That was brave…
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Ignoring consumables like styli, the only hifi gear I have ever had that failed from age/wear were two successive CD players. I’ve had speakers up to 45 years old, amps up to 30, and moved them on still working fine. Excellent value for money!
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I’ve just bought a 282 and 250 DR so I feel your pain!
Sounds as much as it costs to smoke 20/day now. One is good for you the other isn’t. Could say the same for alcohol (raises blood pressure). But the best things in life are free more or less.
Phil
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I used to work with colleagues who were smokers, drinkers, gamblers, and not to mention some may have indulged in illicit substances. [They squandered the rest of their wages, …ho ho.]
But just a simply calculation of fags and beer quota per year can be accessed as a £5k - £10k indulgence [ per annum ] depending upon how strong the individuals addiction.
This is money earned, and it’s their choice to spend it as they choose, but when you look at how much money it takes to fund such a lifestyle choice over a decade £50.0000 - £100,000 (?)
A naim audio system costing £20k has a far better defence for a good life-style acquisition, and which can be relatively considered fairly good value for money - as long as it’s within the remit of one’s budget.
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I made a few less than stellar Celtic tiger era investments that totally evaporated. Showing how every cloud… my wife said as we were looking at the carnage one evening, “your Naim hifi turned out to be the best investment, it’s actually still worth something and you’ve got the enjoyment in the interim”.
All things being relative it had been a great investment. I think we all have budgets we cannot afford (obviously) and ones we won’t spend over. Most of my costly purchases were over 10 years ago so with amortisation they don’t seem as excessive. When queried about costs by a supercilious in law it turned out my hifi was much better value than his annual golf club membership.
.sjb
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I have saved a minimum of £30K since I quit the ciggies. That was five years ago.
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And likely added a few years to your lifespan too, Harry. Well done!
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Meant to say mine is instead of a Porsche. The replacement value is heading that way not that I every checked the price because I didn’t want a Porsche!
Phil
Thanks Mike.
We have to be selective about our luxuries, but we should indulge while we are young enough to enjoy them, whatever they are. We own the vinyl and CD’s and feel obligated to generate the best possible return on that investment. My wife agrees. Most of our friends hunt, fish, play golf and drink in the bar after the day out. We would prefer to enjoy our own living room. What better way to enjoy it than with a Naim Audio system?
It is surprising how expensive audio equipment across the board has become. I read the audio magazines and can not believe what some of this stuff costs. I like the idea of the Kudos and Magico speakers, but sticker shock has kept me within the ProAc range for now. I see the $10,000 plus cartridges but went for something more modest, if you can call a Kleos SL (with the trade-in discount) modest at $3,000. It is just hard to imagine a wasting asset like a phono cartridge at these prices particularly given the cost of materials. Some of these product lines just strain my sense of credible value for money, Naim excepted of course.
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I know of a lot of people, actually most, that spend fifty quid pm on Sky and at least the same on mobile phones… We don’t have either in our house so dropping a few K every few years is neither here nor there.
On the smoking side… SWMBO used to do a pack a day. Over 30 years that was an even more frightening total 
She’s been clean now for a year (good on her) and she’s amazed at just how much spare cash she now has 
At the risk of sounding like an ad for some cheap 80s electronics company I think our problem is that music moves us, it’s emotional. Unlike some, who just hear noise we hear much more. It also pushes us to explore more, more detail, more bass, more clarity more of everything which of course adds up to more money.
The cost has to be viewed like all hobbies, you spend what you’re able to. The guy across the road from me flies remote controlled plans, some are so big the could almost carry me, his garage is full of them. He never mentions the cost but they can’t be cheap, good luck to him. It’s he’s passion.
My Royds are 25 years old, they cost me (I think) around $4ks in ‘94, work that out and it comes to about 43 cents a day and with each upgrade they sound better and better. I don’t see that as expensive, especially when like others here I listen to them almost ever day.
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Wow, nice work Harry.
Thank you.Huddo.
I often see HiFi referred to as an investment. I suppose you could call it an investment in happiness, quality of life, relaxation, or something like that. In monetary terms it is a poor investment. Land and property for investment, stocks and shares for gambling, everything else for expenditure, some enjoyable, some not.
With both Helen and I it is non negotiable. We love music, we always have. It’s the closest thing I have to a religion. It’'s like Pete says. We’ve always had what we think sounds like the best system we could possibly get for the funds available. Once upon a time, that was a transistor radio. Anything that will play music is acceptable. After that, it’s all icing. We are happy with our current choice and quality of icing.
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All above is very nice if one can afford it…
Gandalf
All of us are here I would think because affordability is a given for this group.
It’s just the degree of interest and inclination that decides on total outlay IMO
Regards
I will admit that if my “hobby” was entirely funded by myself, I would still be sitting in front of the XS5 cdp and integrated with Ruark old floorstanders.
Only from getting to that unfortunate stage in life where all surrounding members of the family have died and left money, with a sale of property - have I been in a fortunate position to consider investing in Hifi. So glad I did, not frittered away but enjoyed everyday.
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Nice situation to be in…if you see what I mean 
In my case it’s happened almost without me noticing piece meal. For a long time it was around the 10K mark but then it just grew, over a few years, without me really noticing. It was only when I thought about it a couple of weeks ago did I fully appreciate how much this hobby was actually costing me!
Out of interest… am I the only person that’s kept the full cost secret from SWMBO?
Sort of. At the last upgrade, she said she was happy for me to have it and didn’t want to know how much it was. So, being wise, I haven’t told her!
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