So several friends have mentioned that they are in the market for a stereo. They mention this to me because they know I'm an audiophile, hence unhealthily obsessed with audio gear, and think I might have useful advice.
This got me to thinking -- it's terribly hard for an audio "civilian" to actually buy a decent, music-only, regular stereo these days. The major retailers are a nightmare (I would never let a friend go alone to Best Buy or Circuit City, where the salespeople are truly sharks -- stupid and vicious). And regular stereo is getting supplanted with "7.1 channel home theater" crap. Let me tell you, if they are cramming 7.1 channels, and multiple surround modes, and multi-room features, all into a box that still costs less than $300, it is going to sound like crap. Truly.
So what to do? Well, the good news is that we're living in a golden age for 2-channel stereo -- you can get better sound for less money than ever. But the bad news is that you're not going to find this stuff at Best Buy. So you'll need to put in some effort.
In this series, I'm going to post my thoughts for civilians (i.e., non-audiophiles) looking to buy a quality 2-channel music system, something that you can buy once, and just enjoy for the next 10 years or so.
