March 2010

Variety Is The Spice Of Life
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
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  This month Enjoy the Music.com covers a very wide array of of products that even makes me wonder... When we add into the mix our just released Spring 2010 DIY Audio Magazine with our monthly Review Magazine, it makes me wonder where is the high-end audiophile industry coming from or going to? Within the DIY section we have projects that include driver modification, an open baffle speaker project, CD player mods, Part II of the Xenover project, how to choose a transformer and a one tube regulator article. Then we have our monthly Review Magazine with a MC phono cartridge, an analog preamplifier that is also a USB DAC plus headphone amplifier, a set of in ear monitors, a review on digitizing vinyl and getting iTunes to handle high-rez audio plus we revisit some minimonitors and a vacuum tube amplifier. Adding to all of this, if i told you about some of the truly interesting and edgy products i am personally working on it would make one wonder what fad will catch on?

Ah, this whole fad thing. Why does something needs to be a fleeting fad like 8-track tape or bell-bottom jeans? Is this increasingly disposable world of consumer electronics where thousands of $200 home CD players have ended up in landfills and Wal*Mart is filled with $49 DVD players; high-end audio is certainly not a disposable fad. In fact i would bet my well over decade old Theta Data II laserdisc player/transport with single-mode laser optical link is still alive and well within some music lovers home right now. Even if it finally met a fate, the internal parts might still live somewhere and we can all bet the Audio Note Ongaku that spent years of enjoyment with me is right now bringing bliss to someone. Remember that old Linn LP12 you may have owned, it may have gone through two upgrades by the owner and yes, still spinning the tunes.

The main point here is that we audiophiles are a very diverse bunch with the goal being to enhance our audible pleasures. What each of us may grow out of via upgrades could very well be reaching someone on a budget seeking to enhance their system. As the youngest of three boys within my family, hand me downs was at times the norm. Even the reel-to-reel tape machines are making an interesting comeback of sorts! Speaking of R2R, there might be a surprise for those of you seeking more original music as there may eventually be a direct to reel-to-reel drum and percussion album by yours truly!

Guess what i am trying to say is that it is great to see some many choices for all of us to enjoy. So many new things to be discovered an sometimes what is old is new once again! In our world with some many disposable products, high-end audiophiles always seek the best and in a very diverse manner. Of course in the end what really matters is that you...

Enjoy the Music (a longtime fave band of mine Crafty Hands Happy The Man),

Steven R. Rochlin