Some people actively participate but rarely if ever start a thread.

Yeah, when I recently asked to recommend $3500 used speakers, there were probably one hundred brands mentioned, I didn't count. But no "consensus opinion". Am I going to audition those one hundred brands before choosing ? Of course not, and it would be totally unrealistic. Sometimes, people just talk. I expected it in that thread and took it accordingly. It's like a small talk, which is fine.

I too am over the hill. I have been reading this site for less than 2 years. So do not know how splendid it all was. The low end market is not to be avoided. This is how we got to entry level in the first place. To encourage young and money-less folk to avoid the errors we all made, so many years ago. We cannot tell these "excluded* folk they need SS monoblocks, and a valve pre amp. My kit is still under the value of $10,000. But as we all know, ask me again this time next year! The whole reason I am here is; I really do want a pair of mono blocks and a valve pre amp.

It is not a new thread, but I had to respond.

IAN.

Consider tube mono blocks as well ! Sorry, I never said it. You would need lots of tubes, and the heat..forget about it.

I agree that talking about low audiophile end can be beneficial to the beginners.

I can find most of the answers I need in threads that have already been started...but I do enjoy participating in other threads from time to time

P.S. I do not have a TT, and I never will. What a waste of money. That is how I feel.

You see, I did not have a relitavely comfortable lifestyle, where I could accumalate all my property from birth to death. Some of us wandered and lost the things we cherished. The Hi-Fi I now have, started just 20 years ago. Now I'm retired and no longer threatend with eviction.  I watched from the other side of the street, as all my possessions were loaded into a dump truck. You cannot take for granted that we all had it so good. And that is why I donate my unwanted kit to a charity.

Now you know something about me.

IAN.