Quote:
Hi-Fi used to be a fun hobby for more people because of the more intimate relationship with the components, which were built by the users. Too bad......

True. My first "serious" Hi-Fi component was a Heathkit AR1500A receiver which I built years ago. It served me well for many years. It took my quite a while to complete it--there were lots of little "tootsie-rolls' and "M&M"'s that needed soldering in place.