Are there any absolute truths???

Truth one:
The possibility something in your system will break is directly proportional to the length of time before the visitor arrives, their importance, and the distance they traveled.

Truth two:
If the system does not break, your library of 6000 LP's does NOT contain the music requested by your guest.

Truth three:
If the system does not break and you have the visitors favorite music, the lights will go off in spite of clear blue skies and no bad weather in a 300 mile radius.

Truth four:
If none of the above occur, the guest will be in a chatty mood, speaking over the music with topics of furniture refinishing or how bad the roads are near his home.

Truth five:
If you have never suffered any of these, you are not a audiophile.

No matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney...

Don't put plants on your stereo equipment.
Don't water the plants that you have on your stereo equipment.
Don't play vinyl after you've smoke the plants on your stereo equipment.
Don't use Drano to clean any of your stereo equipment or software.
If your puppy develops parvo, keep the puppy far away from your stereo equipment.
Don't even attempt to have a critical listening session when your wife is in the same room.
Don't throw a bachelor party for a Navy SEAL in the same room as your stereo equipment.
Don't let a "rap" or "hip-hop" DJ use your turntable or play your vinyl.
Don't try to argue with someone who thinks CD's sound better than vinyl.
Don't tell the majority of your friends and family how much your stereo equipment, cables and power cords cost.

DON'T LET CHILDREN IN THE SAME ROOM AS YOUR EQUIPMENT WHEN YOU'RE NOT THERE!!!

And of course: music is in the ears of the beholder!

Happy Thanksgiving,
Ross

Don't bid on any audio equipment on Ebay before checking Audiogon first. The quality of used gear and the people selling it is by far greater here, on average.

God exists. And He requires much of each and every one of us.

As to absolute truths in audio?

1. One must spend a lot of money in this hobby to realize one need not spend a lot of money.

2. When it comes to some to many so-called 'high-end' products and reviewer's opinions; "If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a platapus."

3. When a reviewer says about a component; "It's like being strapped to a rocket sled and lighting the fuse.", you can bet dollars to doughnuts he's had too much chile the night before.

4. Frequency reproduction below 40Hz matters as much as any other part of the spectrum no matter what others say.

5. Room acoustics really do account for up to 80% of the sound.

-IMO