In this first video of the year, I’m taking a hard look at the hi-fi and vinyl habits that can quietly turn a fun hobby into a second job. I run through the things I’m quitting in 2026 because, for me, they were doing more harm than good—and I suspect a lot of you will recognise yourselves in a few of them. The big theme is simple: slow down, fix the fundamentals, and remember why we got into this in the first place. I start with the trap of chasing upgrades instead of sorting the basics—turntable setup, cartridge alignment, isolation, room acoustics, and even cable layout. I also talk about how easy it is to obsess over gear, compare your setup to others online, and let the “next black box” distract you from the music. From there I get into collecting habits: not treating records like an investment portfolio, doing a proper cull of records I don’t listen to (hello, unwanted record club picks), and stopping the bad habit of leaving records on the platter. Finally, I’m pushing myself out of my musical comfort zone again—more discovery, less nostalgia on repeat—and I’m quitting the habit of listening for flaws instead of listening to music. If there’s a thread through all of it, it’s this: enjoy the journey, don’t take it too seriously, and make the system serve the music—not the other way around.