What's your profession? Age?

I'm a male with a BFA & MA who's a 49 year old gallery contracted (otherwise published) painter, sculptor, and a pedagogue, and sometimes substitute teacher. As with artists in general, living as 'the other' lends itself easily to methods of creative financing and making sacrifices for a later benefit. My system would retail new for around $55,000.00.

Retired radio broadcast engineer, 66

Retired, 67. Last posting was research biostatistician. System worth $50,000 plus the electronics, which are home brew.

Beg to differ, Southern. My hearing is down 6 dB at 12KHz, and I can clearly differentiate VCap and RelCap teflons, and brands of premium resistors in a discrete-resistor gain stage volume control. My father, who couldn't hear much above 4 KHz, clearly preferred a Nakamichi tape deck to a Denon in a single blind experiment (sadly, as I thought, for one was to be a gift). A friend who was a shooter clearly differentiated digital and analog vinyl from the same performer, same era.

Are you sure you aren't underselling your abilities?

My company manufactures color concentrates and additive masterbatches for all manner of plastics & plastics processing. I manage the southeast region. I'll be 47 in April.

35 year old Broadcast Engineer