It’s become a tradition for Brian Ackerman, owner of Aaudio Imports, to invite RMAF attendees to visit his personal audio showroom. We were lucky enough to get invited along for this year’s fantastic event. To say Brian’s system is amazing is an outrageous understatement. From his room treatments, to seating, to lighting, Brian knows how to create the ultimate listing experience. Thank you, Brian for sharing your room with us! If you want a little taste of what we heard, check out this video.
Here’s a video of his personal showroom where he describes his system and room treatments, as well as gives us a taste of what his gear can do.
It was great to get to know one of our Featured Dealers (you can look him up on Audiogon here!) Now that you’ve seen his system, let’s get to know a little more about Brian.
AGON: What’s your favorite piece of gear in your current system?
Brian: Ypsilon SET100 Ultimate Amplifier
AGON: How did you become an audiophile?
Brian: I think I was born as an Audiophile.
My parents owned a great all tube system when I was growing up in upstate NY. When they were out working or on date nights I would invite my friends over and crank the system. We had the music piped into our basement so I would play the drums to the music to impress my friends.
I later enlisted in the Navy and traveled the world. We had these great duty free stores which sold all the latest and greatest audio and photo gear. I would save my paychecks for months while out at sea, and then once the ship pulled into port I headed straight to the duty free store to buy my stereo equipment and cameras.
My friends and family would put their orders in, and I would return to the states with all the new toys.
AGON: What advice can you give those who are new to high end sound?
Brian: The best advice I can give is to find a good dealer that you can trust and allow this dealer to work with you and guide you in making your system complete.
Go for the system aproach… Otherwise you may find yourself chasing your tail around and changing out your gear all the time.
Choose a dealer that’s up on the industry and has good experience setting up high end systems.
Ask for references from his customers.
AGON: Do you like to tinker with your “toys” or would you rather plug and play?
Brian: Honestly I don’t like to tinker so much with my systems. I prefer to set up the system properly the first time by paying attention to details.
I don’t mind tweeking the systems once everything is settled in and playing for several weeks to get a clear reference point.
I do believe that the fine tuning and tweeking is what makes a good system great, and thats where the real magic comes in.
AGON: What are your favorite recordings and/or favorite live music experiences?
Brian:
– James Taylor Live
– Rush Live
– Van Halen Live
– Fleetwood Mac Live
– Heart Live
AGON: What is your day job?
Brian: Importing and selling high end audio 24/7 (He’s telling the truth! Check out the Aaudio Imports website!
AGON: If you could have any other job than your own, what would it be?
Brian: Wildlife Photographer
AGON: Which artists have you or would you like to meet (living or dead)?
Brian: Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Elton John, Dido, James Brown, Melody Gardot, Seal, James Taylor, Sade, Eva Cassidy
AGON: If money and time were of no consequence, what would your dream audiophile evening be?
Brian: Having any famous recording artist listen to their music on my best in-home system.
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