Price paid is one thing. Value to the individual is quite different. I don’t see a connection to be honest.
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I don’t think I could come up with, for me, a more pointless exercise! Yet another example of ‘cost of everything, value of nothing’ thread seemingly so beloved of some members. Surely the bottom line is we all spend on our systems an amount of money that, according to our varied and different means, we are personally content to part with and which gives us the results we seek and are happy with.
Were I to be interested in a ‘per hour’ figure I’m still not sure how I would arrive at a realistic duration of equipment ownership, and an accurate prediction of hours per day/week/year of music listening. Not being sn accountant I have absolutely no idea how to factor in inflation, depreciation etc.
10p, 50p, £5, £10 per hour - who cares? The money’s been spent. If you enjoy the results, happy days. If you don’t, sell it and find another hobby. Then you could work out how much each fish you catch has cost you, or how much you’re shelling out for every stroke on the golf course!
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Especially Frank Zappa fans?
This guy I know wanted to buy a Porsche and compiled a spreadsheet to demonstrate to his wife that it represented good VFM. Her response “just buy the bloody car if you want to”!
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Good luck with the surgery and the health issues.
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Pushing 68 myself, so I admire your optimism and fortitude. All the best Mike!
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All the best with health and hope all goes well. In the end the combination of stress, office politics and extreme ill health made me take a premature retirement .
Music was the healthiest release for me and money spent on music 
is money spent on health as well.
That sounds like another thread…
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What a meaningless calculation. Total cost per hour of anything is whatever price you paid for the first hour. During that time, you’re probably setting stuff up so could be $50k for no music.
The only number that holds is the number at the end when you sell it on or it dies. Considering different bits may be acquired at different times you may have to wait till your deathbed to work it all out. And to what end?
It’s a hifi not a yacht.
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…the number of shots it takes me to get the ball in the hole means I get tremendous value for money!! 
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I’m trying to work out the cost of ownership on my Nike football boots. Price - £35
Games played - 75
Goals scored - 93
Fouls committed - 157.
They’ve been worth it for the fouls alone! 
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I agree entirely with Bjm. It is my reward for hard work when I am well past retirement age. As an accountant the cost is written off when incurred and forgotten.
I probably listen 20 hours a week made easier as I have a networked Uniti setup, including in the greenhouse and sauna
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Hi Mike, sorry to hear about your health problems but glad hear that music and your system are helping to keep your spirits up and giving you something to look forward to.
I’m a young 51 
so figured if I don’t go for my own ‘dream’ system now, when do I? Touch wood, I’m ok at the moment, eat well (I cook from fresh) drink occasionally & do enough sport when work allows to stay fairly fit but I know anything can happen especially the ‘C’ thing.
Knowing my friends situation I was a bit annoyed at this thread in the first place. What’s wrong with just knowing you have good health, can afford and enjoy whatever level of system you have instead of wasting time calculating how much it cost per hour.
I’ve seen some pretty pointless threads on here over my time but this one is right up there at No 1
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Hi Mike
Best of luck with the melanoma treatment.
All the best
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It seems that more people on here than you might expect have experienced health challenges, and they certainly give perspective. When I was lying on the road and saw the white light the only thought in my head was ‘I don’t want to die’, not thoughts about how much hifi cost per hour. I get untold pleasure from listening to music both live and at home. I think if something feels right then it is right. But if you start thinking about the cost per hour it may well be due to a subconscious knowledge that the amount spent is disproportionate and out of balance with other things in your life. You shouldn’t need calculations, just listen to your heart.
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I wish MikeS the best of luck. Hungryhalibut summed it up very well. I have recently spent quite a bit upgrading to a 500 system. Like most who have posted, I have not tried to quantify a cost/benefit analysis. I am over 60 and always fancied a Saville Row suit. I did work out the cost per likely wearing and decided not to proceed. Music is entirely different. It’s important and unique - not just another suit. These days the availability of recordings is astonishing and so easily accessed. Whilst Hifi is no substitute for live music you have to factor in the convenience of music being at your finger tips and playable in your own home with a quality of reproduction which satisfies, excites and stimulates. Naim does that.
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Bon chance @Mike_S
I came across this earlier today, not that I subscribe, but thought worth posting for piece of mind. As an old goat on the cusp of Aquarius I like my options.
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HH,
I am not speaking of hourly cost but general math is a good reality check especially that our hearts are not that sensible… When you took the large loan to finance your fancy HiFi system (which you regretted later), wasn’t that the matter of a lasting heart and missing math?
I blame Citalopram, which I was prescribed for workplace anxiety. I just borrowed and borrowed, with no worries whatsoever. As soon as I came off the drugs I realised what I’d done and remedied the situation by selling the lot and clearing the debt. At least that was possible. The good thing is that now I’ve had a ‘fancy system’ I now no longer desire another, though on the fancyometer the current one is pretty fancy, just not as fancy as the big one.
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I think my hourly cost of ownership is far far below my hourly wage that I earn…I’m good for a few decades. My Cartridge might need upgrading in a few years at most.
If I listen to 10 albums a week (let’s say 5 hours), for ten years, isn’t that about 50K USD if I assume 20$ per hour? Were we arguing life span of a good Naim system is well above 10 years anyway?
Each new album is roughly $25…and I don’t mind paying for one I listen to only a handful of times.
I pay $35 to play one hockey game each week…good exercise and helps my blood pressure.
Listening to music is just as important…so it works out in my favor it seems.
I plan on leaving all this fancy stuff for my son too…his cost will be Zero
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In real terms it’s still one helluva system HH.