2 and Yamaha hs8 (second hand). This is also about 900$.

The third and most expansive one is the home headphone system, consisting of Schiit Modi 3, Arcam rHead, and either Focal Clear or Audeze LCD2C. all together it's worth 2800$.

On top of that, I have the computer that plays all the music, and that's worth about 1700$. It's also an editing workstation, so not all of that horsepower goes directly to sound.

Most of my serious listening is done on the home headphone set up, so I voted 2500-5000 USD. Though altogether, it's in the range of 5000-10000 USD.
 
OP
Martin

Martin

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 23, 2018
Messages
1,896
Likes
5,536
Location
Cape Coral, FL
MSRPs for the older KEF speakers are a guess, if anyone remembers let me know. I'm leaving out a few things like records, A/V stand and record stand but it's pretty complete down to the interconnects.

Room treatments are sorely needed and likely the next thing I spend money on but I'm still in an apartment so I can justify forgetting about it. After spending some time in ListenUp I am convinced I need to spend 10-20 times what I have for a noticeable and justifiable improvement.

Yeah, my record player is janky. I have a soft spot for p-mounts.

Glad to see I'm not the only one with a spreadsheet. I have tabs for my stereo, home theater, office system, pc builds, and others for DIY projects.

Martin
 

cjm2077

Active Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2020
Messages
160
Likes
261
If we're counting the OLED TV as part of the system, then almost $12500. A good deal of it was bought used, so that's not even MSRP.

Amphion Two18 speakers - $4500 (6k msrp)
Benchmark AHB2 demo model - $2700
LG OLED - $1500
Benchmark Dac2 HGC - $1200
Server (for music and video, etc) - ~$1000
GIK Bass Traps - $525
Bluesound Node 2 - $500
Various cables - ~$300 (Benchmark speaker cables being most of the cost - needed the NL2 connectors)
Hifiman HE400i headphones - $219
Furman power conditioner - $180

At list price it would be close to or over 15k I guess. It was acquired over time, with a number of upgrades over the years, so selling older stuff helped pay for the new, but right now I don't think there is anything in there older than 5 years. It's a lot when you add it all up. May be worth more than the 8 year old sports car I almost never drive any more.
 

Wes

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 5, 2019
Messages
3,843
Likes
3,788
do we post based on retail prices or how much we actually spent?
 

DonH56

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 15, 2016
Messages
7,835
Likes
16,498
Location
Monument, CO
I voted but heck if I am going to admit in the open... Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much! Fortunately I got some great deals, a couple of nice bonus years (not lately, alas), and a very understanding wife.
 

VMAT4

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 25, 2018
Messages
937
Likes
743
Location
South Central Pennsylvania
I've been in it for 42 years! I can't recall what I paid for many pieces now long gone, let alone albums and CDs. So,
Waaaay too much here also.
 
OP
Martin

Martin

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 23, 2018
Messages
1,896
Likes
5,536
Location
Cape Coral, FL
do we post based on retail prices or how much we actually spent?

What you actually spent. I purchased most of what I have on the second hand market: eBay, Audiogon, US Audio Mart, etc. My $11,000 system would have retailed for close to $25,000.

Martin
 

mansr

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 5, 2018
Messages
4,685
Likes
10,700
Location
Hampshire
The most expensive part of my music listening equipment is the speakers which cost me about £1500. In total, I guess I've spent around $5k on the items currently in use.
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
It's all DIY (except for the laptop and DAC) so the investment in money wasn't much, in time quite a bit more.

Only my headphones have cost me a LOT over the years.
 

GD Fan

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 7, 2020
Messages
932
Likes
1,699
Location
NY, NY USA
My number is reflected in the voting tally above and like others said it struck me as way too much when I added it all together. And then I realized it may not even exceed what I've also spent on music to play on the system!
 
Top Bottom