Stagger, although I'm 8 years younger than you, that's strictly in chronological measuring, not medical measuring. When it was 1985 I was 31 and worked as a UPS driver. To make a very long story as short as I possibly can, one day I had a manager ride along. This was done to make sure the driver was not dragging his feet because in 1985 up in CT we were paid $18.75/hr, time and a half after 8 hours a day and double time after 40 hours a week. Well, this particular manager was known for being really hard on the drivers that he managed. When I got to one of my stops, I loaded up my hand truck and was getting ready to lock my truck so I could make some deliveries. This manager went ballistic!!!!! Started yelling it's no wonder I was making so much overtime because I didn't load my hand truck up fully. Now despite the fact that I fully attempted to explain;
1) I had a lot of parcels I needed to deliver down two staircases.
2) Some were heavy, i.e., 70 LBs.
3) If I attempted to load all the parcels it would weigh quite a lot and be dangerous.
Needless to say, he called me a lazy, money-grubber who didn't really want to work for my money. In his opinion, these stops could be made with only one trip "
if I wasn't so lazy --I thought he was going to lose his mind when I told him his comment made no sense, after all, wouldn't my going up and going down, two staircases, twice actually be more work? So how does doing that make me lazy" So at his insistence, I dropped the extender on my hand-truck --{
see photo #7 at this link; Fedex Hand Truck - Delivery Hand Cart}-- loaded all that parcels so I would only be required to make one trip up and down the two staircases.
But as soon as my hand truck went down one single step of staircase number one, the weight of all the parcels threw me over the top of the hand truck and down all 17 steps with such force, I never touched a single step! I was completely airborne until I actually hit the wall at the end of the first staircase where it turns before going down the second staircase! I slid down the wall just in time to get hit by the hand truck and over 300 lbs of parcels that tumbled down the stairs after me! I was injured so severely that although nothing other than hyperextension of the back and other muscles as well as multiple bruising is all that initially showed up. After much physical therapy, X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and Nuclear scans, it was clearly evident that I was developing Spinal spondylosis, Spinal Stenosis, Advanced Degenerative Disc Disease, Nerve Compression, Bulging discs, Bone spurs, Sciatica, Peripheral neuropathy in the toes and one finger and just to keep things interesting my wife went to visit her family in Colombia 6 years ago and came back coughing. Ten days later I ended up in a hospital quarantine room with a rare strain of the Human metapneumovirus that left me with COPD at the age of 61. So Stagger you may actually be older, but I'd wager I act and feel older. and that's not a contest I'd particularly wanted to enter or even want to win...

:disbelief: :bonkers: :afraid:
You know it's a neat coincidence that you mentioned having your own cable company at one time. If you look below where I post what my present system is comprised of, you'll notice I have custom
Mike R. digital wire and ICs listed these Mike R. wires have replaced a both a $600 Snake River Audio Boomslang digital wire and a $1200 pair of Teo Audio GC Ultra ICs. I'm curious if you might be able to answer a question for me my friend. How can you make an IC or Digital wire using no metal? Mike R. swears no metal is used as all and I believe he's serious because;
1) These ICs and Digital cables sound absolutely amazing.
2) He had a quite wealthy relative over offering him 50% of the company if he'll finance the patent, lawyers, etc.
I'm curious if Stagger or anyone else here might know how you'd pass an audio signal between audio components using no wire in the ICs or digital cable?!?!?? Oh yeah, Stagger would you mind telling me what your system is composed of, i.e., TT, amp, preamp, CDP, wires --{
I know you mentioned CSS Audio Criton speakers}-- etc? Just curious buddy.
I'm going to sleep so not listening to anything.
Thetubeguy1954 (Tom)
Central Florida Audio Society -- SETriodes Group -- Space Coast Audio Society -- Full-range/Wide-range Drivers -- Front & Back-Loaded Horns -- High Sensitivity Speakers