Some of the most fundamental changes to my system building in a decade are happening right now, at the end of 2020. I am updating essential characteristics of my systems, and making changes to the genres of equipment that I will use in system building. I have three reviews underway that have been transformational in terms of giving new direction to the type of equipment I will use in reviewing and personal listening.
Barring a truly radial change technologically, some genres (not brands, but genres) of equipment going forward I will no longer consider worthy of my time/effort in reviewing, which speaks to the profundity of the changes. Over the years I have attempted to be open to a wide variety of genres of equipment, but the current circumstances are leading inexorably to elimination of some classes of gear - they simply have been eclipsed to such a degree that their internet weaknesses now overshadows their potential strengths.
I did not foresee this six months ago; a lot has changed in a relatively short period of time. Things will become public as the reviews are published in 2021. It's been an exhausting end to 2020 (Before Christmas I contracted Covid-19 and double pneumonia. I was hospitalized for three days, but am on the mend.) for me as a system builder, but I feel as though many years of dogged determination and unpaid work are bringing systemic changes that will both allow me to work more efficiently and make higher grade systems.
