As a result of my 30 years of involvement with high-end audio, I have come to understand some basic tenets that can be applied across the board to all products and manufacturers. I find that sharing these concepts with my clients, they are far better prepared to achieve their system goals: 
 
The MD SYSTEMS Moto - if an audio component sounds better (or a video product looks better), then it truly is a superior performing product over the item being compared against.  It really is this simple and straightforward, but it's remarkable how often this concept is ignored.  It matters not what a spec sheet or manufacturer claim might be, because the proof is always in the pudding!
 
The Best Price is Always the Best Deal - candidly, this is RARELY the case.  We all wish to spend our money wisely and feel that an excellent value has been achieved, but there are numerous factors to consider before arriving at a final buying decision.  Honest, experienced pre-sale advice is invaluable - purchasing the wrong product is always a costly mistake!  If you fail to receive outstanding post-sale customer service with product installation and set up, you will not obtain the full equipment performance or functional enjoyment of the acquisition.  Frequently, today's sophisticated products will have highly beneficial software upgrades from the manufacturer (improving performance, features and functionality) - failure to have these implemented will significantly diminish the overall pleasure of use and resale value.  Finally, if you should ever experience a problem with your purchase, you want a dealer that is highly motivated to assist you throughout the servicing process.  Customer service done properly and professionally is a time-consuming, costly business expense - this element of a transaction should never be ignored or overlooked.  One should be mindful of the old expression - YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR - it is almost always an accurate assertion in the buying process.
 
The Audio Audition - the fundamental rule here is to simply RELAX and ENJOY.  Far too often, the typical consumer can be found sitting at the edge of his seat, body tense as if he were a runner in the starting blocks - in essence, straining to fully ascertain all the sonic information about to be presented during an audition.  The brain is a highly sensitive, very accurate device - if you simply sit back, relax and just listen to the music of choice, the better sonic performer is nearly always an easy assessment.
 
The Hierarchy of Audio - I first became aware of this concept in the early 1970s, when it was met with considerable debate and opposition.  The standing belief of the day was that loudspeakers are the most important part of an audio system - this position seems logical, as speakers ultimately produce what is heard.  When properly considered, this assertion is completely illogical and absolutely wrong - I often refer to the modern day jargon of garbage in, garbage out!  An audio system is simply a signal chain - ideally, the weakest link should be at the end of the chain (ie - speakers!).  The most critical component of an audio system is the source utilized to initiate the audio signal (ie - CD player, turntable, etc.).  Regardless of the caliber of the components and/or speakers later in the chain, they cannot make up for the lack of sonic performance from a weak source - outstanding electronics merely pass the audio signal without degrading, coloring or altering.  The rest of the chain behind the source cannot be asked to substitute, create or replace what is already missing from a poor source.  The bottom line - in building a quality audio system, you start with the source, then the electronics and finally the loudspeakers.  A modest pair of speakers in conjunction with excellent source and electronics will provide an outstanding end result.  In the alternative, a mediocre source culminating into exceptional speakers will merely give you a clear presentation of mediocre sound (the speakers will accurately demonstrate the source's performance).
 
The Doubling Continuum - this is a precept based on my own 30 years of high-end audio experience, but is almost universally accepted by both my peers in the industry and experienced audio enthusiasts.  It goes like this - every time you expend double the money on a component piece in your system (electronics or speakers), you generally achieve a 10-15% sonic improvement.  This is a notable, considerable improvement that can easily be ascertained, but you by no means get sound that is twice as good!  It is the client who must ultimately determine where he is both emotionally and financially comfortable on this Doubling Continuum.