Broke and still not happy

I would star over and start simple, forget expensive interconnects and wire, start with basic cable, you hear what you hear, I have owned aheard in my house lots of hi end gear, some sounds good, great and awful. I have tubes and ss. Try to fund a dealer who will loan you some stuff and if you like it go with that, as always trust your ear.

I own Mcintosh and love it.

I dont agree with that,music is music,rock, jazz,pop,classical etc...a good system should sound good on whatever type you play on it,sure some systems might shine a bit on quartets or full orchestral, but a real hi end system should sound good, very good or whats the point. Also if you are tweaking your system it means it doesnt sound good. If you keep searching for equipment that has more "air" your search will never end because that is NOT music. Again a system that is musical makes you want to listen to more music....not tweak and fiddle etc.....so if you dont get that from your equipment, it aint musical pure and simple....may have alot of "air" and "soundstage" though but who cares,if you are not tapping your foot and in the groove...like I said, whats the point ?

The reason i say this is because i do listen to a wide range of music, from Aerosmith to mary black and lots in between. I play drums and have been in a few bands, have also done a full length,pro recorded cd in Boston,my point is we don't know what the "air is supposed to be" or the "imaging" etc...I fully agree with Linn's view about home hifi...the easier it is to follow the tune the more njoyable it is. I was there when we did our cd....medium size room,bass player was next to me...1st guitar player was 12 ft away behind a screen...2nd guitar player/vocalist was in a booth...12 feet away,

there was no "image" but when I play it at home there is an "image" pretty much sounds like most other cds...there is alot of mixing, overdubbing etc that goes on in recording. So when somebody says " this system images great" or "has great air" they are pulling at straws....because they were not there.....what I think they are really trying to say is....I like the sound.....and thats fine....but how many people who say " they like the sound" are tweaking and fiddling and in my opinion not really listening to the music....they are listening to the equipment.

the whole point of this forum is to share ideas and opinions,we don't have to agree, my opinions on hi end audio are founded from first hand experience...listening to the equipment in my home. I have heard quite a bit of gear in my home, not just the stores. In the last year or so I have had the following in my home to listen to.

Amps.. Mac 252,Mac 402, Mac 501s Mac mc275
Vtl mb125,Vtl 185,Vtl st150 and st85
Goldmund 2.3...a gaggle of Naim. some Mark Levinson
ARC vs55,dynaco st 70 radii set
Pre amps..Vtl 7.5 vtl5.5 vtl 2.5
Linn wakonda,Mac c2200 mac c45
cd players Linn cd12,linn ikemi, linn ghenki,Mark levinson 390s,meridian, ayre,rega and consonance

a gaggle of "hi end " interconnects

What do I own...Khorns,Linn Ninkas and a pair of B&W CM2 bookshelfs...I have a Mac c220,Macmc275 and a Mac 252, a VTL 2.5 and a st85, a restored dynaco st70 a pair of Radii set mono amps, a mac cd player...a Linn Ikemi/wakonda/lk100.

It basically is 3 systems larg, medium and small...oh I use linn and naim speaker wire with basic interconnects.

I listen to all 3 and I like them all, I found the sound to be musical and engaging and fun...the Mac gear simply smokes on the little B&ws and does quite well on the khorns,...Vtl works super on the khorns and the 2.5 is one hell of a bargain in a pre amp...the little radii are nice and only 3 watts(they are not my favorite though) and the dynaco is a gem on the khorns....the ninkas work very well with the linn gear....All I can tell you is what I hear, to the gent that started this post, I feel for you, you simply haven't found what you are looking for....as always trust your ears.