July 2004

A Spirit With A Vision Is A Dream... With A Mission
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
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  At the end of this month we will be entering our sixth year of publishing the Review Magazine and celebrating the first year of Superior Audio. Writing this article is very emotional for me as many years of struggling, thwarting off the criticisms concerning web'zines, and the generally high workload and diligent work have indeed bloomed into a beautiful rose as it were. My love for music, and this hobby, started decades ago and i have witnessed the ebb and flow of the audiophile industry.

Over the years i have had the honor to meet many truly talented designers and inventors. While many of them could have easily chosen to use their skills for a much more financially rewarding career, instead, they chose the field of sound reproduction. At first i typed in a few names of said designers/inventors, yet quickly realized the list would not only be lengthy, but incomplete. There are so many great people, both living and dead, that have set in motion other evolutions within our industry.

The "early" years of tubes and vinyl to today's digital amplifiers and "state-of-the-art" universal digital disc players... From economic growth to the crashing of the Asian market, with America's own blip of financial depression... Regardless of the outer forces, human nature is such that music but one of the many needs within our lives. As a person who carefully analyzes the human condition, the current circumstances, and the music that has been created during these events, it never ceases to amaze me how artistic expression is carefully mastered during this period.

For it is the music, my friends, that we all cherish highly. Our love and passion is more than just the sound, clarity, or the audiophilesque descriptions we read within each and every equipment review. The ability to convey and/or bring about emotion is (arguably) the key. Naturally this has been covered within a previous editorial. So let's move onward and upward!

Welcome My Friends
To The Show That Never Ends...

Please join me in welcoming yet another familiar face to our cast of characters! Specifically, Chris Beeching has joyously come out of his brief hiatus and is now a proud member of Enjoy the Music.com™. Chris' love for music and its reproduction began at an early age. He graduated with an Honors Degree in music as an organist. Later, he was employed by EMI in London for classical music promotions and was involved with Jackdaws (Music Education Charity based in Somerset, UK). Many of you know Chris from his past writings in Audiophile, Classic CD, Jazz on CD, Listener, Hi-Fi World, or Hi-Fi News. i encourage you to read his entire biography by clicking here.

Within the past 48 hours we have hired yet another writer, though am not at liberty to provide the name at this time. What i will reveal is that Enjoy the Music.com™ shall soon launch a new "Joe Audiophile" series by said writer. While many of us can dream about $50,000 loudspeakers being driven by $30,000 amplification, the reality is many of us are looking for those more attractively-priced items that deliver 90 percent of those "state-of-the-art" product at a very small fraction of their cost. Joe Audiophile will actively share the trials and tribulations as he experiences various gear. It brings me great joy in having this new writer aboard who is willing to conquer this formidable task. His name (and first article) will be revealed in next month's viewpoint editorial so stay tuned!

Six In The Mix...
And Getting My Fix

While music fills my life, other desires also fill my soul. Please allow me to (briefly) share another dream of mine. Virtually everyone who knows me realizes my deep desires and respect for sports car racing. Am more in love with Formula 1 and vintage car racing, though Le Mans, WRC and the like are also cherished. As the caretaker of a nice multi-decade young sports car, i have just joined the most recently built track within America that is also one of the most modern! As the track is currently in the construction stage, 2005 will allow me to take advantage of at least 25 track sessions. Those of you wanting a closer look at this amazing new road course are encouraged to see www.clubmotorsports.com. Of course in the end what really matters is that you...

Enjoy the Music (Rush "Mission" right now),

Steven R. Rochlin

"Hold your fire
Keep it burning bright
Hold the flame 'til the dream ignites
A spirit with a vision is a dream...
With a mission

I hear their passionate music
Read the words that touch my heart
I gaze at their feverish pictures
The secrets that set them apart

When I feel the powerful visions
Their fire has made alive
I'm glad I have that instinct
I'm glad I have that drive

Spirits fly on dangerous missions
Imaginations on fire
Focused high on soaring ambitions
Consumed in a single desire

In the grip of a nameless possession
A slave to the driving obsession
A spirit with a vision is a dream...
With a mission

I watch their images flicker
Bringing light to a lifeless screen
I walk through their beautiful buildings
And I wish I had their dreams
But dreams don't need to have motion
To keep their spark alive
Obsession has to have action
Pride turns on the drive

Spirits fly on dangerous missions
Imaginations on fire
Focused high on soaring ambitions
Consumed in a single desire

In the grip of a nameless possession
A slave to the drive of obsession
A spirit with a vision is a dream...
With a mission...

We each pay a fabulous price
For our visions of paradise
But a spirit with a vision is a dream...
With a mission"