When will your system be enough?

The musicians, thanks.

Your system is "enough" when you can forget thinking about the equipment and just focus on being emotionally involved with the music. When you reach this point - you're done.

On this basis I have been quite happy with my audio system for the last three years or so, (an audiophile record no doubt!) However, after my last visit to CES (Jan. 2006) restlessness has now begun to rear its ugly head.

At CES I heard the TAD Model Two's driven by 4 Pass Labs amps (2 XA160 monos on top on two 600.5's for the bass), Pass preamp and a pro DAC. I thought this was one of the most natural, musical and relaxed systems I had ever heard. It ranked right up there with "my best of all time" list. Anyway, I've begun calling Pass dealers and my contacts to see what it would take to get the Model Twos into my home. Although this system is far from cheap, its much less expensive than my other two favorites. Thus, a gradual move to this equipment is feasible for me to consider (I'll just have to buy more oil company stock for a few more months). Besides I've been a good boy for three years.

Warren, does that mean that you're getting rid of your Caravelles??? What did you choose to replace them?

Short answer: I'm satisfied (and very grateful, in fact) for now and could be happy with my current system, especially the speakers, forever.

Long answer: Done for at least a year. The speakers are probably lifers. Still in giddy euphoria about them, even when straining to find weaknesses or something to complain about, or to nitpick about: just can't really find anything.....DANG!

I MAY do some other upgrades after a while, but dang, it just seems ridiculous and stupid to do so, at least for now, with the system sounding as good as it does. Anything from this point on would be done on a discretionary basis to "push the envelope"; i.e., to see how much closer the system could possibly get to (my concept of audio) perfection.
-Bill