Audiophile on the Generational Edge, Part 1 of 2: An Interview with Aaron Sherrick of “Now Listen Here”

As Dagogo’s International Correspondent, I have made my way around the world of Hi-Fi figuratively and literally. Whenever I travel, I try my best to attend Hi-Fi shows, visit Hi-Fi and/or record shops to obtain a first-hand look and feel as to what’s going on out there in Hi-Fi world as both a hobbyist and an analyst.

Over the years I have recognized the growing generation chasm in the realm of Hi-Fi. It is global and not something that can be tied to a particular culture or geography. This year, with my publisher’s blessing, I decided to do my part to bridge this chasm by commissioning pieces by members of the younger generations to have them share their perspectives with the rest of us. Just recently Grover Neville shared his Swiftian Adventures. I will also be interviewing Gen ‘Xers, Millennials/Gen ‘Ys and Gen ‘Zs to get to the heart of matter. Readers are encouraged to comment at Dagogo.com

Aaron Sherrick is my first interview subject in the series, and definitely not the last. Aaron lives on the generational edge, caught between being a Gen ‘Xer and a Millennial. You’ll get to know more about Aaron from the interview. One added fact, which was alluded to is that Aaron and Jessica Sherrick have taken their passion for Hi-Fi one step further by purchasing their very own Hi-Fi dealership Now Listen Here in Central Pennsylvania.

Aaron Sherrick: Wired for AXPONA

DB: What is it that attracted you, Aaron, as a millennial/Gen ‘Xer to HiFi as a hobby and now as a profession?

AS: At an early age I recognized and cared about the quality of things and the experiences they created. This was perhaps never more apparent to me than the difference between a TV’s built-in speakers and a surround sound system. This served as my gateway drug to the world of hi-fi. However, it was still a couple years until I had my first, true hi-fi experience at a dealer near my university. The salesman knew I was a poor college student that couldn’t afford most of what that they sold, but nevertheless he gave me a tour and then sat me down in front of a pair of Magnepan speakers driven with Classé electronics. That was it! I had to have it…once I graduated college, got a job, and started making money!

The opportunity to purchase a Hi-Fi store was indeed fateful. I had been looking to become more involved in my local Hi-Fi community and the industry at large, so when the existing Now Listen Here shop came up on the market, I jumped at it. Here in my own Central Pennsylvania neighborhood, I’d be able to make an impact, where are there so few options for people to tangibly experience Hi-Fi, so they could reach out and touch, and hear gear for themselves. It is my intention to create an environment, fostering new prospective audiophiles.

I toyed with the notion of owning and operating a Hi-Fi shop but didn’t think it would be something I’d get to until my semi-retirement years. That being said, I never thought I would be starting up a new business fresh out of college as well.

DB: What is it like when you attend shows?

AS: My first show was Capital Audio Fest in 2017. While this show is smaller and considered one of the most friendly and approachable, it was still overwhelming. Fortunately, I was familiar with the process of demoing equipment from visiting dealers. Had I not been, the prospect of moving from one dimly lit, sometimes pungent room to the next, listening to systems with a group of complete strangers, would have been an even more bizarre occurrence. It must not have been that …, because I came back the next year to CAF and doubled down by attending AXPONA 2019 earlier this year. Often, I heard people in the exhibit room ill-suited to be making introductions to the uninitiated into the hobby of Hi-Fi.