When I was a younger guy, over several years, I had accumulated a pretty much full stack of Naim components. Started with the ’shoe boxes’, graduated to to the bigger stuff, NAC this and that. Expensive power supplies finally ‘broke my back’. Not much fun saving for ‘another black box’. But even though Naca5 & generic power cords were recommended as enough, I did learn ‘it’s all in the power delivery & supplies’. Somewhat regretfully, I sold thos black boxes off all around the world. The stack, on Naim racks, was beautiful and sounded really nice, but… even though the top loading cd players were divine, the only ‘playing around’ one could do was thru maybe some Chord cables. I eventually purchased a pr. of Neat Vito’s, isobarics I could barely offord to amplify properly. Beautifully built like tanks w/a gorgeous blood red finish and full on granite plinths, those things boogied like nobodies tomorrow. Wish I still owned them, as a friend has bastardized em up with older ‘digital amps’, 500 watt muster that barely bring ‘em on song, but he doesn’t even know…. He never heard ‘em play CCR like I did. I tried some Nuforce, but we all no about early digital, but those did have bass! Eventually, I ran into some guys, and as many can attest, went down the ‘rabbit hole’. I had already started to accumulate a few speakers, ProAc 1sc, Castle Conway Iii, ect…. Those I kept. Expensive hobby, no? But guys have hobbies, all guys. It can be cars, guns, drinking, golf, crack cocaine, or other women. Guys have hobbies. They all take time, attention, and money. One makes mistakes, suffers bad judgement, & hopefully searches for redemption. (Bless me father but I have purchased a ‘tube amp’, or 2, heard a SET and went ’hat the hell is that?’). Keep it fresh, stick to your guns, learn some new tricks, I say. Measure your success, repair your failures, but don’t fool yourself into believing you understand the whole game, the world is full of teachers and potholes, it’s a matter of timing and perspective. When I have listened to FKJ or Winston Surfshirt, two current favs, I am pleased, and that may be enough to be thankful. Another friend loves his Parov Stelar thru his phone, who’s to say? Excess defines the edges, richness the interior. Today Keith Richard’s live, via cassette, is enough to be thankful for, best wishes to all you ‘musical maniacs’. Perhaps that is enough, what is given, to be thankful…