As an audiophile, I've always been on the lookout for the best listening experience that the world of music has to offer. I search for it and this time my quest led me to the culturally rich city of San Antonio, Texas, where I had the opportunity to visit Mops, owner of Quarter Note Acoustic and exclusive distributor of Sonor Audio loudspeakers in North America. These exceptional speakers are hand made in South Africa, showcasing the global nature of our shared passion. What awaited me was not only an auditory treat but also an unforgettable experience, filled with hospitality, music, teaching, laughter, and lifelong friendship.

Audio made this connection and the music and stories connect us, friends for life. Sonor Audio Claro 10.2 loud speakers.

Upon my arrival, I was wholeheartedly welcomed by Mops and his warm and friendly family. Their Texan and cultural hospitality made me feel part of their home. The main attraction of the visit was Quarter Note Acoustic's unique listening rooms, a haven for audiophiles. Equipped with state-of-the-art audio equipment and meticulously designed acoustic spaces, each room offered a distinct and immersive listening experience, transporting me into the heart of the music.

Sonor Audio Claro 6.1 loudspeakers integrated with mid tier HiFi gear including the Hegel H95 and MoFi turntable. Art by Mops Dayal, 2020.

During my stay, I had the privilege of attending the Oyster Bake Festival, a San Antonio staple celebrating music, food, and Fiesta. A highlight of the evening was Mothership, a Led Zeppelin cover band that took the stage and delivered a captivating performance. The energy was palpable, and although Plant, Page, Bonham and Jones weren’t onstage, it felt is if they were.

Another memorable experience was my visit to Roger's house, where I delved into the world of performance tuning and cable manufacturing for Quarter Note Acoustic. Roger's expertise in sonic testing and dedication to producing high-quality cables impressed me, I could spend hours talking with Roger and listening together. We did an analog-to-digital comparison of his Linn turntable (more notable was the end tone arm, cartridge, and PS Audio Phono Stage) to Jays Audio CD transport and R2R DAC. We agreed digital was sharp and crisper, my preference, to the smoother sounding analog system; listening taste is a preference. It's always a pleasure to connect with fellow enthusiasts who are equally passionate about the intricate details of audio and acoustics, and those who value other’s feedback.

While in San Antonio we connected with our Instagram community and shared time with our friend Cody Stant @cody_stant. It’s amazing who you meet when you say hello and share music, systems, and stories together.

Mops and I shared delightful morning walks, where we engaged in thought-provoking conversations about the elements of energy, water, fire, earth, and air. These discussions not only enriched my understanding of the world around us but also ignited a renewed appreciation for the harmony of nature and the role it plays in influencing our perceptions of sound and music. #GoodVibes

Sonor Audio Clareo 6.1 stand mount loudspeakers integrated into an entry level HiFi system.

Energy is not all I learned about in San Antonio, here are ten attributes of HiFi listening demonstrated to me:

1. Resolution, like the change in tone on the backstroke of a shaker compared to the forward. This is not recording resolution, like DSD, FLAC, or upsampling, but rather reproduction resolution.

2. Depth, does that low level trumpet 20 feet behind the recording mic sound like a trumpet, or violin? Can your system give you depth perspective without the visual cues as in a live performance?

3. Atmosphere, the ability to hear the space of a recording, like a studio, hall, or church. Associated with early reflections and reverberation time. (ambience)

4. Mid range tones can be distorted by cross over separation, blending is important. Refer to Folyd E. Toole, Sound Reproduction, 3rd Ed. The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of loudspeakers and rooms, characterizing loudspeakers.

5. Transparency, can you hear if the guitar is being plucked by a pick, fingers, or even a bow? Colouration is a change in sound from the source; consider a smoke screen or opaque glass blurring your view through a window, a transparent pane will show you the closest image to original.

6. Prescence, a saxophonist typically moves their body which impacts the distance from the recording microphone and the recorded sound of that instrument. Can you hear how the artist is moving?

7. Visceral impact is easily perceived in the dynamics of a percussion or orchestra. Not to be confused with the quantity of bass, but rather consider the range of a piano, from soft keystrokes to grand piano slam.

8. Focus is the ability to separate instruments or tones within a complex recording. Consider a flute in a orchestra playing with many other instruments, can you focus on that flute throughout the recording or does it become blurred?

9. Holographic imaging is the creation of dimensionality in a system, where sounds not only come from the left, right and phantom center, but also beside and behind the listening position.

10. Bass can be tight, exaggerated, or bloated, this is a function of the room, drivers, electronics, and subs. Often people confuse quantity with quality. watch this video

My friend Alex Foreman @hifi_collecting_with_alex says “resolution is being able to hear the fine details and transparency as how much the speaker or electronics add to the original signal.” You can have heaps of resolution with colouration.

As I eagerly anticipate the upcoming T.H.E. Show 2023, June 9-10-11 in Costa Mesa, California, I look forward to reconnecting with Mops, my school yard friend Emiko @thathifigirl and T.H.E. Ambassadors, Mike Leach @punkfloyd4eyes , Maritte Green @reatiepie , Daryl Sansevero @hifidadsocal , the OG Jiles McCoy @hometheaterfanatics . I look forward to many friendly faces at The Home Entertainment Show. These events are always a great opportunity to listen, learn, network, and celebrate our shared passion for music and audio gear. Audiophiles have interesting backstories.

Allow me to introduce myself: I am Scott Lylander, founder of AAE, and I am endlessly fascinated by the worlds of audio, acoustics, and engineering. It is my passion to bring people together through our shared love for music and the pursuit of the listening. I hope my journey to San Antonio has inspired you to explore the wonders of sound and music that this world has to offer.

Here are some recordings and artist I discovered with Mops in San Antonio: Qobuz Playlist