Is this thing on?...

Welcome to the beginning.  I've started this blog with a few ideas in mind.  First of all, I would like to review audio equipment, both old and new, and pontificate wildly about my own biased beliefs surrounding audiophilia, and I presume to do so in a skeptical, reasoned manner.  

What does "reasoned" mean in this context?    

That's the hard part, isn't it?   I intend to review and evaluate "audiophile" equipment from a skeptical and hopefully rational perspective.   When I describe intangibles, I hope to point out that they are A). intangible and B). opinion.    I hope to be able to challenge a lot of the hokum, nonsense and pseudoscience that plagues the audio industry.

This necessarily makes enemies from the outset from certain manufacturers that depend on the hokum, and I expect little to no cooperation from them.   

From the outset, I won't be "reviewing" any speaker cables.  I will, however, point out why manufacturers are taking advantage of their customers (or not!), how their science is not sound (or is sound!), etc.  I won't be reviewing mpingo disks, tice clocks or cable lifts.  I won't argue analog vs. digital.   What I hope to do is be able to look at the core of an audiophiles system.   From the music itself in terms of recording quality and production, to the media devices, the amplification and, the most important part, the speakers. 

I hope to be able to enumerate the law of diminishing returns when it applies, and I won't partake in price shaming.  We all have different budgets, and we're all willing to pay what we're willing (and able) to pay.  Price will largely take a back seat here, except for when value is objectively terrible for the price.

I don't mind being challenged at all, and consider outside input a bit like "peer review," as no one person should be seen as authoritative on the subject.  Especially when much of what we listen to is so subjective to begin with.  I have my preferences, and surely you will too.