Stereophile

I ’m fortunate to own some ver nice hi-fi gear: Different turntables tonearms, and pickups for differen records. Two pairs of really super full-range loudspeakers. A choice o mildly exotic amplifi ers—my favorit combination of which (a stereo pream plifi er and a pair of monoblock powe amps) sells for a little over $21,000. Th average American consumer woul think that’s insane. The average American consume would be correct, but only insofar as i applies to his or her own buying habits After all, we’re nothing if not a natio of customers, and the customer is al ways right. From where I sit, the dis cretionary buying habits of my fellow countrymen are not only grotesque but almost heartbreakingly...