My general thoughts on upgrading hi-fi

[Yelamanchili manohar]

These are just my general thoughts about upgrades that we all go through. Not necessarily correct either, and just my loose thoughts on the subject.

1. The urge - Iam really happy with my system, but listening alone does'nt satisfy my urge to spend more money, so Iam looking for an upgrade.

2. Making sense of an upgrade - Inflation dictates, that a speaker you presently have will cost twice as much in 5 to 7 years time. And going by the general "Hi-fi" rule, that one has to spend twice as much for notable gains. Means that after 5 to 7 years, one has to spend 4 times his current speakers cost to find a notable upgrade. Not to mention, that we loose almost half of the purchase cost of the present speaker when we sell.

3. Affording the upgrade - You can afford it, if you can buy it atleast twice - Jay Z

 

[sound1]

[deleted]

 

[Nagaraj S]

We might upgrade for the following reasons (it goes much deeper than the upgrade itch, I think ):

1. We honestly believe that the upgrade will improve the audio experience, based on audition, specs and measurements, and reputed online reviews.

2. We have “arrived” and deserve an upgrade.
3. We are bored.
4. Neighbour’s envy; owner’s pride.
5. I can afford that gear now, which was out my league for a long time.
6. A confirmation-bias oriented upgrade: I upgraded that, so it’s sounding better. So, this upgrade should sound better too.
7. Spending too much time on HFV.
8. Trying hard to replicate that IMAX experience at home, which is a rabbit hole.
9. A website suddenly announces a massive discount on a gear (which isn’t really necessary).
10. I am just another audiophile.
11. It’s time for an upgrade. No other reason.
12. That gear at my friend’s sounded better than mine.

Most of us might fall under (1), but the elephant in the room is the room acoustics. Audiophiles are aware of that problem, but I guess treating the room isn’t as exciting as buying new gear. So, reasons from 2 onwards might apply .
Whatever the reason, an (major) upgrade for an audiophile is an emotional experience-much like buying a car or a house,

 

[argho]

Also to add - some new product has launched which look interesting / exciting.

 

[Dinesh Menon]

Going through so many forums, reviews and brand brochures tunes our mind towards Audio Nirvana, to attain it we embark on a sonic journey.
For some this is a never ending journey, as the clever companies keep enticing them with newer models regularly.
This urge to upgrade reminds us of our childhood, when we always cried for new toys whenever we saw them in the shops.

 

[Analogous]

These are just my general thoughts about upgrades that we all go through. Not necessarily correct either, and just my loose thoughts on the subject.

1. The urge - Iam really happy with my system, but listening alone does'nt satisfy my urge to spend more money, so Iam looking for an upgrade.

2. Making sense of an upgrade - Inflation dictates, that a speaker you presently have will cost twice as much in 5 to 7 years time. And going by the general "Hi-fi" rule, that one has to spend twice as much for notable gains. Means that after 5 to 7 years, one has to spend 4 times his current speakers cost to find a notable upgrade. Not to mention, that we loose almost half of the purchase cost of the present speaker when we sell.

3. Affording the upgrade - You can afford it, if you can buy it atleast twice - Jay Z

Nice topic. Self reflection is an under appreciated practice. My few bits:
Over time as my experience and insights grow my bank balance shrinks.
In the beginning with limited knowledge the possibilities and choices seemed endlessly exciting!
So many new names, approaches, concepts, components, variables, over time as experience and discernment increase the options seem limited.
The urge waxes, wanes and changes, like the seasons.
The excitement of the hype around the latest and greatest is now met with scepticism, as I become aware of the skill in marketing, propaganda and resources used to shape and influence my attitudes and behaviour.
It’s a chronic condition for me. I have to learn to live with it with self control and grace, punctuated by moments of delight or disappointment.
The music and it’s effect on my psyche is the one reassuring constant.

 

[Nitin K]

Also in some cases flowery words and praises by many paid youtube influencers & A/V reviewers have a hypnotic effect resulting in suddenly finding faults in one's own gear when there were none.
One must be very wary of such marketing people and be very clear pertaining to the reason for upgrade & not be swayed away.
Very good topic by the way where we have upgraded due to some of the above mentioned reasons & also have made expensive mistakes to learn from.

 

[Nagaraj S]

Also in some cases flowery words and praises by many paid youtube influencers have a hypnotic effect resulting in suddenly finding faults in one's own gear when there were none.
One must be very wary of such marketing people and be very clear pertaining to the reason for upgrade & not be swayed away.
Very good topic by the way where we have upgraded due to some of the above mentioned reasons.

True! Especially when we have already made up our minds to upgrade, all we need are a few good words by reviewers and influencers.

 

[muralimmreddy]

trade in and deals (still relatively few do in india I guess) but been victim

 

[reignofchaos]

trade in and deals (still relatively few do in india I guess) but been victim

With all due respect to you Murali, I think this guy is crap and talks only crap. He also as I understand has a pretty bad reputation in his business.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

trade in and deals (still relatively few do in india I guess) but been victim

Very apt....Iam guilty of that too

@essrand once did mention in one of his posts, that we all get swayed by these deals, and detract from the path.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

I've bumped into a few seasoned audiophiles in the west, who have'nt changed a thing in a decade or two. And their reply is that they go to shows, and listen to these uber expensive show setups, and some of them are impressive and many are not. The impressive ones are safely beyond their reach, so no itch there.

And reasonably reachable ones, dont sound any better, so no itch there again.

The issue with us, is that we don't have any exposure to these shows and the latest sounds. So cant get our own bearings, and are swayed by the rosey reviews, which want us to believe that the newest toy in town is the pill to nirvana.

The one lean chance of hope was the hifi show in Mumbai, which has turned into a dumb spectacle of static displays sadly.

 

[bornfi]

Just to simplify, you may or may not agree but the key driving factor is money in your savings account. Transfer all those monies to my account, the itches will subside automatically. And the second culprit is the Internet.

 

[drkrack]

These are just my general thoughts about upgrades that we all go through. Not necessarily correct either, and just my loose thoughts on the subject.

1. The urge - Iam really happy with my system, but listening alone does'nt satisfy my urge to spend more money, so Iam looking for an upgrade.

2. Making sense of an upgrade - Inflation dictates, that a speaker you presently have will cost twice as much in 5 to 7 years time. And going by the general "Hi-fi" rule, that one has to spend twice as much for notable gains. Means that after 5 to 7 years, one has to spend 4 times his current speakers cost to find a notable upgrade. Not to mention, that we loose almost half of the purchase cost of the present speaker when we sell.

3. Affording the upgrade - You can afford it, if you can buy it atleast twice - Jay Z

One More, 'Holier than thou' reason..
I don't have any other bad habits, I don't spend on Cars, Watches, Expensive Single Malts or lavish holidays,

Another Philanthropist attitude ;
Most of the times I spend my earnings on kids and spouse, I'm slogging hard to earn, am I Earning only for my Nominees?


So, What's Wrong with spending on my Only harmless Habit?