The friends you've made in this crazy hobby

[spiritofmusic]

Getting all touchy-feely for a moment. Well I am a therapist...(or need one! ).
Despite the hobby being full of hair pulling moments, serious challenges to sanity, the regular emptying of bank accounts, and need to come up w/more and more elaborate excuses on decisions (to oneself and one's nearest and dearest), when it all comes together, the place you get to is just so much fun, and makes this all worthwhile.
One of the great side benefits is the making of really good friends, either thru simple contact via this forum leading to meeting and getting on famously, or meeting others more obliquely and strong friendships being cemented.
I'll kick off by mentioning two guys.
Barry, Blue58, who I met via Mark Coles, my Sablon cables guy, who put me in touch re hearing Barry's AG Duos, and within seconds, we had a great rapport, and months later we're in a lot of contact and are solid friends, have shared a fair amount of booze, and tucked into good Turkish food w/him, and I have been lost in his superlative horns sound. He's such a generous guy, allied to a steely determination in what he wants/likes, but open enough to accept my warped personality.
So "Double Bubble", I have great cables never to be swapped out and tentatively a friend for life. Great for pricking the bubble of pomposity that this hobby can easily generate.
Ron, RonR, we met via response to posts here on the Vertere thread, have got it together a couple of times, correspond online/via texts, and I really enjoy his company. He's tickled by my praising him as having the perfect combination of boyish enthusiasm for music and gear, allied to a pretty thick skin to put up w/the brickbats thrown at him by the naysayers (is that me? ).
More guys next time.
Anyhow, this is just a thread to say hallo to the guys who know me, thanks for all the advice and support out there, and to those who I have extended contact with, good to know you.
A great additional benefit that makes this hobby even more essential to me.

And of course, all those that revere and respect me are free to participate (just a LITTLE room for egomania on WBF!)

 

[Rodney Gold]

I have made tons of real life and internet friends
I do this to escape hanging out with my wife's friends hubbys ..who bore me to tears..
I have my own audiophile social life..keep my loving and devoted wife out of it .. which she appreciates
all the folk I have met are characters in their own right.. I think this hobby attracts weird people..
I have the time to indulge myself , semi retired.. afternoons off..
I recon I do something audiophile 3x a week .

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you, Marc. It has been fun getting to know you -- and your system -- too!

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

On this forum I've only met Gary Koh, DEV and ptplayers.

 

[marty]

I do this to escape hanging out with my wife's friends hubbys ..who bore me to tears..

Now that has just got to be one of the greatest comments of the year on WBF!!
Marty

 

[Blue58]

Getting all touchy-feely for a moment. Well I am a therapist...(or need one! ).
Despite the hobby being full of hair pulling moments, serious challenges to sanity, the regular emptying of bank accounts, and need to come up w/more and more elaborate excuses on decisions (to oneself and one's nearest and dearest), when it all comes together, the place you get to is just so much fun, and makes this all worthwhile.
One of the great side benefits is the making of really good friends, either thru simple contact via this forum leading to meeting and getting on famously, or meeting others more obliquely and strong friendships being cemented.
I'll kick off by mentioning two guys.
Barry, Blue58, who I met via Mark Coles, my Sablon cables guy, who put me in touch re hearing Barry's AG Duos, and within seconds, we had a great rapport, and months later we're in a lot of contact and are solid friends, have shared a fair amount of booze, and tucked into good Turkish food w/him, and I have been lost in his superlative horns sound. He's such a generous guy, allied to a steely determination in what he wants/likes, but open enough to accept my warped personality.
So "Double Bubble", I have great cables never to be swapped out and tentatively a friend for life. Great for pricking the bubble of pomposity that this hobby can easily generate.
Ron, RonR, we met via response to posts here on the Vertere thread, have got it together a couple of times, correspond online/via texts, and I really enjoy his company. He's tickled by my praising him as having the perfect combination of boyish enthusiasm for music and gear, allied to a pretty thick skin to put up w/the brickbats thrown at him by the naysayers (is that me? ).
More guys next time.
Anyhow, this is just a thread to say hallo to the guys who know me, thanks for all the advice and support out there, and to those who I have extended contact with, good to know you.
A great additional benefit that makes this hobby even more essential to me.

And of course, all those that revere and respect me are free to participate (just a LITTLE room for egomania on WBF!)

Thanks for the kind words and I'm sure our friendship will continue whether audiophile related or not.
I must mention my 'mentor', Jeff Medwin, who is the brains, along with Dennis Fraker, behind my wonderful amp that is the keystone to the Avantgardes sounding IMO glorious.
I'm looking forward to meeting RonR sometime in the future with a little trepidation. Will my system match up to his wonderful system and sound?
Big 'shout out' to Mark from Sablon Audio. A true friend and a man with a good ear and great cables.

Support from friends in this hobby is crucial to developing our systems, with opinions, however blunt, taken onboard and ultimately steer us one way or another. Do we trust our ears it asks in another thread. Maybe we do but can go blindly down a path that inevitably leads us to a unique sound that could be far removed from the absolute sound that others simply 'hate'. I may have ventured close to this in the past favouring a dark and deep soundstage.

Strangely, in meets, music often comes second place to equipment and whilst I try to run through a huge playlist to open ears to new sounds and to better quality productions when I have guests, talk often centres around gear.
Let's all try to change this. Accept what gear others have whether to our tastes or not and delve into their record collections.
You may discover something new.
Blue58

 

[DaveyF]

Speaking of friends in the hobby; I had the pleasure of hearing Sam ( C1 Ferrari's) superb system today. Sam loves his tape and his Studer tape recorder...and with very very good reason! The Studer tape deck in Sam's system is magnificent and after playing a few of the Tape project tapes, i was left wondering how I could get close to that sound. Sam's system is a great example of how a well put together system based on tubes can sound. In his room, the wall to wall soundstage portrays beautiful images and the ease and naturalness has to be heard to be believed.
Sam, thanks for a great and enjoyable afternoon listening to a superb system.

 

[amirm]

Speaking of friends in the hobby; I had the pleasure of hearing Sam ( C1 Ferrari's) superb system today. Sam loves his tape and his Studer tape recorder...and with very very good reason! The Studer tape deck in Sam's system is magnificent and after playing a few of the Tape project tapes, i was left wondering how I could get close to that sound. Sam's system is a great example of how a well put together system based on tubes can sound. In his room, the wall to wall soundstage portrays beautiful images and the ease and naturalness has to be heard to be believed.
Sam, thanks for a great and enjoyable afternoon listening to a superb system.

This is the kind of thing I love to read on the forum. The only thing is missing is pictures. PICTURES!

 

[Andre Marc]

Speaking of friends in the hobby; I had the pleasure of hearing Sam ( C1 Ferrari's) superb system today. Sam loves his tape and his Studer tape recorder...and with very very good reason! The Studer tape deck in Sam's system is magnificent and after playing a few of the Tape project tapes, i was left wondering how I could get close to that sound. Sam's system is a great example of how a well put together system based on tubes can sound. In his room, the wall to wall soundstage portrays beautiful images and the ease and naturalness has to be heard to be believed.
Sam, thanks for a great and enjoyable afternoon listening to a superb system.

I need to go with you to hear Sam's amazing system!!

 

[DaveyF]

This is the kind of thing I love to read on the forum. The only thing is missing is pictures. PICTURES!

Amir, I didn't take any.( too busy enjoying the music) Perhaps Sam can supply some.

 

[DaveyF]

I need to go with you to hear Sam's amazing system!!

That's a great idea...Sam's system is a real treat. Andre, you would NOT believe how great his immaculate Studer A820 sounds!

 

[Andre Marc]

That's a great idea...Sam's system is a real treat. Andre, you would NOT believe how great his immaculate Studer A820 sounds!

Oh I would!!! Amazing machine..heard it many times! But i am sure Sam has it really cooking!

 

[DaveyF]

We listened to a few redbook CD's...including a great FIM CD...sound was very good. Then Sam played some of the amazing Tape project tapes on his A820! ( Like you said, he has that cooking!). I wish I wasn't hearing these amazing tape machines, every time I do, I consider getting into tape...and I really shouldn't be doing that!!

 

[Andre Marc]

We listened to a few redbook CD's...including a great FIM CD...sound was very good. Then Sam played some of the amazing Tape project tapes on his A820! ( Like you said, he has that cooking!). I wish I wasn't hearing these amazing tape machines, every time I do, I consider getting into tape...and I really shouldn't be doing that!!

Totally understand...the only issue is cost and selection of good tapes.

 

[DaveyF]

I'm so committed to vinyl, that to get into tape isn't at all practical on many levels. OTOH, I do think that these superb tape machines are a slight step up over vinyl.

 

[Andre Marc]

I'm so committed to vinyl, that to get into tape isn't at all practical on many levels. OTOH, I do think that these superb tape machines are a slight step up over vinyl.

I would agree.

 

[wisnon]

The only people I have met in Real Life from this forum are ALRainbow, Audiocrack and Elberoth. Its a real possibility to meet Marty (and Joe Whip) one day when I am in their neck of the woods. All great people.

 

[Mosin]

After I became immersed in this hobby to a point of no return, I suddenly realized that all of my friends are involved in audio. It is as if I left an old life behind. My audio friends and I are so intertwined that we refer to ourselves as the family, and we are for all practical purposes.

Of course, there are good acquaintances, too. I have probably met a dozen people from this forum, maybe more.

 

[spiritofmusic]

After I became immersed in this hobby to a point of no return, I suddenly realized that all of my friends are involved in audio. It is as if I left an old life behind. My audio friends and I are so intertwined that we refer to ourselves as the family, and we are for all practical purposes.

Of course, there are good acquaintances, too. I have probably met a dozen people from this forum, maybe more.

Win, tbh I'm very glad the majority of friends are NOT audiofools - I need their icy skepticism each time I propose spending cash, and their breathless enthusiasm when they hear the results!

Just a namecheck to a few more guys over time.
Barry2013, a really friendly and welcoming soul who fully backs up my Entreq fanboy loyalty (being a fanboy himself), and who has always understood where I'm going w/spending on tweaks, and put up w/me for a few hours as a most gracious host.

 

[jazdoc]

This thread makes absolutely no sense unless people share what objective criterion proves that someone is a friend...