“Without music or an intriguing idea, colour becomes pallor, man becomes carcass, home becomes catacomb, and the dead are but for a moment motionless.” -Edgar Allan Poe
Eddie Poe had it right! If you don’t enjoy any forms of musical expression, you should probably check your pulse. For my own part, sweet sounds have been abducting my mind and intoxicating my senses, for as long as I can remember. I’m a music lover, plain and simple.
What a revelation it was then, my very first audiophile encounter. James Taylor had never sounded so good and so realistic! The spell was cast, and I was wholly and irrevocably hooked. Decades later, I can still recall that watershed moment with the same measure of passion and excitement. From that day forward, I have hungered for more.
What is it that drives us audiophiles to invest vast amounts of our time and resources in the endless pursuit of sonic perfection? Do audiophiles hear music in the same way as everyone? Do others experience the same, glorious listening sensations, but are simply better equipped to resist the enchantment? Is audiophilia simply a matter of choice? A gift? A failing?
Who really cares? My own personal audio journey has led me to ignore these side-issues and instead, simply embrace my deep love of music. On this basis, I have focused most of my spare time and efforts indulging my already eclectic music tastes and enriching my music collection; all the while passionately exploring high-fidelity, 2-channel playback systems.
And nothing has changed. Still, I hunger for more. Still I journey onwards.
Along the way, I have gathered traveling companions from across the globe. Like-minded individuals, who appear to be on a similar pilgrimage. Akin to beggars showing other beggars where to find bread, we have each shared knowledge and experiences, gained through our own highly personal audiophile journeys. What a rich tapestry of learnings.
This website was inspired by a period of personal financial hardship, through the course of my own audiophile journey. A period during which sheer necessity taught me that with care, dedication and collaboration, low-cost State of The Art music playback is entirely within our reach. These days – when once again, I have the choice – I’m loath to pay top dollar for brand-new playback equipment, when so many perfectly good, pre-loved audio bargains quietly lie in wait of (re)discovery.
It is my sincere hope that these ramblings will encourage you to roll up your sleeves – trust your own ears – and enjoy great sound on a shoestring budget.
Welcome to Skinflint Audio. Audio Adventures for Cheapskates – just like me.