This Hi-Fi equipment won’t pay for itself 
100 metres up on a Cat 5 blade repair. The season’s coming to an end now, so I thought I’d share a few photos from the day job.
What does everyone else get up to when they’re away from the music?
10 Likes
In my understanding, an addiction is a clinical state of affairs, that needs to be remedied to not cause irreversible damage 
In the case of the thread’s topic, the best treatment, therefore, is to learn about the science behind the technologies and the engineering involved to manufacture actual audio devices, to not fall prey to audiophilia nervosa.
Earning my beans as an mechatronics engineer (chamber of commerce and industry) in semiconductor and laser technology for some 40 years, and being passionate about music by playing instruments early on in my childhood and visiting classical concerts, I’ve always explored DIYing life-like, realistic music replay within the constraints of room acoustics and the limits of audibility.
For the technically inclined, DIY is a major cost saver, so I built my own amps, streamers, full-range line-source speakers, and correct as much as is feasible for their own and the room’s aberrations from being transparent to the source material.
7 Likes
Fair play, that’s definitely one way of keeping the Hi-Fi bill down Unfortunately I’m better at repairing wind turbine blades than building amplifiers, so I’ll have to keep climbing turbines to fund mine! I do agree though — it’s very easy to get caught in the endless upgrade cycle with this hobby.
Good view though…
2 Likes
I spend more on music than equipment 
4 Likes
Best office in the world!
1 Like
I’ve been retired for 6 years now. I was an engineer in the power transmission business so I can appreciate what you are doing. I fund my Hi-Fi adventures using 35 years tax deferred retirement savings. Start doing that when you are young and never touch it until you retire. You’ll be fine. In the meantime, stay safe.
2 Likes
You must be mental to do that
I’m fine with mountains etc, but anything high that is man made - not for me.
1 Like
Cheers Jeff, appreciate that 
Sound advice as well. I’m definitely trying to enjoy the Hi-Fi journey while putting something away for later. And don’t worry, safety always comes first up there!
1 Like
You’d be surprised how quickly you get used to it! Just takes time getting use to working on the ropes that’s all, Give me a turbine over a mountain edge any day - at least I know exactly what I’m attached to!
1 Like
I’ve been retired from 22 1/2 years after riding a desk for 34 years with a Fortune 100 company. I don’t spend much on hardware and only $140 per year for Qobuz and $144 for Tidal. I fund everything with our social security and my pension and HSA. So far, I haven’t needed to spend any of our investment money.
6 Likes
Sounds like you’ve got retirement figured out nicely After 34 years at it, I’d say you’ve earned plenty of time to sit back and enjoy the music! Nice to hear you’re able to fund everything without touching the investments too.
1 Like
I am with @Jeff_C_EE , I fell lucky with pensions, company share options and silly interest rates.
I have only one obsession and that is headphones so I veer away from speakers and associated amps that rack up the cost. My wife cured me of that little excess 
My system now is a Streamer/Headphone amp and a few sets of headphones. Very Minimalist and easily funded .
I must be trained, I look at some of the system photo’s with horror. I used to be like that.
4 Likes
I think I’m going in the opposite direction! I’ve already accepted there’s no cure for me. Speakers, amps, DACs… and I’m already thinking about the next upgrade. Probably safer for me to stay 100 metres up a turbine earning money than sitting at home browsing Hi-Fi gear!
2 Likes
One reason I pursued a career as a Web Developer is to be able to listen to music all day while I work 
2 Likes
Bought all of my crazy upgrades before my retirement on 01/01/2027. I’ve paid cash for most of my upgrades. I got stuck with 3 pieces of high end equipment that I couldn’t sell on my own. I traded them in to a well-known used audio dealer and upgrade my subwoofer and got cash back. I purchased a 7-year extended warranty on my plug-in hybrid since any new cars will need to be purchased out of investment money. I will trade my car in before the hybrid battery warranty expires so I may buy a new car before the extended warranty expires in 2030.
The subwoofer upgrade was a REL Acoustics Carbon Special Black Label. I loved it so much that I ended up buying another one that I got a good deal on so I’m running a stereo pair now. I was able to get 0 percent financing on my PayPal credit Mastercard and will get it paid off by November.
I started SS already and will take my pension money and purchase an annuity. These 2 sources will cover my living expenses. If I have the upgrade itch, I’ll have to save up for it.
My upgrades are good enough for me to be end game. Audio upgrades to me are a definite addiction! In retirement, I plan on getting back into a stricter exercise routine, but do plan on more listening time while I still have my hearing!
2 Likes
Those Carbon Specials look like a serious upgrade, especially running them as a stereo pair. I’m looking at adding a pair of RELs to my own system further down the line. I saw you’re running Dynaudio Contour 60s - how well do the Carbon Specials integrate with them, and how big was the improvement going from one REL to a stereo pair?
1 Like
Going from a single S/812 to the Carbon Special Black label itself was a big upgrade. When I added the second one it was transformative. They blend extremely well with my Contour 60s. I have them set so you really don’t hear them when the music is playing. When you turn them off then you hear the real difference since it sounds like something is missing. I traded the S/812 in, along with 2 other components, and had no subwoofer for a couple of weeks. The Contour 60s are flat down to 28Hz and the Carbon Special is flat down to 19Hz and it’s amazing how much better they sound with the last 9Hz. I ran the room correction without the subwoofers and tuned them by ear to what sounded natural to me.
My first REL was a Strata III in 2001. They’ve come a long way with speed and slam.
1 Like
That sounds impressive. I’ve actually never experienced a properly integrated REL subwoofer in a two-channel system, never mind a stereo pair. What size is your listening room? I’m looking at Amati G5s for my next speakers and potentially a pair of RELs further down the line, so I’d be interested to know how much space you’re running the two Carbon Specials in.
My listening area is on one end of my basement with the short wall behind the setup. Total listening area is 14’ x 14’ with no back wall as there is roughly 26’ behind the area that’s open. They’re not overpowering at all.
Just looked up the Amati G5s. They look like impressive speakers. I had a set of SF Olympica II several years ago on my HT setup. Only reason I got rid of them was I was too frugal and didn’t buy the matching center channel but tried to save money and bought the Sonnetto center channel speaker. Didn’t save a thing as I got rid of them within 2 years and bought Contour 60i and the matching center channel speaker. In hindsight, it was good decision since Dynaudio left North America.
Here’s a picture of my stereo RELs. I have a serious HiFi addiction. I’d buy an Aurender streamer but had a HiFi Rose RS130 and sold it 6 months later. The Rose unit was how I got hooked on Roon since Rose wouldn’t know how to design a good UI!
3 Likes