Impulsive buys ?

Err...

All of my stuff

LP12. Decided I wanted one so bought one.

Sugden A21a. Heard they were good, so replaced all my Cyrus stuff... 8,PSXR,SmartPowers (all those bought on impulse too).

Arcam DV89. Replaced my Marantz CD6000KI and DV4100 because I could hear no difference between them.

Castle Conway's. My wife wanted some dark oak speakers... these only sort we could find.



In fact come to think of it the only time I EVER demoed anything was a Marantz CD63.
I did so because it was my first CD "proper" player.


Don't bother with demos any more.

 

It usually takes me up to 2 years before I buy anything...

My Brystons had a 9 month cycle... my PMCs took over 2 years to decide.

My Arcam CDP was a bit of an impulse buy. Two listening sessions in the shop and that was it.

Cables, tweaks, power supplies, etc are all impulse buys.

I think it depends on the price. Obviously the more expensive, the more care you'd want to take!!

 

I'm not bloody surprised - the 8000a was revealing the crap sources in the Panasonic stacker - bet it sounded REALLY rough! With good sources the 8000a is very underated Mine's on long term loan to my mate in Reading - and it still sounds good after 12 years of service (it's Henryt's old one!).

My impulse buys:
JPW Gold Monitor speakers and Pioneer CT447 cassette deck (both cheap off of Henryt, to help in my first seperates system). Tape deck still with me and going strong. Mint!

Philips DCC730 DCC deck - Ebay - wanted remote/autoreverse tapedeck for bedroom system. Works well.

Rega Elas - £50! "Suit blind audiophile" sez the ad, so, as I *am* a blind audiophile, how could I resist. Am off work sick today hocking up gak, but these Elas are sounding great as of right now - even with their cosmetic damage

Technics GT1000 DAB/FM/MW tuner (first generation) - £160 from Dixons as they were ditching stock and moving over to Pure stuff. It's OK, but DAB's lousy sound-wise!

Pioneer PDS-703 from Richers. Wish I'd not bought my Planet, looking back on it; could have kept my old MD deck, got a Rega Io and a digital interconnect, and had a blinding digital turntable rig! Oh well...

AND THE DEAL OF THE DECADE - a NAD 4225 FM/MW tuner from Smack Generators in Reading for - wait for it - £12!!! It sounds great - especially at THAT price!

 

Errrrr, this is a bit embarassing, the CD player was an impulse. A few people had them so when Cookie was selling his I just jumped in, the amp was a complete shot in the dark, I'd been round the Manchester show, and everything I liked had valves in, so I went and bought the best valves I could afford. The best thing I did.
Turntables, I've bought a load on a whim and a prayer, never had a problem until this week, when the Townshends bearing gave up the ghost, but Mrs Summit has made me be sensible, so a brand new deck is coming my way. Tuners I've really stuck with, but I'm hoping to get a Sansui for a song soon just because I think they're gorgeous.
Speakers, the first pair I auditioned ahem were the Meadowlarks at Isaacs, I wanted very badly, and was lucky enough to find a pair, so barring the speakers my whole system is a shot in the dark, but I love it.
At the last count I've had 6 different sets of speakers from Eltax to MLark!
2 CD players and 1 DAC, shows my priorities here!
5 Turntables
6 different amps, starting off with a Cambridge and ending up with the valves
2 Tuners, with a 3rd coming soon I hope
Finally I'm getting there, I'm not going to be allowed to play anymore as starting a family means I'm going to have to settle down, so it'll just be more records for me, nothing else. Or maybe a new CD player when the Rotel breaks but otherwise........

 

Wadia 8/15 bought without auditioning 3 years ago, now have one or 2 around the place

 

I could say my main speaker, but then again, I only paid 200 quid for them...

 

forgive me fathers but i have sinned. Again!

a treat from me to me for 8 months hard work on renovating Chris Towers - Primare A20Mk2, bought unseen, unheard based on searching reviews on tinternet........

RESULT - limited listening last night but its great - and thats based on all kit being cold as i'd just got the amp and we moved into the Towers this weekend so nothing had been set up until last night.
Am now the proud owner of revitalised Shek NOS, Primare and dedicated ring main......

However, will kneel on offcuts of QED SA and say many 'Hail Russ - es' tonight by way of penance for impulse actions......

 

well i just got stymied on may latest "impulse" purchase... i decided i really did want a vac 30/30 and found a beautiful example on audiogon and decided to bid, only to be out bid in the dying seconds.... i feel strangely gutted, especially as i was only outbid by $30.

 

arcam alpha 5+ cd player bought without demoing.

i auditioned my cyrus 3, and took the b&w 603's at the same, they were used for the demo, and i liked the combined sound.

i did audition my dad3 cd player.

all other cyrus boxes have been purchased without demos. i've had a couple of older cyrus preamps on loan, so i knew a dedicated preamp would be better, but didnt demo the pre x i bought. i'd heard the monoblocks at my dealers, and knew what they could do, and at some point later was offered them "ex demo" (but not strictly speaking "my" demo).

pmc fb1's too good to miss at the price. bit impulsive here. but didn't regret.

meadowlark shearwaters even better and far too good to miss at the price. bit more impulsive here. and dont regret at all.

project debut - didnt demo, just bought cos i wanted to play vinyl.

nas interspace - didn't demo, even more impulsive, just wanted more from my vinyl.

so the only "box" in my current set-up that i actually auditioned was the cd player.

 

Eric, thats a bummer mate, I got out bid on some Edge amps week before last and by $50 which pissed me a bit, so I do sympathise sir

 

Thanks for your kind words, greatly appreciated.

 

it was on the west cost of the us, so the auction closed at 2.30am uk time. i stayed up as late as i could before bidding, but i have to be up at 6.30, so there are limits.... (even for this hobby!) however, i wasn't up when i was outbid. that'll teach me to get my priorities right!

the thing that really bites is that the reason i finally decided to pull the trigger, is that the unit that came up, was the latest spec and absolutely mint adn it went for less than some of the lesser units i've passed on! i had held off previously because there had been issues with every other unit that had come up in terms of spec or condition.

is the edge sound your bag? i haven't heard them, but they always look fairly blingy.

 

Eric, some are bling miester to the max, however I'm about to find out on Friday so we'll see, they face some stiff competition though , I've heard the G6 not too shabby We'll see what the bigger brothers can do ? T.

 

so tell me what other new toys you have cables wise? i have an itch to do some tweak / upgrading, or perhaps revisiting the vinyl front end thing. then again there's also a vac pre with a built in phono stage going that would help keep the box count down whilst giving me future flexibility to add a turntable front end and at the same time, balanced inputs for me to use with my wadia.... decisions, decisions....

 

Regrets?

Buying anything new from a dealer at the full RRP and watching its value drop 98% the minute you walk out the door.

I also regret buying my first piece of "hi-fi" and starting down this crushingly expensive slope of audio oblivion!

DT

 

All my stuff bought with no demo at all.

Vinyl
Dual something-or-other... wanted a proper TT.
Project Classic... just a step up until....
LP12... always wanted one anyway.


Amps
Rotel RA930... deceided wanted seperates.
Marantz PM6010KI because it had 2 tape loops....
Cyrus C8... liked the look of it. Then added 2 smartpowers and a couple of PSXR's.
Got sick of Cyrus' boxes... so bought a Sugden A21a.


CD
Philips 610 (I think)... decided CD was the way to go.
Marantz CD63... thought it would be a better player (only thing I've ever demoed because I thought that's what you were supposed to do).
Marantz CD6000KI... bought to match the KI amp I had.
Cyrus CD7+PSXR... sold the KI for more than I paid for it, so got this instead.
Sold it.

DVD
Marantz DV4100ose... after a while, thought it was just as good as the CD6000KI.
Got an Arcam DV89... it was new with 50% off.


Speakers.
Mission 760... heard that Mission speakers were the best.
MA Silver4i... ex dem from a shop as the Missions were getting tired.
Castle Conway's... thought it best to get floorstander & they had to be dark oak.


Cables
Yep all bought with no demos.

 

It took me 10 seconds to recognise that the Arcam Alpha 9 CD player was something special and order one. Does that count?

It's replacement, the CD192 was bought on impulse. I just phoned the shop and ordered one. I don't regret it. Great player.

My REL Storm III was bought unheard too.

 

this is a great thread. every time I get into a tizz and think myself lacking in judgement, I have a read!

to err is human ...

 

Marantz SA17 SACD/CD Player off eBay... Because the SA12 had uncompatible issues with Chord 64 DAC that can't be fixed...