I believe that even a waterfall is music to ones ears! Just think about the consequences of not being able to hear the sounds. Beethoven while composing the Moonlight Sonata had to pin his head on top of the piano to be able to feel the vibration of the notes to the tune he was composing!

Yesterday

It all started in the beginning, no I am not talking about the Big Bang but when I was little. I remember the early years when my father used to play music on his Radiogram. The equipment fascinated me. Looking at the black shiny disks spinning fast and with a needle on top of it producing all the sounds always intrigued me. I had no idea why the system sounded so good; today when I look back I can understand why! It was a one-piece system; everything was almost perfectly matched and had the tubes! I had no way of comparing the equipment, but whatever was being reproduced had sounded very good.

Today

For six years I used the Magneplanar which provided the fabulous soundstage that they are so famous for. After the change in abode I had to settle for smaller speakers as the room where the equipment is set up is smaller than the previous one. Today my system is built around Quad amplification (606 Mk II and 66 Preamplifier) and sources from Rega, Quad, Nakamichi, and Marantz. The transducers from Paradigm (Reference Studio 40 v.2) and Chartwell (BBC designed LS3/5a monitors of 15 Ohm version) both on self designed rigid mild steel stands with spikes and are mass loaded with river sand.

The greatest challenge in the field of audio, in my opinion, is to achieve THE SYNERGY OF THE SYSTEM. Everyone seems to be striving for just that, yet; so few have come close to it, let alone achieving it. Perfection is a word only in the dictionary of the Supreme Being. We as humans are simply wasting our time; we are only required to do our best.

Writing about audio

I have recently taken up writing about music and audio equipment. I may indulge in writing about other subjects too and if so, I will update it on this website.

My first attempt at writing! This short essay or to be exact a “Rant” was featured in the Soapbox section of the Internet Edition of Stereophile Magazine on July 13, 1998.

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Which comes first, music or equipment?
July 13, 1998

Most of us would agree that the basic job of audio equipment is to reproduce the sound of music. Why, then, are so-called audiophiles carried away by the gimmickry of the equipment?
Audiophiles are known to go to the extent of trying to produce the sound of a jumbo jet flying overhead, a Ferrari engine being cranked in the garage, sparrows farting at the crack of dawn. Why not listen to music? Friends and family will probably appreciate it more, and not question the sanity of the audiophile. Roaring and farting audio equipment surely is an insult to any self-respecting audiophile, and to the people around him/her.

Live music events are something to cherish, be they classical, rock, jazz, opera, or even music on the streets. Reproduced music at home is an alternative to live events. Why spend time worrying about how the alternative sounds? Play the music, close your eyes, and you will be transported to the main event. Remember, the means of transportation will be the music, not the equipment. Even a boombox is capable of raising goosebumps once in a while---ever tried it?