Words From the Wise

1. Take a 1 month break once a year, no hi-fi, nothing.
2. Go to bed at a decent hour, and not 2am checking ads.
3. Enjoy some wine with your music ( ALL systems sound nice then )
4. Get some forgiving gear, so that more than 20% of your cd's are listenable.
5. STOP ANALYZING THE MUSIC, STOP SEARCHING FOR FLAWS !

1. Protect your ears - wear plugs when vacuming, cutting the lawn, move away from blenders, avoid amplified music at bars and shows where you cant hear conversation above the noise. Take ear plugs to movies. I'm 54 - hearing sensitivity od s treasure to protect.
2. Take a music appreciation course. It will give your left brain something to do while listening, other than analyizing defects in your system. Understanding music better is a great joy and will lead you to explore.
3.When assessing equipment listen to a simple, one instrument melody (a solo flute playing silent night made my wife cry as it soared high and she insisted I but the big babies that produced it. The beauty should make you want to cry too. Then listen to a highly complex and dynamic piece for crowding and choas. The complex should sound breathtaking not assaultive.
4.Kick out any sales person who tries talking to you as you are trying to listen. Go back several times before taking it home and then try it there.
5. Listen over good headphones to give you an idea of how much inner detail is possible.

The most important link is always Speakers, followed by source and amplification last. Pick out your taste in speakers first. Esoteric cables beyond basic sturdy construction are a waste. Room treatments, moving the furniture around and hanging some rugs on the wall can also surprise you.

1/ In speakers, with very rare exceptions, fewer drivers is better but a single full-range driver is usually not adequate. 2-way and 1-1/2 way designs rule.

2/ Keep things simple. For example, some people buy a disc player for Redbook and another for SACD/DVD or some such. Keep yourself sane, channel your funds, and buy one good source that will play all the formats you want to buy.

3/ 2 Channels done right are enough. Better really, even for movies.

4/ A good tube amp on a simple chassis is the best performance-per-dollar buy in amplification. You have plenty of choice at any price point.

5/ If you don't buy a tube amp, one of the McIntosh autoformer solid state amps will be grand.

All else is comparatively minor. Well, 3 more: The "previously-owned" market has tremendous bargains; no one ever regretted owning an EL-34-based tube amp; don't expect anything resembling music to come from any device labelled "Krell."

Phil

* Dont compete, someone always has better, but at more cost.

* Dont put-down other peoples gear, just because you can afford more doesnt make you better, and to insult anothers hard earned money spent on what they enjoy is pathetic.

* If your music to equipment ratio is way out of whack rethink if you are truely a music lover ($20000 in gear and $1000 in music is crazy, you love equipment more than music