From the workshop... #1
October 15, 2026
FROM THE WORKSHOP
Just some thoughts, etc.
Hi,
Just wanted to give you a heads up that each month we're going to put a few things in an email and drop it into your inbox (kinda like we just did). We'll include things like products we're working on, music we're listening to, and sometimes just stuff we like.
All will be written by me or another human being, and we'll try our best to make it worth your time. Best of all, we'll keep it short.
Thanks for signing up.
—Derek Sieg
Always Be Soulcrafting
I found this book 20 years ago, and it will always be a good, relevant read, because it's about the timeless, permanent qualities of being a human being, related to working with your hands but also just as living life with your hands—experiencing all of it that you can.
It's part of why I'm here now, building speakers by hand for people who are sitting deep into their chairs and listening to great music with their ears and hands and all the senses.
Listening-Session Ready
Just because a real, tangible record is awesome doesn't mean cruising a playlist on Spotify isn't also awesome.
We matched up our S14 speakers with this lovely little amp from WiiM. Stream from your phone, plug in a turntable, or all of the above (we say, all of the above).
From Ezra's Catalogue
Crowded House (1986)
For our inaugural newsletter, I’m starting with a record that has become my go-to when testing a new pair of speakers: Crowded House’s self-titled 1986 debut.
It’s a masterclass in production. Everything is exactly where it should be, and a great speaker system will bring every bit of it to life. Crisp, detailed highs, a beautifully smooth low end, and a sense of space that makes the whole recording feel effortless.
The opening chords of "Don’t Dream It’s Over" are all you need. That unmistakable intro will tell you pretty quickly what kind of system you’re listening to, and whether it’s doing the music justice.
This particular copy is an original 1986 US pressing on Capitol/EMI. And like a lot of mass-produced records from the ‘80s, they just about outshine anything. Sometimes the best audiophile experience isn’t an expensive reissue. It’s simply a great record, pressed right, played loud, and coming through a great pair of speakers.
–Ezra (@ezrocks)
Ezra Martin is a marketing executive and musician based in Copenhagen, where he spends a lot of his time jamming to deep cuts from the record collection he has been building for decades.
If you've got a record you dig, send it to us for a guest feature.
See you next month.