Welcome to the web site and blog for Audio Addiction Australia. We import and retail unique home audio components that we believe offer excellent value for money and outstanding audio performance. Every piece we sell is auditioned and heavily scrutinised before we sell it in Australia. On this site you will find not only information and updates concerning our products but we will also be telling you about our favourite music and articles about the music and the amazing effects it can have on the human spirit.
I have always been interested in music. I have literally been surrounded by music my whole life. I have very fond memories of listening to my father's record player and being amazed at the incredible sound that could be pushed out of those very large box shaped speakers. My grandfather was a radio engineer (considered an electronics engineer these days) so there were always turntables being amplified through old traditional amplifiers and large single driver speakers. The sound was bigger than life back then and even though it wasn't perfect, it did have a life to it that has left a lasting impression on me.
My Grandfather testing a speaker driver - circa 1941
The appreciation of listening to live music also started at home - with the constant instrumental playing of my mother and sisters. Instruments ranged from a traditional piano to classical guitars, banjos, bazouki and mandolins. There was never a shortage of music in my family home. Two of my sisters are classically trained pianists so the influence this has had on me is quite strong.
From this beginning, music has always been a very big part of my life and at the age of about 20 I found myself becoming more interested in getting the best out of reproduced music. Through purchasing and listening to as many different systems as possible, I believe I found something special in the Red Wine Audio amps and DAC's. I then got into utilising more sensitive speakers and that is where brands like Omega and WLM have come into the picture. With sensitive speakers comes the possiblity of using low powered tube amps and so Trafomatic have joined us. I am the type of person who wants to hear not only the fine details but I really want to feel the emotional content of the music. For this reason you will find that the products we sell follow the path of transporting you to the emotional core of the music. Music for me is all about the connection between the listener and the musicians - nothing in between.
I sell what I believe offers a great balance between high performance, great value for money and outstanding customer service from the manufacturer. If there is an issue or if you have questions about anything you purchase from us, we can speak directly to the director of the company within 12 hours.
If you have any questions or would like to contact us through email or I can be contacted on 0438 441 205.
Tony Schmidt
About Audio Addiction Victoria
"Without music, life would be a mistake." Most of us would echo the sentiments of Nietzsche, regarding music and the impact (emotional, spiritual & for those who love heavy metal even physical) it can have on us and I am no different. We enter into this world of high fidelity because our love of music has opened the door.
I grew up surrounded by music whether it be the daytime play of stomping out the tunes of Abba with mum, or falling asleep to the screeching sounds of dad’s flute students. My own path into the study of music began as a four year old on an ancient (1870’s) piano and has continued to this very day.
My own passage into the world of high fidelity began when dad took me along to a hi-fi show in Melbourne (“as a second pair of ears”). Dad was looking for a new pair of speakers so you can imagine the excitement he must have been feeling. Some of that may have rubbed off onto me, but the main thing I remember was that music could sound really good (sorry dad), as in really really good. I don’t remember any brands, I don’t remember any of the displays, I simply remember sitting in the middle of the room with my eyes closed listening. The vendor told dad “this kid has really good ears,” dad told me that the vendor was sucking up hoping to get a sale. I remember thinking that it had nothing to do with my ears and everything to do with the music coming out. Looking back, that was one of many moments I’d been bitten by the love bug.
We all have our stories, the journeys our love of music has led us on. Mine has led me here to Audio Addiction. It’s one thing to love music but in this world of grown-ups we play at, it’s another thing to mortgage the house to satiate our desires. It is easy to bandy the phrase ‘parity-pricing’ around, like it is simply the latest trend, but we can lose sight of the fact that it is this ‘new way of doing business’ that allows Audio Addiction to offer products that truly define ‘high value’. Having auditioned some of the products on offer before jumping on board it is clear that Tony has chosen carefully the brands Audio Addiction represents. Music comes first. That’s the easiest way to sum up Audio Addiction’s approach: Music that is presented in all its musicality from products that punch way above their weight regarding price/performance.
I am truly delighted to become the Victorian Representative of Audio Addiction. I look forward to getting to know you and sharing some great music perhaps over a glass of red. If you are in Victoria and are interested in an audition, give me a call. I’d love to be a part of the next step in your journey.
I can be contacted on email or on 0432 485 099
I can be contacted on email or on 0432 485 099
James Hornby
About Krispy Kables (NSW Representative of Audio Addiction Products)
I studied music at school, completed my piano AMEB grades, and studied at the Australian Institute of Music. My favourite genre is opera music, hence the search began for a top performing system that would give me my musical fix. Headphones were the obvious starter choice based on the cost/benefit value of them. Chasing even more performance, I began making my own cables in 2007 when an upgraded headphone cable I sought at the time didn't exist at a reasonable cost. This marked the start of my cable manufacturing business Krispy Kables. Being such a niche, it was natural this progressed into hifi components.
Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ~Berthold Auerbach
After selling various components for some time, I was still chasing something with that x-factor. I found it when I was introduced to the single driver speakers from Hoyt-Bedford. As soon as I heard them I knew they were a product that represented such great value and performance, that it was only a matter of getting people to hear them and they would sell themselves. It gives me pleasure to be able to sell the high quality brands that Audio Addiction carries, because it's so easy to stand behind the product. If you're in Sydney and are curious, please don't hesitate to call or email me so we can arrange an audition - your place or mine.
