Value of hi fi compared to cd/lp collection ..?

Posted by: Steveandkate on 20 March 2001

Just a thought - how much have you spent on your equipment, and how much on your music collection ?
I will have to think about this before I state my position, but it interests me..!
What do you think ?

Steve

Posted on: 20 March 2001 by Cheese

about £ 7k for the gear, and about 12k for records (LP and CD).

Bernard

Posted on: 20 March 2001 by Andrew Randle

The short answer is "spend however much you want".

Even if you only have 100 CDs, buying a more expensive system will broaden your musical tastes and consequently lead to more purchases of music.

You often hear tales of people who own £30k systems and only own 2 CDs (Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms, and a spare copy ). Don't let those stories worry you and make you spend money in a way that will make you less than happy. If you really love music (no doubt you do or you wouldn't be asking) then I'm sure a stonking hi-fi will lead to many many purchases of music.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

Posted on: 20 March 2001 by Todd A

As of today, I've spent roughly $10K on my two stereos ($6500 on my Naim-based system and roughly $3500 on my bedroom stereo) and I have roughly 500 CDs that I paid about $5000 for, give or take. If I were to have to replace them all -at least the ones that have not been deleted - my cost would be much higher.

Going forward, though, I anticipate that I will spend more on music than gear since I'm quite happy with my current rig. (And I'm not even counting those dusty old LPs I haven't played in 10 years.)

Posted on: 20 March 2001 by Phil Barry

What's behind this question? Is there an assumption that a 'music lover' will spend more on sources than on equipment? Consider these scenarii:

1) LP/CD/tape = $0, NAT01/NAC52/NAP500/DBL/Ron Smith aerial - live music 2 x weekly, 20 hours weekly listening to FM (without reading, doing dishes, etc.) - music lover or equipment freak?

2) 10,000 LPs, 2,000 CDs, Rega P3, CD 3, Nait 3, Intros, all unused - music lover? equipment lover? - No, this person is just a collector.

Phil

Posted on: 20 March 2001 by Mick P

Chaps

Most of my listening is Radio 3 during the evenings, so most of my music is free and constantly evolving. I could go on like this for months without switching on my CD player.

Also, we have to accept that Napster is being used by a lot of us, hence the value of an average CD would now only stand at £1.00 rather than say £10.00. This totally distorts the equation.

I do not wish to start a discussion on the ethics of Napster but I have a colleague who has over 500 Napstered CD's, so you can see what I am saying.

My Hardware is probably worth around £13 for my two systems but the CD's /second hand records are only worth a fraction of that as my total collection stands at 350 Cd's and 200 LP's.

Regards

Mick

Posted on: 20 March 2001 by Steveandkate

Phil - nothing sinister behind the question,and having had a few moments to think, as I put my daughter to bed, I guess my collection is about 1500 lps and 1000 cds, but my old hifi cost around £3500, but many years ago - not one for rapid change, partly due to financial constraints !

Steve

PS Paul - Thanks, and what is Mana anyway.....

Posted on: 20 March 2001 by Andrew L. Weekes

quote:
Also, we have to accept that Napster is being used by a lot of us

I can't believe there's many Naim users listening to Napstered CD's for their listening enjoyment!

Maybe lots of youngsters out there with midi systems?

Andy.

Andrew L. Weekes
alweekes@audiophile.com

Posted on: 22 March 2001 by Nigel Cavendish

It does not really matter how people respond.

Expensive kit - few discs, expensive kit - many discs, expensive kit - so many discs that you listen to each only once when you buy it, cheap kit - few discs, cheap kit - etc.

When I first bought my system the value of the kit exceeded the value of the music, now the music is ahead, bt if I were to upgrade (and I have no intention of doing so) the situation would reverse. So what?

cheers

Nigel

Posted on: 22 March 2001 by Greg Beatty

400+ CDs

300+ Records

$2,600 USD in kit. Most $$$ is in LP12.

Music is on 80% of the time I'm home.

- GregB

[This message was edited by Greg Beatty on THURSDAY 22 March 2001 at 15:47.]

Posted on: 22 March 2001 by Top Cat

Did a quick calculation, based upon the current LIST PRICE for replacement gear (or its current equivalent, if applicable) - I probably paid about 50% to 60% of that amount (thankfully!).

The LPs and CDs are based upon approximate replacement price (if I had to replace the lot and could find LP versions again):

Source:
LP12/Cirkus/Lingo/Aro/Asaka,
(£3500 / replacement cost)
MFXLP,MFXC (both powered by external PSU),
(£500 / s/h)

Amps:
Crimson 610/640 pre-monoblocks
(£1800 / new)

Speakers:
Neat Petite/Gravitas
(£2200 list, but I bought ex-demo)
REL Stentor mkI
(£1800 / mkII, but I bought s/h)

Supports:
Mana supports (1x6tier,4xSoundstages,phase 6 wall-shelf, soundframe, PSU table) (£2000)

Total new cost (not what I paid): £11800 (ouch!)

700 LPs (~£5 each, say) +
500 CDs (~£10 each, say): £8500.

Wow, scary stuff. But I'm not counting tapes or dodgy CDR copies, etc.

John

Posted on: 22 March 2001 by Matthew T

I have found that my system has generally been within a factor of 2 or 3 of my collection, ie if my collection is twice as valuable as my system then I think I can justify upgrading but probably shouldn't upgrade to much more then twice my collection value. I have stuck pretty much to this (not always conciously) whilst building my collection up and getting a 'serious hifi'.

I personally laugh (nicely) at people who have a major disparity between hifi and collection but then it shouldn't bother them if they are happy , I'm sure people laugh at me (if jealously) at having spent as much as I have on cds and hifi.

Currently I have gone from one extreme to the other via an almighty upgrade

Matthew

Posted on: 22 March 2001 by Tony L

quote:
Just a thought - how much have you spent on your equipment, and how much on your music collection ?

Hmm, I have 2000+ 12" bits of vinyl, of which about three quarters are albums, and the rest are singles. Valuing them is hard, as there is pretty worthless stuff rubbing shoulders with some very rare vinyl indeed. I have lots of original jazz pressings, plus lots rare rock and independent stuff, even the odd acetate. If the average was a tenner a disk they would be worth 20,000 bleeding quid, which is very scary. Add to this about 1000+ CDs and the music total is really getting quite high.

The P9 / XX1L / CD17KI / 32.5 / Hicap / 135 / Kan II plus stands and cables came to around 6k including stands (Mana) and cables. All bar sources and amp rack is second hand.

Tony.

PS You are not getting my original of this for a tenner!

Posted on: 22 March 2001 by Matthew T

Thank you Jean-christophe

quote:
I have been buying LPs for 25 years and HIFI for 15 years and I won't laugh at you.

I don't smoke either which allows me some other luxuries, only they very quickly add up to more then some, no wife and kids, has it's advantages.

Matthew

Posted on: 23 March 2001 by Steveandkate

I guess what I was interested in ( as Nigel say's - so what )was that given say £1000, would you go for more music or equipment ?
I seem to spend £100-£200 on cd's with no problem, and on a regular basis, but the idea of spending £1000 on some equipment makes me stop and think, and as for spending £6000 on a cd player seems too far away, but if added up, spending on music would soon amount to the same.
For most of us, there will always be more of both to aspire to, it's just unfair that it's never me that wins the lottery...
Oh well, it's Saturday tomorrow...

Posted on: 24 March 2001 by John C

Dave, I think Van would say Rave On, Rave On (Rave on John Donne). The only man to use the term empiricism in a lyric?

John