This system has been a work in progress Since 1980. I bought my first audiophile gear at Hi Fi Haven, which was a high-end audio dealer in my college neighborhood in NJ. This was not a part of town you'd expect an audio store, on its left was a strip club and on its right was Greasy Tony's Cheesesteaks, which was open all night and staffed with the shadiest motley crew imaginable. Ah, you gotta love college in NJ when the drinking age was 18. Most of my friends frequented the two latter businesses, I think I was the only one who added HiFi Haven as a point of interest.

At HiFi Haven, a guy named Peter Cuddy took the time to teach me how to listen, not just hear. For that I'm not sure if I am eternally grateful or really pissed off for letting a college kid buy a cassette deck in the 4 figures. I wonder if he's still around? Can't blame him, since way before we met, I had (as an adolescent) been putting what my wife calls audio-porn up on my bedroom walls. The one I remember distinctly was a cool Sansui receiver with a lit up FM dial I was drooling over at 14 years old. I also remember enhancing the sound of my crappy plastic all-in-one's speakers by reinstalling them in... wait for it, empty one gallon cardboard milk containers. They sure sounded way better... By 15, I was totally hooked.

As an adult, I tend to choose very good elements that sound great together and hold on to them for a long time while I enjoy my system thoroughly. Only recently did I sell that first piece of gear, which I admit was a strange way to start my Audiophilia – a Nakamichi 680ZX. All those cool phosphorescent lights and knobs to play with... who knew a source component would have been a better choice?

I love gear, but what I really care about is music. As I write this, I've got my AKGs on (wife's asleep), listening to Dexter Gordon's One Flight Up on a pristine Blue Note test pressing. The combination of my analog front end (both the Alphason/Madrigal set-up and the Townshend/Kiseki rig), fed through the VAC and driven by the Raptor is producing such gorgeous, live sound that it's hard to imagine it getting any better.

Stop laughing, I know we've all felt this way many times... until we reach the next level, where we are once again slack-jawed and astonished that "we've never heard that before!"

Thanks for reading. Your thoughtful comments are most welcome. Except about the photos, I know they suck. I'll get to them one day. Cheers!