INTERVIEW: GESHELLI LABS
THE GESHELLI LABS FAMILY
As I had mentioned in the May issue of the magazine the AXPONA show was the first official show for the AudioKeyREVIEWS! Magazine, though it was but one of many for me.
It was, truly, good to be at a show again to meet, re-meet, and establish an in-person friendship with voices long met, across vast distances, over the phone.
I also met a lot of new people, good folks, and one of the meetings that immediately made a wonderful impressions on me was my meeting with Geno, Sherri, and the family of GESHELLI LABS. Family because it is family started, owned, and maintained and everyone, even Grandad has his part.
They, to a one, were good people, salt-of-the-earth, who brought a warm genuineness and kindness and ease that may one feel, well, immediately at home. It is a feeling that I have noticed as of late that seems long gone from the world.
It was imperative for me to bring their story to our growing audience and, perhaps the world at large, as it is truly a story of inspiration and following one’s bliss.
Geno, Sherri, as I have said here time and again, I’d like to get a general idea of where and how you grew up, what influenced your life, how your parents may have influenced a love for music, possibly audio. Basically those things that started you on the journey to where you both are now. So this is much less a technical interview than it is an understanding of you and the personal and the inspirational and how family has come to play a role.
KEH: Where are you from?
SHERRI: Sherri-I’m originally from Connecticut. I’ve lived in California, Maryland, Northern Virginia and now in Melbourne, Florida.
GENO: I’m from Pittsburgh PA. I left in my late 20’s to the warm sunny state of Florida. Go Steelers!
KEH: Was their music in your home? Record Player? CD player? If not how do you think that affected you?
SHERRI: We had a large wood piece of furniture that had a pull-down record player and radio. My parents were not really into music. My older brother on the other hand, loved his tunes. He had a stereo system, tape deck and record player with huge speakers and would blast the neighborhood when my parents were gone.
GENO: Oh yes! My dad being an accomplished musician, meant he always had some sort of record, tape, or cd player around with a wide array of music available to listen too. I was always around bands, and when I was 18 my dad handed me a guitar and said, we’re starting a band and you’re playing the bass.
KEH: Was there a family member or another person, who inspired your love for music (art, aesthetics, design)?
SHERRI: My parents were not home much so my brother would have to babysit me. He always cranked up the music and we would dance around. I knew all the lyrics from so many bands from the 70’s. Kids were singing Journey songs and I was jamming to Joe’s Garage from Frank Zappa. My brother also took me to my first concert. He was stuck babysitting me and brought me along so he and his friends wouldn’t miss the show. I was around ten or eleven and had no business being there. It was great and my parents didn’t find out about it until we were both adults!
GENO: We didn’t have a lot of money, but we always had access to music. I was always surrounded by excellent musicians. When I was in middle school, I started playing the trumpet which led to a deeper understanding of music theory. Overall, it taught me to appreciate genres like classical and jazz. At a young age listening to that type of music, it made me kind of an outcast, but I feel it also made me really appreciate the art. At the same time, the bands my dad played in covered a wide arrange of music from pop to blues.
KEH: I too was introduced to classical and jazz at a very young age and I too, as a result, was an outcast. That I played sports, however, mitigated the isolation. What was your very first system then? How did you listen, in terms of Digital or Analog? How did it make you feel?
GENO: For a good while, it was always big PA systems with big subs etc. Also, for some reason I ended up with one of those boom boxes with all the lights. Don’t remember how, but I surely remember the dual tape decks and led meters going back and forth. When I was older and started my career, I was very into studio work, so I was able to purchase a Yamaha A100A with a set of Alesis Monitor One speakers. That was my first “clean” reference setup which we used a lot for recording and playback. Most of the inspiration was playing in bands (with my dad), and visiting different studios (both professional and home). During my mid to late 20’s I was able to start upgrading things – buying DAC’s, Amps, then a nice set of Polk speakers, then on to a set of Klipsh towers.
KEH: Sweet. We all know the upgrade path. What musicians did you admire then, enjoy, love as a young man? Why?
SHERRI: Music was such an escape for me growing up. I would sit for hours with my boombox and my fingers on the record/play buttons waiting for that favorite song. I primarily listened to Rock but enjoyed everything from Hard Metal to Show Tunes.
GENO: I always admired my dad. In my eyes, he was the perfect musician. His dedication to the art was phenomenal. Always practicing, crafting, learning new songs. At the same time, leading bands, doing late night gigs, loading/unloading equipment, and being an all-around musical genius at the same time.
KEH: What a great role model to have and to learn from. Most memorable epiphany that has come from listening to music or turning a good friend or a significant other on to music?
SHERRI: My brother passed a few years ago. Because we shared a love for music, almost daily a song comes on that reminds me of him. All my memories with my brother are great, so it always gives me a smile and I feel like he is with me.
GENO: One of the most memorable moments of a “musical epiphany” was when I head Yanni and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra play at the Acropolis back in the early 90’s on PBS. I’ll never forget how I was put in a trance hearing music I’ve never heard before. It was “New Age”!. When I married Sherri, I introduced her to Yanni’s music and we’ve gone to several Yanni shows here in Melbourne which we’ve really enjoyed.
KEH: I can completely understand songs associated with people who were important to us and the times we valued, loved in our life. Without our music loving friends and family where would we be? What catalyzing event put you on the road to high-end audio?
GENO: I was always into the highest end audio equipment I could afford. Sherri was always HIFI adjacent – but always into the music itself. When I designed the original ENOG, I let her hear a sample which instantly created a new member of the audio world.
KEH: Isn’t it great when a partner, mate loves music just as much as you do. It certainly is for me. What’s the biggest mistake you ever made, personally, and then with GESHELLI? And what did you learn from it?
SHERRI: We both agree the biggest mistake we made was not marrying each other sooner in life. We dated for years and years but didn’t marry until much later. At GESHELLI – it was installing an entire SMT assembly line in our living room, and powder coating shop in the garage! The living room sounded like a car factory, and the air filters were all purple powder coat. We always tell people who are starting businesses to try to find a place outside of your home if you can afford it. Rent a small office or a small space and develop from there.
KEH: Beautiful! That you didn’t marry each other earlier. I don't believe that I have heard a better answer to that question. So kindred spirits then who have found each other in life. This brings a nice, big smile to my face. How did GESHELLI begin and what were the initial motivations?
GENO: GESHELLI grew organically out of a lifelong dream I had to design my own DAC. Growing up, my family had very little money so things like HIFI audio or even a nice system was out of reach. Food and rent came first and if there was anything left, it was spent on things you needed, not things you wanted. I used to dream about having an amazing audio system, but it was very far out of reach. My friend Mike (who now works for Geshelli) and I used to talk about making our own gear and how we would do it. Fast forward to 2016, I sat down one day and decided to stop wondering and give designing a try. After a few trials and errors, I finished it and gave it to Sherri to try out. She loved it and convinced me to make another one to sell. I did, we sold it on EBAY to an Enlisted soldier at a local Air Force Base. A few days later he called us, raving about the DAC and wanted one for his dad. A week or so later, folks in his unit wanted to buy. When people kept asking for one, we knew we had something that was marketable. What was very important to us was to keep the costs down while maintaining the quality of the DAC. Seeing someone’s face light up when they learn they can have a high quality, solid product, made in the USA by a couple of music lovers is just such a great feeling.
KEH: Another beautiful story, as you're touching people with your creations. How great is that to do something you love, which finds, well, love in the world. What do you believe sets GESHELLI apart from the other high-end audio retailers/manufacturers?
SHERRI: Because we do as much as possible in-house, we have been able to keep our prices down while maintaining the quality that comes with high-end audio. We have our own PCB assembly lines and do as much as possible ourselves. Our designs are our own and we can pivot quickly if needed. The AKM fire is a good example of this. Within about two months from learning about the fire, we had a new DAC designed, tested, certified and we were able to start production. With the current part shortages, having our own production lines allows us to redesign and produce much easier than manufacturers who rely on board houses to design and/or produce. Our aluminum cases are made in 12ft long extrusions from Orlando, Florida. We clean and cut the bars down, sandblast and powder coat all in house. My dad makes all the wood cases. Doing the cases ourselves allows us to customize colors to match anyone’s style. When you write in or call, you are talking to the owners, and we care deeply about our products and the customers. We worked very hard over the years to establish a solid reputation with both our products and our customer service.
KEH: How could a family as kind and considerate and warm as your family not have great customer service? That would be impossible. What is GESHELLI’s driving philosophy, its goals for the future?
SHERRI: A very important part of our philosophy is to make what we want to make at an affordable price. We’re fortunate not to be in a position where an idea gets discarded because a finance person doesn’t think it will sell or it will not be popular enough. We’ve all worked at places where you have a great idea, only to have it dismissed because it isn’t cost effective or there isn’t an established market for it or someone higher up doesn’t want to pursue it. When we made the ENOG DAC without a USB, everyone said it would not sell because you have to have USB. People made fun of us for introducing a balanced only headphone amplifier. Everyone was making black and silver products. We came out with purple, blue, and everything in between. Couple that with thirteen different faceplate color choices and glowing LEDs and you have an interesting and fun product that people recognize as being a GESHELLI. We are continuing down this path by re-introducing the beauty of a wood chassis. Along with our current wood offerings, we are starting a line of wood cases that come from wood products that have been discarded. Recycling and reclaiming are important for our environment and Joe our woodworker is a magician at creating absolutely beautiful cases made from wood that would have ended up in the landfill. Going along with the wood look, don’t be surprised to see some nods to the 70’s style in future products
KEH: The 70’s style sounds great to me! I’ll bring this part of the interview to a close with a question on ethos and philosophy. Tell me, what is GESHELLI’s overall ethos.
SHERRI: We love what we do. We have three generations working at Geshelli. Everyday there is laughter in the shop. We gather together for lunch, have group discussions regarding products and everyone has a voice. Being family, sometimes the voices are loud and opinionated but having different generational views, tastes in music and styles allows us to relate to all ages. Another aspect of Geshelli that we love is the ability to help others in ways we could have never done working in a different industry. We’ve had the privilege of working with an amazing teacher in Washington State who is encouraging kids who come from traveling farming families to think of a future in STEM. He is teaching them how to design HIFI audio products and we were able to meet with them over Zoom for a great discussion on audio and starting a business against the odds. We have met countless people who’s first introduction to audio gear was through our products. Whether the person is young or old, the discovery of good HIFI invokes the same delight and transcends all ages. We are proud to be part of that.
KEH: Wow! You have confirmed for me over and over again across this interview, how important it is to share your wonderfully inspiring and moving story. So, what is your current reference system or your best high-end system of all time? Why?
GENO: Our current reference system consists of a decent array of headphones ranging from ZMF’s to Spirit Torino’s. For speakers we really like very flat studio monitors (Yamaha HS-7’s) which can help us work out the DAC sound at an engineering level. We usually won’t introduce external amplifiers in our listening chain because we want the setup to be a flat a possible so that’s why we generally pick powered amplifiers.
KEH: What are your five favorite albums and movies of all time and why? And art?
GENO: I’ll go with my five favorite songs:
Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
Take on Me – Aha
Hey 19 – Steely Dan
Candy – Cameo
Stepping Out – Joe Jackson
Movies
Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone
Real Genius
Top Gun (Original)
Breakfast Club
Warriors
KEH: Is there anything that I’ve not covered, that you like to share or address concerning GESHELLI?
SHERRI: Something I would like to mention is when we were starting Geshelli, friends, family and vendors would tell us it isn’t possible for people like us to break into this business. We didn’t have funding, backing, equipment, a reputation and our ideas didn’t bring anything new into the market. When we decided to move forward with our first DAC, we called countless audio stores and vendors and were turned down at every angle. Instead of being discouraged, we just kept grinding because we believed in ourselves and what we were trying to accomplish. If you have an idea and are passionate about it, follow through and see where the idea leads you to. We never expected to be where we are, and we’re having a blast watching Geshelli grow and take on a life of its own.
KEH: Sherri, I could not have said it better myself. And as an IT entrepreneur, inventor, and creator, I know well the the discouragements faced. Thank you both for a truly wonderful interview. All the best to you.
AKRM