Who am I writing for?

NY Diary (20-6): Who am I writing for?

New Feature: With this article, I have instigated a new feature. There will be a new series blog-labeled as Classical Music - Basic Repertoire. Each will introduce a piece or two of music. Instead of being full-blown articles, each will be a short capsule appended at the end of some, but not all, new articles. Incrementally, I hope to cover quite a bit of "basic" repertoire, which is admittedly different for everyone.

This Blog is in its 13th year, and I am still asking that question.

Even as the blog inches closer to a million "Unique Visitors" (take it with a large grain of salt), I ask: Who is my "client"? Well, judging from the most-read posts, the answer can be surprising, even sobering. Anyone, really, usually referred by a search engine. I do think most have a small budget and are researching affordable gear. Some of the most popular posts are: my Overview of Integrated Amps, my sole article on a vintage Rotel solid state amp, both written a long time ago, near the inception of the blog; and, more recently, the article on Schiit Saga. That fits the "cheap" but not the "tube" part of the blog's admittedly idiosyncratic namesake and declared mission. Mind you, that doesn't bother me at all. In fact, the opposite, I am very happy that so many people find them helpful!

Not even knowing who my "clients" are, where is my business model? For sure, I don't have a business model. If I did, I'd have accepted ads long ago, and who doesn't want to make a few bucks? But when I think of ads from manufacturers that I don't like (OK, one can block those) or know little about, I frown. I got curious enough at one point that I almost wanted to let ads in for a while, just to see what would appear, but I let that thought go. Although far from the far left, and not overly hostile to big business, I do disdain advertisements for their forced intrusions into our lives (if you live in HK, a mandatory survival skill is to mentally block out ads). Now, on the internet you have to pay to stop seeing ads, kind of perverse, don't you think?

Come to think of it, though I am a tube and vintage aficionado, I lack even an audio model, which I believe is pivotal in my achieving the sound that I like. To explain, many vintage aficionado believe doggedly in "the older the better" but usually the sound gets more and more subtractive in nature - one has to use everything at one's disposal, vintage or modern, to get the best sound. This is also why I have surprisingly dabbled in quite a number of solid state devices, and expensive stuff that are certainly not "cheap" (as some readers have taken me to task for that). Some of my friends only buy desirable vintage, so as they can increase in value and let them make money, but I have always allowed myself quite a bit of leeway. It is OK to occasionally buy something that loses value quickly, if that is what brings you instant, if not sustained, gratification. We learn from our mistakes, and if one doesn't make mistakes, one doesn't learn. One learns more from mistakes than from research, I remain convinced.

The blog has gained enough traction for me to regularly get solicitations to increase traffic, but what for? I write about everything, whatever I think of at the moment, but, from comments posted, I do think there is a small subset of readers who read the blog regularly as a webzine, and these are the readers I most value. And they are not my friends, rather strangers, as, aside from Andy, most of them are too busy in DIY or hunting over Ebay to bother with my blog. This is actually fascinating, and gratifying, to me. If you ask me, I may be a bit verbose, and compulsive in detailing my own workings. What I write is actually very useful to me, as I sometimes check back as notes when in doubt, but I always wonder how much the articles will be useful to others. But then, if I think about my reading trade magazines, there is stuff I will skip but also stuff I'll read just for curiosity (an example is Art Dudley on Shindo amps, which I have no interest in, though I like their preamps). Another thing is, my beliefs and ways are voluminously, and nakedly, displayed over time, so readers can get to know me, and decide for themselves whether what I say is of any value.

I instigated the Buying Classical Records series basically to fulfill the need of a reader. It is time consuming, and I doubt there will be many readers, but it actually has been something on the back of my mind for the longest time, so I am glad it has come to fruition. I was pleasantly surprised that I got another comment on the first article, so now I have at least two readers - good enough! After this series, which will take a good while, I may embark on a Buying Classical CDs series, as I think it is a niche that will grow in value.

Whoever you are, I welcome you.


Sent by an audiophile friend. Caption says "The Secret to Coronavirus Prevention". A reader has informed me that the original illustration is by Ilya Milstein. Someone blanked out the bookcase and replaced it with the Chinese slogan. 

What am I waiting for? Man in the Holocene

By the time you are my age, mortality weighs in. More so, given the current Wuhan Coronavirus situation. As a professional who had weathered SARS in HK, I salute the heroism of medical workers everywhere, particularly in China. Like the police and firemen, they put their lives on the line for us, and no respect is ever enough. Everyone in the world is indebted.

Of course, there is panic around me, but not that much. Mind you, regular readers know that I live in New York City (in Flushing, with a large Chinese population). There is definitely less people on the streets, not to say in indoor gathering spaces, like restaurants (which are closing by the dozens in HK). Where are they? Likely staying at home as much as possible, not a bad idea. But I still go to the library every day, and read my dose of newspapers and magazines. Incidentally, of the hundreds of magazines there, not one is on audio. We are forgotten, but perhaps we are as narcissistic as fashionistas.

Many years ago, Swiss writer Max Frisch wrote Man in the Holocene, about erosion, encroachment and other questions that are just as relevant today. It is likely available at your local library. It seems, like the protagonist, we are all waiting for something - or something better. A new tomorrow, will it arrive? We will never be disease free, and the current episode, like it or not, shows the world how fragile the freedom of movement we take for granted is. Meanwhile, populism, isolationism, trade wars and simplistic slogans all hurt more people than they satisfy. Both the Right and Left have gone farther than far. That leaves us gasping, and perhaps more people now resort to wishful thinking and gambles in the decisions of their lives. But all that is perhaps not important next to the destruction of the planet by pollution and climate change.

I am proud of my green credentials. I go green with all my statements, have bought only one pack of paper in the last twenty years, and I don't own a printer. If there is something I must print out, I do so at the library. When I worked at the University in HK, I was stunned by the amount of paper wasted in a day, and together with my boss' secretary organized recycling through an outside company. I still don't own a car. I almost never order a take-out. I use a reusable bag when shopping. I use a handkerchief instead of tissues (Hanky vs tissues). One of my few sins is to operate inefficient tube amps. My flea powered amps don't waste so much electricity and, yes, I frown upon high-powered tube amps, for sonic as well as environmental reasons. And yes, I frown upon equipment chassis carved out of a big block of aluminum. And yes, I mostly buy second-hand, which is where most of my LPs and CDs come from. Maybe it is about time for someone to organize an audiophile group for change. When I read Jeff Bezos donated 10 million to fight climate change, I was actually surprised, because I have always regarded Amazon (and internet shopping and shipping in general) as a big polluter (sure enough, there is this critique). I have to confess I buy things from the internet too, but not too often. I actually wonder, all these activists, do they use tissue, buy from the internet and order take-out's? I bet they do it a whole lot more than I do! We need fundamental changes to our lives of instant gratification.

Whoever we are, we are not doing enough.

Since you have made it so far, I have something for you. This is a new feature. It is too tiring to write a Classical Music Basic Repertoire series, so from now on I'll just introduce music piecemeal at the end of various articles. This will have its own Blog Label: Classical Music Basic Repertoire. I'll start with two pieces everyone likely knows.

Basic Repertoire: Pachebel's Canon and Albinoni's Adagio

Pachebel's Canon (wiki) is one of the most famous cross-over tunes. Even if you don't know the name, you have heard it before. As mentioned, it first gained prominence after the Erato recording by Jean-Francois Paillard and his chamber orchestra, but it gained the highest ground after RCA licensed the music. I have always like Paillard's musicianship (very good in Bach too). The RCA version is often seen in dollar bins. However, good as the Paillard is, my favorite version is that by Karajan, actually issued before the RCA in 1973. Here, the lush Karajan sound takes the music to another dimension. Purists today will decry the romanticization, but I think the (simple) music can take it, and I usually prefer historically informed performances for baroque music! Beware that Karajan, as was his wont, re-recorded it digitally in 1984, and that performance and recording were not up to the earlier analog effort.

Albinoni's Adagio (wiki) The Pachebel has a peaceful and stately grace, which cannot be said about Albinoni's Adagio, to which it is often coupled on records. This piece gained traction long before the Pachebel, as you can see in the wiki entry the long list of films that have used the music. Again, Karajan for me is better than anyone here, turning the melancholia to perfection. It is like a film by itself! So, in this recording, you get the best of both. Two weeks ago, I came across it in the dollar bin and just had to buy it again. Listening to it was just like the first time - I never tire of it.

Below are youtube's of these 2 pieces. The Pachebel is from 1973. The Albinoni is only available from 1984 (at 11:47 even slower than 1973). And while researching, I came across this lovely Doors version that I never knew about (and I have 3 Doors CDs). Great!