Editor's Note: A New Chapter?

Editor's Note: A New Chapter or More of the Same?

This article muses on my recent move, which triggered considerable thoughts and anxieties.

Back in the USA Due to family circumstances, the household is now (again for me) based in NYC, rather than HK. This is a considerable upheaval that shifts everyone's gravity. Over the coming months, there shall be some restructuring of the household layout, and to create more space much shall be removed or donated.

The Burden of Audio Hardware With too many toys, come time to clear out, many audiophiles face considerable difficulties in their choices: What to let go, and what loss is acceptable (vintage and tube lovers fare better here); what to give away (yes, some stuff become worthless, or nearly so, especially those "future-proof" digitals); even the decision to throw out an original box (desirable when selling) can be agonizing. Software The classical lover usually has more "duplications" - different performances of the same work. Many of us have favorite works and can have more than ten (and more) versions - this one may have a more propulsive drive in the outer movements, yet that one flows better in the slow movement...And our tastes change with age; most likely who and what we like in our youth are different from our preferences now. We don't need the redundancy, but getting rid of them is difficult as most of it is worthless to others, fit only for donations. Jazz lovers can be overburdened too; do you need all those Monk or Miles albums - can you tell them apart, or do you believe in the florid prose of those jazz liner note writers (just a few of them) who justify every album?

Removal from HK No removal, no matter how logistically well thought out, is perfect. How can it possibly be when the memories are still so fresh? I had a hard time sorting out my gears. I never did advertise, but sold some of my most cherished stuff to close friends. I also parted out selected gears to trusted friends, for them to play with, perhaps buy from or sell for me in the future. Even then, I still have a lot left in my old place, which I have kept for storage and other purposes (someone will take care of it) - there they will languish for yet more years, till I find the time to return and sort them out further. In one respect I was lucky - through the help of my friend WSS, I sold my collection of over 1,500 LP's and over 4,500 CD's. Why should I ship them back to NYC, when I have even more here?

How the Blog Shall be Different Inevitably, the sea changes shall also affect the blog. Here are what I can foresee:

• Classical CD Recommendations This shall be drastically different. In HK, in recent years I bought relatively few CD's and kept up with things by borrowing from the local libraries, which paradoxically stock many new CD/SACD's. In NYC, this is no longer true. My local library has a pitiable collection. So, I shall be mostly recommending performances from my own older collection (a vast one with good depth). Focus shall be on classics and what is easily available; regrettably, there shall be few new releases and even fewer SACD's.

•  Headphone Listening Although I shall continue to listen mostly on my regular systems, at least two dedicated headphone stations shall be set up. My collection of headphones are really affordable classics. I have recently acquired the Beyerdynamic DT 880 (600 ohm; top pic), AKG K701 (right pic), which are working a treat with my new Schiit Magni 3 and Vali 2 (left pic). I have also brought over my other under-used headphone gears from HK. You shall be hearing more of these.

• Equipment Reviews After settling down I expect a resurgence of activities, and more reviews than I managed in HK in the hectic recent months. There shall be a lot more in analog. Keep up with the announcements in "Coming Attractions" (Sidebar).

• Cessation of HK Western Electric Activities (except my own) This I regret the most. Only during my last days in HK did I manage to hear the supreme systems of Prince Cheval Blanc (WE 41/42/43 etc). I shall also miss the wonderful system of Eric (WE 46) and wish I could hear "Fat" Vincent's new acquisition (WE 46 again; old systems here). I also have long delayed the report on the complicated systems of Humphery (coming). However, I have brought my superb WE 133 to NYC and shall have it sounding indue time.

• Horns Forever Fortunately, there are even more thriving horn systems here, which you shall hear from regularly. As for me, I hope I shall eventually find time to install the "Fifth Element" of my YL Horn System (the WE- or Klangfilm-like lower midrange horn seen in this old pic of my yet uncluttered audio room, reported here).

• No more Letters from NYC Instead, when I do manage to get away again (I don't expect to in two or three years) there shall be "Letters from HK". Short trips to the UK may still be possible though, I hope.

• My Classical Music Blog shall see a lot more Concert Reviews (which I keep more or less as a diary for myself), as there shall be a lot more concerts to attend in NYC.

Finally, I quote again from one of the entries cited:

This time I returned to find that my mother has hung a little buddhist pendant on my storage rack. On it is a saying:

需要的不多，想要的太多；需要的才要，想要的不重要；能要的才要，不能要不該要的絕對不該要。Needs are basic but desires know no boundary; 
Acquire only necessities, everything else being unimportant;
Acquire only what you have a right to, never what you could not or should not have.

Great advice for sick audiophiles, don't you think! Me? Well, I deeply understand but it is not yet time - to apply to audio, that is...

One Step at a Time...