Other than the over-all tonal balance, what aspect do you put at the top of your list?

What was everyones first HiFi?

I bought my first HiFi in the late 90's after working all summer:

Marantz CD45
NAD 312
Wharfedale Diamond 7.2 (before they made cheaply)
Home Depot cables and Magnet wired interconnects

This system really played the music for me in high school. I went on to become a rega nut, mira, planet and jura's, that was a sweet second system!

So what did you all start with?

Hi!

I have the, in my opinion, very good Sony SS-M9 speakers. But I would like to have a good matching center and surround speakers to them.
What speakers would match my Sony speakers?

Thanks in advance

/Mattias

In an earlier posting, I asked why blind testing was such a hot button for some audiophiles? As I mentioned in the HE 2005 Debate -- see http://www.stereophile.com/news/050905debate -- my skepticism about the efficacy of such tests is based both on a large amount of experience of such tests and my scientific education leading me to question the methodology adopted by so many of the published tests.

TheEntryLevel-ML-1120-ML-

One of the things that I have always wanted to see done in Stereophile is a review of building an audio system within certain price constraints.

For reasons that I can only speculate on, Stereophile has resisted addressing this readership interest like the plague.

Since we have a diverse group of dedicated enthusiasts on these boards, I thought this might be interesting and fun to do. I hope you guys will contribute your experiences and recommendations and perhaps we can expand into different price points if this thread generates any interest.

Hi, looking for some confirmation on a questionable tweak. I have a H/K 520 with seperate pre and amp sections. The two are joined by a seemingly cheap link/jumper made of some chrome plated metal. I replaced the link with a "new" copper link covered in shrink tubing.
I think I made a slight improvement in the sound. Is there any basis to this or is it the physchoacoustic phenomenon? Thanx for any input or comments.