Well I saved the SS695s from being thrown out by my sister and set them aside to restore later (they still work, but they're really beat up right now and need the cabinets rebuilt, the woofers need new surrounds, and the other drivers have cracks and discoloration). Then I ran across a pair of SS900s at a yard sale and knew that they would voice-match SS695s. After that I started scouting the internet for more Sanyo equipment and eventually ended up with the current setup I have now. If I had to take a guess, the amount I spent on my current audio system was probably within only $100 more than what I would've spent to get something of a drastically lower quality. My previous system (which consisted of ESS 308 speakers and a pair of KLH bookshelf speakers in parallel) wasn't bad by any stretch, but it definitely wasn't what I have now even though it sounded good and was loud enough to punch through the back wall of the house (I actually was able to walk across the street from my house and still hear it clearly) at full volume with all the doors and windows sealed shut.
ECKZBAWKZ HUGE LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS GOES HERE....
Oh wait.