The Magic in the Bottle
A few years ago, a prospective client asked me why he should consider hiring us to engineer his theater room for high performance. He explained to me that he was adding this theater on the behest of his family (some of whom were in the film industry), but that he, himself, “didn’t know from average” when it came to audio and video quality.
Just as I was getting ready to hop on my technical and authoritative “high horse,” I stopped myself, recalling that a very nice wine cellar was being planned for the home. “Sound is like fine wine,” I suggested. “When we first experience wine, we usually won’t know the difference between an average bottle and a very good one. But, as we continued to explore wines and learn to discern the attributes of our favorites, our enjoyment of wine grows.”
I asked, “Would you ever want to go back to that time when you did not know the difference?” As we continued on with the project (we were hired), I would recommend acoustics and equipment, sometimes falling back in the habit of getting on my technical “high horse.” That’s when my client would stop me and say, “Sam, is this the fine wine?”
People have things they love and pursue in their lives, things that add vibrancy and joy to life. There are many such pursuits. Fine art, automobiles, fine wine… The wine analogy is of particular interest because along with the joy of the wine is the greater pleasure of a shared experience.
