Jim, Interesting stuff. Thank you.

My impression is that the main reasons most people have taken to MP3 is
that it can be 'cheap and easy' with little regard for the actual sound
quality. The selling point of players tends to be how many 'tracks' they
can hold with no comment on the sound quality.


I guess so but I would add that I also attribute MP3 popularity, in the
main, to piracy. It is perhaps not surprising what people are willing to
accept when they don't have to pay for it!


I agree. However I also think that the reality is that for other items in
the chain, e,g, amplifiers, the level of any imperfections is generally
simply less sigificant than it becomes with speakers and the listening
room
acoustic. I say this as someone who used to design amplifiers for a
living.

I couldn't argue with that but reason does tell me that the first and most
important area for examination must be the source (capture and retrieval).
I find it interesting that, at the other end of the system, we again have
immense scope for 'messing up' earlier good work - another mechanical
device.
While I haven't seen them mentioned in this group (perhaps a dirty word?),
what is your view on headphones?

Paul