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My Story

I am Douglas Blake, a retired electronics technician with over 40 years of experience. Whether I was working in pro-audio, office automation, computers, two-way radio or design, my real interests have always been in music and home audio.

My lifelong love of music was sparked by a small transistor radio my parents gave me as a Christmas present while I was still in grade school. Of course, at that age I had very little appreciation of sound quality but the music was captivating and I spent many happy hours listening to that little red radio.

My curiosity about electronics started when I came home from school one day to discover my father and my uncle elbows deep in our television set, swapping out tubes to get it working again. Watching them work and eventually complete the repair was nothing short of mesmerizing. I think I knew my career path right then and there.

In my early teens I began experimenting with speakers and radios. Much to my parent's chagrin I constantly took stuff apart and re-made it into new things. I was always trying to figure out how things worked and how to make them better.

As a high school student I would gather with my friends to play records, argue about music and talk about the stereo equipment we all wanted to buy. When one of us got a new album, we would all gather to hear it. When one of us got a new stereo or new speakers, we were all there to offer our opinions. It was musical fun and those after school sessions are burned into my memory as some of the best times of my life.

After finishing high school, I started my career in electronics by driving an egg truck.
I know, that doesn't sound right does it?
But in order to pay for college courses I took a night job delivering eggs all over Ontario's Niagara Region. When I graduated, I did a Friday > Monday transition from a job that left me terrified of potholes into my lifetime career in electronic repair and (eventually) design.

My involvement in the "audiophile" world rose from equally strange events. One night in the mid-1970s we were hosting a family dinner with my sister-in-law and her husband. He was just getting into an electronics career at the time, about a year behind me. Somewhere in the course of the conversation he had the temerity to tell me I didn't know what I was talking about. Of course that can't be left to stand, so I got busy. Starting with blank sheets of bristol board, almost 2 years later I ended up with a finished stereo system, Pre-amp, Power Amp, Equalizer, Speakers and Stands, all designed and built from the ground up. Needless to say, he never challenged me after that.

At the right is a 1978 photo of me with one of the speakers I built for the project. Unfortunately, no other photos of that system still exist.

Happily, shutting my brother in law up sparked a lifetime interest in home audio. I was pursuing better music and better sound quality. But since I am not rich, always at a budget friendly price.

As time marched on my little group's gatherings moved to coffee shops in the area and eventually to my friends homes. We had some truly interesting discussions about everything from new music to the inner workings of our systems. Projects, new systems and improvements were everywhere. Those gatherings, laced with copious amounts of beer and pizza, are still some of my fondest memories. There's just no better way to spend an evening than with good friends, good music and good food.

Over the years the original group has scattered. The audiophile world has changed. New technology has come along. Even music has changed. But my love of music and home audio persists.

These days I listen on a modest setup using relatively inexpensive components and a Home Theatre PC where all the magic happens. There is no need to spend huge amounts of money to get good sound quality. It is true that cheaper audio is getting better and better audio is getting cheaper.

Hence, this website. Please feel free to explore and Happy Listening!