I have been working on this system since about 1999 (minus an assignment overseas, 2004-2005). I tried a lot of different equipment, much of it from Audiogon: Linn CD12; Cary, ARC, pse, VTL pre-amps (mostly mid-line); BEL, ARC, VTL, BAT amps; Vandersteen, Harbeth, Spendor speakers; various cables. This is where I ended up. I'm still refining the pre-amp situation--I'll probably stick with the Prem 14, but have some work done on it by Bill Thalman (who did a nice job on the Prem 11). I've ended up with 2 CD players because I think the EMM does a particularly nice job on most classical music, and the Wadia brings some additional punch and presence that I enjoy for jazz and pop/rock. However, over the last year (and after doing a rehab job on my 20 year old Linn LP12), I've come to the conclusion that, for my ears, Lps are (generally) the more satisfying medium, and I listen now to Lps probably about 60 - 70% of the time.

Probably like most audiophiles, I have conflicting goals in my listening. I really enjoy the illusion of actual musical instruments in my listening room. But I also like a concert hall ambience. The latter is particularly problematic with many orchestral recordings in which multiple mics were used, close up to the instruments. Also, like most audiophiles, I have a desire to retrieve maximum information from my source, yet I don't want to be overwhelmed by all the problems inherent in this or that recording (or mastering, or stamping, or whatever thing has gone wrong with any particular source). I've found it difficult to get to a balance between getting information from my Lps or CDs, and getting too much information presented in an aggressive fashion.

My undergraduate education was in music (1973-77), and although I shifted professions on account of the economics (I went to law school), I continued to play professionally intermittently until about 2001. My original instrument was the trumpet, but I migrated to guitar, and played mostly rock and fusion, though I concentrated on classical guitar the last 2 years of music school. I've played trumpet with bands and orchestras, and guitar (and later bass) in various contexts, from smokey bars to recital halls. I've recorded in several studios and learned a great deal about what goes into a finished recorded product, both good and bad, as a result. I've also done a great deal of listening to live music, and made it a project back in the 80's to hear all of the great American orchestras in their own halls. My favorite halls have been Carnegie Hall and Symphony Hall in Boston. This may give an idea of the sound that I'd like to hear from my system.

I've never posted my system before, because I've not been all that happy with it. The system I've got now is getting close to what I think I can do to get the kind of sound I want in my relatively small room (19 x 15) and within my budget. I get quite a bit of listening pleasure out of perhaps 60 - 70% of what I play. I think that may be about as good as I'm likely to get out of any one system.

If there is one thing I have found most useful in the process of assembling a system that at least works pretty well for me, it is the following mantra: "It's only a recording." And what we're playing it on is only playback gear. There is no one true absolute sound in the recording/playback world. You have to just keep working with synergies until you find the right combination that works for you most of the time.