Spend the big bucks on the source. Go for the best even if the rest of the chain is worth only a few hundred. Buy second-hand and insure shipping for full value. Listen and read about others' experiences for a long time before buying. Then pay what you have to, to get what you want. Believe that having what you want will make a difference. Pass up a few hot deals if you're not quite sure. Listen, listen, listen and don't analyze the sound as you listen ; pay attention to how you feel instead. When you hear something that just seems to work, make notes on how you feel. Talk about your notes. Make audiophile friends, they're not all component-mad, they're almost all music lovers, and mine are princes.
If you knew then, what you know now...
WHAT would you have done differently in your path to "audio nirvana" ??? Given that most of us have spent WAY more than we realized until just recently : ) this might be a good way to help others out. They might be able to learn from our mistakes without having to spend as much money to get where we are at today. Sean
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