Thread: Adventures in Downsizing

I'm glad your downsizing wasn't too painful. When I retired in 2017and bought a house in TN, before I moved the first question people seem to ask is "Are you downsizing your home?"

My answer was no. If you downsize your home, you upsize your wife. I ended up with a bigger dedicated stereo room than my dedicated stereo room in IN.

Originally Posted by u-sound

so you did not want to upsize your wife?

@nicoff, thx for the report. glad it worked out well for you.
i did downsize myself this year and sold the monos...it didnt work well in my case, stopped listening music.

That's exactly why you don't want to downsize your house if possible.

IMO, men need to carve out a space in their home so they have a space to call their own. For some, that means a garage and/or basement. Failure to do so often results in your wife taking over every room in the house. Thankfully that's not an issue for me.

Originally Posted by nicoff

Just wanted to share a bit about how my recent move shook up my audio setup. Earlier this year, we shifted to a smaller place, which meant my audio system had to shrink too.

Back in the day, we had a dedicated space for music and movies. But in our new place, that wasn't going to fly. So, I had to split the music and cinema setups.

The music zone is now in our living area. As for the cinema... well, it's not really a 'cinema room' anymore.

The biggest shake-up was with the movie gear. I had to say goodbye to the projector, the massive 11-foot screen, two Magnepan surround speakers, the B&W center speaker, a DVD player, one of my three subs, and a trio of mono amps. They've all been swapped out for a 85" TV and Sonos center/surround/sub speakers. Not as epic as before, but hey, it does the trick. I'm more into streaming flicks on my iPad these days anyway.

The music setup's changes weren't as drastic, but still notable. I parted ways with the Nak tape deck and swapped the big Bryston SP3 digital preamp for a more compact Topping. Said goodbye to the acoustic treatment panels and the P10 Powerplant. Roon's still my go-to for digital tunes, but I let go of HQP too. The turntable’s sticking around, though. I’m still mulling over downsizing to a smaller computer for the Roon server and maybe keeping just one subwoofer instead of two.

Funny thing is, even with this downsized gear, the sound in the new room is somehow better (it is the room acoustics I'm sure). Guess it goes to show, sometimes less really is more!

I totally know what your talking about.

Originally Posted by mep

I'm glad your downsizing wasn't too painful. When I retired in 2017and bought a house in TN, before I moved the first question people seem to ask is "Are you downsizing your home?"

My answer was no. If you downsize your home, you upsize your wife. I ended up with a bigger dedicated stereo room than my dedicated stereo room in IN.

Maybe in your world, all depends on where you live, the ages, the risk involved, the insurance you pay and possible health reasons. Our downsize was a smart move, we sold our home at the beach for a cash deal, and moved inland to a gated golf community to a 1900 sq ft home with a pool from a almost 3000 sqft home. The move occurred after Hurricane Ian tore our dunes apart and Hurricane Nicole put 3 ft of water on our road. I decided I'm getting to old to construct 85+ sand bags around doors, or pay over $8K a year on homeowners insurance and over $1400 for flood, and the cost keep rising. Sure I lost a HT room and a dedicated office 2 chl room, but we gained a huge piece of mind and a positive hit in our wallets. But these days since my health scare in 2020 and the limitations of what I can do or can't, like my VPI turntable and Pass amp still remain in their boxes as I can't lift the weight anymore. Without my wife by my side I would have never made it through 2020, so this new home we are now in, is well more for her than me since should something happen to me, this home is easier and safer to manage for her.. Sometimes the big picture is more important than audio.

I am dreading it but know it is in my future. I don't have huge gear but I have more than I will take to the next house as it will most likely be smaller. I won't be needing 4 systems plus an HT setup. Heck, don't need it all now and keep thinking about selling a few pcs but it's hard to let it go.

Glad it worked out great for you, nicoff

Originally Posted by CPP

Maybe in your world, all depends on where you live, the ages, the risk involved, the insurance you pay and possible health reasons. Our downsize was a smart move, we sold our home at the beach for a cash deal, and moved inland to a gated golf community to a 1900 sq ft home with a pool from a almost 3000 sqft home. The move occurred after Hurricane Ian tore our dunes apart and Hurricane Nicole put 3 ft of water on our road. I decided I'm getting to old to construct 85+ sand bags around doors, or pay over $8K a year on homeowners insurance and over $1400 for flood, and the cost keep rising. Sure I lost a HT room and a dedicated office 2 chl room, but we gained a huge piece of mind and a positive hit in our wallets. But these days since my health scare in 2020 and the limitations of what I can do or can't, like my VPI turntable and Pass amp still remain in their boxes as I can't lift the weight anymore. Without my wife by my side I would have never made it through 2020, so this new home we are now in, is well more for her than me since should something happen to me, this home is easier and safer to manage for her.. Sometimes the big picture is more important than audio.

I understand completely Chris. You were in a much different situation than me and my wife. We never lived in a state where we had to deal with hurricanes as a threat and all that entails. TN was a good move for us on several levels. No state income tax is a big thing and northeast TN is beautiful. I am also fortunate that I can still shlep heavy gear up the stairs into my stereo room.

Originally Posted by mep

I understand completely Chris. You were in a much different situation than me and my wife. We never lived in a state where we had to deal with hurricanes as a threat and all that entails. TN was a good move for us on several levels. No state income tax is a big thing and northeast TN is beautiful. I am also fortunate that I can still shlep heavy gear up the stairs into my stereo room.

I love TN, just couldn't the wife to move there especially to Crossville. We have a lot of friends there, just to cold for her.

Since Chris and I are the same age I too am beginning to think of 'the change' that lies ahead. Our house is small(2100 sq ft) but my 1 1/2 acres eventually will get to me, right now I still enjoy all my yard work.

Nicoff's audio downsizing is good to hear for if done correctly he proves good musical enjoyment will continue !

Originally Posted by CPP

I love TN, just couldn't the wife to move there especially to Crossville. We have a lot of friends there, just to cold for her.

It does get cold in NE TN, but the winters are short and the average temperature here in the winter is in the 40s.

OK nicoff, someone is going to be a smart ass with this question so, it might as well be me.
Are you moving into a space 1/12th the size of your previous home?

I have never heard the Toppings. Glad to hear it sounds that good.

Brad

Northeastern Tennessee is beautiful.

Originally Posted by nicoff

In the process of investigating what preamp to purchase, I learned that many folks are not using preamps anymore. Instead, they are using their DACs or other component with a volume control. One less component to mess with; that fits the less is more motto.

though you just got the Topping pre, you now looking to upsize that

Wow! I don’t think I could ever give up my dedicated listening room. Glad it’s working out for you.

Originally Posted by nicoff

In the process of investigating what preamp to purchase, I learned that many folks are not using preamps anymore. Instead, they are using their DACs or other component with a volume control. One less component to mess with; that fits the less is more motto.

Passive preamps also tend to be smaller in size and might be an avenue to explore....

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

I hope this is me in my dedicated listening room. I will fit in an amplifier box.

Caveira Skeleton GIF - Caveira Skeleton Ive Been Waiting - Discover & Share GIFs

Originally Posted by nicoff

The downsizing continues.
Considering switching amps. Going from 88 pounds to 13 pounds. Big difference in dimensions too. Will try a picture later.

Big difference in sound with that switch ...!

Originally Posted by nicoff

The adventure continues.

I have a PC running Roon core. The PC was connected my DAC.

I decided to move the PC to another location (utility room) and, instead, connect my DAC to a Raspberry Pi.

The RPi is now my Roon endpoint. The DAC has not changed.

The pictures below show the size difference between the PC and the RPi. I am also showing the two devices that are being replaced (Preamp) or relocated (PC).

Next up: I will be exploring a smaller DAC.

No smaller pre-amp , DAC and music storage than your iPhone ....

Wow, we went in opposite directions, mostly because our health differences, I think. We went from a just under 3000sq.ft. house to an over 5200sq.ft. house, with a dedicated listening room. Fortunately, both my wife and I are neat nicks, so cleaning our new house is easy. We left Texas and moved to Colorado four years ago yesterday. As long as the good health remains, we intend to live in this house for the duration. Now that I'm 72, I have given up motorcycling for good, but audio is getting better and better.

Originally Posted by slowgeezr

Wow, we went in opposite directions, mostly because our health differences, I think. We went from a just under 3000sq.ft. house to an over 5200sq.ft. house, with a dedicated listening room. Fortunately, both my wife and I are neat nicks, so cleaning our new house is easy. We left Texas and moved to Colorado four years ago yesterday. As long as the good health remains, we intend to live in this house for the duration. Now that I'm 72, I have given up motorcycling for good, but audio is getting better and better.

Hi Steve,

glad to hear you're doing well, seems like yesterday when we first met during our 'Logan Years' !
My youngest son lives in Colorado, an hour west of Denver up in 'the hills', you ?

Originally Posted by slowgeezr

Wow, we went in opposite directions, mostly because our health differences, I think. We went from a just under 3000sq.ft. house to an over 5200sq.ft. house, with a dedicated listening room. Fortunately, both my wife and I are neat nicks, so cleaning our new house is easy. We left Texas and moved to Colorado four years ago yesterday. As long as the good health remains, we intend to live in this house for the duration. Now that I'm 72, I have given up motorcycling for good, but audio is getting better and better.

Congrats for not downsizing and maintaining your love for music and having a dedicated listening room.

I have heard great things about Topping gear. I am also considering downsizing in a different way. Going from separates to a integrated amp.

Originally Posted by slowgeezr

Wow, we went in opposite directions, mostly because our health differences, I think. We went from a just under 3000sq.ft. house to an over 5200sq.ft. house, with a dedicated listening room. Fortunately, both my wife and I are neat nicks, so cleaning our new house is easy. We left Texas and moved to Colorado four years ago yesterday. As long as the good health remains, we intend to live in this house for the duration. Now that I'm 72, I have given up motorcycling for good, but audio is getting better and better.

Well you got a dedicated record cleaning room , well played Sir ..!

Originally Posted by Mikado463

Hi Steve,

glad to hear you're doing well, seems like yesterday when we first met during our 'Logan Years' !
My youngest son lives in Colorado, an hour west of Denver up in 'the hills', you ?

Dave, sorry just getting back to you, it's been a little while since I've checked the site. Yeah, it seems like it wasn't that long ago, but it must be about fifteen or more years ago! Joyce and I started going to RMAF, in Denver and went for about nine or ten years straight and fell in love with Colorado. We looked in Evergreen for about a year and half, but couldn't find what we wanted, so we ended up in Colorado Springs. It was a good choice for us. If you come to visit your son, come on down to visit us, you're more than welcome!

Originally Posted by TopCat

Downsizing has been discussed in my world in recent years, but that ship sailed without us, at least until should health dictate it! When my wife & I retired 15+ years ago, we settled in northern AL because of overall weather & economics, not unlike TN.

We upsized so we both have dedicated playrooms. After playing in several of the fun, but not sustainable hobbies I never took time to pursue when working, about 6-8 years I got into the audiophile hobby, much of which I attribute to AS. I followed you guys quite a lot. There really is a wealth of knowledge on here. Mike helped me as well and I really appreciate his website. Today my listening room portion is about 2/3 of my playroom, but I retained a back corner for my racing simulator platform which I won’t downsize! GIK Acoustics has helped me get the room sound I want. When I pick up the 3 more GIK pieces in a couple weeks, that should be it for the room.

The point I would like to make is that downsizing is not mandatory although we’ve had lots of friends & family tell us we should(must)! My audio equipment has evolved to a much larger configuration than I set out for, but I listen to it a lot and it makes an old retired guy happy!

Joe

Note: signature with equipment list didn’t attach this time…see profile if interested in what I’ve assembled…

Where do other people get off telling you that you must downsize? That's nuts and none of their business. Now there is a commercial on TV that tells "empty nesters" that they need to sell their home and downsize. Another thing that makes me shake my head is the people in your workforce when they find out you are retiring come up to you and the first thing they ask is are you going to downsize your house.

If you are an audiophile that loves listening to music and you are used to having a dedicated listening room, my advice is don't give up your room if at all possible. Who wants to make purchasing decisions about audio gear based on WAF??

Nicoff, it isn't just downsizing your audio gear footprint. I'm quoting you here from your original post on this thread:

"The music zone is now in our living area. As for the cinema... well, it's not really a 'cinema room' anymore."

Your living area is a shared space most probably controlled by your wife. And when I say controlled,, I mean the decor, how it's arranged, how your speakers are positioned in the room, and what volume level you can listen to.

mep, I chalked it up to well.meaning folks. My wife & I are both in our late 70's, retired professionals, and it's just the 2 of us living in a 2-story with a bit of size. Bottom line, we just tell them we're comfortable and should the need arise, we'll put in an elevator!

On an up-sizing note, my inbound Everest is out for delivery today and am waiting for a drop-ship Omega XC from Shunyata. I understand my last 3 panels from GIK will be available for pickup next Tuesday. I think nicoff is absolutely correct on the importance of room acoustics. I had put that off until the end, but should have addressed it much sooner! I can tell you, it has had a monumental improvement on the sound in my room.

Along your line of comment mep.

I was at the Dermatologist this week and she commented, asking if my wife and I were both retired now. She then ask if we will be moving now. I said we had no intentions of moving. We have in home care policies when the time comes.

Seemed an odd conversation. She is good at what she does but not terribly personable.
Her skin on her face is so tight you could not tell if she was to smile or frown during a verbal interaction.

I am also unsure about the "need" for downsizing. Sure, if you have a large house with space you no longer use or need (but have to clean and climate control) downsizing makes some sense; or perhaps if you have the opportunity to make some money by selling and moving but without giving up the space(s) you use. But downsizing simply for the sake of downsizing? it makes no sense to me, audiophile or not.

Originally Posted by rbbert

I am also unsure about the "need" for downsizing. Sure, if you have a large house with space you no longer use or need (but have to clean and climate control) downsizing makes some sense; or perhaps if you have the opportunity to make some money by selling and moving but without giving up the space(s) you use. But downsizing simply for the sake of downsizing? it makes no sense to me, audiophile or not.

Nobody downsizes for the sake of "downsizing". Something drives the move, heath, loss of a spouse, life events & changes, expense of a bigger home (depending on where you live). And it for sure has nothing to do with music or audio gear.

Originally Posted by TopCat

mep, I chalked it up to well.meaning folks. My wife & I are both in our late 70's, retired professionals, and it's just the 2 of us living in a 2-story with a bit of size. Bottom line, we just tell them we're comfortable and should the need arise, we'll put in an elevator!

On an up-sizing note, my inbound Everest is out for delivery today and am waiting for a drop-ship Omega XC from Shunyata. I understand my last 3 panels from GIK will be available for pickup next Tuesday. I think nicoff is absolutely correct on the importance of room acoustics. I had put that off until the end, but should have addressed it much sooner! I can tell you, it has had a monumental improvement on the sound in my room.

Joe, I'm happy to hear that you are in your late 70s and still enjoy listening to music and are still upgrading your system! I find that refreshing.

Originally Posted by CPP

Nobody downsizes for the sake of "downsizing". Something drives the move, heath, loss of a spouse, life events & changes, expense of a bigger home (depending on where you live). And it for sure has nothing to do with music or audio gear.

That may or may not be true, but there certainly seems to be an expectation from the masses that with retirement comes downsizing your home and lifestyle. I know that from the barrage of questions asking me just that when I announced my retirement date at work. You have outlined other scenarios that cause people to downsize and I would say they are mostly involuntary reasons to downsize and thus the move is forced upon people who find themselves in those circumstances.

The best advice I can give younger people who are planning ahead for their retirement is to get out of debt as quickly as you can. You don't want to retire with a mortgage, credit card debt, and car loans. That's a recipe for disaster.

Originally Posted by brad225

Along your line of comment mep.

I was at the Dermatologist this week and she commented, asking if my wife and I were both retired now. She then ask if we will be moving now. I said we had no intentions of moving. We have in home care policies when the time comes.

Seemed an odd conversation. She is good at what she does but not terribly personable.
Her skin on her face is so tight you could not tell if she was to smile or frown during a verbal interaction.

Sounds like your dermatologist is in love with Botox! You can't win the war against wrinkles because time and gravity are a bitch. And people who love them some facelifts only get a couple shots at it before they get the joker face with a permanent smile because your skin has been pulled up so much.

Originally Posted by CPP

Nobody downsizes for the sake of "downsizing"...

Patently untrue, as Mark pointed out.

Originally Posted by mep

That may or may not be true, but there certainly seems to be an expectation from the masses that with retirement comes downsizing your home and lifestyle. I know that from the barrage of questions asking me just that when I announced my retirement date at work. You have outlined other scenarios that cause people to downsize and I would say they are mostly involuntary reasons to downsize and thus the move is forced upon people who find themselves in those circumstances.

The best advice I can give younger people who are planning ahead for their retirement is to get out of debt as quickly as you can. You don't want to retire with a mortgage, credit card debt, and car loans. That's a recipe for disaster.

Never said Retirement drives downsizing.