"Air, Extension, Resolution" Music or Hi Fi?

I think the Signal cables are a good buy, but not all together smooth, and may be contributing greatly to your observations. I would try some other cables (from local audio ship, local aphile) to see what it does for you. Cardas and Audience immediately come to mind.

just my $0.02

Auaarons, so what did you end up with? I'm in the process of doing the same thing. When you don't spend a lot of money, you don't worry so much.
I somehow connect the statement "the devil is in the details" with hi-end audio. Defined as:
"The devil is known for always make life difficult for man in many small ways"
Isn't that what hi-fi is all about; undefinable small details?

I think some people get off the merry-go-round because they give up trying to figure it out and decide to just accept what they own and resign themselves to be happy with their $$ six figure $$ purchase

Onhwy61, your post is so sane it's astonishing.

I have a pretty decent system (with ribbon speakers) that I think is extremely "resolving", "detailed", and, well, you know the rest. In my experience, the range of recording equalizations is huge. How can one system ever be perfect when the recordings themselves vary so greatly? Contrary to the standard audiophile bible proclamation that tone controls are forbidden, I want them as long as they can be bypassed. When the recording is too hot, as you pointed out, just dial out some treble. Bass too light for your taste on a CD? Turn the bass up a little.

If we somehow guiltily think that the whole sound is degraded and the audiophile police will show up, maybe we aren't listening to the music, just the equipment.

"Air, Extension, Resolution" to a limit is must have. This is what makes music Realistic sounding, provided you have good recording and good equipment that reproduces instrument harmonics faithfully. As soon the scale tips towards excessive ( few dbs above ideal falt response), no matter what the music does sound hifi. Analog on usually sounds warm, has 'complete' music information ( the wave form is not truncated like in redbook cd format), but most of the combos, inexpensive to expensive, I have heard tend to be so warm that it is slightly less realistic when upper mid and low highs( not to mention uppe highs) are few dbs lower than flat response. I think analog needs to be slightly tilted up at the upper freq to be complete. And I have heard some combos that has this. If you have evrything, meaning good cd or analog base system that has flat (my definition of flat being 1-1.5 db tilted up at low bass, flat from 125 hz to 4000 hz, 1-1.5 db up from 4000-7000 hz and then 20 db gently down from 7000 hz to 16000 hz) . I have found that this curve yields the most satisfying balance in my system. Of course my system also is dead quite, has good sound stage- L to R, F to B, and contains great to good components with good cables- nothing too expensive. So much so that I do not want to change a thing. At time where I attempted to go up in top of line preamp or top of line Cd player of same make, or have tried to insert expensive cables, It ruins the balance. I admit some of the things my systems does I know it does not sound right at times, but that is very rare and goodthings outweighs these rare occuances. When you get the acoustic guitar, piano, drum kit (watch for that body, highly defined but some what dullness of the high hats), human voice then everything else pretty much falls in place. In summary, My digital based system sounds pretty much analog with realistics upper mids and highs.

So What is my point? My point is that Air, Extension, Resolution are NECESSARY for high end system. But to a RIGHT degree, be it digital based or analog based. That good combination is hard to find and happens with LOT OF LUCK.

CDC - I use a 1998 Sony DVD player and Denon home theater receiver driving a pair of B&W DM302 speakers and Mirage subwoofer. The Denon does a really nice job. My bedroom system is a portable CD player driving $10 computer speakers. Without the Audiophile mindset, I am now able to enjoy my music from more sources, even with laptop driving good computer speakers or using headphones with my PDA as a player. Even the Bose system in my car played music I could enjoy!

Spending long trips away from home helped me detach from the Audiophile bug. When I spent a month away from home on business, my only source of music was my laptop and it served me just as well. I realized I was thirsting for music and not audiophile sound. More lengthier business trips simply reinforced the realization even further.