Like many on this forum, I am approaching 60, and have been chasing the elusive perfect system for quite some time, limited by finances and the vicissitudes of real life, raising a family etc. We were discussing cars the other day-how that our parents often traded in theirs before the inevitable decline became apparent, often before 100k miles. Now, it’s not unheard of for people to still be driving vehicles from the early oughts, with several hundred thousand miles on them. Why? Perhaps coincident or not, once sticker prices got so high that leasing became a real option, quality seemed to rise almost exponentially, and those high prices also made buying new less of an option for many, so they held onto what they had, paying for the odd repair rather than having a regular loan payment.
I suggest, for different reasons, that the same thing has happened in our audiophilic universe-I recently replaced a pair of Spica TC-50s that have served me well for over 30 years with a pair of Magneplanar MG 1.5 QR’s that I purchased from the original owner. The quality of both sets of speakers, while scarcely new, is still apparent and I chose not to spend time researching every possible option. What was built and designed well has held up and still has value-and the cost of a fair amount of new equipment is stratospheric. But, people’s needs change, making some equipment, no matter how much of a bargain, unfeasible. Some of that is the result of people integrating what at one time was their main stereo system into their television’s audio system. Do you need a pair of monoblocks to reproduce a movie’s sound? For most, the answer is no. In other cases, downsizing one’s household leads to living back in a condominium or other facility that precludes a large system’s use in favor of headphone or bookshelf speakers.
Like the cars, the quality of many of the products used in our hobby has risen above what we would have found back in the 1970s. I still use my 30 year old Hafler DH-220 regularly - and it is perhaps the best $300 or so I ever spent in terms of value for cost when I consider the hundreds of hours it has served me. If and when it dies, I will explore the Brystons and other options available and will likely purchase used rather than new-again seeking brands I know and trust. In conclusion, there’s a surplus of good equipment available at very reasonable prices but for some of us, there are no pressing demands to buy right now.
