The return of the DIYer

I can’t believe people don’t know that line from Belushi’s great inspirational speech in Animal House.
The pundits have been predicting the death of "high end" for decades but somehow, the top tier (often flavor of the month) keeps getting more expensive.
Classic old pieces command some serious coin too.
So, I agree it makes sense to go back to the roots.
I’ve been doing some reading- need to do some listening-- to the immediate post WE era-- I guess early Altec, Jensen, etc. Some of those old horn systems seem appealing- I want to hear a few (I’m trying to find the right balance between wattage needs given the modest output of my Lamm ML2s and the cost of assembling a horn system that does not run into crazy money).
I’ve never been a great soldering hand- yeah, I built a few Dynakits when I was young but I’ve relied pretty much entirely on commercially available gear.
My main system is probably the best sounding it has ever been-- based on components I put together starting in 2006-7.
I’ve spent enough time around this hobby to not be awed by the dollars spent, but I do enjoy the beauty of well made gear from whatever era. Whether it sounds good to your ears is another matter.
I think even before Harry Pearson died, and the Stereophile morphed again (was it resold- I haven’t really followed its more recent publication history), the notion of touting aspirational gear was losing its appeal. Ditto, the notion that there was only one way to achieve sonic nirvana. (How many of us still have all those Harry’s List records in our collection?)
Many people liked Art Dudley, apart from seeming like a pleasant guy and a good writer, he did like older gear and found bargains (relative) in historic pieces.
I think each of us follow a different path. If you have the skills to build from parts (I’ve hired cabinet makers to build, ahem, cabinets), why not?

 In these times of dramatic price hikes , and supply issues 
modding Loudspeaker Xovers , and upgrading gear and tweaks, upgrades  are sound investments and very cost effective 
if done properly , myself have been doing this for many years now and it’s very rewarding to see  that  premium parts in the right areas can  bring substantial gains  in fidelity.

DIY is mostly a thing of the past for two main reasons. On the one hand, modern products are far more complex than previously and on the other, most purchasers are not interested in the effort needed to get started.

I might have constructed my first solid state amplifier, but these days it's mostly just crossovers and adding shielding to equipment that manufacturers mistakenly don't consider necessary.

@oldhvymec.... *S*

Please, stand by....;) 

+1 @pedroeb

I think there will be DIY audiophiles in the future but only a minority. I am not one, mostly because lack of space and tools (and lack of time).

As for corporate vs boutique I think both will continue to co-exist. My dac is from a very small company and I have been very happy with it. My next dac may still be from a corporation since those are easier to find and listen to. Maybe it will be from Schiit which I see as a middle ground. It is a company but they started small and seems to care about their products and sq. The book by Mike Moffat is worth a read by anyone interested in audio companies.