Into the Hifi: A New Journey Into the World of Sound

October 5, 2025

by David Parvey

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Where it All Began

My journey into high-fidelity sound began long before Into The HiFi was conceived. It started with those late childhood nights going to sleep to the sound of The Stones being pushed through Dad's Klipsch La Scalas, the guitar solos dancing up the stairs and knocking on our bedroom doors. It began with listening to Paul McCartney's Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) album from the tape deck of my parents poop brown Peugeot station wagon as we climbed Carolina mountain roads looking for camp sites to rest at for the night. It began with witnessing Dad and Mom's passion for live music, with them pulling us to countless concerts by the Stones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Fleetwood Mac, The Pretenders, the Allman Brothers, Anna Popovic, Johnny Winter, BB. King, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Johnson, the Wailin' Jennys, and the list goes on.  

 

Then, sometime after I finished college, Joe called me up and told me to saddle up, that Wolf Audio Systems— one of the first companies to design audiophile-grade music servers at a time when the idea of computer-based listening was just beginning to take hold–was to be launched. Wolf was Joe's brainchild, the result of years spent trying to convince Dad that he could build a computer that delivered comparable sound to CD, and dare I say vinyl, and once he finally built the system that stopped Dad in his tracks, Wolf Audio Systems was born.

At the New York Audio Show in 2016 — I snapped this photo of Dad (Fred Parvey) and Joe Parvey enjoying a Scotch on the first night after debuting the Wolf Audio Systems Red Wolf server. Sadurni Acoustics Miracoli horn speakers can be seen in the background.

The family passion for sound and engineering paid off quickly: Wolf was profiled in The Absolute Sound, earned A+ Recommended Component status in Stereophile Magazine, and was celebrated across the industry with awards and “Best Sound” recognition at shows in Denver, New York, Chicago, Washington, California, and Florida.

 

But beyond the accolades, Wolf Audio Systems was our gateway — not only into a new business, but into a world that had always captivated us: the HiFi community.

At the New York Audio Show in 2016 — my “office” was the bathroom of our hotel showroom. While attendees listened to the Wolf Audio Systems Red Wolf server for the first time, I was tucked away building our website and printing brochures .
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Many HiFi companies narrow their market by speaking only to existing audiophiles—people who already understand the jargon, the specs, and the language of the industry.

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The People Who Shaped the Journey

Through Wolf, Joe and I received the satisfaction of witnessing Dad meet the legends — the very people he had spent decades reading about and admiring. Giants like David Berning, Bascom King, John Curl, Bob Carver, and Richard Schram, all of whom helped shape modern high-end audio. Some of these pioneers even purchased Wolf servers for themselves, a mark of respect that meant more to us than any review or ribbon.

 

For Joe, it became a full-time pursuit. For me, it was both familiar and foreign — I worked on the visual and narrative side, producing videos, product photography, marketing materials, and copywriting. Yet I didn’t immerse myself in the technical heart of the gear. I was always near the sound, but never in it. That’s what I’m changing now.

When Bob Carver Corp encountered a devastating setback, Wolf Audio Systems came to the rescue with their Alpha 3. In this video, Frank Malitz and Fred Parvey discuss their journeys into digital audio servers, explaining why they are now believers. 

The Spark that Started Into the Hifi

Fast forward a few years after the launch of Wolf, and in 2018, when Joe purchased House of Stereo in Jacksonville — our hometown shop and a landmark my father had been one of the first customers of in 1969 — it closed a beautiful circle in our family’s story. But the experience also revealed a glaring truth about the HiFi industry:

 

Many HiFi companies narrow their market by speaking only to existing audiophiles—people who already understand the jargon, the specs, and the language of the industry.

 

That assumption leaves millions of passionate music lovers out of the conversation.

People who love music but have never experienced what it feels like to hear it properly.

People who think their Bose system or AirPods represent the pinnacle of sound quality — not realizing that there’s an entire universe of listening beyond it.

 

That gap — between consumer audio and true high-fidelity sound — is what Into the HiFi exists to bridge.

Shortly after Joe acquired House of Stereo, the building it occupied was sold, forcing him to find and renovate a new home for the store. Here he is in 2022, inspecting the progress of one of the new showrooms taking shape—a glimpse of the next chapter in House of Stereo’s long legacy.

The Vision

Into The HiFi is a journey, a learning experience, and a celebration of everyone who builds, sells, designs, and listens to hifi audio.

 

I aim to demystify the world of HiFi — to show how accessible and thrilling it can be, whether your budget is a few hundred or many thousands of dollars.

 

We’ll highlight the gear, the people behind it, and the culture that drives this passionate industry.

 

We’ll feature shops, designers, manufacturers, and enthusiasts around the world who all share the same goal: to bring listeners closer and to hear music in its purest form.

This is an AI generated image I prompted of a man in his mid-to-late 30's on a European train listening to a pair of Focal headphones. Original and real content to come!

The Mission Ahead

For me, Into The HiFi is both an embarkation and a return — a way to finally dive into the technical and emotional depths of an industry I’ve brushed up against for years but never fully explored.

 

I’m not coming in as the expert. I’m coming in as a student, on a journey to understand what makes great gear great — how it’s built, how it works, and why it matters.

 

I’ll travel, meet the makers, film their processes, and share the philosophies behind their designs. We’ll listen together, learn together, and help others find their path into the HiFi.

 

The goal is simple:

 

For aspiring audiophiles: to guide you step by step into the world of better sound.

 

For seasoned listeners: to celebrate the shared obsession that keeps this community alive.

 

For everyone else: to remind you that music can sound better than you ever thought possible.

 

Closing Thoughts: The Soundtrack of a Lifetime

My family has always measured life in music — from the Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac to B.B. King and Dylan, from live blues shows to nights falling asleep to dad’s stereo.

 

That legacy continues here, but this time with purpose: to bring more people into the same kind of joy and connection that has defined our lives.

 

So whether you’re just starting to wonder what “HiFi” really means, or you’ve spent decades perfecting your system — welcome.

 

You’re already Into the HiFi.

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