Growing up in a small, isolated rural town, I came to be an audiophile all on my own -- in a vacuum -- with no outside influences. From an early age I was drawn to the idea of making the music I loved sound even better with ever better gear. None of my friends or family shared this compulsion. It probably started when my Dad purchased a Magnavox console stereo when I was around eleven years old. After an initial couple of months of listening, my Dad was too busy to ever listen again. But I was hooked. I had very little money as a youth, but I was always trying to find a way to play music on something better than a portable cassette recorder/player. It was a lonely pursuit.
My world greatly expanded the day I found a copy of Stereo Review magazine in a bookstore. For the first time I realized that there were others out there who shared my passion. It also opened my eyes to the realization that some amplifiers had amazingly low levels of Total Harmonic Distortion, and I could only imagine how good they must sound! I’m pretty sure I was the only subscriber to that magazine in the entire eastern half of my state! This can be a lonely hobby.
Over the years I worked on improving my system, all the while in complete isolation (See Loneliest Hobby, Part 1). Only once did I come across another stereo afficionado – and that was only for a brief time while attending college.
Fast forward forty years. Out of practical necessity I had to sell my Klipschorns, so I advertised them on a statewide classifieds site. A potential buyer, who surprisingly lived in my same town, came by to audition them. He was an audiophile through and through (he didn’t buy them, but being an audiophile, he simply couldn’t resist a chance to hear them!). Our common passion quickly bound us together as dear friends.
Since then, we have shared every aspect – every moment – of our individual yet intertwined audio journeys. And for me it has brought a level of enthusiasm and joy to this hobby that I couldn’t have imagined. He now lives in Minnesota and I live in Utah, but we continue to text and call and share several times a week. For me, this is no longer the loneliest hobby. It is a hobby with rich and enjoyable relationships. And that has made all the difference.
So I ask: In what ways have any of you moved beyond the natural isolation of our hobby and found connections with others in the hobby (aside from forums like this one)? What types of friends, groups, connections have you found and in what ways has it added to your enjoyment? What advice can you give to our compadres who are still in solitude? Cheers to our friends!
