The hunt is over

...once upon a time there was a 12-step program for 'philes who wanted to 'kick it'...

Nobody got past #2.....#1 was just the 'intro sess'....name, why, the 'emo' part....

#2 was selling Everything and living with a Philco clock radio with a 'stuck' alarm.

Brutal...

Congrats.  Very nice system but I have told myself this same thing many times.  

Thanks, zavato...

Let's not confuse "endgame" with an extended honeymoon.  I prefer to think of this passionate hobby as a process.  There are times, like now, that amazement and wonder fill the emotions.  Instead of going TO the music event, the event is happening here, in this space.  And, heaven knows, I can pick nits with the best of us.  TAS Editor-in-Chief Robert Harley in Issue Jan 2022 discusses: "Noise, The Final Frontier."  My guess is, he'll live to regret those words.  It IS nice to see that the hi-end is finally addressing noise generated by the electric components themselves (Harley uses Shunyata products.)  20+ ago, my audio friend Rick Taylor The Audiophile Voice | MARIGO AUDIO LAB was deeply experimenting with electrically generated noises, gear isolation & coupling approaches.  His Audiophile Voice article is dated, but no less valid.  My contention is that after your best possible system is chosen and well-positioned (laser-ruler mandatory,) the real work begins!  If at all possible, it begins at the street, the incoming electricity.  Then, getting that purity to the boxes...grounding, house dedicated wiring, outlet upgrades, plug upgrades, cables and power conditioning, when necessary.  Our friend, Art Dudley, not a tweaker, was keen on using similar surfaces for system components.  Absolute level of the boxes can also assist some gear.  A free tweak is flipping the circuit breakers, including the main(s) every so often.  Longevity = cool running...elevate and ventilate. 

As to "Final Frontier" from Harley, audio will continue to undergo many wonderful changes.  Expertly applied Digital Sound Processing is only scratching the surface of what is possible, both in design and application.  My longtime Sound Engineer Tech friend Mike in San Jose works in the 1/100dB realms of DSP, using a variety of top amplifiers with modern JBL horns and larger Maggies.  For you purists, there are very, very few recordings such as Water Lily Acoustic that benefit from being "left alone."  Self-powered loudspeaker designs are coming strong.  Flex and stretch. 

It's forever enticing and exciting!  Think positive, test negative.  More Peace, Pin

I'm certain I'm almost there. I just need one more improvement. If I upgrade my DAC to an R2R I'm certain I'll be done...at least I'm almost certain....some what certain....kinda certain........