Hello all, allow me to introduce myself. I am typically internet and forum shy.  I like to read and not comment. I guess I felt it was worthwhile to break my own internal rules and share my audio experiences and how that ties to Steve and Decware even though I have not ever owned Decware equipment.

When I was first married my wife and I lived in Lincoln, Illinois, about 40-45 minutes from Peoria.  We were poor and budget conscious.  My music passion was alive and well but my ability to spend money on new equipment was practically nil.  See, I started designing and building speakers in my father’s cabinet shop when I was around 12. I had some stinkers, but they were mine and I was proud of all my successful ideas and the bad ones.  Moving ahead to Illinois, we bought our first computer, paid for dial up service and I was on my way to the World Wide Web of audio equipment, I mean what else was the internet for, if not audio research, right? I came across an interesting site devoted to the thrill of music playback, vacuum tubes and unique speakers. This site even took the visitor on a tour of a basement bass horn.  I was hooked (Thanks Steve!). I called up this crazy maven, Mr Deckert, asked if I could come by for a visit and talk with him.  He obliged and I was off.  We spent several hours in his audio room, his workshop and he took all kinds of time with this idealistic and penniless young man.  He made audio fun. I couldn’t wait to achieve what Steve had in his room and with his ideas.  

Life took me in different directions. I worked part time for an audio store in Normal, IL, then opened an audio consulting business, then I joined the Air Force and away I went to Edwards, AFB. I never forgot Steve (I was that odd guy who printed all of his articles, put them in a book and poured over them). While active duty I was trained as an electronic tech, built another set of speakers and kept audio as fun as I could.  When I was in the midst of designing what I thought would be an amazing speaker I discovered some European speaker brands and arranged to be their North American distributor at the end of my active duty term.

I had a blast bringing in lines from Europe, showing at CES and RMAF.  We had great press coverage and garnered some accolades along the way.  I lost the business due to a theft after CES 2009. We had to start over, I got a job back at Edwards AFB as a civil servant.  I had a decent stereo out of the kindness of my friends in the industry but I found I wasn’t listening. Nearly 10 years went buy and I was struggling to enjoy my favorite past time.  

I have since taken job in Maryland, traded my high power amplifiers for some vacuum tube equipment and connected it all to the last pair of speakers I had that I used to represent.  I expected wonderful things, and it was, mostly.  The sound was nice enough but not spectacular, like I had hoped. Last Thanksgiving I built a set of transmission line speakers for a nice set of 4” full range drivers I bought.  I thought it would be a fun project. The sound was terrible.  I cut the box down three times to arrive at something that was listenable.  In frustration I searched around for some inexpensive 4” drivers to toss in the boxes for a garage system, or in the burning pile they go.  

I installed these $25 drivers and found they sounded pretty darn good in the enclosures.  I had some work to do to make them fit perfectly so I put the project on hold….until two weeks ago, when a friend came by to see how I was recovering from neck fusion surgery and I decided to get them running and my rediscovery of Steve Deckert’s audio “mavenry”.  I am now listening to these unfinished speakers with clamps holding the drivers in place. They are crossoverless and are making some of the sweetest music I have ever heard (not it isn’t the after affects of the pain meds:-) ). I pulled out my spl meter and RTA meter and compared the these glorious mistakes to the expensive speakers I used to import, I have a smoother in room response and better defined bass than I was getting from the imports.  And I am listening around 55-65dB.  I don’t need to go louder.  

So what I want to say is, 1. Follow an honorable dream or fanciful idea because you never know where it will lead you and that journey is/will be incredible

2. The joy of having a 3d soundstage, some of the best, most natural sound  I have heard come from a total investment of around $200 and time proves that more money buys more expensive things and not necessarily what we want.  (The speakers I am using as a reference are many many many times more expensive than my mistakes)

3. Thanks Steve for being there when I was broke and needed inspiration and the fire 20+ years ago and thanks for being here now when I needed that inspiration and fire again!

Very cool story, really get the feel of it. Glad you found your way back here, enjoy!
Bilyeaux

Welcome!  For an internet and forum shy person, you write so eloquently.  You remind me of someone in this forum who posts, shares his experience and teaches all of us frequently  :).  I am like you but not eloquent!
Bob

@kulafu, thanks! I may post more, I enjoy the camaraderie and sharing music and the joy of the hobby. Thanks for being supportive and the compliment.

@Brian, I have backed away from engaging online. There are so many opinions and while online it seems that angry anonymity relieves respectable decorum at the keyboard in many forums. It is nice that DECWARE fosters a community that espouses the thrill of the audio experience (both music and the equipment).

@Bilyeaux and Geno, thank you. It is nice to be enjoying the hobby again in a way that is reminiscent of when I was an adolescent. You guys are all having fun and not taking any of this too seriously. If we are moved, emotionally,  the music has done its job:-).

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Best Regards,

DRB

Welcome to the forum DRB. Great story and I am so thankful for Steve and the Decware team and all the forum members. Hoping all have a great weekend with a lot of thankful family and friend. Happy listening, Chris.