The Foundation History
Our organization was originally founded in 1995 as the Bay Area Audiophile Society (BAAS) and informally operated as such. In the mid 2000’s, it was primarily run by Jason Serinus and Bob Walters. In 2015, under the direction of Alon Sagee and Leslie Lundin, the name was changed and it was incorporated as the San Francisco Audiophile Society (SFAS), a 501c7 not for profit entity. The group was expanded, a board was formed, the website was designed and regular monthly meetings commenced. Alon retired in late 2019 and Leslie took over as President with Larry Deniston as Vice President. In 2020, sparked by the pandemic, SFAS started having virtual events in addition to in person events and continued to expand its membership. Seeing a need to again increase the scope of services and serve the broader community, in 2021, the San Francisco Audiophile Foundation (SFAF), a 501c3 not for profit entity was formed. Along with the formation of SFAF, there was an expanded mission which included the formation of the Roger A Modjeski (RAM) School. In 2023, SFAF committed to a nationwide expansion strategy, and changed its name from San Francisco Audiophile Foundation to the Audiophile Foundation. In 2024, we decided to reduce the scope of technical classes and focus on DIY and hobbyists seeking better understanding of the electronic and acoustic aspects of their system. This revised program is no longer associated with the RAM School initiative.
Mission Statement
Our mission at the Audiophile Foundation is to preserve the legacy of and nurture innovation and growth in the presentation and faithful reproduction of recorded music. We aim to educate and inspire individuals to develop a deep appreciation for and contribute to the growth and understanding of exceptional musical experiences. To achieve these goals we provide educational resources, research, and training to engineers, audiophiles, and audio enthusiasts worldwide.
We strive to create a platform that provides tools to enhance the musical experience, and to encourage the preservation of audio artifacts and the history of audio technology. Our foundation seeks to support the development of future audio engineers, technicians, and music industry professionals by providing mentorship, scholarship opportunities, and career resources.
We will achieve this mission by providing the Audiophile Foundation’s members and the public access to industry leading events about music and music reproduction equipment; a website that promotes sharing of ideas, information and connecting with other audiophiles; as well as educational opportunities via our in-person and virtual expert lectures, technical classes and DIY workshops to learn about the workings, repair and building of Hi-Fi equipment.
Ultimately, our goal is to share the joy of high-fidelity audio with as many people as possible and to contribute to a world where everyone has access to exceptional audio.
Vision Statement
The vision of the Audiophile Foundation is to become the nation's leading audiophile organization, dedicated to preserving and advancing the legacy of high fidelity audio. We are committed to providing a dynamic platform for audiophiles and the high-end audio industry nationwide, fostering connections, sharing knowledge, and safeguarding the rich heritage of premium audio experiences for generations to come. Furthermore, we aspire to educate and inspire future engineers, equipping them with the best practices in building audio equipment, thereby ensuring the continued innovation and excellence in the world of high-end audio.
Goals and Initiatives
The power of music is undeniable and universal. Music can unite us, break down barriers, sooth us, energize us, heal us. The Foundation’s driving philosophy is to bring this power to the people and ensure that there is affordable access to excellent sound. There are multiple avenues to achieve these broad goals.
National and potentially international Audiophile Community creation: The virtual expansion of the Foundation can unite audiophiles throughout the world. The Foundation is offering local audiophile groups the ability to piggyback on its online platform for their own local events and contribute to the virtual experience for the entire membership. Foundation membership is not limited to the Bay Area. It can provide services to local pockets of audiophiles enabling them to formalize their community instantly by simply joining the Foundation and using the platform services. It is the most cost effective and easiest way to build a local group and start having local events. These local groups can then start to find common ground with audiophiles outside of their local community and start to build relationships potentially all over the world.
Educational Initiative: Continue to offer basic and advanced classes in electronic circuit design, both analog and digital, and hands-on workshops to train the aspiring hobbyist in building, upgrading and repairing equipment. Advanced classes give a serious insight to the technical aspects of amateur and commercial circuits and system components.
Audiophile Foundation Museum: The Museum would tell the story of the history of music reproduction and preserve not only vintage pieces of equipment but also tell the story of the designers. Visitors would be able to experience these systems in their original form. This all starts with preservation. The Foundation is building a collection of iconic pieces for future displays and gathering interviews with living designers who took part in creating the pieces. Initially, this will become a virtual museum on the website. Eventually, the goal would be to have a permanent location to display the collection and offer an in person experience.
Ongoing Experiential Events: Being a not for profit focused on unbiased audio excellence, puts the Foundation in the unique position of being able to provide a broad range of services to the community of audio enthusiasts. The Foundation has the potential to become the Consumer Reports of the audio industry. The Foundation’s only motivation is to provide a true value to the community and aid in making better decisions when investing in new products as well as supporting innovation and providing an unbiased platform for the manufacturers and dealer community. The events also help to create a community of like-minded audio lovers.