I lately wonder why I’m an Audiophile.

I could have added to give something back, especially with the hope somebody at a place I once left behind, was on a journey seeking change. I have been an exhibitor of my own system at Audio Events where I frequented to meet others not following mainstream. An event where Commercial Venture and Hobbyist hire a Hotel Room for a weekend to create their space for presenting their systems. 

I have created a room that is witnessed to be overly filled with visitors, queues have been formed to get the chance to enter. I have shared extensive conversation with those with a fledgling interest, seasoned enthusiasts and designer/producers. The 'icing on the cake' being, I have witnessed visitors to the room who had seemingly spent more than half the time of the attendance period for the Event in my room, where I played multiple tracks for them of their brought along albums.

Treating individuals with the exact same kindness I was offered when I was a sponge learning the info I carry with me today.

Many Many years past, I was at an Audio Event, especially at a time for me when expressing an interest in Audio Equipment from mainstream suppliers where much of my knowledge was from the armoury of the Magazine Media, and a number of demo's in rooms at audio stores, was my Cornerstone.

Whilst at the Audio Event a well known producer of Audio Equipment had presented a CEO Level narrative to the room, gave a system demo' and encouraged a Q&A session.

I was to sit in that room and have a profound discovery, which was to realise I was obsessed to the point I was not enjoying anything about Audio, it was all analysis and endless search, entrenched into me by a commercial battering of sales banter and marketing spiel. This was the moment I chose to change, and seek new direction from what I was so tied down to. 

I can't explain how I restructured my interest in audio, but did not buy a Magazine or enter a High Street Store from that time on for many many years and Larger Audio Events were carefully selected for being part commercial / part system owner enthusiasts as the exhibitors.

I started meeting people with a Hobby in Audio and a keen interest in non commercial products and even DIY Builds of audio equipment.

I was to be invited to be demo'd systems set up in homes that really shone, and were totally attainable as a cost and a support offered.

The rest is History, I never looked back, and was to get to a place where I was genuinely really really enjoying my Hobby.

Today the Hobby is centred around Music replayed on electronic devices, it is centred around a Social Network of long time evolved and developing friendships, where homes of strangers are made welcome to share in audio experiences, it is centred around all levels of Skill Set getting together and having access to what I class as the full rounded audio experience in relation to individuals met and what they can offer. 

At a social event today with a good sized turn out. I am on first name terms and free to contact outside of the event, regular owners of Audio Equipment who have similar passions shown for their hobby as my own, Builders of Audio who are quite adept in their skills and make myself seem very short of savvy, EE qualified Designer / Builders of their own designs used for audio purposes who are very very inspiring(The types who are also hired to produce designs for Audio Companies), Proprietors of Audio Businesses who in some cases have stock worth substantial sums (single items in excess of £150K), CEO's who are designers/Co Designers of their Companies Audio Equipment Range.

It is great to experience individuals that are detached from their Vocation, letting their hair down and expressing themselves as a Hobbyist, where all present are Likeminded Hobbyists of Audio used for replaying recorded music.

The outcome being there is always a loaned audio device or three put forward to be used on the day or be offered for extended experiencing on other systems, there is always strong support to inquiries made. Add to this the Banter - Food, what's not to like.

Obviously this is all far removed from the definition of being an Audiophile (Interest in Electronics used for Music Replays) that many adopt as the meaning, which is a coined phrase created during the 50's as a Marketing Spiel along with other coined phrases like High Fidelity.

If one can see through the sales Spiel and look at Audio being the evolving meaning of Audire (Latin - To Hear) - Audio typically meant to hear sound as a result of electronics producing the info that was transformed into End Sound.

Phile being Greek (Phil - To Love, To be Passionate About)

I do thoroughly relate to and strongly sense those I spend time with those who are able to fully express their enjoying hearing music as a hobby and are able to express they are quite passionate about their hobby, to the point they prioritise participating and making time for it. 

Audio Equipment in my take, are Tools and Enablers, they are essential to assist with creating End Sound that brings a community together, the Equipment is not what the community has its full focus on, and that is the absolute strength, that would be my place of 30 Years Past.     

One could say a Audio Utopia 'Realised' (Greek - Never Never Land - Modern Translation - Imaginary Perfect Place)  

I once got to know a man who has a life experience that few are exposed to.

Well Travelled through adventurism and then at a later time in life their Career, where the person met the lady who was to be come his third wife.

Somewhere in all this and certainly not from their career, the person become a self taught structural and cabinet making quality Carpenter, who started building Horse Drawn Vanner Caravans as their Hobby, where they were even able to function as a wheelwright with their Carpentry Skills.

From the Age of Nine to the day the Couple left the UK at approx' 76 Years Old, the person had been a Falconer, not a keeper of Birds of Prey but a True to the description Falconer, which is how we met said person and wife. 

As a family we visited a Falconry Centre on a family break, to learn it was closed due to retirement , we attempted to learn more and met said person, which was a meeting that created a friendship lasting quite a few years until the UK was left for warmer climates for Old Bones.

Stories of ones life was shared and the accounts were mesmerising, which I always encouraged the wife to attempt to have chronicled, not many has such a rich life experience, and the Stories were worthy of a Film being produced.

Like when gathering flight hours to go into flying Passenger Jets, the planes being flown were propellor planes mainly with a Cargo on board.

A mistake in weight calculation resulted in the plane nearly hitting the Golden Gate Bridge, and follow up Horror Experience relating to weight that took hours to get the point the Plane was safe.

In a nutshell, people like to recollect and many on the Gon are at the age where they like to tell a little about their history.

A Thread like this one has certainly opened the door for a 'chew of the cud' where one is at liberty Speaking fondly of memories means to reminisce or recall past experiences, with warmth, affection, and point out the pleasures had. Focusing in on the positive and cherished aspects of the moments and encounters regerenced.

Why not share publicly, ones nostalgic recall of pleasant memories that were able to be generated, that evoke happiness and a deep appreciation for the past experiences had.