Hi, I'm Ed. I'm an aural-a-holic.
Also a dad, husband, humor writer (10 books published--search Amazon.com), tech writer (dull, but pays for the mortgage & toys), engineer, inventor (only 1 patent--Tom Edison's legacy is safe!).
Now a maker of DVD's, have worked in consumer electronics for over 25 years. Was a guerilla in the home-video revolution. Wrote instruction manuals for Sony--you can blame me for alll those VCR's, helplessly blinking "12:00!... 12:00!...12:00!"
Have been obsessed with all things hi-fi since age 13, when I yanked speakers out of junked cars and installed them in shoe boxes. (Yeah, they did sound "boxy," so don't ask!... Shoe-ey, too.)
Have a dedicated "movie room," (now also known as "Junior's Bedroom/Dad's Movie Room")and a separate music system, now 5.1 channels with SACD and DVD-A players. Was a quad-guy back in the 70's, so this is deja-vu all over again...
I think I've built or owned almost everything ever made. Well, maybe not, but it sure seems that way (ever list all the audio stuff you've had?? Try it sometime.).
Dynakits? Been there; done that; burned my fingers; got heaping hacking lungfuls of toxic solder fumes... Shortwave radio? Hey, what's yer 20 good buddy? 73's! (I'm into collecting cool radios too--ah, that audio addiction goes deep).
Hope to converse with and possibly meet f-2-f other local audio-holics (live in the cultural center of LA--the beach, Redondo that is), but I fear we're becoming harder to find than rocking-horse manure. We're a rare, strange breed. But there are worse things we could do with our time and money. Like attend John Tesh concerts.