
I am a terrible time keeper. Everyone who knows me knows this and my internal clock has been busted for as long as I can remember. And for you wise guys, my internal compass remains spot on.
While I wish I had some deep important things to say about this past year as it relates to hifi, I don’t other than to say there’s an abundance of great hifi to be had in all shapes, sizes, kinds, and prices, more than enough to tickle every taste, fancy and budget. If you’re not happy, pleased as punch, with the current state of hifi you may want to explore something more taxing like picking a favorite color—people who whine about hifi must lead awfully pale lives.
For me, 2024 was more of the same which is to say my life and time were largely filled with listening to music through an amazing array of largely good to great hifi gear, as has been the case for the 14 years I’ve been doing this work full time (I had to triple check the dates). I started writing about hifi in 2005 and even I can do that math although it feels like only a few days or lifetimes ago. Perhaps the most important thing of note, work-wise, is the most obvious—I’ve gained more experience listening to and writing about hifi, which ideally adds value to my reviews. While I’m not the person to judge the value of my own work, I can point to a simple result—the 40+ reviews written this year reached more people than ever before.
To my mind reviews and reviewers act as guides, ideally experienced guides, to help people better enjoy listening to music on the hifi. Nothing more, nothing less and I am thankful each day for the readers who read my work and the advertisers who support it. Thank you.
On a personal/professional note, my ‘reference system’ saw a number of additions/purchases including the Grimm Audio MU1, Aurorasound VIDA MK.II phono stage, Aurorasound EQ-100 monaural phono stage, Sorane SA1.2 Tonearm, and the EMT HSD 006 and Ortofon SPU Mono CG 65 Di MkII cartridges. Investments in work and play and if you’re wondering what gear I’d buy if I was me, that’s some of it along with the rest of my reference gear.
The year in music was as great as any I’ve lived through with more meaningfully wonderful new releases streaming and spinning into the Barn than I had time to get to know, enriching my life with song and sound. We are living in a true Golden Age of Music Discovery which is the most exciting HiFi News to date—without music, hifi would be a mistake.
Here’s another important thing I’ve come to learn:
The hifi we enjoy listening to is the best hifi.
Everything else—price, measurements, other people’s opinions, reviews, awards, “bests”—are distractions from this simple truth.
Here’s wishing you & yours a Happy, Healthy & Music-Filled Holiday.