How does one get off the merry-go-round?

Sure is, Mark! Love your wry humour! but I'm sure you'll soon be back in there again. Time heals wounds and checkbooks!

I'm the type of person that HAS to have best I can find, usualy after exhaustive research, that I can possibly afford without hurting myself. It's a curse.

I could go on forever, but to give an example... I wanted to sell my Mongoose bike for a Redline when I was 12. I bought top-of-the-line Volkl snow skis at 16, and my first pistol was a Sig Sauer that I later sold for a Kimber .45 custom. I shoot it maybe twice a year.

I think the way to not get carried away with any hobby is to diversify your interst. It keeps you from focusing (obsessing) over any one thing. Take fitness for instance. There are people that are so into physical fitness that they make vacation decisions around what workout facilites are available.

Most audiophile's homes I've been to have had thier priorites way out of wack. This past weekend I went to a guy's house that had worse furniture than I had in college, the fence was falling down, an old 19" TV and a $50,000 sound system. Part of this were 2 huge Viva tube amps on stands right in the middle of the living room where a coffee table should be.

This year I'm buying a new CD player and speakers. I'm also going to Jamacia in the spring and sportfishing off Cape Hatteras, NC. No, I'm not buying any $10,000 speakers and $2500 CD player. I think the Soliloquy 5.3 and Cambridge D500SE will serve me fine, for now.

I have an old Threshold Stasis amp from the mid seventies, which at that time set me back less than three thousand bucks new! I took it up from the basement and connected a pair of Quads to it through inexpensive wires and an old Krell KBL from the eighties. The combination sounded great, even to my spoilt and not quite inexperienced ears. Now if that is not food for thought......I'll leave it to you to draw your own conclusions..I've certainly drawn mine. It sure slowed down my merry go out and update!

Ahem, Detlof (polite cough), music thru a Goldmund Reference? They must have been on their absolutely best-mannered behaviour :^)!
Similarly, I pulled out a Symphonic Line pre, to test it against a mega$ offering. I can assure you it surpassed itself!

Morale: always allow existing players a second chance. It may be cheaper than recruiting someone from the marketplace!

True,true Greg, well it was through the Goldmund and also through the souped up Sony 777 and indeed, as you suggest, this experiment stopped me from pleasing my dealer!
Cheers,