'Software/hardware' cost ratio

Ermmm, I think I shall go check my insurance!

Matthew

I spent GBP 8,000.- on hardware and around the same on software (1000 CDs), only now I realise the ratio is 1:1, perhaps I should upgrade the hardware shortly, that gives me the excuse, and that's what I am planning to do anyway.

Cheers
Martin

HW 3100 ukp / SW 3600ukp = 0.861

Just noticed that Stephen did it the other way round, so:

SW 3600ukp / HW 3100ukp = 1.161

Regards

I have somewhere over 2000 records and about 1000 CDs, this includes many rare and collectable items (I used to be a second hand record dealer). I think I have paid about 4.5k on my current hi-fi including stands and cables, it is a mixture of both new and second hand.

Tony.

I remember spending about $1100 U.S. in three days (this was 1987) on records (that I still own) whose inner tracks sound noticeably worse than those I've bought within the last five years (new).

There's fewer choices these days in certain genres, so the hardware dominates the spending, though I still buy a few records a week as a necessity.

Dave Dever, NANA

Steve

quote:

---

There's fewer choices these days in certain genres, so the hardware dominates the spending, though I still buy a few records a week as a necessity.

---

Am I alone in thinking that now is a truly excellent time for music? I love the way the whole music scene has sort of fragmentised into many, many sub genres. It just seems to me that whatever your interests there is a thriving scene going on. Just forget the charts, now more than ever they are just for pre-teenage girls (I am making the assumption we have few pre-teenage girls here).

I am thoroughly enjoying buying lots of new and challenging music in the indie, post rock, and electronica fields amongst other genres. There seem to be new bands and record labels popping up all over the place, and the specialist press is pretty good with magazines such as The Wire (www.thewire.co.uk) keeping me informed as to what is where etc. The internet has allowed truly specialist record shops and labels to survive such as the truly wonderful Rocket Girl (www.rocketgirl.co.uk) which seems to be more of a sub genre than a mere shop.

I am also enjoying expanding my jazz collection both on vinyl and CD, most of the key labels have comprehensive reissue programmes that mean it is probably easier to find titles than ever before, much is available as lovingly produced vinyl as well as high quality CDs. Again the internet enables more specialisation with shops such as Diverse Vinyl (www.diversevinyl.com) and Vivante (www.vivante.co.uk) providing an outlet for quality vinyl and CD pressings from many high quality labels.

It is even possible to buy the three classic Neu! albums now, and on vinyl too!

Tony.

A NAT01, 52, 500, DBL system gives a h/w cost of over $50k, and s/w cost of zero.

The real question is, 'How much of your spare time - or total time - do you spend on listening to music?'

Phil

who used to listen to a lot of radio, until his favorite station got sold and changed formats and, as a result, has massively upped his investment in CD h/w to play his 200 CDs

quote:

---

Is this a question with moral overtones? If so, this question merely asks, 'which collection do you spend more on - h/w or s/w?'

---

I don't have any morals, so no! Just interested to see if I was unusual or not!

Regards

Stephen

“Am I alone in thinking that now is a truly excellent time for music? “ Tony

I agree I’m having a ball finding new music to listen to on vinyl. Just got St.Germain - Tourist, The Philadelphia Experiment, and a reissue of Theloneous Monk "Live at the It Club".

“The real question is, 'How much of your spare time - or total time - do you spend on listening to music?'” Phil

I listen to LP’s about 40 hours a week.

or is it 1:850?

I have about 500 CD's and 250 LP's. Even with that lot I would have to play 2 every day without a break in order to play every one at least once a year.

If you have 2000 CD's + 1000 LP's. you would need to play 9 of them every day in order to rotate them around once a year.

I cannot believe that it is possible to do that. I suspect that the "collector" buys the CD/LP, gets it home, plays it once and thats it.

I spend the bulk of my lolly on hardware but I do use it every day.

BTW....there is nothing wrong in collecting LP's or CD's.....but buying that amount does not necessilarly equate to being a music lover. I tend to play the same 100 over and over again and I really enjoy it.

Regards

Mick

Let's see Mick, I have 3,000 albums X 40 minutes = 120,000 minutes /60 = 2,000 hours.

I listen to LP's 40 hours a week X 50 weeks = 2,000 hours. Hmm...

"I cannot believe that it is possible to do that. I suspect that the "collector" buys the CD/LP, gets it home, plays it once and thats it." Mick

Baloney! Hopefully a music collector is buying better and better music to suit their taste as they go along and are listening more to their recent acquisitions. The trick is assembling a system that will allow you to access the music.

The point I am trying to make is that if you own 2000 Cd's, you are only going to play the same one on very rare occassions.

I am not criticising, for instance, I own 60 fountain pens. I use each one for about a month, therefore it takes me 5 years to use everyone which is bloody ridiculous. Most of me pens are lying in a box for 59 months before they get used again. That is a total waste of a good pen.....but I am a collector.......take my point.

Regards

Mick

With software, it's all about opportunity, accessibility, and possibilities. There are many CDs and LPs that I have that many never be played again. If I'm absolutely certain this is the case (which is very rare), then I trade it in or give it away. However, I keep most because I might want to listen to it someday.

It's like having the encyclopedia, and you trade in the "XYZ" volume, because you might never listen to it again. Very soon after, you'll be wishing that you had it to look-up "xylophone".

For many CDs (often with older acquisitions), I don't always listen to the entire albums. I might sample 30 CDs in a single day, especially when I have friends over and we're free-associating.

It's also nice to have a bunch of stuff sitting on a shelf. It's that "collecting" thing you spoke of, although for me it's much lower on my priorities than my other reasons.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

I do not consider myself a collector. I buy records like I buy books - to use them. And it really is like a reference library - to hear a piece of a symphony or chamber work on the radio, and then to be able to pull out the recording, or an alternate, or both.

My tastes have changed over the years, from mainly rock, to opera, to symphonic, and now mainly solo piano and chamber works.

If one is more into hifi than music, that's valid. Interestingly, I find that most people into Naim are in fact also into music. (IMHO, YMMV etc of course). The real HW junkies seem to have moved into home theater as far as I can tell - better remotes?

Short anecdote - a family friend bought a very expensive hifi some years ago (I want to say Levinson, circa 1985). He had my parents over to have a listen - both my parents are trained pianists, their vast music collection gets played on a system so lousy and cheap you wouldn't believe it. So the family friend has them over, to hear the big system. He puts on an album: it wasn't music, it was flawlessly recorded trains! My mother said his record collection consisted of, as far as she could tell, about 20 lp's.

Whatever does it for you. Personally I rather like the idea that my vinyl far outshines the hw (and I love the utter shock that comes across people's faces when they hear my system- "great speakers, gotta get me some of those..." It's like stealth hifi).

You have a great point there. I'm too busy to listen as much as I'd like right now (my sort of work demands quite a lot of concentration and I have always found it difficult to give 100% concentration when listening to music that I like) so I'm lucky to play two sides a day - not so good, but then my collection will still be here when I hopefully retire in a couple of years (assuming my on-the-side company continues to grow)...

John

I spend about £200ish a year on CDs but even now have stuff I will never play again. So - should I spend more on hi-fi (or Mana) to enjoy more what I have (and buy no more music for a couple of years) or buy music which gives me pleasure instantly and might continue to do so?

No replies necessary, I already know the answer for me.

cheers

Nigel

Regards

Stephen

Now, with two "completed" stereos, I have about $11K in hardware and approaching $6000 (actual cost) and probably $8000-$9000 (replacement cost) in software.

How often do I listen to all of my 500+ CDs? Not that often. You see, my specific tastes and musical favorites change over time so that while two years ago I may have been spending more time listening to 20th Century string quartets, today I may be listening more to historical recordings of core German repertoire, or perhaps something else. But I pretty much like or love all of the music in my collection, so the point of having all of my CDs is not to listen to them regularly, but rather when the desire grabs me. I want to be able to go to my CD rack and pick out just about anything I may want to hear at any moment in time.

Now, excuse me while I surf the net for more music. (Oh, and collecting is a good thing.)

250 CDs (ish) at £12 each ~ £3000
Hardware ~ £7500 (I'm using replacement value new for old)

Thus, 2.5 ish.

I need more software and hardware ... hmmm ...