Few Questions to ask fellow Home Theater aficionados.

[JJ]

These aren't so much about equipment, more about your own personal opinions on the matter, but here goes:

Do you ever have to justify yourself to anyone? I mean, perhaps because some of you are a bit more on the 'venerable' side, this happens less - but around my age, along with all the frequent gasps and oohs and aahs when I get visitors to my house and who look at my new equipment, I always get questions such as "How much was it?" or "Dios mio, what did that cost you?" And yet I never answer, I just say, "Don't worry about that." I just feel strange here, in telling them that I have spent $4,500 on a complete and total overhaul of my experience - especially since most of my college-aged friends don't have or have ever seen that kind of money at once. I've only told a few close friends, and one of them said, "Oh, but what about the starving children in South America?" (Idealist, then she went and spent $500 in Macy's on winter clothing...this is Miami, - eventually she would admit she was joking) - but, you know, I find it all worthwhile to me. It is my passion, my hobby, and it brings me no greater joy than to get home every day and open my door and see my HT in front of me. I don't have to justify myself to anyone - it's not for them. I mean, sure, they can enjoy it too, I love having movie company...but it's for me. I aint gotta justify myself to you. Dang, my old urban youth side came out a bit.

/endrant

And I never ramble on! Jeez, I need to include some more big words, I'll feel like Dennis Miller.

And on a final curious note...how did you chaps pay for your stuff? Finance it? Credit? Cash? I've never liked spending money I didn't have, heck, the TV, PS3 and B&Ws were cash purchases and everything else with a debit card. No credit involved at all.

Hmm, maybe I'm too curious.