In a perfect world, I would have a dedicated room for stereo listening and a separate system for home theater. Reality, however, dictates that my system satisfy for both music and movies. I believe my collection of components is a solid start but would appreciate any feedback (positive or negative).

Since I spend roughly 90% of the time listening to music, I figured I'd start there:

Bought the JMlab Cobalts (816 floor-standers and the matching center speaker) from a local dealer after trying out some models by Energy, Paradigm, and Rega. Was interested in trying out some Dynaudios or KEFs but had difficulty finding a place to audition.

The thing I noticed most about the JMlabs was their speed and clarity. I'm one of those rare souls that prefers detail (some would say brightness) over warmth. The Cobalt's inverted titanium tweeter and 'W' drivers give me detail in spades. I also like their highish sensitivity (about 92dB/w). Sam Tellig had a nice write-up in a recent Stereophile on these speakers and I agree with his review. The aesthetics are nice with the cherry wood sides and curved, metal grille ... good for spousal approval.

I recently purchased the Plinius 8100 integrated amplifier after many months of research here on Audiogon. It was a tough call between the Plinius, Simaudio i-3, Classe CAP-101, and YBA Integre (used). A local dealer had a demo 8100 in stock so I went in for a listen. To be honest, I was not at all impressed. It sounded downright muddy and compressed. Was a wet blanket thrown over the speakers? Was about to say, "thanks but no thanks" but decided to take a calculated risk. The Plinius has gotten so many rave reviews on this site that I decided to take the plunge. If it didn't work out, could always sell it for small loss.

In any event, I plunked down the coin, took the unit home, got the CD player hooked up , biwired the JMlabs, and flipped the switch.

Audio nirvana, right out of the box!

This was really my first step into the deep end of the amplification pool and the clarity and detail blew me away. How could I have used a cheap HT receiver all this time? Put on Steely Dan's Aja and, I swear, Don Fagen and Walter Becker were RIGHT THERE. I had found what I was looking for. Sunday was a beautiful October day ... bright sunshine and warm temps ... but all I wanted to do was play CD after CD. I think there is good synergy between the Plinius and JMlabs. The midrange, in particular, is just ridiculous how clear it is. I can isolate individual instruments and voices unlike before when it was just a sonic mess. The bass is very tight although it doesn't go below 40hz or so.

Once the Sony CD player is replaced I think I'll have a stereo system that will satisfy for quite some time.

For the audio/video side of things, I play DVDs, Sony Playstation 2, and DirectTV through the Denon 2802 receiver. It's a decent model with Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Neo. I use the Front L&R preouts to the Plinius and have it all nicely calibrated vis- -vis the internal test tones and a Radio Shack analog SPL. Have some speakers installed in the ceiling due to space constraints. Also have an old Klipsch subwoofer in the corner; it's only used for HT since it is far inferior to the Cobalts' speed and accuracy.

AFA upgrades, the Sony CD player will be first followed by the Klipsch subwoofer. Am thinking of a newer Sony with, perhaps, SACD capability. For subwoofers, I'm interested in a SVS, Hsu, or a used REL. The Toshiba DVD player is their bottom-of-the-line model but I use it so infrequently it doesn't bother me.

Well, that's where I am at. Have a solid foundation for stereo and plenty of features for HT but am always on the lookout for an upgrade.

Thanks to everyone that makes this site such a wealth of information.