Fancy tech purchases

[npxavar]

After getting into Hi-Fi and spending hours listening to my rather mediocre system that nonetheless did cost more than £500 to put together, people around me though I was embarrassing myself spending this sort of money just to listen to music. However, spending this money on a smartphone or a PC is not frowned upon is it?

People just have no idea what distortion-less music sounds like. There is no way I would get more amusement, to say nothing of positive mental and psychological benefits of listening to music (this varies with music genres), if I have spent this money on more popular tech products.

Buying a hi-fi system is not a fancy purchase, at least not in a society where spending similar money on a smartphone is normalized.

 

[Edbostan]

After getting into Hi-Fi and spending hours listening to my rather mediocre system that nonetheless did cost more than £500 to put together, people around me though I was embarrassing myself spending this sort of money just to listen to music. However, spending this money on a smartphone or a PC is not frowned upon is it?

People just have no idea what distortion-less music sounds like. There is no way I would get more amusement, to say nothing of positive mental and psychological benefits of listening to music (this varies with music genres), if I have spent this money on more popular tech products.

Buying a hi-fi system is not a fancy purchase, at least not in a society where spending similar money on a smartphone is normalized.

Yes. My son bought the latest Apple i-phone on which he listens to Spotify. For the four-figure sum he paid I can buy a decent hi-fi system.

 

[DCarmi]

It all depends on perspective and priorities. I buy a decent phone every 3 or 4 years due to inbuilt obsolescence. They stop security patches, software stops running, batteries fail etc. To be fair the phone I got last year is better than the previous one I had for over 3 years, but not stonkingly so.

Hifi will generally last longer. In my case turntable is 1988 vintage (with a bit of TLC), speakers 2000, amp and CD player 2019.

However, lots of people don't care all that much about hifi. They are playing Spotify through their phone into cheap bluetooth earphones or mono bluetooth/smart speakers and they are quite happy.

 

[npxavar]

They are playing Spotify through their phone into cheap bluetooth earphones or mono bluetooth/smart speakers and they are quite happy.

This to me is unfathomable. My parents spoiled me with that portable 80s stereo cassette player I guess ...

 

[Symples]

Yes. My son bought the latest Apple i-phone on which he listens to Spotify. For the four-figure sum he paid I can buy a decent hi-fi system.

Yes..... but can you make calls with your hifi?
You 0 - Son 1

 

[bigfish786]

Clever marketing from the people who make phones.
I barely ever make calls on it.
Who new I needed a camera with three lenses that fits into my pocket?
Or the internet?
Now, if Luxman made phones……. 😊

 

[jjbomber]

Now, if Luxman made phones……. 😊

You'd need very big pockets!

 

[plastic penguin]

You'd need very big pockets!

And reinforced pockets.

 

[daveh75]

After getting into Hi-Fi and spending hours listening to my rather mediocre system that nonetheless did cost more than £500 to put together, people around me though I was embarrassing myself spending this sort of money just to listen to music. However, spending this money on a smartphone or a PC is not frowned upon is it?

People just have no idea what distortion-less music sounds like. There is no way I would get more amusement, to say nothing of positive mental and psychological benefits of listening to music (this varies with music genres), if I have spent this money on more popular tech products.

Buying a hi-fi system is not a fancy purchase, at least not in a society where spending similar money on a smartphone is normalized.

My current "phone" was £400

I have access to the internet.

It allows me to communicate with others via email, messaging etc and even calls on occasion.

It allows me to pay for things, and manages most of my other banking needs.

I can control and manage my home, including, communicating with and letting visitors into our apartment complex.

I can control and manage my car.

It allows access to work premises, manages my timesheets, expenses, holidays and payslips.

Its part of my work toolkit, for managing servers and network devices etc

It's my camera - stills and video.

It's an audio and video source - Portable, car and home, and excellent quality to boot.

And lots more I've probably forgotten/not included besides.

All your hi-fi does is play music, so maybe think before being judgemental about other people's purchases and priorities

 

[npxavar]

My current "phone" was £400

I have access to the internet.

It allows me to communicate with others via email, messaging etc and even calls on occasion.

It allows me to pay for things, and manages most of my other banking needs.

I can control and manage my home, including, communicating with and letting visitors into our apartment complex.

I can control and manage my car.

It allows access to work premises, manages my timesheets, expenses, holidays and payslips.

Its part of my work toolkit, for managing servers and network devices etc

It's my camera - stills and video.

It's an audio and video source - Portable, car and home, and excellent quality to boot.

And lots more I've probably forgotten/not included besides.

All your hi-fi does is play music, so maybe think before being judgemental about other people's purchases and priorities

My "phone" is a Motorola G7 Play, it cost me £100 (130€) when I bought it four (4) years ago. It does nothing less than yours.

 

[npxavar]

For anyone wondering, I used to be a cheapskate. And then Hi-Fi came along.

 

[Gray]

My "phone" is a Motorola G7 Play, it cost me £100 (130€) when I bought it four (4) years ago. It does nothing less than yours.

Mine does all that both of your phones do and it cost me £80 new.
(It even has a 3.5mm socket for connection to proper headphones 😉).

I bought it to control music playback via Volumio on a RPi.

£1000+ for a phone? 😆😆😆🤪😆

 

[Cricketbat70]

Mine does all that both of your phones do and it cost me £80 new.
(It even has a 3.5mm socket for connection to proper headphones 😉).

I bought it to control music playback via Volumio on a RPi.

£1000+ for a phone? 😆😆😆🤪😆

Is this thread going to descend into a tech version of The Four Yorkshiremen from The Secret Policeman's Ball🤣

 

[Gray]

Is this thread going to descend into a tech version of The Four Yorkshiremen from The Secret Policeman's Ball🤣

"80 quid mobile phone?
You were lucky, we lived in a rolled up newspaper in the middle of the motorway"

 

[plastic penguin]

My daughter spent a fortune on her Apple iPhone, incl £300 on dedicated ear buds. By contrast, my Samsung cost peanuts by comparison and even though the picture and sound quality is a little better on the iPhone, my phone has as many features - or as many as I need.

Rather spend money on the hi-fi than a phone with features I don't use.

 

[npxavar]

Is this thread going to descend into a tech version of The Four Yorkshiremen from The Secret Policeman's Ball🤣

Emoticons! We used to only have ROTFL and people had to use their imagination!

 

[12th Monkey]

Whilst I agree that the price of high end phones is silly (though they seem to offer little that basic ones don't), modern phones are little marvels. If someone had told me as a child that pretty much everyone would carry around miniature devices that did all these things I wouldn't have believed them - even as an SF devotee.

They are like cars though, in that few buy outright - they put up with a monthly cost which they can afford for something that they couldn't if it was a one-off transaction - and that is foolish to my way of thinking - my phones have all been bought outright.

 

[Gray]

My daughter spent a fortune on her Apple iPhone, incl £300 on dedicated ear buds.

I suppose the make and model is a fashion statement as much as anything else.

(I've never given a **** about fashion - nor does it impress me when I see it.
On the contrary - I just see it as evidence of sheep mentality).

 

[Friesiansam]

(I've never given a **** about fashion - nor does it impress me when I see it.
On the contrary - I just see it as evidence of sheep mentality).

Like SUV buyers...

BTW, what is fashion, I'm sure it's one of those things that seems to have passed me by?

 

[Friesiansam]

My current "phone" was £400

I have access to the internet.

It allows me to communicate with others via email, messaging etc and even calls on occasion.

It allows me to pay for things, and manages most of my other banking needs.

I can control and manage my home, including, communicating with and letting visitors into our apartment complex.

I can control and manage my car.

It allows access to work premises, manages my timesheets, expenses, holidays and payslips.

Its part of my work toolkit, for managing servers and network devices etc

It's my camera - stills and video.

It's an audio and video source - Portable, car and home, and excellent quality to boot.

And lots more I've probably forgotten/not included besides.

All your hi-fi does is play music, so maybe think before being judgemental about other people's purchases and priorities

You missed out satnav, very useful if you have a car without it.

 

[Amormusic]

After getting into Hi-Fi and spending hours listening to my rather mediocre system that nonetheless did cost more than £500 to put together, people around me though I was embarrassing myself spending this sort of money just to listen to music. However, spending this money on a smartphone or a PC is not frowned upon is it?

People just have no idea what distortion-less music sounds like. There is no way I would get more amusement, to say nothing of positive mental and psychological benefits of listening to music (this varies with music genres), if I have spent this money on more popular tech products.

Buying a hi-fi system is not a fancy purchase, at least not in a society where spending similar money on a smartphone is normalized.

I think what your getting at is priorities for spending.

I have a 150 quid phone and a cheap car. Not because I can't afford a nicer one of each - I can. My car works fine and gets me from A to B and my phone does all listed above, so is fine for me and I've no need for a nicer one of either.

My hifi however gives me a huge amount of pleasure and I've therefore heavily invested in it over a long period of time.

Is it frowned upon? No. And frankly I wouldn't care anyway if someone else disapproved. It makes me happy and that's all that matters.

If others want to spend their cash on the latest bling phone or drive the top spec beamer or whatever, that's fine and clearly where their priority and interest is for spare cash. It just doesn't mirror my own. Everyone is different.

 

[plastic penguin]

I suppose the make and model is a fashion statement as much as anything else.

(I've never given a **** about fashion - nor does it impress me when I see it.
On the contrary - I just see it as evidence of sheep mentality).

I think with my daughter it's more peer pressure than fashion.

I don't give a monkeys about fashion, should see the rubbish clothes I wear, still "Man at C&A", even though C&A have long gone. And I'm a self-confessed skinflint. 😁

 

[Al ears]

I think with my daughter it's more peer pressure than fashion.

I don't give a monkeys about fashion, should see the rubbish clothes I wear, still "Man at C&A", even though C&A have long gone. And I'm a self-confessed skinflint. 😁

I see nothing wrong with being a wee bit thrifty....

 

[jjbomber]

If others want to spend their cash on the latest bling phone or drive the top spec beamer or whatever, that's fine

Exactly; it's their money, not ours. Those that earn it, decide what they do with it.

 

[Gray]

Exactly; it's their money, not ours. Those that earn it, decide what they do with it.

Too right.
I'm truly grateful for idiots - they indirectly subsidise bargains for others.