David Blumenstein

My professional career spans many fields: Publishing, Financial Services, Advertising/Media, Venture Finance & Strategic Development for both emerging and later stage companies. Intertwined, in all of these endeavors was and continues to be technology, and through all these twists and turns my passion and interest in HiFi, Audio and Music helped me maintain my sanity. I have to thank my uncle in the Merchant Marines for leaving behind my first stereo system: a Tandberg TR200 receiver, Nakamichi 500 top loading cassette deck and a pair of Wharfedale Denton 2XP speakers. From then on I was hooked and bought, sold, owned, and traded more gear than I would hazard to list. With all my travel over the years, I have had to make compromises and learn to adapt to all different physical situations with respect to my systems. Sometimes money was no object, other times I had to focus on value for money and now it would appear that the latter has become the focus of a lot more enthusiasts. Now, it is both possible and conceivable for “killer” systems to be relatively affordable, and this I find really intriguing. You would think that from country to country, that HiFi cultures are similar, and on surface level, but scratch a bit deeper and the differences become readily apparent: the distributors, the dealers, and the enthusiasts. I have spent many years now observing and analyzing the health and future of the HiFi industry. Trust me, it neither gets dull or boring.