Rate these on order of importance:

If it's only about the music, we'd all have bose acoustic wave machines because sound quality wouldn't matter!

I am not sure if it is correct to add the person or persons owning the system to this equation? I mean, I tend to think that there are so many ideals of sound reproduction & system configuration recipes that it can be overwhelming to the budding audiophile. The systems that I seem to become most impressed with on here and other audio sites are the ones where the crazy sort of synergy that was arrived at reflected the owners own unbalanced perception- a sort of cat landing on its feet finesse. They are informed, but allow their comfort,preferences, to intrude upon the design of their system even when it goes against the legendary wisdom that set them on this path to begin with.

Hey Indiefan - Sign yourself up here and start posting more often. That is an interesting observation and a fine contribution to the thread. I'd like to read more of what you have to say and without your being a member it is more difficult to access that. The worst that could happen is you'll get a few extra "Enlarge Your Penis" and "Buy Viagra Online" emails every day. And for that small price you'll get access to the rantings of a bunch of egomaniacal, obsessed audio-geeks with nothing better to do with their time than to write about their gear and proliferate valuable misinformation that will send your head spinning. Yeah, well, OK, that includes me.....but I might make you laugh once in a while too...and some of these other guys and gals ain't so bad either....actually a few of them seem to really know what they're talking about...and hey, it's kindof fun too! Hope to see you posting more.

Marco

Well Nrchy, the first time I heard Jimi hendrix (my favorite) it was on some cheap midi-set, with a worn-out needle, and the record was even worse..... Still, now owning a bit different system, I never re-captured the magic of that moment. So if I had to choose between some million-dollar equipment without music or an old walkman with flimsy headphones but with a lot of tapes.... well, for me looking at a pile of equipment ain't enough (although I have to admit that it ads a lot to the pleasure of listening!).

Satch - The first time I ever had sex was pretty memorable too....well, maybe the second time! But it's not likely I'm going to repeat those same sensations, but that doesn't stop me from continuing to try! Though it may not be the same sensation, I sure wouldn't want to live without it. I'd guess that if you had the choice now between listening to Hendrix on that same worn out stereo you first heard it on, and a much better one, you'd still choose the better one. The experience you are speaking of has nothing to do with the gear at all, which I suppose is exactly your point. But the same kind of magic you experienced that first time could have happened on a $50K system if that's what you had heard it on. My point is that all this is besides the point!! The subject of the thread is focusing on the gear, and you are referring to a sensation entirely outside of the chain of the system. But I do get your point. I have a memory of the very first time I heard a really good system that quite literally seemed to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand upl. I have no recollection of the music that was playing, but I do remember the components in the system and the sensation of the system disappearing and the music being in the room in a three dimensional space. I think I have yet to duplicate THAT experience just because of the novelty of it at that time. BUT if I were to take my system at home and pit it up against that very system I have no doubt at all that I'd prefer my current system. I also have no doubt that the experience of hearing that first system that turned me on to high end would be entirely different to me now, just as listening to Hendrix might be entirely different to you now that you've explored every note for many years no doubt.

Marco