Welcome to Sound Invested

Music has always been a major part of my life. I started playing Piano at the age of 8, then the guitar when I was 12. I played in various rock bands in High School and College, though I decided not to pursue it as a career. But listening to music has always been high on my priorities, whether hearing it live in concerts or reproduced on my stereo system. How fondly I remember my life in High School and College, when it was an everyday occurrence to put on a few records either by myself or when visiting with friends.

I got serious about 12 years ago about setting up a home system that I found truly rewarding. I started visiting audio dealers, both where I live and whenever I traveled anywhere. I started reading the “audiophile” magazines like Stereophile and The Absolute Sound, scouring the reviews for ideas about equipment I might be interested in. I slowly acquired equipment (some great, some not so great) and my ideas and understanding about audio equipment evolved the more I learned and experienced.

I was fortunate to be able to afford some higher cost equipment, which I thoroughly enjoy. At the same time I have several friends and family members who were interested in getting a home system that elevated their musical enjoyment, but either couldn’t afford or didn’t want to spend the money that a lot of higher end equipment costs. I’ve accompanied them to dealers to listen to more affordable equipment and it’s been quite a revelation. While it is true that, in general, higher end gear does provide a better sound quality, today’s “entry level” environment is full of companies and products that provide truly rewarding musical experience at an attainable cost.

My goal here is to try and share my experience to help people in their search for a home setup they can enjoy. I’ll talk about the options available today – it’s no longer just about a simple stereo to play records, CD’s or listen to the radio. Today there is equipment that allows you to enjoy those things, as well as streaming music, listening to Internet radio stations from around the world, listen to those records or CD’s, have music available throughout the home, and integrate your music system with your movie and video systems. I’ll also recommend products that I think are worth consideration (disclosure: I earn a commission on any products purchased through links from my site).

My first recommendation? Enjoy the journey! Hopefully you’ll find the process of finding, researching and auditioning products to have in your home.