As an aside.. (Score 1)

This is an obvious comment, but I wanted to quickly mention the phenomenal difference in sound quality you can get when you take a little bit of time to put together a decent stereo system. I mean, everyone knows that an "audiophile-type" system is going to sound better than something you buy at Future Shop. That said, I don't know if many people are aware of the vast, huge chasm of difference that is present. Music takes on a life of its own when reproduced through a decent setup. I now listen to music "just to listen to music", whereas before I always considered it "background noise", to listen to while doing something else. Now, I can spend hours and hours listening to music - and doing just that. I assume everyone has heard of the Super-T amplifier - it's cheap, it's really good, and it can make all the difference in the world when compared to a lesser amplifier. Check out TNT Audio (www.tnt-audio.com) - there is a great review on the amplifier. They also have a pre-amp listed there, which gives you multiple analog inputs. For about $250.00, you can set yourself up with an excellent amp/pre-amp that will give you a bit of a taste of higher end audio. Mate these two devices with some decent speakers (or make your own!), and see what all the fuss is about. Of note, Fostex speakers and "bigger is better" boxes - google will show you the way. That is how I started, and even with that basic setup, $250.00 in electronics and $400.00 in speaker parts, I had a stereo system that blew away pretty much anything I had heard previously. At the time, I was using a Squeezebox and a cheap CD player as a source. It is a ridiculously fun hobby. But beware. Once you get bit by the audio bug, it is hard to stop.