Steve, in addition to do-it-yourself type audio sites and eventually more work in school, you might benefit from studying "The Audiophile's Project Sourcebook" by G. Randy Slone and "Audio Power Amplifier Design Handbook" by Douglas Self(Mr. Self also has a web site ). I've gotten quite a bit of no-nonsense info on what counts in amplifiers from these. If your local library doesn't have them, it should be possible to get them through interlibrary loan.

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Enjoy the music, not the equipment.