Old HiFi

In my youth, my parents were very tolerant, my music pulsing through the floorboards as I raised the levels in my homemade basement studio. With parts garnered from the trash, among other sources, I built a serious sound system. Complete with a reel to reel, mono block amps, customized speakers and mixing equipment, you could hear every detail and get moved physically by the sound. I loved bringing friends and family over and playing Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and watching them grab their stomachs when the cannons went off.

Most listening today is done with headphones, which has detail and plenty of volume, but no feeling. Systems with concealed or recessed speakers have the benefit of sharing the music but can’t produce the level of sound and detail as a true Hi-Fi system of the 70’s would.

Where are the true music lovers who are willing to look at floor standing loudspeakers, a rack of gear and a quality turntable? I am still listening to a 10-year-old system and it impresses the socks off anyone who hears it. It will do this for another 10 years, no doubt. That’s right, 20 years of great moving sound. Sure, it was a bit expensive, but I have been through three cars in that time. This is the type of system that lasts longer than many keep their house (or spouse). If you are interested in such an investment let me know. It is a joy of mine to design systems of this type. It will most definitely take some time and conversation, and part of the journey will be some education on sound reproduction and how to find the best source material. It will be a lot of fun and a great value, guaranteed.