Who R U?

There are many reasons people pursue excellence and perfection. The fact that we do it in relation to A) Cool machines that B) Produce pleasurable music is just icing on the cake. Perseverating on RFI, ground loops and SET versus MOSFET keeps our minds from straying to more distressing thoughts (like what am I doing with my life ETC.) I like this neurosis. Very theraputic.

-Karl

Hello from Karl. I'm a 30 year old doctor paying off med school debt and trying to save for newer gear. I've been into hifi since CAL came out with its first tubed (cool) CD player.

I'm a former musician (bass) and into new rock and jazz in the experimental underground and on small record labels. You know, bands that you can actually see live for less than 10 bucks. Chicago has been a great place to hear live music. I guess I like older stuff too (Velvet Underground, Bowie, Stones, Nick Drake, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman...) music that really shaped the sound of things to come. Although Micheal Fremmer put Tortoise on his heavy rotation list a couple a months ago, I feel like this music is largely ignored by audiophiles. Maybe I'm wrong.

I'm into hifi because it can be as exciting as going out to a good live show.

My dog uses my power amp (BAT VK 500) as a stand to look outside. Is drool good for capacitors?

I am lucky because my wife is as into music as I am and understands the magic of good hifi. I understand the whole WAF thing but I dislike the stereotype.

I recently moved to Ann Arbor (home of Audiogon?) and have a new stereo room that has been one of my best "upgrades" to date.

Finally, I would just like to thank all those people that buy new hifi equipment. Without the used marketplace, a guy like me would never be able to afford excellent equipment.

-Karl

Robertd,

It's hard not to like the Strokes. Especially if you're a VU fan. I Listened to "Is this it?" almost daily for months last summer until i saw the band this winter in Las Vegas. The lead singer was really dumb. Pretending to be drunk and "punk" all the while hitting all the notes just right...hmmm. Just haven't been able to listen to that great record recently.

Good to hear that someone else enjoys Nick Drake and Bowie as well.

-Karl

Don't want to turn this into another "Rap on High End Speakers" thread. I just hurts to realize that "music" lovers can close their ears with such statements like "rap is not music." That's just absurd.

I not trying to make rap out to be anything like classical music, but in the world today, rap is one of the most innovative, artistic and evolving genres. I don't consider myself a rap music fan because much I have listened to reminds how much I dislike rap. But I just picked up Antipop Consortium's "Arrhythmia" and I bet it would convince a lot of "music" lovers that rap music is interesting, innovative and enjoyable.

There is plenty of music out there and one doesn't have to listen to rap music to have a never ending source of new music to enjoy. But c'mon, lets stop saying "It's not music." Audiophile snobery? Or am I just too sensitive?

Stepping off soapbox now.