I started buying stereo equipment when I was 16 and have been hooked ever since. I have had my share of complete junk in my system but my desire to improve the sound always kept me looking for good deals. I started with a Yamaha AV-34 integrated amp (which I still own) and now at 26 I have just purchased a Plinius SA250MKIII. Is this the end......probably not but I do LOVE the Plinius! Places like Audiogon are key to building a High-Fi system with only a minor investment. I can tell you my systems level of quality jumped up a couple of notches when I discovered this site.
Are you Guys Rich or What!?
I have an old system, nothing special, Adcom, Vandersteens etc and I recently set foot for the first time in a "high end" shop, hoping to get to the next level of audio nirvana. When I saw some of the prices for monoblock amplifiers, cables, the latest speakers etc, I practically fell off my chair when I realized that I could blow $50-100K pretty easily on this stuff. I am not rich. Do you big budget system guys all work on Wall Street or something or do you eat macaroni and cheese most nights to put a few bucks away for CDs and your next upgrade?