Who R U?

If you can be midfi and still contribute, here goes. I'm 40 and a veterinarian in coastal Georgia. I gained an ear for music early thanks to my parents who made me play 10 years in the orchestra, violin then bass, (so I wouldn't be too much of a redneck....or was my dad doing that Johnny Cash "Boy Named Sue" thing...) Most of my background is large animal, (horses and cows,) but now my old beat-up body, (also 4 years as a paratrooper,) treats mostly dogs and cats. I have two music loving young'uns, 11 and 8, but you should not want to listen to NSYNC and Ms. Spears that much. My wife likes the TV, so my listening room is my office. [David99, can I have an email on all that gear you will be selling after the union?] Best to all, thanks for the occasional "short cut" to great sound. Charlie

Charlie,I wont be selling any of my gear.I laid down the law early on concerning the importance of my stereo.She also is quite interested in the hardware.Digs the tubes and turntable!! Come on give me more credit than that!! I'm an AUDIOPHILE first,LOVER second........

Well, I guess I'm up. I am a 31 year old programmer/analyst. This is my first year of doing this. Previously, I spent 8 years as a chemist/materials scientist, working in the electronics industry. I was born and raised in the Philadelphia, PA area. I make my home in the suburbs of this wonderful city. Not married yet, no children. My father was an electrician, tv/audio repairman, and finally an electrical engineer. He was(and is) very much into audio. There were always countless amounts of equipment around. And I had my first system before I was five. I became more serious as a teenager, and took a hiatus in my mid 20's(no time). I went through my father's stages, post tube era. American audio ala the 70s and 80s(the thirst for more and more power). Finally coming to the realization that you could only listen so loud, and that sound quality did not have to be a factor of volume. I had a bunch of solid state amps. Over time, I went back to the future, and fell in love with tubes. That's where I am now. I really love this site, and have learned so much, since coming on the scene in July. There are so many dedicated audiophiles here, I feel like I am in the presence of greatness. Joe

Great thread idea - here goes: I'm the 30 year old (in 2 weeks) married father of two girls (2.5 yrs; 5 mos). I'm a software consultant living in the Boston 'burbs. I've been a techno-weenie type as long as I can remember - love math, A/V club in high school, etc. After being into music and stereos since early high school (50-watt receiver w/ $150 3-way speakers), I went mid-fi in college and only this year can FINALLY afford to start building a "real hifi" system - I'm trying it w/ tube gear. My amp came in yesterday and my pre arrived at home this morning - I'll be leaving work early today! I set the amp up last night and drove it from my CD Player's (variable) headphone output. Even in this non-stereo config., my living room was swinging and so was my older daughter - to the MJQ's Complete Last concert'! So far, she seems really into music; I need to cultivate that so I'll have an audio ally in my household! I'm also into cycling (another pastime that caters to the gear-obsessed!). Not much time for anything else (heck, not even enough time for riding and istening!) but the girls more than make up for both!!

Garfish, there actually are similarities between hang gliding and hi-end audio. As you say, they're "soaring" in the sense they lift one spiritually and physically. They are both escapist pastimes in the sense of providing a release from the anxieties and troubles of life. Where they most parallel each other, though, is in being equally expensive hobbies! Hadn't thought about it until now, but my audio system costs the same as my HG gear! Great, just what I needed, a new expensive hobby. The two are mutually exclusive, too. I've flown while listening to a Walkman; the rythm of the air almost never coincides with that of the music. BTW, though a HG pilot for a dozen years and avid music fan for many more, it wasn't until recently that my dream audio system became reality.