Where do you draw the line???

I would imagine you would need to draw the line when you start forgetting why you own stereo equipment in the first place.

I never draw lines, but I do change pencils once in awhile!

Nrchy, maybe "drawing the line" was misinterpreted. Everyone has core assumptions about the audio world that they are unlikely to change since it is based on their experience and beliefs. I look forward to seeing other responses to your excellent question.

Ozfly you might be right. I was trying to get to the core beliefs about which people are unwilling to compromise, at least until proven wrong as Tom suggests.

All of us have to approach this hobby with certain ideals that allowed us to even purchase the first product. Elizabeth mentioned the riaa curve and the fact that she looks for products (LPs) without this abomination. Her ideals and beliefs prevent the purchase of post riaa LPs. This is what I'm trying to learn.

Many of us must have similar ideals which determine what we buy and even how we shop, listen, or interact. I would not be interested in a tube system using B&W speakers and employing CDs as the main music source, but this doesn't mean that a system with that makeup cannot sound good, or that it's owner is some kind of mutant. These are just my prejudices, ideals, or beliefs.

What are yours???

I believe for the price that Difinitive Technologies puts out a very good product. I believe these sound fantastic for 2 channel music as well as HT, and i disagree with the thought that bi-polar / di-polar speakers are a fad or inferior to other speakers. They have an incredible saoundstage and can you can still pinpoint musical sources away from the speaks. The sound is cleanly reproduced, the lows are strong, commanding, yet not overly booming. If you believe these are dull, smeared, faded, and blurred, then you did not set them up correctly. Alot of people say these are terrible for music, but i listen to them every day, and every day they impress me just as much as a set of vandersteens, or B&W, or Martin logans, or KEFs, or any "High class" lourdspeaker ive heard set up by professionals in high-end retailer stores.

I dont believe that anything made within the past 20 years is crap. I like BB King and Jonny Lee Hooker just as much as i like Limp Bizkit and Eminem. I dont agree with the politics of rap stars, but if thier music gets my foot tapping, thats all that matters. New does not mean Bad. New means expansion and different. I feel bad for people who cannot accept new music. I understand thier love for the old, i hold that love as well, but i feel like i have a better love for music because i have more available to me.

I believe Blues is better than Jazz. Blues to me is one of the purist forms of music.

Techno does suck.

I see no point in bi-wiring. I have never heard any sonic improvement.

I believe Home Theater and 2 channel music setups are as different as day and night. I also believe that powered Recievers are an excellent product in value and sound, however, high end audio is a seperate world with a seperate class of sound.
An AV reciever is comparable to a heavyweight champion boxer capabable preforming its tasks to a considerable degree of satisfation.
A high-end amp/Preamp setup is more comparable to a Shaolin Monk who has been studying martial arts from the time he could walk and now retains a very refined and accurate ability combined with precision-power.

In that analogy as in life, the AV reciever can kick some serious butt and impress the best, but the preamp/amp can outpreform it with little effort and show people something they may have never seen

CD's Rock

If you buy a $1,000 for audio cables then you wasted your money

you can build a system for $10,000 that sounds as good as a system for $30,000.

Bose is a terrible prroduct for music (exceptions always exist)

I am hungry too. Im going to go get a sandwich!
THANKS!