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Actually, no one yet made fun of my dealings with hi-fi. But I must say, that except for a few, almost none of my people do really see a point in it, either.

My wife has always thought my hobby is populated with insecure dorks that have nothing better to do than use music as an excuse to gauge their expensive equipment.

Happened this afternoon. 365 days from today he be dead one year.

They think I'm crazy, if that counts. But only those that haven't taken the time to listen seriously to my system (or those that just don't like music).

Only when people find out I believe what's written in Stereophile.

Sure, but it's all relative to social acceptance factors. We all know that it's perfectly fine for some women to have 18 pairs of $300 dollar shoes or for some guy to have a BMW that is worth twice as much as his house but people just stare at you sideways when you tell them you just spent $7000 on a single amplifier. Being house poor, car poor, or having enough clothing in your closet that makes what I spent on my stereo a joke are all socially acceptable. It just isn't the norm to have a $40,000 dollar stereo. Bottom line is that I kind of like it that way. Keeps the riff-raff out and the quality levels high...for the most part.

Usually, I make fun of my audiophile buddies. Of course, they think I'm not a hardcore member of the cult. My only credentials are my Sonus Fabers.

The plain old audiophile gets lumped in with the loonies and charlatans—wooden pucks, magic chips which sit atop your CD player, CD pens, $485 wooden volume knobs ($970 per pair for your dual mono volume controls), not to mention cables costing more than a new sports car or the speakers to which they connect. If I could live with myself, I could get rich selling cables with a secret formula dielectric. In the meantime, my music sounds much, much better than the noise that comes out of the Wave Radios and earbuds of the people who poke fun at me, even though my volume knob is only machined aluminum.

I get remarks for trying to meticulously route cables for minimum interference (like on Cable Guy) Or when tuning after rearranging a room that has A/V equipment in it.

I couldn't care less anyway, they live in darkness. Next cdp? Consider: Rega Jupiter. So many can't be wrong. CHING ! Prepare for anticipation, excitement and a sense of occasion. Hi-fi is and will continue to be a thrilling and thoroughly enjoyable passion. After all it is a completely souless human being who would claim that they had been unaffected at some time by a record or CD playing their memories. All for now. johnchayes@btopenworld.com

Yes. When I was at a party and the host knew I was this way asked about his HT system hook up, I offered my opinion. Those listening thought I was nuts and it became a good three minute running joke at my expense. Oh well, this was not the time or place to educate. It could have turned into my being outcast and this obsession isn't worth it.

Who cares if they do?

Not yet. They know better.

Every time they come into my dedicated stereo room and see the "hockey pucks" [Mpingo discs] on my walls. Of course their eyes pop when they hear the sound without them. They typically ask, "how do they do that?"

You spent how much on your record player?!?

They only make fun of what they don't understand.