The soul of a builder

Been thinking about all the types of people and desires and enthusiasm that goes into our hobby of audiophelia. Though I myself have not always been the most inclusive sort I want to be. I want to call everyone who is into music and gear a fellow, so long as they are kind and having fun and sharing that fun with others.

There’s no right way to be an audiophile, but listening to music and listening to others sure does help.

I like commercial speaker makers. I’m so glad they are here. Same with electronics makers and people who build acoustic materials for a living, and yet, in one particular way I’m a builder, not a buyer. Like, at all. That way happens to be speakers. Others build their own tube preamps or DACs for fun, for me it’s speakers.

To put my position in stark relief, if some one gave me a million dollars to spend on speakers, my first thoughts would be of buying a CNC machine to mill cabinet parts. Never would I think I would go buy speakers. Not because I dislike commercial offerings (well, you know) but because this is my personal joy. Trying things out for myself. Line arrays, stepped baffles, powered systems, bypass capacitors, slot firing mid-woofers... not to sell them, but because this is the center of my hobby. Certainly not the case for my DAC or integrated or HT processor or TV, that’s for sure!

My point to this is, if you are a builder, be a builder and don’t try to ask yourself if you are making a cost-effective product. You probably are, but that’s really not the point. If you need to get dirty, to assemble, solder and think about trading off bass for efficiency, and cut off points for fewer drivers then you are a builder and you must build and prices be damned. Don’t treat it like a way to save money.

Treat it as a way of feeding your soul.