"I've always been involved in music, in one form or another. As a kid I was put in choirs, and although I didn't enjoy it, its probably what started my interest in listening and creating music. There was a short scale electric guitar that was always beating around my house; it usually only had a string or two, but that was enough that I could sit with it across my lap and hunt for notes. I also had a practice set of drums but I only used the high-hats and cymbals because I couldn't stand the sound of a stick whacking off a rubber pad.

The first stereo I ever had was this little 10 watt mini system that I got as a gift. I picked up a few CDs (blood sugar, smash, and nevermind), and I remember playing them and putting them up against my dads stereo tape player. I was blown away with the crisp clear sound that digital provided; it wouldn't be until much later that I would realize what analog, with a cup of coffee, had to offer.

I uprooted from home and over 4 years did a degree in psychology at Mount Allison University. My main interest was in a subfield other than that of sensation and perception, but I absorbed everything that I could pertaining to auditory perception and processing. Unknowingly, this is what would later give me my foothold in audio design.

Throughout all this, I continued writing music, and had the opportunity to perform in groups with some very talented musicians. This gave me a greater appreciation of superior sound quality and further refined my taste in music. It wasn't until I met up with Rich, who i hadn't seen in a couple years, that I was truly amazed with the realism and transparency that a great loudspeaker could provide (it was as if a veil had been lifted, which revealed gobs of prat). That original design, known to us as "the coasters", is essentially what fully immersed me into hi-fi. "

Email I ross@areaudio.com I Back to ABOUT ARE