in this great hobby, where do you draw the line for upgradeitis? (1 Viewer)

[Serge Breton]

In the past couple of years like many of you, i have spent thousands and thousands of dollars to fulfill my ever changing home theater/music needs. I audition every piece of gear carefully while beforehand researching the product before buying. Every piece added has added to my enjoyment and/or improved the sound quality to a reasonable extent. But when is enough enough?
Who can stay happy with what they currently have for more than say 2 months? OK, how about six months? Surely after this much time elapses the urge to splurge returns and the wallet comes out for that "new purchase". So many toys available but not everyone including myself has unlimited cashflow Has anyone acheived a way to balance their purchases or better yet found a cure for upgradeitis?
This is becoming more than just a hobby for me, more like a sick obsession Beautiful isen't it?

 

[Howard_S]

Just buy top of the line gear and stay away from the boards, magazines and stores.
At the time most of us purchase most of us think we've gotten the best that our money can get and we would need to spend a lot more for something a little bit better. So after you make your purchase keep a copy of a review from a magazine praising the gear you just bought and hibernate. The later you find out that there's something new and exciting out there the less you'll be affected by upgradeitis.

 

[Wes]

I'm going to have to be content for about 2 years then buy a new (well) slightly used H.D. CRT projector. my 20 year old projector is by far my weakest spot in my theater, I'm happy for now with the 7.1 audio and the new room. Plus software to keep feeding this thing is taking all the money!

Wes

 

[GordonL]

Just buy top of the line gear and stay away from the boards, magazines and stores.

I agree with that. Instead of buying stuff that will only be an incremental upgrade, save up and buy the dream system. But, you have to set your sights high. Instead of Outlaw, Rotel, Parasound or whatever, think Meridian, Levinson, etc. If you think you have the best, there's no need to keep looking, is there?

 

[Pete Jennings]

where do you draw the line for upgradeitis?

Most of us don't, our spouses do!

Pete

 

[Geoff S]

Do whatever you need to as long as it doesn't interfere with: marriage, social life, $$financial$$, education, job, and other personal intrests besides HT (if any ).
A little story those those of you out there who are bored: I started building my system piece by piece over 3 years ago. In one week I had receiver and mains... then two months later I had surrounds, then four months later a center, then new DVD player... two months after that a new TV, and took nearly another year+ before I added a sub. Now I've upgraded receivers... and am about to upgrade surrounds, and centers to the best that I can put out for that'll match the rest of my system flawlessly.
Naturally I wanted to do upgrades right away... the trick is to wait for something that will make a SIGNIFICANT difference. Don't replace your perfectly good sub that plays down to 24hz for one model up that plays down to 21hz. It's really a waste of money. Try to invent your own formula that gives you a Yes or No answer based on the improvents in the product, the cost, and long term benifits of it over what you have now. Personally, with technology going like it is, I say do a full system examination every 5 years and see what needs an upgrade. And every 2 years or so find the weakest link in your system and consider an upgrade on it, but if there is no weakest link then no upgrade, get the picture?
I'm sure the manufacturers love it when you spurge, but even they probably stop and say 'hey slow down'.

 

[David Berry]

I agree completely with Howard.
There will always be something slightly better and no doubt more expensive than what you have. Make it a game in your own mind to try and find different nuances within your music. This helps me in mitigating the feeling that "If I could only get those Nautilus 804's, I would be so much happier...". If you are on this forum, what you have is probably pretty damn good. Myself, I have promised not to spend any more money on audio equipment for a long time. My wife wants this in writing.
David

 

[Michael Mathius]

I'm not sure if I would call this an upgrade but I'm now looking to add a power conditioner to my system and maybe I'll also biwire my fronts. Once I've done that I think it will be atleast two years before I even think of upgrades. With all the changes I've made this past year I'm now very satisfied with my setup.
I wonder if I'm just kidding myself .

 

[Robb Roy]

Funny -- I added a line conditioner and bi-wired my fronts the other weekend. I'm supposed to be done for a while. But Denon just released a fix for the chroma bug on the 3800 and 9000! What's a guy to do?

 

[BruceD]

I've managed to stay with the same stuff for the last 3 years and just try to improve my implementation of the room/speaker interface.

To help me explore my room's potential, I purchased F. Alton Everest's book "Master Handbook of Acoustics", measurement equipment (calibrated mic + mic/preamp), and ETF5 acoustic software (ETFacoustic.com).

My experience indicates I have improved my sound with room tuning more than any single piece of equipment ever did.

 

[RobertSchaez]

Right you are Howard S.! If we are not careful, this "hobby" of ours can become an obsession. The manufacturers and magazines are more than happy to feed off that with, what feels like, yearly format wars, shorter "new feature" introduction cycles and so on. My wife swears I'm nuts (no mystery there). I bought my first receiver in 1977, a Pioneer XS-450. It was all I could afford at the time and gave me great listening until 1998 when I jumped into the HT zoo with a Yamaha RX-V2095. Seems like as soon as I bought it, I was looking for an upgrade. Why? I read too many magazine articles and posts on sites like this, and more disposable income than I had in Junior High. Too damn many choices! Of course it's my own fault for not just sitting down and enjoying my $1200 "toy", but for some reason, I longed for features it didn't have and I thought I needed (5 channel stereo, 24/96 Hz processing, bla, bla, bla). So, a couple months ago I found a deal at the local Megga Store I couldn't pass up (sure I could have, but I do have a couple of priorities screwed up)on a RX-V3000. Now I swear I'm done! For at least 3 yrs. I think...
Does anyone want to buy a mint RX-V2095? :>

 

[Marc_E]

'Just buy top of the line gear and stay away from the boards, magazines and stores.'

So right on. One thing I have learned over and over is never compromise to save a couple of bucks. You will end up wanting the other, sell the compromise at a loss and buy the one you should have gotten in the first place. I didn't compromise when I got the AVM-20, Rotel amps, N804s (soon). These were the pieces I have been wanting for a long time.

The second part of the statement is SO true. Get away from the computer and watch some movies. No other place makes you second guess your gear or show you what you could have bought that magazines and, MUCH more, forums. Just enjoy your stuff!

The wife thing is big too.

Marc

 

[mike_decock]

Call me a freak, but I have an actual Wish List. It's a spreadsheet I maintain of what I want, in order of priority. I can add/change/delete whatever I want on a whim.

At the top of that list I keep two figures: My current savings balance and my minimum savings balance. I increment the minimum savings balance by 50% of whatever I deposit into my savings account. When my current balance exceeds the minimum balance, I can buy the next item from my list. Usually I'll use a credit card for a purchase, but I'll transfer the money straight from my savings to my CC to cover the charge as soon as it appears.

This accomplishes two things:

1) It motivates me to save more money since half of what I put into savings is there to stay.

2) It keeps me from making impulse purchases. I no longer suffer from buyer's regret because I spend much more time researching to find exactly what component will suit me best.

Do whatever you need to as long as it doesn't interfere with: marriage, social life, $$financial$$, education, job, and other personal intrests besides HT (if any ).

Because I'm so into listening to music and watching movies, I have decided not to date or marry until I'm too old to have children.

I know, I know... I'm a sick, sick man.


-Mike...

 

[Levesque]

I'm a pharmacist. And I am working hard with a doctor friend trying to invent a pill that can cure both of us from our "acute upgradatis non-stopis". We are trying to modify Viagra to push the patient toward sex instead of HT gear. We think that sex cost you less money (if your married or have a girlfriend). Oups sorry, sex will cost you money to, because to have it, you will need to let your wife spend money, or spent money on her!! ARRGGHHH!
I'm kidding, but half the story is true... My doctor friend and I don't know how to stop this nonsense of upgrading every 6 months...

 

[DonJ]

Marc_E you are so right

One thing I have learned over and over is never compromise to save a couple of bucks. You will end up wanting the other, sell the compromise at a loss and buy the one you should have gotten in the first place.

I knew what I wanted when I bought my hometheater
H/K Avr 320
Monitor 9's
370 center
Mini Monitor's
and PS 1000 sub.
when I looked up after the dust settled I said ouch a liitle in the pocket book but couldn't be happier.
What ever your budget is get what you want. I will not be upgrading for at least the next 3 years and when I do it will be the Current version of the Anthem AVM-20 and PVA 7 amp with Paradigm Ref Studio 100's, Studio CC, Studio 20's, and the Studio ADP. The great thing about Paradigm is when you up grade they buy back your old speakers at 100% of the price so you don't lose out.
DAMN Upgradeits has got me

 

[Roberto Carlo]

I completely agree with Geoff S when he says

but if there is no weakest link then no upgrade, get the picture?

 

[John Garcia]

When I have no money left, I draw the line.
The issue with upgraditits is not really how much you can spend or what features you think you need, but what you can be happy with. I have heard receivers and speakers and CD players that are better than what I have, but when I sit down and listen to my system, it still makes me happy, and that is good enough for me right now.

 

[Chris Tsutsui]

My money draws the line, and my mind tells me how much and how long I'll enjoy my HT. When the media and people alter my mind into thinking I need more... is when I have the feeling for upgrading.

So perhaps a lobotomy will cure the everlasting upgradeitus. Or if you moved to a deserted island with no electricty like in "Cast Away".

 

[Bob-N]

WAF = 0 or $$$$ = 0 whichever comes first.

 

[Michael Lomker]

I wait for a significant reason to upgrade. Would you believe I didn't even have Dolby Digital until this year? I did a forklift upgrade of my entire system, centered around an HDTV. I doubt I'll need to do that again for quite a while. HDTV/DD/DTS aren't going away for quite a long time.