Ken Fritz spent decades of his life working on his perfect stereo system at his home in Richmond, Va. Weekends and vacations were lost to the project. Fritz’s family were recruited for years of labor. After decades of work, Fritz completed his project with towering speakers that look like alien monoliths. He estimated the custom-built system to be worth more than $1 million. The real price of the stereo on Fritz and his family was even more staggering.

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This story is part of our Deep Reads series, which showcases narrative journalism at The Washington Post. It was written and read by Geoff Edgers. Audio production and original composition by Bishop Sand.