DrunkenWolf, the truth is that I do have a little spare change to play with, even after expensing for accessories and room acoustics. But the money isn't burning a hole in my pocket. I know from my own history of hifi buying behavior that factors other than sonics influence my decisions; some logical like warranty and service; others less logical like appearance and 'extras' that I have no likelihood of using. I'm comfortable with this psychology, as I understand that they all contribute to the enjoyment or disappointment of the post-purchase experience. At first, I was confused by, for example, John and Haoleb's varying perceptions of the correlation between price and reproduction fidelity. But now I'm glad to have gotten both of their opinions - if there were no variability in our perceptions of this equipment, these discussions and this hobby would be much less interesting to me. BTW Haoleb, the furniture example is pretty funny - shopping for most things in Hawaii contrasts sharply with the mainland - thank god for e-tailers like Axiom!
