My Philosophy
In short, my goal is to create systems which bring my customers closer to an original musical event, whether it be an opera, orchestral performance, jazz ensemble, or solo recital. To my mind, the true test of a system is whether music sounds reproduced or "live" when played through it - and I have spent years searching for the equipment which I feel most realistically reproduces the unique qualities of a live musical event. Some of the ways in which I benchmark a system's ability to recreate the original performance experience are on the basis of "audiophile" metrics such as transparency or dynamic range or tonal and timbral purity. But the real test is something much less well defined - something less scientific, less concrete...
When sitting at the Jazz Showcase, the Green Mill - or any of this city's many other fine jazz and blues venues - it's impossible for me to not tap my feet. Live jazz is infectious, and consuming. It overwhelms us with a desire to get up and dance. Even those of us, like myself, who make utter fools of ourselves when we do, nevertheless feel as if we'll explode if we sit still.
It is reactions of this nature - not the music itself - that I seek to reproduce in my own home, and in the homes of my customers. It is for this reason that I argue an exceptional system is not about accurately reproducing music, but rather bringing the experience of live music into one's home.
I have often remarked in the past to customers that "I don't sell stereo systems, I sell time machines." In fact, there are two distinct ways in which this statement rings true. On the one hand, a system from Symphony Sound is a time machine in that it allows you to travel to the Berlin Philharmonic and hear a historic recording of your favorite Beethoven symphony. Time and place have little meaning once you're seated in front of one of our systems. Travel the world, hop back in time, listen to music performed in different venues, recorded live, or in the studio. Musicians long since gone reappear at the touch of a button, or the drop of a needle. We can wind back time and allow ourselves to be enchanted once more by the sounds of Charles Mingus, Ella Fitzgerald, and Bill Evans... Of course, sometimes it's fun to just put on some good ol' rock and roll, and let 'er rip! I'm all for that - after all, how else is one supposed to jam to Jimi Hendrix, or Stevie Ray Vaughan?
A system from Symphony Sound is a time machine in another important, albeit different, sense. While it can bend time and place to your whim, a funny thing happens while you're listening: time stands still. Have you ever sat down after dinner to listen to some records, only to find that 20 minutes later it's 3 AM? Don't you love it when that happens?
Personally, I am far more passionate about music than I am about the equipment I sell. The electronics and loudspeakers I sell are a means to an end. Nevertheless, I am extraordinarily proud of the products I carry, for I believe they deliver exceptional performance and value. The systems I design are for the long haul. They are not inexpensive, but they are intended to last for years, and in many cases a lifetime. When it comes to products such as Wilson Benesch loudspeakers or Border Patrol electronics, it is understood that these products represent a final purchase.
Symphony Sound is not a high volume retail operation. I spend an enormous amount of time with each customer rather than going for the quick sale. I discourage on the spot purchasing decisions. The systems I design are customized to your needs and should be the result of thoughtful consideration on your part and mine.
I invite you to come by, put your feet up, close your eyes, listen... and let time stand still...
I don't know about you, but when I attend a performance by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, I leave the concert hall in a different state of mind. There is something electrifying, exhilarating, and moving about a live orchestral performance. It stirs one's soul.