Neophite needing advice

I agree with Sugarbrie's picks, and they are all readily available used, saving you a fair bit of cash. Funny how people, once swung over to Linn, remain Linnies for life. Nothing wrong with Linn, just never did it for me. Jeff

Wrong, wrong...i am owner of SOME,of the Linn "gear", i believe that they offer, one the best balanced (neutrality-musicality) audio gear on the market! And NAD, Creek,...aren't even in the same league, even with the "cheapest" Linn line! Tip for you: MiracleEar, offers free ear check-up, just before you spend some more money on your next audio purchase!

jeff, i got my 1st linn preamp ~4 years ago, & i really *did* like it. but after trying tube-stuff, no way isle ever go back to linn for my main rig. trick is to find a tubed preamp that still has accuracy, transparancy & detail of the linn. i found that the cary slp98 & the melos music director *both* equal the linn at what it does well, & are a *lot* better w/soundstage depth. i tink the preamp is the key to a system. one person's opinion... doug

Go with a Stan Warren modified CD player for your front end. Stan can provide more musicality from budget digital. His mods will have you wondering why everyone plows so much money into typical "high end" gear. Start with Stan, and in time, you will be avoiding the dreadly "I've got some more money, time to upgrade game". It took me ten years of " upgrade fever" to find Stan .He is one of the most down to earth, genuine and talented circuit designers around. His mods and advice will give you more bang for the buck than anyone else I have ever known in the audiophile circles. You may call him directly at 541-344-3696 12-6 p.m. pacific coast time. (Please keep my E-mail address. As you progress in this hobby, my advice will probably end up saving you thousands of dollars! In ten years you can send me a small portion of this savings ...ha!)

Ehider...there isn't a reason not to believe you! Does Stan have a web-site? What kind of player he modifies? Thanks!