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Justification of an expensive purchase

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I spotted the new Matrix Sabre 3 DAC/streamer thing and of course had to buy one. The discussion in my head between my rational self and my audioself went something like this:
audioself: OMG this thing is gorgeous! Look at the glass, must be Gorilla glass, or better probably. It's Matrix Audio. The DAC is super, just like the one Amir uses, surely it will sound sublime if I replace my Node 2i with one of these babies!
rational self: You use the digital output from the Node and your STR preamp has a good DAC, you won't be able to hear any difference. Save the 3 grand.
audioself: That's ridiculous, this thing is beautiful and by using the superior DAC I can use the analog bypass thing in my STR and get the wire with gain function that is sooo good. Everyone says so.
rational self: You'll be giving up all the DSP functions of the STR, no room correction, how will you blend subs, etc? Gene said the use of digital features in the STR caused no audible penalty. You'll end up with worse SQ and be out 3 grand.
audioself: That's ridiculous, I can use the DARO thing in my JLA subs and buy their CR thing to get the crossover tuned to perfection. Floyd said the room correction stuff is hogwash.
rational self: the CR "thing" is another 3 grand, and you don't know how to use it. And think of the noise coming from your STR volume control.
audioself: OMG you're right! that will be the weak link, I'll need an LA-4 with a volume control STRAIGHT FROM GOD. That will give me a system to die for.
rational self: the LA-4 is another 2500, and don't forget tax on all this stuff. You don't need this thing, and if it goes bad you have to ship it to China.
audioself: it won't go bad and it's so cool looking.

At this point I went out to the garage/shop to sand something and think it all over. I turned on the Powernode/M106 system and streamed my favorite playlist from Spotify. It sounded sublime.
 

LTig

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If you really feel the need to spend money just sit in front of your stereo and rip bank notes in half. It's much faster and prevents a lot of extra trouble for similar SQ :cool: ...

The source: To simulate the experience of taking part in the America's Cup put on your rain clothes, step into the shower, let the cold water run at full speed, and then start ripping $1000 bank notes slowly one by one.
 

NiagaraPete

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Thanks to Amir and this site. I can those conversations about much less expensive stuff. Like and Nanopi streamer $20.00 or a Topping DAC at $99.00.

PS they are also much easier to hide from the Mrs.
 

Astrozombie

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Freakin yikes..........I don't think it looks that good for the price. I guess the better question is how much do you make a year? Is this for your main system? Do you have really good speakers already?
 

JuliaCoder

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Think of yourself as a patron of the electronic arts. Funding engineers dreams of designing the ultimate after designing too long to a price point.
 

JJB70

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If you want it and you can afford it then what more justification do you need? Well, if you're married make sure your partner doesn't mind.

I am an audio sceptic who thinks audio electronics are commodities and that ultimately audio gear doesn't really matter. I also recognize the emotional side of things and the fact we all have subjective preferences we like to indulge. So if you like something then you don't need to justify it.

What does annoy me is people trying to sell overpriced gear on a false promise of superior SQ using lots of florid prose and silly ideas to try and defend poor objective performance. But I feel the same about chasing metrics in measured performance.
 

Raindog123

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Simple, just add $100,000 to your $6,500 (plus tax) budget and buy this:
(do not need Autobiography, 2022 Westminster Edition is all one needs…)

949FF523-6406-48CE-AD41-3CB50FB0525A.jpeg
 

Helicopter

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I just use a spreadsheet that tells me how much I am allowed to spend on hobbies. This way I don't have to worry about hiding anything from Mrs Helicopter and I can buy anything I want as long as I am willing to wait and or forego other things... but I am with @Astrozombie here. I don't see what makes the proposed purchase tempting in any way. If spreadsheet let me spend $1k per day I still wouldn't want that matrix sabre 3... I have been contemplating a system for movies and 5.1ch SACDs.
 

Gorgonzola

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My all-purpose expensive purchase justification: I wanted it; I could afford it; I bought it. As long as I'm not depriving my own wife or family in any serious way, it's good. What about the starving masses? I'm suffering compassion fatigue.

A recent example was the 'SE+' upgrade to my Sonic Frontiers Line 1 preamplifier. For US$1200 did it actually improve the sound? Humm ... well I can't do a before vs. after blind test.
 

daniel_chris

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If you really feel the need to spend money just sit in front of your stereo and rip bank notes in half. It's much faster and prevents a lot of extra trouble for similar SQ :cool: ...

The source: To simulate the experience of taking part in the America's Cup put on your rain clothes, step into the shower, let the cold water run at full speed, and then start ripping $1000 bank notes slowly one by one.
lmao
 

Kal Rubinson

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rational self: the LA-4 is another 2500, and don't forget tax on all this stuff. You don't need this thing, and if it goes bad you have to ship it to China.
????? Benchmark Media is in Syracuse, NY, USA.
 
OP
E

ex audiophile

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????? Benchmark Media is in Syracuse, NY, USA.
"You don't need this thing, and if it goes bad you have to ship it to China" refers to the primary subject of the post, the Matrix streamer/DAC
 

Kal Rubinson

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"You don't need this thing, and if it goes bad you have to ship it to China" refers to the primary subject of the post, the Matrix streamer/DAC
Not the way you wrote it but, yes, that makes more sense.
 

iMickey503

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Life is short. Enjoy it.
You only get one chance and it's not a dress rehearsal.

with that being said, there are very few electronics that actually go up in value over the years and it usually takes 20 to 40 years to actually have them appreciate in value... sometimes longer.

all I'm saying is there's always a way to get what you desire whether you are okay with it morally or not is really up to you.

I for one want a jaguar xj220. I once had the money to buy one in fact and I should have when they were around $88,000 for a model that I saw.. I wish I purchased this car but I didn't...

I also had the chance to purchase a Jaguar xj-s for less than $500 and it was in perfect condition minus a engine problem. wish I snaged it...
Now a decent example goes Turn Around $22,000.


for everything else? Just become a politician.
 

Martin

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I’m justifying an expensive purchase - a Benchmark HPA4 - by purchasing a bunch of relatively less expensive - yet still expensive - components and sending them to Amir to review. The first (SPL Phonitor X) didn’t pass muster. I’ll be sending a second (Burson Audio Conductor 3X Reference) soon.

Martin
 
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