Well hello there gang. Nice of you to all show up in my honor. LOL
I’ll take a second here to try and let you know little bit more about me and my methods.
I’m not your typical audio dealer. I’m actually a cable manufacturer that got into dealing due to demand from my clients. I’m in this business because of my passion for music and a technical mind. The way I got into dealing was by championing the brands that were my favorites. This is why you do not see a hundred different brands on my website. I am not out here trying to dragnet the marketplace as an order taker or box pusher. There is a clear distinction between a box pushing type businessman, and someone that does this for the love of music. I am clearly the latter. Some of you have noticed that I don’t care if you buy something from me. I’m here to be your friend in listening to music. If you choose to engage my services, I treat you like a friend just like I would any of my friends. This means I never leave you hanging out to dry or stick you with something that doesn’t work. I scour the market for products that hold up to my rigorous standards. I find it ironic that someone named "emerging soul" seems to be miffed that my products are not flashy or expensive enough.
This has been my career for 24 years. Not a side gig. I’m not a trust fund kid, nor did I bring my landfall from another industry into hi-fi. I’m completely bootstrapped, and I’ve made all my inroads through a long and arduous time in the industry. At this point of the game I don’t need to please anybody to be popular. This means I don’t need to suck up to the brands and use their names to get notoriety. I don’t need flash and pomp to get people to notice me. I’m honest and direct to a fault. I speak my mind and many times it comes from frustration or resentment from this industry. It’s hard for me to understand why the end user doesn’t like my tack, when I completely stand for the end user against the establishment. This alone should let you know that I’m not an industry shill. I call out the charlatans. I do videos that open up pieces of gear to show proof and back up my words. Do you have any idea how much this upsets the industry? But somehow end users want to slam me ? I’m "childish" or stupid, or something worse, just because I give you my real feelings and say it direct? You dislike that I don’t fall in line with everybody and say nice things about everything? In order to do that I would be compromising my integrity. I would be selling out in order to be liked by everyone,and not hurt anyone’s feelings with my opinion. I apologize if this upsets you. I stand for integrity, and clear direct communication with how one is feeling. I understand this can be off-putting. It is my belief that the end users in audio industry deserve at least one guy that’s willing to say it like he sees it after a 24 year career in this industry.
If you don’t know me, all you can do is guess and try and judge with no foundation. People love to put words in my mouth and make stories that are not true.
For example: the other day I went into Magnolia at the back of Best Buy. I made a short video letting people know to not be misled into thinking spending money in this room would yield high-end results. Somehow, people with negative bias took it as me making fun of them. I’ve got absolutely no idea how someone came up with this. I stand by my statement that McIntosh is no longer top of the heap. It’s a petered out overpriced brand at this point that does not deliver results, IN MY OPINION. So slam me all you want your if your feelings are hurt that my opinion does not match your own. I’m not going to change my opinion just so that you like me. Because that is manipulating you.
Next, for the guy above who thinks I trade gear every other week like all the reviewers do. Why have I only been pitching one DAC for the last four years Playback Designs? Why have I only been pitching one solid-state amplifier Jeff Rowland for the last four years? This is what you guys get from the forums, somebody that doesn’t watch me that makes a claim as if he does watch me. These forums are rife with misinformation, so remain aware.
Awareness these days is as at an all time low. If you want to get to know who I am why don’t you call me? Then you can speak from experience.
And yes I have a live stream every Wednesday evening 9 PM Eastern on my YouTube channel. Just tune in. You are able to come on either by video or just by typing and ask me any questions you want. this is the best way to determine what I’m all about. My videos are often misinterpreted just like I outlined above with the Magnolia visit.
I wish you all a great weekend and happy listening, and please by all means join my live stream on Wednesday night and ask me the hard questions, you know, call me out if you like, I invite it.
FOR THE RECORD : I have DACS starting at $1K made in USA
All the best,
MIKEY (OCDHiFiGuy)