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Esoterica Is Its Own Reward.

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I have a system that I spent less than $700 on: Reconditioned Magnepan MG1.5 speakers, a 30 year old Yamaha M-4 power amp, and a Yamaha CD changer that has a digital volume control on the remote. I am using 12 gauge zip cord for speaker wire, etc. I have been designing, buying, and selling high end audio stuff for 25 years, and this is the most satisfying sound I have ever had. I think that the problem with the world of modern audio is that audiophiles have gone batty over fancy cables, tube amps, and all the other esoterica out there. Hearing is very subjective, and until folks accept that most of the money they are spending on audio is ego-bait, high end audio will continue to decline.

Follow Ups:

Thank You All. - jbwebs 06:17:28 05/10/07 (12)
Well, looks like I stirred up the expected hornets nest. The thing I always find interesting in these discussions is that almost no one ever changes "sides". It is like an atheist arguing with a Christian about the existence of God. There just isn't enough common ground between the two points of view to have a good debate.
Anyway, FTR I believe there are a lot of tweaks that make a difference in the quality of the listening experience, and I believe that there is a lot of very worthwhile high end gear out there. I just wish that people would factor in the very subjective nature of hearing when making expensive decisions.
- That's why long term listening... - mkuller 10:58:06 05/10/07 (7)
  ...- over a at least a few days if not longer - before buying or upgrading is the key to audio happiness.
  - Mike, you just stated why... - Ozzie 12:25:14 05/14/07 (6)
    having a best of show is a sham.
    - A sham?... - mkuller 13:41:03 05/14/07 (5)
      ...come on now.
      Is the American Idol voting a sham?
      Are the "People's Choice Awards" a sham?
      Ok, so what's you point?
      Sometimes the best of show awards are more about showmanship than great sound.
      - You are good Mikey as you refused to bite. - Ozzie 09:58:49 05/15/07 (4)
        
        In Reply to: A sham?... posted by mkuller on May 14, 2007 at 13:41:03:
        
        You even put on a pretty good spin job at that, since you know exactly where I was going.
        
        If you keep throwing stuff against the wall... - mkuller 11:24:42 05/15/07 (3)
        
        In Reply to: You are good Mikey as you refused to bite. posted by Ozzie on May 15, 2007 at 09:58:49:
        
        ...sooner or later something will stick.
        And you'll be right.
        Or at least I'll agree with you.
        
        Yeah, right Mike. - Ozzie 14:05:21 05/15/07 (2)
        
        In Reply to: If you keep throwing stuff against the wall... posted by mkuller on May 15, 2007 at 11:24:42:
        
        I could care less if you agree with me. like James Carville, you are so used to being the spinning little ankle biter that you are, that you are dizzy from it. Every time someone brings up something that can threaten the credibility of a reviewer or a magazine, you are the first to either bite their head off or further muddy the water.
        At the show, a non audio buddy of mine said that the three turntable based systems that he had heard sounded great. He also went on to say that he could have identified them blindfolded. Wow! Needless to say, they were in the context of entirely different systems and rooms. It is just that I found that statement that he made quite interesting, to say the least. I also find it interesting that you would spin such a query into people voting on a singing show. Cute though.
        Reviewers and audiophiles alike tend to be a very very opinionated bunch. They make glaring statments of how this and that makes huge differences. But when pressed, reviewers aren't confident enough that they can even definitively be able to identify the same piece they just reviewed with a blind test. Not a DBT. A blind test of that particular piece of equipment with any other. Oddly, my uninformed, uninitiated and uneducated in audio buddy could make and feel that he could back up such a claim. Woof!
        
        Man, it's really scary... - mkuller 14:09:49 05/15/07 (1)
        
        In Reply to: Yeah, right Mike. posted by Ozzie on May 15, 2007 at 14:05:21:
        
        ...when you take yourself more seriously than I do.
        Where's your sense of humor?
        
        What, you don't take yourself seriously? - Ozzie 11:21:19 05/16/07 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Man, it's really scary... posted by mkuller on May 15, 2007 at 14:09:49:
        
        Do run with what I had started. A non audio geek not only claimed to hear differences, but also claimed that he could substantiate them. Not bad considering that he is not a reviewer with only a brief period of time listening.
        I left my sense of humor where a self described subjectivist said that my speaker of choice sucked. Mind you, he had never actually heard them before. Now that I find humorous.
        My best sound at the show was in Brooklyn. A live gig at a couple's home. They had a fantastic trio and a killer singer. She sang for the 30 or so lucky ones, through a set of Fender speakers on tower stands. Way better tonality and imaging than anything at the show, regardless of cost.
- I think that more people do than you might give credit to - Sordidman 10:50:53 05/10/07 (0)
  I listen to a lot of systems that I think are great, but just not great for me. One very easy, very simple example is that one can listen to the 10 foot tall Triangle Magellans and love them, - but if you don't have 10 feet of ceiling space in your 12 by 12 foot room, - well, - hey, they ain't for you...
  So sometimes, since this stuff is somebody's (manufacturers) artistic interpretation of a musical event, - we have a tendency to say things in a more dramatic and forceful way than we normally would about the reliability of a toaster oven. Some systems are (possibly) designed for a much more specific purpose, - like getting Mozart perfect: if so, - they're probably going to sound sucky for playing back the Clash...
  
  The problem of leisure, what to do for pleasure. Ideal love a new purchase, a market of the senses. Dream of the perfect life.
- [Chuckle] [Chuckle some more] - Bruce Kendall 10:37:32 05/10/07 (2)
  Thanks Obie-Wan.
  - May the force be with you. - jbwebs 06:34:03 05/11/07 (1)
    Well, I am an engineer...
    - \\\Well, I am an engineer... ///.......... - three_sox 17:55:55 05/12/07 (0)
      .....That does explain a lot.
      Smile
      Sox
Unless you think that it all sounds the same - Sordidman 14:31:45 05/09/07 (4)
then you'd be making a mistake.
Yeah, - it is all subjective. There's no right and wrong. Like art, people have their different preferences, and that also extends beyond the sound. A $45,000 tubed system sounds much different than yours, and even though it may not be better to you, it doesn't mean that it isn't better for the person who bought it, for whatever reason that person purchased it.
Finally, it is possible to compare the details of two different systems. Even though it may not be "better" to two different people who don't value the same attributes in a CD player, it is possible for those two people to agree that a Meitner elucidates more "detail" from a CD disc than a Rega Planet: assuming that they can agree on what the word "detail" means.
Yes, it is possible to get just as much "pleasure" from an Ipod, or your system, as it is through some crazy top of the line $50K system, - especially if one forgets about the sound quality and listens for "content."
However, - I am someone whose listening pleasure would be enhanced by owning my system, - at least in my room, - than yours. Yep, it's a subjective, exclusive, art-like, luxury product, - I'll admit that. But I was able to afford it, and it is/was "worth-it" for me to own. And, it certainly sounds much different than yours. We all have our vices and biases, - I also have what I think is a kick-ass espresso machine, a really nice Italian racing bicycle, and an inclination to spend too much time at the sushi bar...
YMMV....
Rock on ........

The problem of leisure, what to do for pleasure. Ideal love a new purchase, a market of the senses. Dream of the perfect life.
- Novelty & the pleasure principle - Dave Garretson 09:16:13 05/10/07 (3)
  The pleasure principle as a basis for comparisons sure can be confusing. I've got my "A" system, and in the next room my "B" system (comprised of older-generation top-notch separates retired from "A" along the upgrade path.) When I light up "B" after a long period of listening only to "A," it invariably surprises how good "B" sounds-- at first listening, in some respects better than "A." But half an hour of back & forth between the two systems reveals why "A" surpasses "B" in every dimension & why I wouldn't want to go back.
  So what's happening here? I suppose the pleasure of novelty overwhelms the senses for a time. Which explains why for the married man audio is a wiser hobby than women. Also shows that it's tricky comparing components by memory.
  - That's a really good point, and further....... - Sordidman 10:44:59 05/10/07 (2)
    complicates the "experience."
    I was pretty much a "co-producer" of my band's recordings. And, one of the things that really frustrates me was my lack of attention to what was happening post 2 channel mix-down....
    So many things are involved. I don't know about you, but this often leads me to question my preferences, and also less judgmental and more tolerant of other's choices....
    Cheers,
    
    The problem of leisure, what to do for pleasure. Ideal love a new purchase, a market of the senses. Dream of the perfect life.
    - Re: That's a really good point, and further....... - Dave Garretson 11:03:15 05/10/07 (1)
      BTW,
      Question: Is sushi better after a ride on a Colnago or on a Ducati?
      Answer: It sits better on the Ducati on the ride home from the restaurant.
      Moral: One's choice of transportation is not just a matter of taste.
      - Yep, - especially when..... - Sordidman 11:57:16 05/10/07 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: That's a really good point, and further....... posted by Dave Garretson on May 10, 2007 at 11:03:15:
        
        you're on that Ducati with your sushi hugging the white line and passing a cyclist...
        :-)
        Yikes...
        All I ever did was go around the block on my downstairs' neighbor Ducati Monster-killer-track-racing-motorcyle; and I wanted it immediately...
        Expensive Italian 2 wheel things.... My dad used to always tell me to work hard in school and get a good job as all of that Italian stuff doesn't come cheap.....
        
        The problem of leisure, what to do for pleasure. Ideal love a new purchase, a market of the senses. Dream of the perfect life.
high end isnt always about price - hifitommy 06:02:25 05/09/07 (3)
now and again, it is. until i put the arc sp3a1 into my system, i was pretty satisfied. and i was VERY satisfied years ago with a nad 3020 based system.
and when the arc fell in, i felt me go: aaaaaaahhhhh.... thats what its all about. still, the rest of my system isnt stratospheric in price and very satisfying.
what the hobby for me is listening to all of it and reveling when i find a piece that gives me the sound of the so called high priced spread at the bargain basement level cost.
sometimes however, it pays to pick a piece that may be pricey if it enhances your system without breaking the bank.

...regards...tr
- Re: high end isnt always about price - jbwebs 07:57:58 05/09/07 (2)
  I too am an audio agnostic. I don't discount all tweaks and high end stuff. I have just participated in too many blind listening tests where even very picky ears couldn't reliably pick the "better" product. Yet when those same folks knew which was which again, they were genuinely convinced that the "better" was better. So I am very skeptical unless I can hear the old and new without knowing which is which before I spend my money.
  - I too have been in too many blind tests - Sordidman 12:02:04 05/10/07 (0)
    where there were 3 components being evaluated, (like CDPs), but the whole system wasn't too my liking such that i couldn't distinguish between units. I didn't take that to mean that the CDPs sounded the same, - but that the system wasn't good, and didn't have enough resolution for one to be able to discern the difference: bad testing methodology.
    
    The problem of leisure, what to do for pleasure. Ideal love a new purchase, a market of the senses. Dream of the perfect life.
  - nor should it be forced work - hifitommy 19:45:30 05/09/07 (0)
    such as in DBTs. long term listening will reveal more. its not to say there isnt a place for them, just not for reviewers and consumers.
    performance anxiety wields its ugly head and snap decisions are made that destroy the validity of said tests. i heard differences in wire before it was the objectivist's favorite denigration.
    i had always wanted to try arc gear and when the sp3a1 came up, it changed my expectations for tubed products. still, i remember the 3020 fondly.
    
    ...regards...tr
Re: Esoterica Is Its Own Reward. - jdouglas51 16:22:43 05/08/07 (1)
you are correct.....
- Re: Esoterica Is Its Own Reward. - jbwebs 08:01:13 05/09/07 (0)
  Thank you very much. I have been flamed in several on-line forums for my heresy. Nice to get some good feedback.
Even cheaper yet, one of the best systems I have ever heard - Bruce Kendall 14:46:30 05/08/07 (9)
is in my head. Absolutely perfect sound. The remote is a little tricky though. One second I am bebopping around listening to a cut from Revolver or something, and someone will bump into me and suddenly the theme from Gilligan's Island is blaring away. Aw crap! Someone just looked at me cross-eyed! Now the theme from Loony Tunes is playing.
- Ipod? - jbwebs 07:52:18 05/09/07 (1)
  I have a favorite niece who I hang out with from time to time. She is 21, blonde, hazel eyes, and as smart as I am (maybe smarter). Anyway, she has an Ipod with over 4000 songs on it. If I want to hear, for instance, the first-take studio version of just about any Beatles song, its right there. She loves the old music more than I do. Yet, when she listened to my new set-up, she was very polite but more interested in the music than the system. The way I hear it, if the system just disappears into the music, that is the ultimate compliment.
  - I like listening to a great system as much or more than anyone - Bruce Kendall 10:28:51 05/09/07 (0)
    else, I suppose. But some of my most memorable listening sessions were had using the single-speaker AM radio in a 1968 Chevelle. It's all about the music.
    I am impressed that your niece has such a great Beatles selection on her iPod.
- Is it a stereo version of Loony Tunes??? nt - TomLarson 17:47:23 05/08/07 (6)
  - Like I said, that system is the best. - Bruce Kendall 18:42:13 05/08/07 (5)
    I get to do my own mixes. I've done a revision on The Girl from Ipanema that is to die for. I'm just waiting on technology to share it with you all. ;~)
    - Re: Like I said, that system is the best. - TomLarson 20:24:04 05/08/07 (4)
      I just wondered if you were getting sound from (to? into? into the back of?) one ear or two. I normally have a ping pong match going on in my head (from the very early days of stereo) and, aside from the scoreboard, where the digits are so small I can't read them with even my mind's eye, I find the experience very pleasureable...plus the imaging is great.
      - Either I am in a really strange mood, or that is a very interesting thought. - Bruce Kendall 10:38:25 05/09/07 (3)
        
        In Reply to: Re: Like I said, that system is the best. posted by TomLarson on May 8, 2007 at 20:24:04:
        
        So I had to do something really weird, which was to actually think about it. To tell you the truth, I was a little surprised by the results.
        When listening to music in my head, I hear it in stereo if I have a point of reference, or a time when I was listening to a certain song or album on a system that really impressed me. Otherwise, the music is just "there". Weird, I never gave that any thought before.
        Now you've given me a new audiophile thing to worry about: Why doesn't the system in my head always play in stereo? Can I upgrade to multi-channel? What if other audiophiles find out the system in my head doesn't always play in stereo? At least I can't worry about cables, interconnects and power cords. Oh, no! It'll never be the same again!
        
        Re: Either I am in a really strange mood, or that is a very interesting thought. - HamBone77 15:11:02 05/09/07 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Either I am in a really strange mood, or that is a very interesting thought. posted by Bruce Kendall on May 9, 2007 at 10:38:25:
        
        Stereo is gimmicky. Sound is spatial is the real world. It comes from its source and spreads globally, not in one direction. Ever heard a live performance or concert in stereo. If that happened you were in one of a handful of perfect seats. Otherwise the sound is just there. Listening to any audio system is artificial. Sure stereo can be pleasing and pleasurable. And sometimes when you close your eyes the music is just there, the drums there, the vocals there, etc...
        As far as upgrades, the system in your head is free. Upgrade, just think about it. Don't you think.
        Regards,
        HB
        
        Re: Either I am in a really strange mood, or that is a very interesting thought. - TomLarson 12:05:11 05/09/07 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Either I am in a really strange mood, or that is a very interesting thought. posted by Bruce Kendall on May 9, 2007 at 10:38:25:
        
        Although you don't have to worry about cables, you do have to (now) worry about synapses and whether they should be bypassed with a small cap, etc. Not to mention serotonin levels and how they affect the sound--neverminding your moods! It's a brave new world, but somebody is going to make a few bucks on it!
        
        You're right! - E-Stat 11:00:09 05/09/07 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Either I am in a really strange mood, or that is a very interesting thought. posted by Bruce Kendall on May 9, 2007 at 10:38:25:
        
        "Normal" in brain music playback is just there for me, too. Similarly, stereo only comes into play when I know that something in particular is unusually placed.
        number
        ------------------------------------------------------------------nine
        ------------------------------------------------------------------number
        nine
        rw
Why is it concomitant with the enjoyment of one's gear to - bjh 13:20:56 05/08/07 (18)
try to convince others they have overspent on their's?
I have been to retail stores and have heard mega-$$$ systems that frankly blow mine out of the water, I'd be seriously kidding myself if I were to claim otherwise. I'm might have dropped the odd "goddam that's expensive" but I've not tried to convince the owners that my stuff was just as good or better; hey I like my PSB Stratus Gold-i speakers, a lot!, but I'd like a pair of JAS Plato even better (that's the very pair, a picture from a local dealership... please pardon the presence of that Bryston 4BSST torture machine in the picture, give me the shakes just looking at it! LOL ... those McIntosh amps get along *real nice* with the speakers, no denying it)
If you simply think all the expensive stuff is a rip off I'd suggest you're either inexperienced or doing a wonderful job fooling yourself. Either way I think that "ego-bait" tripe makes you look rather silly, IMHO of course.

No Guru, No Method, No Teacher
- Ummm, you might want to re-read his original post... - rlw 09:00:11 05/09/07 (0)
  > > If you simply think all the expensive stuff is a rip off I'd suggest you're either inexperienced or doing a wonderful job fooling yourself. Either way I think that "ego-bait" tripe makes you look rather silly, IMHO of course. < <
  Nowhere did he state that ALL expensive stuff is a rip off. You need to work on your reading comprehension skills. Take your time, we'll wait.................
  -RW-
- Sorry for the "ego bait", but... - jbwebs 08:13:06 05/09/07 (10)
  I think high end audio is a lot of fun. I've bought and designed high end stuff for a long time and had a wonderful time with it. As time passed, and I learned more about psycoacoustics, I began to play with the idea of what people hear versus what the sound waves do. Look at the image above. The two horizontal lines are the same length, but your brain insists that one is longer. When you put a new set of speaker cables in, listen, and think "that sounds better", your brain is doing the same thing as with the lines. It may actually sound better (or worse), but in most cases, you really can't tell.
  - \\\The two horizontal lines are the same length, but your brain insists that one is longer///..... - three_sox 05:46:12 05/10/07 (3)
    .....Maybe your brain insists one line is longer? Surely you are not suggesting you know what other peoples brains are insisting?
    It seems to me from this and your initial post you are assuming YOUR experiences are relevant to everyone else? IMHO such assumptions are extremely arrogant as well as ignorant.
    IMHO the absolute biggest varying factor in different audio systems/components is the individual listening to it.
    Of course YMMV.
    
    Smile
    Sox
    - Re: \\\The two horizontal lines are the same length, but your brain insists that one is longer///..... - HamBone77 07:13:33 05/11/07 (2)
      I think the point was that, in very broad non-technical terms, that all brains function in certain ways. This is an optical illusion and will work on all normal functioning brains due to the manner in which our senses gather information and which is then processed by the brain.
      I really didn't think it was a very good analogy for this discussion. This illusion is an unconscious process. Rating or judging a musical performance or the musicality of a system is conscious. Therefore expectations, past experiences, bias and a host of other influences impact the subjective listening experience. A better explanation is that if one spends $15,000 on an audio system is just HAS to sound better because, damn it, I spent that much money. In reality that may not be the case.
      Other psychological influences may also occur. As an example Freud could make a phallic symbol out of anything and suggest that male are always compensating. Hence, the larger the symbol the greater the compensation. Big cigars, sleek sports cars, huge speakers, the most expensive turntable.....well....they all suggest greater compensation.
      How much do I compensate. Hmm....well only my wife will ever know. ;-)
      Regards,
      HB
      - \\\This is an optical illusion and will work on all normal functioning brains///...... - three_sox 19:01:33 05/11/07 (1)
        
        In Reply to: Re: \\\The two horizontal lines are the same length, but your brain insists that one is longer///..... posted by HamBone77 on May 11, 2007 at 07:13:33:
        
        ….Your assertion is complete and utter BS. What is a normal functioning brain? You should well know that “illusion” is completely subject dependent.
        You say \\\A better explanation is that if one spends $15,000 on an audio system is just HAS to sound better because, damn it, I spent that much money./// Again, maybe you think like that but many don’t. Do you think the more expensive wine is the better it tastes? Do you think the more expensive food is the better it tastes?
        You go on to say \\\In reality that may not be the case./// Exactly, I totally agree. So WHY do many relate expense with better sound?
        If there are two identical audio rooms with completely different audio systems in each and 100 people listen to both systems resulting in 99 liking system A & 1 liking system B is the result relevant to anyone else wanting to listen to the two systems? I say ‘no” for two reasons. Firstly, I don’t care in the slightest what system anyone else likes only what I like. Secondly, IMHO the opinion of the person who liked system “B” is just as relevant to me as the opinions of the 99 who choose system “A” so therefore the result of the “test” is absolutely useless information for me.
        Freud doesn’t interest me. Some people are typical and some aren’t. What does that tell us?
        Smile
        Sox
        
        Re: \\\This is an optical illusion and will work on all normal functioning brains///...... - HamBone77 14:32:03 05/16/07 (0)
        
        In Reply to: \\\This is an optical illusion and will work on all normal functioning brains///...... posted by three_sox on May 11, 2007 at 19:01:33:
        
        Hmmm..."complete BS". I think not. Research based on a controled study using scientific method provides evidence that my assertion is not BS. Without being forewarned or prepped almost every person will see these two lines as equal in length. Its how the brain works together with our senses. Of course there will be people who do not see the illusion and can determine which line is longer and which is shorter. Without a sampling to refer to I can not give a definitive answer. However my best educated guess is that those who do not see the illusion would be 2 standard deviations from the mean. That translates to, if I remember correctly my bell curves, less than 7% of the total population.
        In a sense you are correct. It is not an "illusion" that a more expensive system sounds better. It would be a dellusion as expectation, experience and other environmental factors influence perception.
        As for 99 liking system A and 1 liking system B. Yes, of course everyone should choose what they like. Still, if 99% of people prefer one system over another there is a reason and that could be relevant to my choice. For instance if I had to choose one of these systems with out listening to them my chances of liking the system would be greater with system A. As much as we might like to think ourselves independent of influences, it is simply not the case. Some people drink pepsi over coke because their friends drink pepsi or drive chevys because dad did. Some people go with the crowd because they find comfort in it and some reject the crowd to stand apart.
        Bottom line, systems do sound different and people also hear what they want to hear.
        Peace,
        HB
  - OMG, now you're going to start boring us to death with psycoacoustics babble and stick men. Away! nt - bjh 08:21:25 05/09/07 (5)
    .
    No Guru, No Method, No Teacher
    - Your snotty attitude towards zip cord is duly noted... - Wellfed 22:47:55 05/09/07 (4)
      ;-)
      - Re: Your snotty attitude towards zip cord is duly noted... - bjh 10:02:09 05/10/07 (3)
        
        In Reply to: Your snotty attitude towards zip cord is duly noted... posted by Wellfed on May 9, 2007 at 22:47:55:
        
        Stop picking on me, Bully! :(
        No Guru, No Method, No Teacher
        
        Sorry little fella... - Wellfed 10:54:17 05/10/07 (2)
        
        In Reply to: Re: Your snotty attitude towards zip cord is duly noted... posted by bjh on May 10, 2007 at 10:02:09:
        
        Didn't mean to hurt ya'
        
        Hey you should try printing that and putting it in the... - bjh 11:06:57 05/10/07 (1)
        
        In Reply to: Sorry little fella... posted by Wellfed on May 10, 2007 at 10:54:17:
        
        Just kiddin'!
        LOL
        No Guru, No Method, No Teacher
        
        Don't have a pic of myself all growed up—Yet... - Wellfed 11:19:00 05/10/07 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Hey you should try printing that and putting it in the... posted by bjh on May 10, 2007 at 11:06:57:
        
        Got some real growin' up to do first. And like that's gonna' happen any time soon. ;-)
- Re: Why is it concomitant with the enjoyment of one's gear to - acres verde 07:52:20 05/09/07 (2)
  Excellent observation. Just curious how much any of these "sanely priced" systems would morph if one of the owners woke up bright and early one Sun. AM and discovered that all the numbers on his ticket matched last nite's Powerball drawing?
  - wouldn't need a stereo..i'd never be home - jdouglas51 18:07:48 05/09/07 (1)
    i'd find a new hobby...wine, women, and song
    - You never really were one of us... - Wellfed 22:53:07 05/09/07 (0)
      ...were you?
      
      ;-)
- Re: Why is it concomitant with the enjoyment of one's gear to - TomLarson 20:26:35 05/08/07 (0)
  OK, here's what I do. I can't afford the big bucks system. So, since I generally close my eyes when I listen, I try to imagine--not the musicians--but that my humble rig IS a big bucks system...and then,,,as the song says,,, I don't feel so bad.
- I Generally Agree... - Mike Currie 16:56:40 05/08/07 (1)
  but DO try to watch the grammar:
  > they have overspent on their's?
  This should be 'theirs', obviously. Please avoid playing a part in sending the English language further into the pit of hell. Thanks.
  - Hey it was 50/50... I can't win em' all, hecks (sic?) sake! nt - bjh 17:34:07 05/08/07 (0)
    .
    No Guru, No Method, No Teacher
But 'ego-bait' just sounds better.... - mkuller 11:18:11 05/08/07 (1)
...actually I applaud both you and boland7214@aol.com below for putting together a satisfying music system by going against conventional wisdom and not being afraid to stick your necks out by posting about it here.
Being satisfied with your music reproduction is what we're all striving for.
However, my personal experience differs from both of yours - I find there are better ways to avoid brightness than using an equilizer and I have found that fancy cables and tubed amps just sound better to me.
But there are many different ways to achieve the goal we are all seeking.
More power to you both.
- See my response to BJH above. - jbwebs 08:17:51 05/09/07 (0)
  Thanks for your kind remarks. See my response to BJH above.