Hi folks
well, I have two points to make after today. Firstly, after seeing my HiFi technician, it appears my CD/DVD player has got direct couple outputs. (Well predicted Salectric!) No cap upgrades to make - in that area anyway. The important information I got from him was to concentrate on improving the power supply in the player - something I already have strong plans for.
.....and, secondly, something that I think is very important indeed, my wife has started listening to music with me lately and has been commenting on the fact that my system sounds so listenable. 'So easy and natural to hear.' Folks, she NEVER normally listens with me. Now she does and she hasn't even ask me to turn it down. Do you understand how much of a step this is? She doesn't just hear - she really listens & she's impressed! For crying out loud she has requests!!!!....lol I can sit here and give you people opinions about improvements, changes...whatever, but this event says much more than anything I could come up with. The "bystanders" in my place are coming closer to the music because it's good and they want to hear more. That's a powerful change in events here. My speakers are no longer boxes! They are now revealing so much more.
My music is transformed and getting better. Often I find myself doing tell tale things like tapping my feet or my hands, laughing or even just drifting off because I'm feeling or hearing stuff that makes the music "make sense". Lots of good ol' fashioned positive emotion in this house at the moment and it continues to improve. Singers are singing to me, bass players stand out in a performance and even change their intensity at times. Keyboard players appear where there was just sound. Strings contribute to the emotion of a performance instead of just making a pitch. Frank Sinatra sang really low notes in a song I listened to earlier instead of just singing words - I didn't know until now how low he could sing!!
The point is I'm now completely re-appreciating my music and it's exhilarating.
Thanks for listening and THANK YOU to all those who have participated in this thread. Your enthusiasm, knowledge, advice, efforts etc have been a major factor in this powerful change. I'm smiling as I'm typing and I love it.
Thanks again, Tas