Joe Lencioni

He spent his life building a $1 million stereo. The real cost was unfathomable.

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by

Joe Lencioni
in

Imagine devoting your life to building a stereo, and in the process ruin your relationship with your entire family.

Devoted to sound, he often seemed not to listen.

Only to finally complete it and then be diagnosed with ALS and die a few years later.

And when people listen to it, they can’t tell if it is actually great or not.

I was rooting for a man who had devoted his life to this system. I wanted it to sound better than any other. Even if I really couldn’t tell.

Was it truly “wow?” Or merely loud?

What a complete tragedy.

He spent his life building a $1 million stereo. The real cost was unfathomable.

4 responses to “He spent his life building a $1 million stereo. The real cost was unfathomable.”

  1. [MARX_IN_SPACE] Avatar
    [MARX_IN_SPACE]

    @lencioni I like decent hifi but no doubt a lot of audiophiles are unhealthily obsessive about the hobby. It gets very expensive very quickly (the brands play into this imo) and I can see how it can spiral, forever chasing diminishing returns. That was a fascinating but ultimately tragic and cautionary read. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Joe Lencioni Avatar
      Joe Lencioni

      Totally agreed! I am so curious to know what this thing sounded like too.

      Reply
  2. Robbie G Avatar
    Robbie G

    Nothing wrong with going in deep on a hobby, or involving your kids in it. This story is a good reminder, though, that kindness and forgiveness are important, even when it’s difficult. I can’t imagine being estranged from a loved one.

    Haven’t watched it yet, but found the documentary his son made:
    https://youtu.be/4b2IOOhJmxw

    Reply
    1. Joe Lencioni Avatar
      Joe Lencioni

      Kindness and forgiveness, yes! Great takeaways Rob. Thanks for the youtube link, I’ll check it out.

      Reply

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