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

i would use the radio, or my $350 Brookstone stereo. what it is a pair of nxt tweeter, an upright cd player, and a bass driver. you can get am/fm and feed a high level input using rca cables. the bass driver is amplified. if this were gone, id use a radio, and with the extra time, i'd do more writing.

hi plato, i think you have misinterpreted what i said.

if i lost my main stereo system, i would revert to my $350 personal stereo as described above. i can certainly enjoy music in that context. until you have listened to it you have no idea whether you would like it or not.

i am of the opinion that i'd rather listen to that $350 mini system than to several $50,000 systems comprised of name brand components.

if you come to New York, i'll demonstrate it for you.

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.

hi plato. i have heard thousands of stereo systems at ces, other audio shows, audio club meetings, aand friends houses.

yes i will admit that many systems sound "better" (whatever) that means than my $350 personal stereo, which is not my main system.

my point is that as long as i can enjoy the music, sound quality is not that important.

as long as a stereo system does no harm, it is listenable and i'll listen to music on it. yet i will acknowledge that sonically there are better systems.

the experience of listening to music in the home is a duality--the content and the sound. i can enjoy the music without enjoying the sound.

if there are 2 stereo systems, i may not necessarily enjoy the music more when i listen to the stereo system which i think sounds better.

it has nothing to do with logic. read two articles in stereophile several years ago , i believe by Hans Sauer about the relationship between sound and satsifaction if you are still unsure of my gist.

hi plato, you and agree, except for the implication that an accurate presentation is superior to a euphonic (subtractive) one. i agree that subtraction means loss, but it may be more enjoyable to listen to such a system when not in analytic mode. i agree that for the purpose of ascertaining "information" from a recording the accurate system is the way to go.

my system is a hodge podge.

digital sources: bat vk d5, audio note cd2, cal alpha/delta, but i may sell the alpha

preamp: mapletree from canada, phono and line, based upon 6sn7 in the line, w separate power supplies, cost under $1000.

amp: vtl deluxe 120 mono blocks

speakers: quad 63 and magnepan 1.6 . i am looking for a monitopr speaker under $1000, just for laughs

cable(s): dcca audio, legenburg (line cords), solitone speaker cable, sunny cable technology, soundstring line cord, soundstring interconnect

accessories: ps audio p 300 power plant, ps audio juice bar, ps audio ultimate outlet (currently not in use), sound fusion sound boosters--anti resonant devices, room tunes, egg crate mattresses on the wall, harmonix ac and speaker enacom devices, blue circle sound pillows

oh, the preamp has a tone control, custom designed.

as most are aware i like a very soft, distant sound. with the audio note, and especially using the tone control, i can achieve a very tubey presentation.

i hope this answers your question.

hi plato. you have a point about neutral systems.

however either by choice, or because of persoanlity or physiology, some listeners prefer subtractive coloration.

it is easier on the nervous system, just as some like to listen at very low volumes, with little or no dynamic range.

read my post about how to avoid mistakes when purchasing components part 1 and part 2.

i will have something to say about prefernce for sound and psychological characteristics.