An unscientific poll: How often are you happy?

100% happy with my system. In fact, I can't wait until Friday, so I can power up my system and ready for SAT and SUN enjoyment. My amps are class A, don't want to waste electricity and heat up the room. :-)

Happy for the moment, defenitely, YES! Let's see how long it lasts!

Just came on this post, as usual with Zaikesman a good one. I'll add my recent experience which may be of interest. My Jadis JP80 is currently out of the system for repairs and a modification, and my dealer has been kind enough to lend me a Lamm LL2 (non-deluxe version) for the past month and a half to use while the repairs are being made (a good argument for a good dealer, I'd say!). The LL2 is a superb unit, easily better in most respects than my Jadis, particularly transparency, high frequency extension and retrieval of low level detail. I would seriously consider buying it, in its deluxe version (the bigger power supply would improve the unit's dynamics, which aren't as good as the Jadis) as a replacement for my JP80 if it continues to break down on me. And yet, I would say that I am virtually 95% to 100% happy with my system's sound with the Jadis in the system, but I am maybe 90% happy with the Lamm in there. I miss the HUGE Jadis soundstage and bloom, I don't mind the lack of the last word in low-level detail, and I think the Jadis is the more involving unit. Colored, yes, but in a way consistent with music and music as I hear it in the concert hall. The Lamm, I think, is at times revealing more than I want to hear when I listen to music, perhaps making me listen to the system or the technical shortcomings of the recording itself, and that may be the cause of my slightly lessened satisfaction. I will also note that I gave up on my JP80's phono stage (a non-fixable noise problem) and substituted the Lamm LP2 phono stage, again a far more revealing unit, but in that case running it through the JP80's line stage only hightened my enjoyment of the music. Curious; I wonder if any of you out there have enjoyed your systems a little less as they became more revealing?

Thanks for the input, gents, glad to see this thread revived (Detlof sez, Let's see how long it lasts!).

RC, is it your system you wind up enjoying a little less, or maybe your recordings? Does the difference matter? Should it?

As for me, both my room (I moved) and system have changed substantially since I first posted the thread, so once I finally figure out just where exactly I've landed myself, I'll have to update my $ and %.

I think it's the recordings, and all of them are CDs. SACDs sound terrific and involving, as do LPs. Some Cds, though, with the added high frequency extension, seem a little too threadbare harmonically, even upsampled. After listening last night, I'd maybe move the satisfaction level up to 95% with the Lamm, as I thoroughly enjoyed a few SACDs I had time to listen to last night. So I guess the Jadis is kinder to my CD collection than is the Lamm, as it adds a lusher sound to the midrange.