What's your profession? Age?

Federal employee of 25 years working for the Army in DC. Am 58 with hearing to match.

Work @ Tulane University, I'm 27, and my system is worth more than my age in thousands.

I'm a male with a BFA & MA who's a 49 year old gallery contracted (otherwise published) painter, sculptor, and a pedagogue, and sometimes substitute teacher. As with artists in general, living as 'the other' lends itself easily to methods of creative financing and making sacrifices for a later benefit. My system would retail new for around $55,000.00.

Retired radio broadcast engineer, 66

Retired, 67. Last posting was research biostatistician. System worth $50,000 plus the electronics, which are home brew.

Beg to differ, Southern. My hearing is down 6 dB at 12KHz, and I can clearly differentiate VCap and RelCap teflons, and brands of premium resistors in a discrete-resistor gain stage volume control. My father, who couldn't hear much above 4 KHz, clearly preferred a Nakamichi tape deck to a Denon in a single blind experiment (sadly, as I thought, for one was to be a gift). A friend who was a shooter clearly differentiated digital and analog vinyl from the same performer, same era.

Are you sure you aren't underselling your abilities?