Update! I've taken the plunge into reel-to-reel. It's fabulous! Read on...

I have built this system over a period of many years, and have reached a level of satisfaction that is incredibly gratifying. I would not have guessed how important a role vintage gear would take, but for my listening tastes and preferences, this analog-biased system really floats my boat.

I play the piano every day and compose my own songs, and this system, more than any other I have owned, finally gets piano "right" for me.

The single most astonishing improvement has come with the addition of the Studer A80 RC Mk II reel-to-reel tape machine. Listening to master tape dubs form the Tape Project leaves me speechless! Pictures of this amazing machine can be seen at:

http://gallery.me.com/kip/100054

The Micro Seiki RX-5000 holds piano notes in perfect pitch, something I have found is very rare in a turntable. Pictures of this turntable system can be seen at:

http://web.me.com/kip/micro

The Scintilla speakers are a revelation in transparency and speed, with a soundstage that conjures up performances in an eerily accurate fashion--unprecedented in my experience. I restored these speakers over a seven-month period, and that process can be seen on this web site:

www.kippeterson.com

I love nearly every kind of music, and though I was trained in classical music and enjoy it frequently on this system, I have found my favorite music to be jazz recordings from the late 50s and early 60s. I have come to believe an analog system can depict this type of music better than a digital one, and this one truly creates a palpable, completely musical experience for me.