There’s something comforting about a system you know, and it’s easy to say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” And that’s not bad advice—there’s real value in living with a system long enough to understand it. To know what’s the room, what’s the cable, what’s the gear.
But sometimes, to move forward, you have to let go of what’s comfortable. The first time I heard a planar speaker, I had to unlearn everything I thought I knew about dynamic drivers. Same with direct-coupled circuits. Or power regeneration. Each one asked me to take a leap.
It doesn’t always work out, but when it does, there's a joy to it.
The trick is to balance your instinct with curiosity. Don’t chase every trend. But when something new speaks to you—when it sounds different, not just louder or brighter—give it a shot.
The tried-and-true got you here. But the best systems I’ve heard were built by people who listened first, and trusted their gut second.
Sometimes that means holding tight.
And sometimes, it means jumping in.
