How things can change whenever you expand your budget & audition really good stuff. Revising my earlier post, here is what I am currently looking at:

Paradigm Signature S8 speakers
Audio Research SP16L preamp
Bryston 3B SST power amp
Cambridge Audio 840c CDP.

Your thoughts? (Other than I might be eating Top Ramen for the next decade).

Hello, I would like to enrich my home audio experience.
Currently I am running:
Harmon Kardon AVR 130 receiver,
Harmon Kardon DVD 22 dvd (cd player) for analog signal,
Xbox 360 for digital signal,
Polk Audio R30's for left and right fronts,
Bose Accoustimas II for center, rr, rl, and passive sub,
Monster Cable connecting everything except the XBox 360.

When listening to cd's I switch the reciever to stereo mode, and this is where I crave more. I am wanting a better music experience as opposed to home theater.

My living room measures:

Alright, so I was just watching The Price is Right (what else is there to do on a weekday morning?).

A USB turntable comes up, and Drew says "They still have music on vinyl? I can't believe it." He flips the price and says "$150 for this antique." So. Not. Amused.

I never thought Carey was funny before, but now I know he's a true hack. What a joke! Sorry, I just had to come here and vent to people who understand me.

Bob, thank you for your letter published on p. 13-15, a brilliant reply to "dirty sand" essay.

John Atkinson, thank you for introducing the new measurements with AP SYS2722, very suitable for contemporary high resolution systems.

I've had the same speakers for 18 years! Same turntable about 15 yrs (yes, have changed cartridges on it whenever needed). Same CD player 12 years. (newer DVD player tho, w/ SACD)(and have new CD Recorder). Same amp 10 years at least. Changed my preamp 5-6 years ago when the old one broke.
Somewhat newer gear on my secondary system.

Since i am quite a noob at this i thought i would ask other stereophile readers regarding the issue of copying cds.

Reason why i ask is that i have filled up my collection primarily through ebay and the condition on some disks is less then perfect (to put it mildly)... they do play but they are heavily scratched so i would want to keep them safely stored away...

..and by YOUR world, i mean the "audiophility", of course. to which i am new. and overwhelmed by the huge quantity of info and variety of products. i know my way round with instruments and their amplification, on-stage and a bit of studio. but hi-fi is the "other art"..

so..i am new to your community and glad to have finally found the `entry level`. ive been surfin the web for days, looking to solve my problem, but its simply too complex for me, for now.