Soundstage depth and width

Let me add that when I say "spilling out into the room" doesn't really qualify to me as "depth," per se. It does, however, jibe with what I call "full-bodied." In my experience, getting the sound to "appear" as if it's coming from behind the speakers is the biggest challenge, but then again I might be able to better achieve such a thing if I had a large enough and better acoustically treated (or treated at all, I should say) room.

I was just kidding, you can hang out with the "big boys".

On a serious note, it's unfortunate most of those places where you could audition high end equipment are no longer around. Although the equipment on Agon is a lot less, knowing what to buy is a problem. The only option is to read and experiment. Since you can easily sell it back, I guess the cost of shipping is the overhead.

Ballywho, that Audio Innovations 500 sounds like a serious piece of equipment. I bought Mullard 6922's and they didn't justify the cost. Shuguang 12AX7's are very good and not expensive. I like your power tubes.

It takes a long time for newbies to realize how important the amp is to the soundstage and since the sound comes out of the speakers, it's speakers, speakers, speakers. Unfortunately there's nowhere they can hear how each component contributes to the whole, I understand this. Regardless what stage we are in as audiophile's, we all share a common love of the music.

The room is the most important, you can have the best gear, best speakers, and still have a poor sounding setup without a well set up listening room.

Face,
Precisely.

Orpheus10,
To me it's a serious piece of equipment, but to others I'm sure it's just an old integrated, riddled with "design flaws." I've never heard these flaws, but have read all about them. Damn haters. ;)

Audiophile wannabe…?

I don’t think anyone in their right mind “wants to be” an audiophile. It’s a damn obsessive curse!!

Ebm – LOL! I like your style!
Rrog – too funny!

Cheers!