Who R U?

Interesting story, Gheon (I used to be in a similar business, I think)! I liked your concluding sentence... very much similar to a "pensee" of B. Pascal. Welcome!

Sounds good Albert -- would love to chat sometime once I get settled. Kristina was truly excited to hear that I praised her among the audiophiles

Greg -- I admit to being busted -- stolen from Pascal it was.

Gheon,
Just click on my ( or any members ) name at Audiogon to send them an email. From there we may exchange phone numbers and convenient times.

Shoot, I've been attributing that quote to Tennyson for years now. Thanks for setting me straight.

I've been kicking around this site for the last year or two but have never responded to this thread -- usually, by the time I was done reviewing it, I was too worn out!

Well, here goes. I'm 47 and work in the database / marketing area of a very large financial institution in Charlotte, NC. During the last ten years, I've lived in Cleveland, Dallas, Columbus, Boston, Winston-Salem and now Charlotte. My theory is that the constant movement distracts my family from noticing my nasty audiophile habit ;-).

My wife is one of the truly rare gems in the universe who appreciates great music and supports my quest to hear it accurately. My children (college sophomore and high school junior) have caught the bug and will, I'm sure, someday grace this site.

We appreciate music of all kinds -- our favorite depends on our mood. Blues (Buddy Guy is my favorite), Jazz (lean towards the traditional, but also love the more current), Rock (metal, regular and lite), Vocals (how do you classify Lori Lieberman?), Classical (mostly traditional), "Heartland" .... and Christmas (we have one heckuva selection!). My favorite live concerts were 1) Vladimir Horowitz (5th row left!!) in 1977, 2) Dave Brubeck (seats on stage in Boston) and 3) Woodstock '99.

The audiophile habit is fairly new (last 5-6 years) though I took some electronics courses in high school (built a tube amp from scratch!), started out as an electrical engineer (lived in an engineering fraternity) and subscribed to audio magazines for as long as I can remember.

By the way, THANKS to everyone at Audiogon for the great advice and community spirit. It's tough to find people day-to-day who share this passion / disease and I really appreciate the discourse.

Cheers. Guenther

I am 35, I've lived most of my life in Ohio, but I just came back from a few years in New York City. And it's great to be close to my favorite high end store again! And away from the cramped listening rooms and the awful treatment that I experienced all too often at NYC audio salons.

I got into High End nine years ago, after purchasing some Signet speakers that had a nice midrange and treble response, as opposed to bass bass bass, after discovering opera. Now I'm full blown into it, I've just gone to Thiels, and I'm chomping at the bit to get Spectral amplification. Over the years, the most important lessons I've learned are to trust myself as a listener, to have an open mind about components, and to have a great listening room.

I really love reading, hiking and music, and since I have to take actuarial exams, I have to study alot, so most music I hear is through my discman and grado sr 60 headphones. Right now I listen to The Strokes "Is This It" every day. "Essential Stan Getz" almost every day, too.

Favorite singers: Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Patti Smith, Nick Drake.

Some Favorite Bands: Stones, Sex Pistols, Velvet Underground, Smiths.

Favorite Album: Exile on Main St.

Favorite Jazz: Stan Getz, Miles Davis

Favorite Classical: Bach, Beethoven (String Quartets), Ravel, Chopin and various clarinet pieces by various

Best concerts: 1)Tom Waits Beacon Theater
2)David Byrne Columbus Ohio
3)Patti Smith Bowery Ballroom
4)Cincy Symp Orch - contemporary polish piece that could have been the "PSYCHO" soundtrack

I would love to live in the mountains or the coast some day, with a high end juke box, if they ever make one.