Michael Zisserson’s Reference Audio System

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Michael Zisserson started his audio journey in 1993 by removing two midrange loudspeaker drivers from a pair of Radio Shack Optimus series speakers and placing them in a shoebox to use as a center channel for the home theater receiver Santa brought him that Christmas. Flash forward to 1998 and this lost soul from Gen X was managing a now dissolved Cambridge Soundworks audio shop. Michael was also moonlighting at a local high-end audio shop, schmoozing with local music lovers and audiophiles.

It was not long until Michael was adopted by a group of music lovers (not necessarily audiophiles). They started to reverse-engineer great loudspeakers of the time to figure out what made them tick. Michael then began sourcing raw components to build a speaker that a kid in his late teens could not afford to buy off the shelf of an audio boutique. Michael soon realized his love for the technical side of audio was enhancing other music lover’s lives, and this became the key motivator for him to pursue a degree in Electronics Engineering.

Michael Zisserson's audiophile room — Michael Zisserson’s audiophile room bathed in orange light for the fall.

After graduating from the New England Institute of Technology in 2004, Michael ventured into the DIY Loudspeaker scene winning design competitions. Michael was also featured by Parts Express as part of their design team. Michael’s key focus has never changed: bring good music into as many peoples lives as possible.

Michael never had the means to start a loudspeaker company of his own, however he did grow his friendships and reputation in audio while helping others achieve their goals of music enjoyment. In 2017 Michael was placed on the masthead of Positive Feedback Online as a columnist. Today, Michael is proud to be part of the FutureAudiophile.com team and is looking forward to continue his mission to bring the joy of music listening to everyone.