In your opinion, what is Hi, Medium and Low end?

Oem: That was no knock on women. I was simply pointing out that Detroit, after god knows how long, finally took notice that women had access to money that didn't come from their husbands. That is, they earned it themselves. Detroit, as usual behind the curve, was smart enough to wrench into the rusting works and change their marketing to focus on women as independent consumers (hence, the rise of Saturn, the first car my wife bought.) This after a long time when my working mother couldn't buy a car without my father's co-signature, this at a Ford dealership. I wasn't knocking women, I was trashing American automobile marketing. If I didn't make that clear then, I am now.

Gogirl's original post was valid, and I would have gladly kept my fingers off the keys and read. However--and this is my fault--I took offense at her increasingly condescending, patronizing, and confrontational tone, and therfore, lashed out at the tired simile, which seemed to be at the time baiting all of us. She, and you, and everyone else has my apology.

As for hi end, low end, mid end, the distinctions don't make a damn bit of difference as long as the owner is happy. If you want to throw a vault of money at this hobby, go for it. If something more earth bound is more to you liking, great. Hell, buy a Bose 501 if it trips the trigger. Since it's all subjective, there's not a dime's edge of difference between the three. If it sounds good to you, then what the heck does it matter if it's high, mid or low?

I'm glad you use headphones, I use them, too. I also have also a pair of raucous Altecs a pair of more refined Merlins. I've used separates, integrateds, cds, phono, music servers, zip cord and Cardas. Who cares? I'm more interested in my library than my equipment. I'm sure it's the same for you. So if we both like the music we listen to, what's our argument?

Hi Fi lets you hear the car in the Counting Crows' Big Yellow Taxi about two minutes into the track. Heh, but it's not what you think. It's not the sound that is like a car door slamming; that's the screen door slamming. Then comes the very low level sound of the car as it rolls away, after the lyrics, "...and a big yellow taxi took my girl away."! You're not going to hear it clearly with a low to Mid level rig(You may not hear it at all or it will sound like distortion; those with hearing difficulty will say it's not there) It starts very quietly in the right channel and moves left. It's a good test of how capable your system and your ears are.

You'll need some good gear (usually the more expensive kind) to hear clearly what I'm talking about. Those with High End gear will be able to hear it cleanly.

My system is clearly not high end if the measure is $$$$s spent compared to others.

I listen to the best systems I can without regard to cost whenever I have an opportunity and use these to set my reference for what is possible. Then I decide how to best invest the funds I can to best achieve that level of performance myself.

My current setup definitely floats my boat in regards to performance and enables me to fully engage my love of music with no significant compromise, which I guess is my goal.

Believe me, I'm always looking for ways to make my system better whenever possible. I do think though that given where I am at currently, the improvements I can achieve are very very marginal.

If I could do anything to improve my system at present, I would probably invest in a bigger listening room somehow in which to really unleash some large scale audio fury!

In looking at Albert Porters System, I see that he has a one meter interconnect that costs more than my entire main system.

I've never heard the Dali's in Albert's system, but have heard other large Dalis albeit in listening rooms that were too small for them and based on that would expect his are quite extraordinary speakers with what has to be state of the art midrange detail, clarity and resolution in combination with the rest of his extraordinary system.

IT would surely be quite a rematch of David versus Goliath to compare my system to Albert's. I'd probably only even consider doing it if I could get a home game in my modest sized room in that I am fairly certain I'd get blown away in a much larger room.

The best I could probably hope for in reality in such a duel would be to put in a valiant challenge and confirm that the differences in performance were in fact marginal compared to the large difference in cost.

If I could afford Albert's system would I buy it? Sure why not. As I've stated repeatedly already, it is without doubt quite extraordinary! What audio nut wouldn't like to own it? Certainly not this one.

If I could afford it, I would also like to buy the Taj Mahal as my new listening room and have it custom treated for better acoustics while at it.

Actually in recollection, I misstated something above.

The speakers I referenced that I had heard were large Avalons, not Dalis. The dealer sold both but I did not get a chance to audition any Dalis. I thought the design of the Dalis in Albert's system looked much different from the ones I was recalling...now I know why, two different lines!

So that fact is I've never heard Dalis. I'd surely at least want to hear them first before saying I'd buy them if I could.

Nevertheless, the Dalis is Albert Porters system surely sound outstanding as well in his exceptional setup.

Sorry.