wave a magic wand and poof...the stereo disappears

For $700, I could rebuy my bedroom system of an almost vintage Marantz PM 74D 100 w/c integreted amplifier($300), a used Marantz 67SE cd player($100), and PSB speakers like the used Stratus Mini or the Image B25 ($300) and have satisfying entry level high end sound... and then enjoy the music. John Dean

Mrtennis has been posting some good stuff here, starting with the caramel flavored cd player he was looking for.

Keep up the good work!

where in NY are you? not that I wanted to listen to your $350 mini-system, just curious...

If my stereo were taken away tomorrow, yeah, I'd miss the hell out of it, but life has a way of filling vacuums. I'd eventually find something else to obssess over and spend gobs of money on. Maybe comic books or muscle cars.

hi audphile1, i live in nassau county.

by the way, i realize that the cd player of my dreams doesn't exist, so i ended up with a bat vk d5. if i have to i'll try to "dull it out" with tubes, or place some anti resonant device under it, or find a dull cable.

thanks for your support.

I've gone in and out of this hobby since the early 70's as the spirit, my available time, money and interest have moved me.
I just returned to it a few months ago after a 10 year hiatus, and frankly, I didn't really 'miss' it during that time, since I was preoccupied with other interests, and had burned-out on the almost myopic focus on the equipment, rather than the music. (I found myself playing the same records again, and again- truly a disturbing sign.:))

I can enjoy a piece of music even over a portable, or a standard car audio system- for the sake of the music. Listening to a 'perfectionist' system brings other baggage, since it almost requires a singular focus on the event, which then tends to trigger those audiophile tendancies of listening to the equipment.
One thing I have found since my return- listening over the horn-type speaker- is that I am more willing to listen to entire albums, not just 'tracks' and more receptive to listening to less than stellar recordings, for the sake of hearing a great performance. (Lately, I've been very taken with those 80's era live Etta James/Eddie Vinson records).

I agree that Mr. T's thread topics tend to be provocative.