My first system consisted of a quad 33/303, Magneplanar SMG's and Rega 3 turntable which I bought 22 years ago with almost every penny I had. For the next twenty years there were few changes with the exception of the introduction of a midlevel Sony CD player in 1991 and the relegation of the Magneplanars to the basement when we moved into our house. They were replaced with Linn Tukans. Small and inquiring children forced the turntable to the basement. The problem was I no longer thought that the system even remotely sounded like music and I didn't care for it any more than listening to the car stereo.

In 2000 we undertook a house renovation that included the living room. It was at this time that I began to toy with the idea of upgrading the stereo. My wife encouraged it, but with the provision, it had to fit the d cor. She too loves music but sound alone would not be acceptable.

I listened locally but found nothing that piqued my interest. I heard a lot of equipment, expensive and inexpensive. Local dealers were a real problem, with only one chap having any love of music and/or decent reputation. The rest I had known and was not impressed. Some of what I heard included, Classe, B & W, Quad, Monitor, Meridian, Utopia and Linn. Individual pieces were ok, but together nothing excited me.

Ultimately, the first piece I decided on was the Musical Fidelity Nuvista Integrated M3. I had read good things but what really impressed me was when I heard it through an expensive list of components I had thought sounded lousy only a few weeks previously with different electronics. With the Nuvista in, the system changed remarkably for the better. Its appearance is appealing to some and not others but my wife thought it acceptable. I continue to enjoy it greatly.

Speakers were much more of a dilemma. I considered Avantgardes, which a friend has, and I think remarkable speakers, but one look by my wife removed that possibility. She thought they looked fine, but would not fit our décor, end of story. In retrospect she was completely right. Then I discovered the net and everything it had to offer. I looked at a lot of speakers but narrowed many down on their size or appearance. I was left considering Verity Parsifails, Von Schweikert, Manger and Piega. I ultimately bought the Piega for a variety of reasons, but did so unheard, something I had never done in my life. I dealt with Steve Davis at Hifi Farm whom I found very helpful, knowledgeable and honest. I have had better service from him, thousands of miles away, than any of the local shops ever provided when I bought from them. He also carried Audiomeca, a brand I had long liked. The Mephisto II and Ekianthus were bought unheard. Again a major leap of faith but one I have not regretted. The sound is very smooth and pleasing to me. A number of tweaks have helped it approach the vinyl, including rollerblocks and a symposium svelte shelf, a modified power cable from m. lurne, and leaving the cover open. I have compared it to a Wadia in my system and did not think it was even close. The interconnects were Audiotekne and Ensemble gigaflux digital cable but I did switch these to the HMS Grand Finale and Il Primo which have made the digital side even better.

The stand was custom built locally. Nothing I saw anywhere on the net would fit in our room. The person who built it is an audiophile and does wonderful work. It has sand-filled plinths and sits on carbon blocks. I am not sure it is the last word in isolation, as evidenced by the benefit of the rollerballs and svelte shelf, but it does make my wife very happy.

I have a few tweaks I am waiting to play with this winter including Walker Vivid and the Audio desk cd lathe.

My musical tastes run to classical, but more chamber and concertos than full symphonies. I listen to a lot of mainstream jazz, as well as a number of vocalists such as Mel Torme, Tony Bennet and Holly Cole. My re-exposure to audiophiles has introduced me to a number of artists such as Jane Monheit and Tony Rice, a great bonus. My system should have been done at this point and kept for a long time but recently I have had the opportunity to upgrade to the C8 LTD and am very pleased I did. It is a truly major step above what I thought was already a great speaker.

My biggest problem now is the room. It is large (40 X 20), open and has cathedral ceilings of varying heights, with hard wood floors and a grand piano. I have done what I can but until I figure out how to get the grand piano out (a year or two away) I'm kind of stuck. I will make no change until that has been optimized.

I am very pleased with the sound and my wife finds the combination of sight and sound great. Any comments on what to do with the room would be appreciated. I apologlize if I wrote too much on this.