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Setu Garg

Music has always been my deepest passion — I'll listen to anything that sounds great, whether it's the intricate ragas of Hindustani classical, the soulful melodies of Bollywood soundtracks, the transcendent depth of Sufi qawwalis, boundary-pushing fusions, or infectious pop hits. That love took root early, thanks to my mom's HMV 1010 turntable and her vast collection of Bollywood records. As a kid in India, I didn't fully grasp their value back then, but I had endless fun tinkering with the setup—disassembling needles, adjusting speeds, and eagerly hauling it to the local radio repair shop whenever it skipped or hummed. Those hands-on moments ignited a spark, turning curiosity into obsession. By the 90s, I'd built a massive cassette library of Bollywood hits, taping songs off the radio and trading duplicates with friends. My big breakthrough came after acing middle school exams: I convinced my dad to buy me a Panasonic SA-CH32 mini-system, complete with dual cassette decks, AM/FM radio, and a surprisingly punchy CD player. It felt like owning a portal to better sound, and I quickly filled it with CDs, curating collections that I'd play on repeat for hours.

The digital era swept me up next, transforming how I chased audio bliss. MP3 players and Winamp became my gateways — ripping tracks, hunting for higher bitrates, and debating file formats in online forums. Sadly, in a moment of youthful folly, I parted ways with Mom's cherished vinyl, my cassettes, and CDs to make room for hard drives and sleek players. For the past two decades, streaming has been my world. I dipped into Tidal in the early 2010s, impressed by its hi-fi promise but frustrated by its thin Indian music catalog. Apple Music's India launch changed everything, with its unbeatable Bollywood and regional selection—pure joy when lossless audio rolled out, letting me rediscover tracks in stunning detail. Then Spotify arrived with masterful curation, personalized playlists that felt tailor-made for my eclectic tastes. Today, I juggle subscriptions to Apple Music, Spotify lossless, Tidal, and Roon, bridging them seamlessly for the ultimate library. Roon's metadata magic and multi-room sync have become indispensable, especially for critical listening sessions where I A/B test formats like DSD and high-res PCM. Lately, I’ve circled back to physical media, rediscovering the everlasting quality of analog audio in vinyl—its warmth and presence unmatched—while slowly rebuilding my vinyl and CD collections.

Life in the Bay Area as a software engineer — managing cloud infrastructure by day — leaves little room for indulgence, with young kids demanding every spare minute. Yet I'm a dedicated budget audiophile, prioritizing value while slowly investing in gear that punches way above its weight. Time-poor but ear-trained, I focus on versatile pieces that deliver across genres, from delicate sitar taans in Hindustani ragas to thumping Sufi rhythms and pop anthems. My sessions are sacred: late nights or weekend mornings, headphones on, world off, dissecting tonal balance, soundstage, and timbre.

I'm thrilled to amplify the Audiophile Foundation’s mission, connecting enthusiasts worldwide to the joy of discovery. Whether bridging analog nostalgia with streaming frontiers or spotlighting gear that elevates every note, I can't wait to share this passion and grow our community — one great-sounding track at a time.