Many seem to be talking about their last system .

It’s cyclic. They’ll get it back. but probably not until most of us are gone.

In the meantime, Digital and it’s problems are misrepresenting music, and that is part of the problem. Subtle to the conscious mind but the lack of some important aspects of what pulls us in, for almost 20 years, wiped out an entire generation of aficionados before they had a chance to exist. The same effect can be found in class D amps, in my experience.

It’s not just the changing landscape it’s a problem of going sonically backward - all for that modern convenience.

Show me a ’real’ audio manufacturer these days, who wants to build with delta-sigma type dacs. Most are moving out of it as fast as they can, for discrete R-2-R dac types. More expensive... but far more correct in what we hear. Back to what digital had before the delta-sigma dac types came along.

Right. But not backward, that wouldn't be the worst because you could reverse, theoretically, it is simply nowhere.

Well, in anticipation of losing discretionary funds to supporting the coffers of the universities of my kid’s choice, I built up 3 systems. One in my main listening room, one in my bedroom and one in my youngest son’s room (19 years old).

I think my son would qualify as a next gen "audiophile." When not listening to the main system, he listens to one of the 100 albums he personally owns and plays them on an RP6 with Clearaudio Maestro V2 cart run through a Parasound HINT in his bedroom.

My wife says I’m a bad influence, but I disagree.

No, she might think that you are a good influence but refuses to say it. Women are different..