Regardless of how much you've spent...

hi justlisten:

what tube dac is giving you a headache ?

I heard that before! Said it too!

Used to love it; now I merely like it. The hobby can wear you out and lead you down some false alleys if you're not careful, and it did that to me. I still value great audio, but I'm not nearly as obsessive about it as I used to be. I've got MUCH bigger fish to fry.

Well the "... regardless of how much you spent..." seems a bit naive to me, but I still find that equipment gets in the way of the music for the vast majority of 'philes.

Been involved with hi-fi one way or another for 25 years but it comes in waves - hadn't changed any components for about 5 years and then a relocation to Hong Kong forced a rethink - what components do I take, what do I store back in Oz - Can't bring myself to sell stuff as I'd rather keep it for a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) system.

Now I'm in Hong Kong which is a dream for the hi-fi lover. Great equipment, great prices. Back up to 3 systems in just a year. I love it, but when I go back to Oz, I'm going to have to bite the bullet and sell some gear!