Post #1 - about this blog

I used to think blogging was for nerds. Then I realised - I am a nerd. Or was a nerd, at least, until I was cured of my equipment addiction. Now my inner nerd has been suppressed and I just enjoy the music, not the shiny heavy stuff that makes deeper bass and a wider soundstage

So I created this blog. It is called the gentleman audiophile, because I associate gentlemanly behaviour with a few things, including

1. Politeness and respect
2. Knowledge, experience, wisdom
3. The connoisseur - the 'one who knows' - not just someone who wears a sharp suit and can manage a double-widsor on his own; not that. Rather, someone who understands how to listen, knows what works and what doesn't, and has decided to subsume the relentless quest for pseudo-perfection in favour of just listening, and enjoying
4. Not taking himself too seriously. Self-assured without being preachy.

Maybe it will become more clear as I post more and more. We will see ...

Let me dissect some of this.

Politeness and respect - Deep Sigh. Look at the Wigwam and the monkeys tossing shit around. Holy Zarquon the pink fish sometimes has its own poo-flinging sessions, especially when Wammers are displaced because the board is closed. It's a pub conversation without the fisticuffs; a gentleman drinks at the wine bar and savours the experience. I would rather sip my Lafite, or indeed London Pride, without needing to take it outside.

Knowledge, Wisdom - some people have it but can't express it. Some have an empty space for a brain but an overactive speech unit. Few indeed know how to talk, engage in dialogue, debate for the enjoyment of debate, proffer wisdom and insight and enjoy the exchange.

The connoisseur - I have a privileged upbringing. I can speak multiple languages, have travelled far and met many interesting people, eaten and drank much that is good, and realised there is excellence everywhere, in every discipline. There are parallels between the world of the audiophile and that of the chef and the sommelier; does it taste good, does it look good, is it well prepared, is it good value? The top chef knows his ingredients, how to prepare them, what ingredients display synergy, how they should be prepared to showcase each and yet combine into a whole. If you follow Zen you may know of 'mindfulness' and 'beginners mind' and how those concepts lend themselves to the pursuit of excellence; the connoisseur pays attention to what is happening around him and takes it in and evaluates it without prejudice but in the context of what he knows and has experienced.

Thus the connoisseur is a gentleman; polite, respectful, engaging, wise, passionate and attentive. And thus the gentleman audiophile should be the same. With knobs on.

So I've created this blog. You never know, it might catch on; or disappear into obscurity. But I'd like to change some attitude towards audiophilia, the pursuit of fine music in the home. And I'd like to do it from the perspective of a gentleman with a fine circle of friends who tend to agree with me - with wit, wisdom, and some insight.

I don't have a TV in my living room, just hifi and music. When I tell people this, and they are surprised, I have to remind them of something - whilst you can watch a film or a TV programme and become absorbed in it, it just engages your head, where music touches your heart. It's that simple; music touches your heart. That, and not the pornographic pursuit of equipment, is why I am a gentleman audiophile.