I too am an equipment junkie. I’ve never been high end either but I do have some pretty nice stuff. I believe the difference in the 6500’s is the bearing count, but I may be wrong. 3 bearings in the c3 and 4 in the c4. I use lefty stuff so all of mine end in 01 and cost a little bit more. My prize in the 70’s was a 5001c with black ends. I caught a lot of fish with that reel and a lamiglas custom rod I had made to go with the reel. Until someone stole it. What they wanted with a rod with my name on it is beyond me. Bought another reel and store bought rod. Then Shimano showed up with the bantams that weighed about half as much, and I owned a few of those. I’ve never spent a hundred dollars on a rod, but have for a couple of Shimano Curados. Best I’ve ever owned.

My boats are nice but not high end newest and so on. Electronics the same way. I’m glad that some folks can get the newest and let me know how well it works. Gives me something to look forward to. Frugal and cheap aren’t a bad thing. I have another way of referring to it, and that’s “keeping it in perspective”. I must have pretty good stuff cuz there’s always someone willing to buy it when it goes up for sale. Nowadays I use more spinning reels than anything else and consider a Pflueger President plenty good enough for my purposes. I did have a like new Diawa Capricorn once that sold for about &90 when it was new. Holds the award of the best reel I’ve ever owned. The weight of the handle would cause it to rotate the reel, ultra smooth. I just wore it out. I like the nicer gear, just can’t pull the trigger on it.