Geography:
I live in a suburb at Atlanta, GA and have for the past 35 years. Born in southern CA, college in New Mexico and lived in St Louis, Boston, Houston, Dallas.
Early Introduction:
My first real audio system came from EJ Korvettes with a 12.5 per channel tube amp, some house brand speakers and a Girrard Turntable. I had one of those stereo in college with the fold out speakers that were on long speaker wires ! My degree is in Applied Mathematics (I think I graduated in 1753 --- or so it seems by what has happened since I graduated).
Audio "Business" Experience:
I've sold audio out of my home (for about 7 years -1975 to 1981) and was the Marketing Director for SigTech for about 10 years (1991 to about 2000), and was a Dunlavy Audio Labs dealer for about 5 or 6 years. (ALL of this while working in the corporate world focusing primarily in transaction payment processing). I've also helped some folks design rooms. I also was a dealer for Tact Audio.
I now kill mosquitoes for a living (www.MosquitoFreeBackyards.com)
Home Theater:
My first HT became a reality after I visited a store in Beverly Hills CA in about 1992 where they showed Snell THX speakers, a FROX processor (WAY ahead of it's time) and a Sony CRT PJ. I went home and replicated the entire system. I have been through quite a few changes since then and am very happy with what I have. (But continually working on the room !!!)
Philosophy:
The piece of audio gear most recently purchased that provides the most positive "change" is the qSonics Music Server.
Because of some financial changes that came about in my life about 4 or 5 years ago, my chase for the "ultimate" audio system has ceased. But what I have determined is that with the very careful acquisition of some used equipment (NOT the very top of the line), a room designed by folks who know what they are doing and then building that room (the most money spent on a single component was the room and it is demonstrably the best money spent), and careful placement of the speakers, I can come REAL close to as good as it gets (at least for me) at a much lower price point.
Opinions:
I am not a believer in expensive audio cables and power cords although I have gone down the path of both, and don't think there is a BEST of anything. While certain speakers (for example) measure much better than others, each of us has different listening priorities and hence we select the gear that meets our needs -- which may or may not meet someone else's needs.
And while I am a big analog guy and it is the most fun part of the hobby and still in many cases provides the best sound, the future is, in my opinion, highly compressed digital music. There will probably always be us "fringe" folks but as a percent of the total listening population, will become smaller and smaller.
I think the single most important piece of actual audio equipment (outside the room) is a well done digital room correction system. Most two channel guys still won't touch it.
Update as of May 23, 2010:
My excitement with technology like the Tact 2.2XP and my previous 10 years of experience with other DSP solutions (including the older Tact model) has moved me to re-vitalize my previous audio company "AEC Solutions" and my first product is the Tact product line. So I am no longer objective.
Rant:
I also think that we have chased a lot of potential audio enthusiasts away with what I will call "crack pot" and/or stupid expensive products. Equipment that has ZERO scientific or anecdotal evidence that it actually does anything but sells at some stupid price and is marketed incredibly well. And the real world looks at us like a bunch of morons.
I live in a suburb at Atlanta, GA and have for the past 35 years. Born in southern CA, college in New Mexico and lived in St Louis, Boston, Houston, Dallas.
Early Introduction:
My first real audio system came from EJ Korvettes with a 12.5 per channel tube amp, some house brand speakers and a Girrard Turntable. I had one of those stereo in college with the fold out speakers that were on long speaker wires ! My degree is in Applied Mathematics (I think I graduated in 1753 --- or so it seems by what has happened since I graduated).
Audio "Business" Experience:
I've sold audio out of my home (for about 7 years -1975 to 1981) and was the Marketing Director for SigTech for about 10 years (1991 to about 2000), and was a Dunlavy Audio Labs dealer for about 5 or 6 years. (ALL of this while working in the corporate world focusing primarily in transaction payment processing). I've also helped some folks design rooms. I also was a dealer for Tact Audio.
I now kill mosquitoes for a living (www.MosquitoFreeBackyards.com)
Home Theater:
My first HT became a reality after I visited a store in Beverly Hills CA in about 1992 where they showed Snell THX speakers, a FROX processor (WAY ahead of it's time) and a Sony CRT PJ. I went home and replicated the entire system. I have been through quite a few changes since then and am very happy with what I have. (But continually working on the room !!!)
Philosophy:
The piece of audio gear most recently purchased that provides the most positive "change" is the qSonics Music Server.
Because of some financial changes that came about in my life about 4 or 5 years ago, my chase for the "ultimate" audio system has ceased. But what I have determined is that with the very careful acquisition of some used equipment (NOT the very top of the line), a room designed by folks who know what they are doing and then building that room (the most money spent on a single component was the room and it is demonstrably the best money spent), and careful placement of the speakers, I can come REAL close to as good as it gets (at least for me) at a much lower price point.
Opinions:
I am not a believer in expensive audio cables and power cords although I have gone down the path of both, and don't think there is a BEST of anything. While certain speakers (for example) measure much better than others, each of us has different listening priorities and hence we select the gear that meets our needs -- which may or may not meet someone else's needs.
And while I am a big analog guy and it is the most fun part of the hobby and still in many cases provides the best sound, the future is, in my opinion, highly compressed digital music. There will probably always be us "fringe" folks but as a percent of the total listening population, will become smaller and smaller.
I think the single most important piece of actual audio equipment (outside the room) is a well done digital room correction system. Most two channel guys still won't touch it.
Update as of May 23, 2010:
My excitement with technology like the Tact 2.2XP and my previous 10 years of experience with other DSP solutions (including the older Tact model) has moved me to re-vitalize my previous audio company "AEC Solutions" and my first product is the Tact product line. So I am no longer objective.
Rant:
I also think that we have chased a lot of potential audio enthusiasts away with what I will call "crack pot" and/or stupid expensive products. Equipment that has ZERO scientific or anecdotal evidence that it actually does anything but sells at some stupid price and is marketed incredibly well. And the real world looks at us like a bunch of morons.
Last edited:
