What does one purchase after owning horns?

The man of maps's summation speaks perfect sense to me. Very well put!

Mapman, so why are there Audiogon discussions or threads? I think you have to appreciate that most audiophiles have no local dealer, that those having a dealer cannot expect to hear the broad variety of equipment on the market, and that you can often get good deals on the internet.

This is all so interesting. I know many people who love music as much as myself, but many of them own a Bose wave radio or something similar to that. And when music plays, they can get up and dance and enjoy it for what it is. We (Audiogon members)on the other hand spend some major dollars on equipment and room set up, to hear these same recordings. If it is not to bring us a more "lifelike" presentation, why do we do it ? The only delusion is when you think it is as good as live music, which it could never be(I started another threat about this recently, but it died very quickly with only a handful of respondents). There are more Audiogon members who strive for great imaging and soundstaging, and if one feels that an artist has just appeared several feet in front to them, slightly left, that does not make them delusional. The Audiogon community is trying to extract any realism from our recordings. So I ask you all, why not simply own a Bose wave radio or something of that nature ?

I suppose we are all deluded if we think our stereo sounds like anything other than what it is, a recreation of other people's musical creations in our homes in a manner that meets our needs and wants.

Mapman says the secret word(s) and wins $50.00!!! Sorry Groucho, wherever you are.

If it is not to bring us a more "lifelike" presentation, why do we do it ? The only delusion is when you think it is as good as live music, which it could never be

Mrdecibel- your use of quotes around "lifelike" speaks volumes. S'phile ran a column/editorial on this subject a year or 2 ago, ruminating on why it is that even from a distance, anyone w a passion for music can tell the difference between music actually being performed and music being reproduced. I have no idea why, but I know through experience that it is true. My wife and I drove up to a friend's backyard dinner party a few years ago and heard electric jazz guitar as soon as we got out of the car, on the street out front. I immediately said to my wife "cool, they have a live musician". My wife could not understand how I could tell, and I couldn't articulate it to her or to you, but I was 100% positive that it was not reproduced music. Obviously no imaging, or soundstaging, but there was not a question in my mind that it was not a recording, even though he was playing a hollow body electric guitar through a small amplifier at modest volume. What we hear at home is, at best, a "lifelike" simulation of a performance. The Audiogon community (for the most part) does not listen to wave radios (except for a few sinners...you know who you are!) because the equipment we use, as you said

"bring(s) us a more "lifelike" presentation"

IMO, this doesn't denigrate the hobby or our passion; it just puts it into perspective.

Very true swampwalker .....

regards,