We're already in September and we're close, very close, to HifiCafé's first anniversary!

As you know, this has been a very personal project. That of a person who, suddenly, believed that those of us who enjoy music and the equipment that allows us to listen to it deserved a clean, pleasant, and positive space to share our hobby and continue learning non-stop. A space where we can ask questions without embarrassment, share what we're discovering, and feel comfortable talking about what we're passionate about.

Along the way, I realized that an important part of this hobby is being able to enjoy it in company. That many times we are alone and can't discuss the experience with anyone. For those who like football, it's enough to go down to any bar on a Sunday afternoon. What do we do?

With whom do we share that album we just discovered? To whom do we explain that we've moved the speakers and now hear things we didn't hear before? Sometimes we just want to find someone who understands us, who sits with us and says: «Come on, put that track on, let's listen to it».

That's why, in this first year of HifiCafé, we've organized two Audiophile Club sessions and a trip to the High End de Viena! From the outside, it might seem like a small thing, but I assure you that all of this involves significant work. And when we meet, put faces to names, and the conversation starts to flow, I see that this work makes sense. Because now we have someone to discuss the play with.

Along the way, I've also juggled to make the platform sustainable and not dependent on my personal finances. Little by little, very little by little, you've become patrons. Out of two thousand registered users, you are already one hundred! Not bad at all! One hundred people who have decided to contribute a little from your pocket so that this space can continue. And that, for me, is also a sign of trust that I greatly appreciate.

But the more users we are, the more server costs we have. The more content we share, the more space we need to store it. And so, as HifiCafé grows, so does the cost of maintaining it. That's why I've started looking for other ways to generate income to help sustain the project.

From there also comes Stereo Vintage Barcelona, which I am organizing with that dual enthusiasm: to meet again around our hobby and to ensure that this gathering helps HifiCafé move forward.

And the fact that it's a vintage equipment fair has a lot to do with my beginnings. As you know, I entered the world of hifi through the restoration of these devices. I am passionate about hifi culture: I never just focus on what we currently have on the market, but I love looking to the past and following the genealogies of equipment, brands, engineers… Seeing where ideas come from, how they pass from one hand to another, and how they evolve to become what we listen to today.

I see it as a legacy that is passed down. Like a wave where the present is the foam: the most visible part, the one that catches our attention, but which advances with all the water behind it.

Call me a romantic, but I thought it would be amusing if something as modern as an online social platform were saved by a vintage equipment fair.

Hey! Don't be alarmed: HifiCafé is not in short-term danger. Let's say the current situation is "breaking even." And that's good, because it allows us to keep the platform running, but it leaves us little room to grow, make improvements, and dedicate more time and attention to it.

The success of Stereo Vintage Barcelona can give us that margin. It can ensure that, in addition to covering expenses, we can dedicate resources to everything that is currently pending. Ideas and enthusiasm are not lacking; what we need is to be able to carry them out.

And now, with a couple of weeks left, I want to tell you something that worries me. Tickets are selling, and people already have theirs to come look around and hang out. That's great. What's not taking off is the other thing: almost no one is encouraged to bring equipment to sell.

A few companies will indeed come loaded, and they also pay for their table; I truly appreciate that. But a vintage equipment fair is made by you: the amplifier that's been in a closet for years, the speakers you replaced that are still in the storage room, the turntable that ran out of space in the living room. If that doesn't appear, the room will look dull. And a fair without equipment makes no sense.

If you want to bring one, you need to indicate it when buying your ticket. There's no extra cost —you pay the same as someone who just comes to look—, but this way I can organize the room well. You set the price you want, and whatever you make is yours. If you bring more than one device, then you do need to reserve half a table.

So, if you feel like it, I invite you to come to Stereo Vintage Barcelona. To have a good time looking at equipment, some of it very legendary!, perhaps to sell some device you no longer need or to buy one that excites you. And, above all, to meet and discuss the play.

By the way, you'll be helping to sustain this corner of the virtual world where we meet the rest of the year.

The vintage world to the rescue of the virtual world! How I love this idea!