Hey Matt,
You're welcome, and thank *you* for letting me know that this meant something to you too.
I don't really have any other hobbies aside from audio and wood and metal working anymore so really everrything I have goes into these things, which probably makes them something more than a hobby or even an avocation. The only real disappointing part is that there are so very few others who I can share this with in the same way. Of course my wife likes music too, but she is not an audiophile by any means and while we do have a lot of similar musical tastes, there is a lot I listen to that she doesn't like, and vice-versa, and beyond that, it's hard to find times when we even feel like listening to the same thing.
Anyway, don't sweat it about the design aspect -- I have the formal background but have lost much of it and still have lots of holes to fill in before I'd even consider a totally, from the ground-up design. I can see that could be a great exercise and rewarding in it's own right, but it doesn't keep me from loving what I'm doing at the level I'm at. And no matter how good I may eventually get, there just isn't room for much improvement over what BH offers.
-- Jim
Jim Rebman -- recovering audiophile
Equitech balanced power; uRendu, USB processor -> Musette DAC -> 5670 tube buffer -> Finale Audio F138 FFX -> Cain and Cain Abbys near-field).
s.e.x. 2.1 under construction. Want list: Stereomour II
All ICs homemade (speaker and power next)