Perhaps we should stick with midfi...

Another problem with high end audio is that there is a lot of snake oil being sold. A further problem is that many of the "audiophile" reviewers who post glowing reviews of equipment have conflicts of interest that they don't reveal in their reviews. Underlying this is that it seems that many audiophiles don't know a whole lot about electronics; so they get swayed by subjective comments and "objective" technical comments that are sometimes wrong. The net effect is that (from what I've observed) people who have the cash for high end are constantly experimenting with new equipment. Let's face it, even if you "audition" equipment (which I have always found to be a rather pretentious term), the sound of audio equipment is like the sound of your favorite record: when you first hear it you might think that it is the greatest thing you ever heard, but over time you get used to it and the thrill of original ownership begins to decline. As a consequence, you get a lot of equipment turnover (especially among those who seek constant thrills) that shows up for sale on websites like Audiogon and Ebay.

The Audiogon gods tend to delete postings that are too critical of the audiophile game, so this posting may be gone before long... :-)

I have been having a blast picking up stuff off Craig's List, Goodwill, garage sales and ebay. I stopped dumping thousands into my main system a couple years ago. Old vintage ADS, Pioneer, Sansui, JBL, Technics AR, Boston Acoustics to name a few. I have built up a few systems for near nothing and found good homes for them ... then start all over again picking up a few bucks along the way. I have a vintage Pioneer floroscan receiver (SX-3900) and a pair of ADS 710's in my office at work. I have a nice Sansui AU-7900 and TU-7900 in my garage and I am heading out soon to check on a pair of Klipsch Heresys. I am having a blast and it’s a pretty cheap habit … sometimes picking up broken equipment for near nothing and getting it repaired for less than $100. The only problem seems to be space. I am considering reconstructing my garage with shelves from floor to ceiling on one side and a wall of vintage speakers on the other. I can see me spending hours out there just hooking up different combinations. A mini used stereo store where I can play with old cassettes and spin scratchy vinyl without worrying about wear and tear or risking a scratch or a ding. I will keep my main system and I still listen to it several hours a week but there is something about tearing into an old classic and getting it back up and running. If not the garage … a nice 30’ X 40’ shop with a concrete floor, a woodstove and a couple of comfy chairs. A workbench to work on old equipment and room for 50 - 100 components. Maybe 7-10 pairs of speakers and as much vinyl as I want. I bet the whole shop will be less than $30K and for $5-10K I could fill it with classics.

Talk about your second childhood ...

May I ask how did you choose your equipment?

it does not matter how much any gear costs, or how it measures..what matters is how you and you alone respond to the experience of listening to music through the gear.

only quality time spent listening to music you are familiar with, through various configurations of gear will help at all determining what low0fi, midfi, or highfi qualifies for an individual.

there are no rules.

good luck, and enjoy!