Or, we dedicated enthusiasts benefit from the capitalistic advances of competition through the technological, trickle-down effect into the lower priced gear.

Put that into your poll.

it seems you are trying to make a political statement in a forum which is about music reproduction. I think you are more upset about the political issues then being able to afford hifi... so why post here?

Do you really feel hifi used to be inexpensive and avaliable to the masses and it is now non-accessable?

I mean do you feel we should be able to buy a porsche for 20K or something?

I think a better way to look at it is that you can buy equipment at the prices you are talking about that do reproduce music well.

A good example is Rega compared to Naim/Linn.

Rega makes great hifi that is highly affordable that is crafted in the tradition of Linn/Naim philosophy's.

Many people compare the Rega P3 and Linn LP12 and note thier common characteritics, some rega lovers will say thier P3 is all they will ever need and do not see the need for an LP12, while LP12 owners wouldn't sell thier tables for any price.

What is important to note, is the enthusiasm and passion both groups share for music reproduction.

Much like how a Lotus Elise compares to a Ferrari F430. Both are built off of similar philosophy's, they are both fun, and some would argue that the elise is better, but they are both built with purpose of fun and passion, it just depends on how much "extra income" you happen to have to whether you would buy either.

The point is, that the trickle down affect is all around you. You can now find really great hifi for cheap prices and with Audiogon you can even find that gear for at least half the price it retails for!

I think you are just upset about how the "trickle down affect" has come to be (through capitalism) which has nothing to do with hifi and little to do with anything on this forum.

Mr. Johnson/ Mr. Pandovski

Just exactly what kind of crap are they teaching in your part of the world these day, or have you not been paying attention?

High-Fidelity has nothing to do with the music being enjoyed or just played. It is solely a reference point to determine some level of sonic accuracy. The gear can be sonically acurate and the software be mp3 or less quality. or, you could play an SACD on a boom box (if an SACD boom box existed) and suffer the sonic consequences. High-Fidelity exists on both planes for equipment and software.

Live like an Audiophile: What the hell does that mean? Does this mean that liking good sounding equipment is some character flaw that you have decided is "hedonistic"? Really!

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The following link may be illuminating: http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9368627?query=Johnson&ct=

And, from the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary:
Main Entry: John

No kidding!!! And this is the age of enlightenment? I'm done here.