I found a wolf - a Fire Wolf.

When I turned my attention to China, the manufacturing powerhouse, I discovered a promising path forward. Over the past 30 years, China has undergone a remarkable transformation. What once was a low-cost manufacturing hub is now home to specialized services and high-quality products at competitive prices. Think Apple iPhones and Teslas, both of which rely on Chinese expertise for critical components.

With Fire Wolf’s expertise and collaborative spirit, the dream of Angelic Sound One feels closer than ever.

(Photo courtesy of Angelic Sound and Fire Wolf Audio Lab)

“If you spend enough time on a problem, you will solve it.”

This advice from Bruce Grundy, has stayed with me over the years. His words became a guiding principle, helping me tackle not only academic challenges but also broader obstacles in life. To me, it all boils down to grit - or, in another word, doggedness - when facing a difficult problem.

With that mindset, I embarked on a research journey to solve my speaker challenge. Along the way, I considered numerous options and undertook a rigorous selection process.

(Photo courtesy of Eton, Accuton, BlieSMa, Scanspeak, Seas & Morel)

As a self-described "practical audiophile", I’ve long dreamed of developing a pair of high-performance reference speakers that are also affordable. But what exactly defines "high-performance," and what counts as "affordable"?

To me, high-performance speakers should provide an immersive listening experience, one as close as possible to the feeling of being in a real-life setting. Affordability, on the other hand, means the speakers should cost no more than a quarter of what similar commercial, off-the-shelf models typically go for.

I’ve named the reference speaker ‘Angelic Sound One’.

(Photo: A performance by the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra in the Rudolfinum in Prague, Conductor Renaud Capuçon)