Clarification:
1. It was to late for me the day I was born. I used to sleep with the radio under my pillow. There is magic in them there notes, and the people playing them, and the spirits that guide them, and in me when I am open - which I can not seem to control at will; magic.
2. I set a realistic budget so that I had a place to start and to enable the breaking of inertia. I found out later that I had no clue about what was available, at what cost, nor how to judge value; of the components in contrast to each other and of the minute differences that can be the difference between nice and oh my God!
3. Listening over and over, reading, listening to dealers and audiophiles and re-listening, getting frustrated and re-excited. Discovered incredible tone, then discovered decay, space, dynamics. The first was tone. The second was soundstage. The third was quality bass, then extreme low frequency in musical context. Initial impressions soon went completely out the window and I had no idea what was real or what I liked. I finally heard a planner set up done correctly and "oh my god" now I get the planner thing (but still could not live without off-axis response.) I finally heard a tube set-up that blew my mind with richness and clarity, again "oh my god" (but I knew I still could not live without the frequency extremes and dynamic speed.) on and on and on.
4. Reset budget to be in line with what was required, for me.
5. I often feel guilty, but I soon realized guilt is better than regret and bitterness; after all I did (and still) work for it. Music was my first love and has been my constant through good and bad - sorry honey??? I love you too though. :)
6. This was simply meant to be funny. Said "Kid" has never messed with the system, but she taunts me and I see her eye it when she gets jealous and mad, like we kids do. I need to remember, she is she and not me, who was not so understanding of value and had limited control and did stupid things that defied all logic for no apparent reason. Fire is hot, hmmmm.... ouch!!! Duh.
