Thank you Chad and Lohan. John, you have become a good local friend thanks to this wonderful web site, and we have many, many hours to learn together! Greg, you are an old time friend who I wish I could meet personally. This is the only problem with the internet, the people I have met, I wish I could spend time with and hear your voices.
As an update to my downsizing, I still am pining for the second amp, but life is life, and I simply had no choice other than to get rid of it. The exciting news is I was extremely fortunate to have run across the Kubala-Sosna Emotion cables. I first was introduced to these cables here at A'gon, and ended up talking with Joe Kubala because at the time he had no dealership locally. To make a very long story short, I ended up having Joe Kubala spend an afternoon at my house. One cable at a time we switched from NBS interconnects to Emotion. Then Valhalla speaker cables to Emotion and finally my power cords. I was using Electraglide Epiphany, Elrod EPS-2 and NBS. When Joe put in the last Emotion cable. It was the third jaw drop of the afternoon, each cable added body and tonal hue, yet was more extended and open. The background was darker with each step, and as a complete "system" the Emotion cable was better than my system has ever sounded.
The result was me buying interconnects and two power cords used. I'm now awaiting speaker cable and a final power cord!
The best part is I am able to switch speaker cable (used Valhalla and new Emotion) as a wash, but in my system this is an upgrade. The same can be said for my power cords, a virtual wash.
So with these changes I may indeed be happier with my system now ($12,000 less) than before! I'll keep you informed once the cords are here and I'm able to (re-tweak) my system to the new parameters.
As for advise on how to downgrade? Keep your options open, but be careful because too much loss will destroy the magic, but change can be made.
The true reward however is right here, Audiogon has brought me two local "new" friends Jafox and Artg, and I love them both and am blessed to have found their friendship. I also have deepened my love for many of my long time Audiogon friends. It is you guys that make life a joy to continue with. I have grown to see the joy remaining in my life and focus less on the loss. It is you people who have given me this vision, and it is Lugnut who has lead the march.
I love all you guys, Thanks.
JD