Meet Prasanth Padmakumar, a self- taught audiophile who, despite having no formal musical training, has developed a deep appreciation for high-quality audio equipment. Prasanth's journey began with his first pair of in-ear monitors, the original Mi Piston, which he purchased in 2014. As he began to take notice of the equipment and how it affected the sound of his music, he became increasingly interested in the audiophile world.
His love for audiophile gear solidified when he discovered the music of A.R. Rahman and listened to it through the Audio Technica ATH-M40x and FiiO Q1. From there, he began to explore different DACs, amps, headphones, and in-ear monitors, gradually building his collection over time.
Prasanth's favorite pieces of equipment include the Sennheiser HD 6XX, E1DA 9038SG3, and Roon + HQPlayer. He spends most of his time collecting high-quality lossless music, properly updating tags, and importing it into his library. He also keeps an eye on the market for new products with a strong value proposition, and when he finds something that interests him, he'll either upgrade or add it to his collection.
For those just starting their audiophile journey, Prasanth's advice is to start with a Moondrop Quarks DSP or similar, and then upgrade from there. He also suggests visiting an audio store to try out equipment before buying, creating your own bias and taste by reading, and not believing everything you read on the internet. Overall, Prasanth's audiophile journey is a testament to the joy and satisfaction that can come from exploring and discovering high-quality audio equipment.
