Ear for detail

Audiophiles at a previous Headphone Connect meet

Listening, they say, is the most difficult of things. Yet, this rare quality is crucial to an audiophile. On Sunday, Mumbai will witness a large outpouring of individuals who share their love for music, technology and headphones converge at an Andheri venue for an audiophile meet-up, Headphone Connect, a community for headphone fans.

"An audiophile feels passionately about the music, but also cares deeply about the way it sounds and feels," explains Raghav Somani, CEO and founder, Headphone Zone. Somani's irritation at not finding the right headphones to listen to his favourite AR Rahman number led him to form his company in 2011, and the first event in 2015. Since then, he has discovered others who walk his path.

"Imagine a vintage car rally; everyone cares about the car you are driving. Your identity is defined as the person who owns a headphone, or a set up; not by your money or status," Somani says. The meet-up invites people to bring their own headphones and gear to share with others. From music to technology and debates, the forum allows participants to share their ideas and gear. Walk in to the event and you might find people tinkering with every kind of headphone set-up.

Deepak ‘Chuck' Gopalakrishnan, a content and marketing freelancer and an avid rock and metal music fan, was part of the first Mumbai meet. It offered him a chance to sample technology as well as understand the diverse qualities of equipments. "These meet-ups have helped me improve sampling different headphones, the tech, and what different people like about different headphones."

Raghav Somani

For Shanth Swaroop, ex-features writer at What Hi-Fi? magazine, the objective was to find a platform that allowed him to listen. "In India, you won't find a platform where you can experience music for the sake of experiencing it," he says. Meet-ups were a chance to listen to music on great products.

Both Swaroop and Gopalakrishnan believe that most Indians listen to music almost subconsciously. The absence of accessible equipment at an early age also means a lack of awareness of audio quality.

This is evidently changing. Somani says that he has noticed different temperaments among listeners from different Indian cities. "An audiophile in Bengaluru is often a nerdy tech person who gets hands on and technical with the product. They have no problem sitting with graphs and interpreting the sound quality based on the instruments." Mumbai, he adds, houses the more experiential buyer interested in sound quality, than the technology.

While the membership is growing - 120 people attended the Bengaluru meet-up earlier this month - it remains a niche community. Somani says, "These are people genuinely passionate about their creations, and always seek someone to share it with."

On: April 24, 10 am to 5 pm
At: The Leela, Andheri East.
Log on to: @headphonezone.in
Cost: Rs 999

On a record hunt

Vinyl lovers have a chance to up their game this Record Store Day on April 23. To celebrate the 15th edition this year, the Indian Record Store has curated a collection of records from different parts of India, with a special prominence to classical music. If you are a fan, collector, or enthusiast of vinyl records, this just might be the perfect time to look for some rare and precious collectibles at bargain prices.
Log on to: indiarecordco.in
Email: indiarecordco@gmail.com