I just got into hi-fi about 5 years ago. I started off with a sub $2k system of NAD/Project/Sumiko/Acoustic Energy components. It was a fantastic first taste but it quickly left me desiring more. I found myself wanting to buy a complete system that would last me many years without the constant yearning to upgrade and swap components every 6 months in an attempt to find the perfect combination.

I set myself a new budget of $10k that would have to include a turntable (arm & cartridge), phono stage, amp (separates or integrated), CD player, cables & racks. I wanted floorstanders over bookshelf speakers and it would be a major bonus if everything looked as good as it sounded. Now, it's time to start the hunt!

I live in Los Angeles so I was extremely lucky to have most of the options that exist available to me for audition. I visited many the city's top dealers (including Sound Asylum, LA Audio/Video, Clever Castle, Ahead Stereo, Sound Factor, Brooks Berdan, Acoustic Image, GNP Audio, Shelley's Stereo, Imagine Hi-Fi, Home Theater Dr.) and tried every combination that fit my budget.

There were a few systems that rose to the top (Triangle/Musical Fidelity, Totem/Simaudio, Exposure/Spendor) but in the end, I just couldn't resist the Exposure/Neat/VPI combo. The sound is a bit forward, detailed and articulate but sweet and natural and not too bright. I auditioned this system 3 times over a period of a few months and every time I sat there listening to my music with my jaw dropped, amazed at how 'right' it sounded.

So, after a year and a half of bliss I realized the only itch I had left to scratch was to spend some time with my music collection and some tube gear. I bought the modified Cronus on Audiogon. It came with KT77s & EL-34s, but I'm currently using KT90s (best of the lot for my taste). I decided to keep the Exposure amp, I just couldn't part with it. I swap them from time to time for variety but they are not light years different for each other. I think of the Cronus as a tube amp with solid state qualities and the Exposure as a solid state amp with tube qualities.

I also recently assembled the dedicated iMac/Fubar music server and we love it! My wife works from home and we have a new 8 month old baby so it's a perfect solution for easily accessing much of our music as well as streaming radio. It's usually on all day. My wife and I like all sorts of music including straight-ahead jazz, classic rock, indie rock and electronica to name a few genres and we listen to sources as varied as mp3s downloaded from music blogs to Acoustic Sounds 45RPM vinyl jazz reissues.

Thanks for looking and check out my home theater on Audiogon!

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vhome&1245862520