Please excuse the stoopid-long post, but here goes... When I was a kid I was already vaguely interested in audio due to the family Gerrard stereo we had. But, it wasn’t until 1972 when I was 12 that I picked up my first copy of Stereo Review and saw that there was a glossary in back that explained the jargon they were using. Had built my first Kenwood/Pioneer system by age 16, but more importantly I had accepted the discipline of reading on the subject - general articles of all descriptions - how to listen and what to listen for, Gordon Holt’s audio vocabulary, how certain sound departments can be influenced by things like: wiring, speaker placement, room effects, etc., how our ears/brain perceive sound, concepts like subjectivism and objectivism, and on and on over the years. So I started mapping out and cataloging info in my head. But, I remember trying to absorb, retain and visualize as much as possible. There were all sorts of audio ’rules’ to consider, but as I would discover, many of them would not remain true under all circumstances. And I eventually embraced the idea that any such audio rule is perhaps not really properly understood until you can map out all the conditions under which it is either not true or is seldom true...and that, sometimes at least, the exception can even be more important to know than the rule. But, even then I was the most determined to uncover audio truths of anyone I knew. All that was before the internet, but it shape me in that I learned early on to look to myself to advance my audiophile cause.
I was never a self-confessed box swapper, however. I never had that kind of money to work with. So I did what I felt was the next best thing. If I liked a product, but there was an unknown element to it, I would buy it because I believed that experience very often trumped everything. If the product fulfilled my expectations then it was likely my instincts that had led me to the purchase were correct enough. But, if it didn’t work out then, by Gum, I wanted to know why...it was wholly insufficient for me to up and return the product and to forgo any opportunity to learn from my mistake. These days I play strictly for keeps. It would have to be a spectacular failure indeed for me to contemplate sending anything back during the return period, but some prior experience has helped me to hone my instincts to some kind of suitable level. In my own case, these days I look for moderately priced gear (or less), that at least has the "bare bones" of what I believe I’m after. When browsing, if it isn’t Exactly what I want, then can I make do with it...can I modify it (literally) to fit my needs, either by pro mods or DIY.
Somewhere along the way I had come to ’cross that line’ that separates consumers from manufacturers. I had made a concerted effort to peek behind the curtain. I had no real intention of becoming a maker myself, but very often wondered what it was they were clearly not telling us. Brand loyalty, brand-name ’mystique’, status, etc. were merely the things I was entirely ready and willing to trade for the sake of gaining just one additional insight into the honest truth about how components are both actually designed and made, let alone marketed...and often you don’t really come face to face with that until you’ve lived with a component long enough to see how it fares with a number of other components...(and even then something else may remain hidden). But, those experiences, good and bad, can, if you go through the paces with them, clue you in on all sorts of things. The truth about how things are made - exactly what kinds of problems I repeatedly saw that manufacturers tend to solve and what kinds they tend to walk away from solving - led me even further into modding and DIY.
But, I also came to realize one more fundamentally important thing. It is and always was "caveat emptor"...(but, I’m a capitalist, so I like it that way). But, what that has made me realize is that no one on God’s green earth is responsible for making me happy...certainly not a manufacturer of anything. In the end, only *I* can make myself happy. A maker can only say "This is what I have. Do you want it at this price??" And I can only ask myself: "Is this what I want?? Or if it isn’t, can I make do with it on my own, or do I need to buy something else...or buy nothing at all??" Very simple stuff, but something that I suspect that too often gets lost on many audiophiles, particularly those just starting out, who may feel that their happiness in this hobby may hopelessly and ultimately lie in the hands of someone else...whether that is a perceived TAE or a manufacturer or whatever. Of course, we may all rely on those entities temporarily to increase our awareness at any time along the way, no question. But my point is that, sooner or later, I find it becomes important to take ownership of making *ourselves* happy. Apart from an abiding passion for the hobby, it’s one of the things I think that has made me all the more bulletproof in the long run. Whenever I’d made mistakes (make them all the time, lol), it has made me less prone to implode or to become discouraged or to let go of my passion. Was always able to stay more focused and on track that way in the long run. Longevity there can be a key to success.
All that was about as close as I ever came to "TAE", and even that was only meant primarily for my own benefit...and, yes, I’d think it all makes me wacko to a lot of people out there, but I don’t really mind too much. But, no approach, including mine, is perfect. Even with my method it took me 26 years just to build my current system. But, I would prefer to disagree with anyone who would say that the hobby is entirely a journey and not a destination. Well, maybe...it may seem that way if you’re still young enough. But, now that I’m closer in life to end than the beginning, I find the idea of trading in my audiophile badge at the end of the day for a music lover’s membership card is actually more tempting than it ever has been. Especially now that my system is all I ever wanted and more. TAE?? No, not me...but, I managed to navigate my way through the hobby to a stopping point that even satisfied me.
10 rules:
1) Start early, the sooner in life the better.
2) Read everything, not just equipment reviews (but read them too), but anything that will increase your understanding of audio and the hobby. These things should not be thought of as secondary to gear reviews.
3) Read, read and read some more...yes, even when you are not actively looking to buy anything.
4) Learn to trust your own instincts.
5) Be open minded...that’s the other side of the coin to skepticism.
6) Use the most basic and elemental experiments you can devise to answer your nagging questions about audio concepts (room treatments, solid core vs stranded wiring, or whatever).
7) After giving the technical aspects your best shot, take that into account and be prepared to take a gamble on your own instincts alone...how else you gonna know if your instincts are any good??
8) Always be prepared to be wrong, Lol!
9) LEARN EVERYTHING YOU CAN FROM YOUR MISTAKES.
10) Enjoy the ride!
