Snook2: As I stated earlier, I cannot personally vouch for the Soundlabs, but I offer them as one a prospective buyer should listen to, before buying in the 10K price range. I make this statement based on the opinions of people I respect, and with whom I have had a high degree of agreement in the past on what sounds right. You may not agree with my assessment of B&W, Dunlavy, Martin Logan etc., and that is your right to do so, but I think those speakers are lacking in one way or another-more so than the Vandersteens. John_l: Thanks for the heads-up. Although, I wasn't considering Vandersteen 5's for the Aleph, that is a possibility in the distant future. I have heard them with Nordost SPM speaker cables. I don't remember the interconnects. The CD player was a Wadia 860.