Many times I have lost sight of what is the most important aspect of this hobby: the music. I have done all the tweeks and upgrades, but for what? All this effort does not change the notes being played. My efforts do not change the valve Miles Davis decided to push or the phrasing of a sonata. Are we trying to listen to the music or understand the music?

Is the fact that we are trying to understand the best way to reproduce the music slant our appreciation of the content? Do we look for recordings that will best show off our system and ignore erlier recordings because the fidelidty is not there? Yes, I am guilty as charged.

I build so I have a understanding of what the parts are doing. I don't want my system to be a "black box." Many people are happy with this plug-andplay approach (e.g. Bose) but I want more than that. I want to understand, but to what end?????????Colin

That is the crux of the thing, bad or mediocre equipment is boring and does not involve one in the music. Hence the Bose quote.
Regarding sound absolutes. It is not cultural. Were that true than the sound of a nightingale would not be universally appreciated, but would be a cultural phenomenon indigenous to particular cultures. But that song is considered beautifull every where.
An acoustic guitar sounds good to all cultures. The style of music will differ but appreciation for the sound of the instrument remains.
That is the basis for my contention that there are absolutes in sound.
So when you walk by a room and hear some music played; you know if it sounds good or not. Even if you hate the music.

That is why I stopped going to meetings of audiophile clubs; they sit staring at some wall of equipment and no one seems able to admitt what sounds like crap or what sounds great. They make inane comments about soundstage or lower/upper midrange suckout, but cannot tell if it sounds like music or not.

Becoming actively involved in the hobby as you are doen't seem to me to be a drawback even if it takes away from time to listen or causes one to become sidetracked away from the music. I see the two aspects as representing totally different endeavors. Building and maintainig equipment is a satisfaction all it's own. The music and sound offers a n entirely seperate reward.
Regarding how best to pay homage to Miles; maybe just by providing the most musical setting and letting his legacy speak for itself.
Good stuff for a quiet holiday full of snow here!

Regarding cultural absolutes, I disagree there can be absolutes in beauty or its perseption of it. Beauty is defined by one's culture and background. Let's take an extreme example. I don not like hip-hop or rap. I find no beauty in it. Does this mean someone does not appreciate the artists or sound? Of course not. Would the person that does find beauty in this "music" have the same appreciation for the classics, as I. I don't know. This is an assumption I cannot make.

Going one step further, I do not find far-eastern musci all that pleasing. It's based on a different chromatic scale, something I did not experience in my cultural upbringing.

The Bose quote was was referring to the plug and play aspect. Even though it's considered mid-fi by most audiophiles, does this keep those from listening to such a system from enjoying the music as much as us? No, it doesn't.

Pizza's done. Gotta go.......

It seems our discussion has come full circle. We concur there is not even a universal consensus on what beauty is, much less describing (or even agreeing on) subtle aural particulars of one's system. If there is not even a standard of beauty, then why trust anyone else's opinion for the more mundane? The fun part of this hobby is the journey and discovery, not the end.

This is why I would never say a bad thing about someone else's project. If they THINK they have reached audio nirvana, THEN THEY HAVE. It is just my subjective opinion versus theirs. Who am I to tell them differently? I'm just a nobody on the journey as well.

Oh yeah, about the group build surprise. I'm going to have name plates madeup with the ART logo, project name and builder's moniker on it. They will be sent to Wayne when done. Don't tell. Don't worry, no one will ever get this far down in this thread ......Colin