Store person ignorance

[michael]

I talked to a store person today whilst searching for a stereo amp for my brothers (14yr old) fist system.
He kept telling me that there was nothing very good in my brothers price range. I decided to tick him off as he had been very pushy. I said, "well i might have to just build him a small amplifier" the storman replied,"good luck" i said what do you mean.
He then told me one of the most proposterous things ive ever heard, "a few guys a while ago thought that they could build an amplifier themselves, they tried for years and ever suceeded, you CANT build your own amplifer, and even if you could it would not sound good at all"
AHAHAHAHA i told him that i knew many people that had done it with much success, he grumbled at me and started raving about how u should just buy.
I simply told him thankyou and goodbye.
I dont mind buying commertial desings as i do not have the electronics experiance to try an amp yet, but i will soon, but i really hate it when a sales person just wants a sale and not to make you happy.

[Frank Berry]

I would have asked to listen to his best and highest priced system and then complained about the sound quality ... loudly.

[kelticwizard]

Depends what you mean by "amp".

If you mean a modern reciever with FM/AM, various knobs, remote controls, and features, I would say you really are up against it there.

If you mean a stereo preamp/amp, or just an amp, then the salesman is clearly out of his mind.

Reminds me of the guitarist I knew, a friend, who was telling me that a home constructor can not build a PA cabinet. "You'll NEVER get the bracing right, and there are so many other things," he said.

[Bas Horneman]

Yep...there is plenty of store person ignorance to be found!

I once walked into an audio store (mid-fi)...Said I was looking around ...maybe for an amp...then got a speech on the specs..triple A this..0,0002 percent distortion, 50watt per channel...on and on for about 2minutes...but not a single word on the SOUND.

[michael]

kelticwizard, He told me it was impossible to build POWER amps to add onto the pre-outs of my new receiver. Amazing what some people will say/think.

Ive done the "let me listen to your best system" thing, one time it was bose am5's driver by an NAD pre/power amp combo, i told him it sounded horrible, he was shocked, at another store i asked the same thing, big Klipsh speakers with 10" "gold" bass drivers, i told him to turn it off cos it hurt my ears due to being so harsh, he grumbled and told me that my ears were not trained.

Oh i hate the ones who dont give tips on sound, just those damn power ratings and distortion figues that we all know mean so little.

[theChris]

you should try going to car audio shops. i generally try to make little conversation. oh, that reminds me. JL/Kicker/RockfordFosgate/MTX/ImageDyamics/Polk all suck except for the ones sold at the store in question...

[trwh]

"I once walked into an audio store (mid-fi)...Said I was looking around ...maybe for an amp...then got a speech on the specs..triple A this..0,0002 percent distortion, 50watt per channel...on and on for about 2minutes...but not a single word on the SOUND."

How refreshing

[till]

If you mean a modern reciever with FM/AM, various knobs, remote controls, and features, I would say you really are up against it there.

For tuners you find ICs or modules, all the features and remote etc is on Microcontroller and a few relais and ICs like PGA2310.

If one wants its not that big problem.

mhennessys preamp is not that far.

[kelticwizard]

Till:

True, you could do an AN/FM onto his preamp by taking advantage of chips, etc.

But then there is the small matter of LCD readouts, and remote controls, etc.

I belileve a home builder could come up with a basic AM/FM receiver, even one with remote control. But take a look at what is available for very little money commercially, and to build it at home would probably cost more, with fewer features, than what you can buy.

If the salesman thought that Michael wanted to build one of those, I would actually defend him there. Of course, Michael made clear that he was talking about a power amp and simple preamp, so the salesman clearly showed he didn't know what he was talking about.

[till]

kelticwizard,

you are right about the salesman, and you are right, its more expensive to build such a device than buy it. But thats with most of our diy stuff....

For the remote: its no problem to implement RC5 remote code in the PIC, code is allready in the net. Its also no problem to programm a PIC to be a remote transmitter, most work is the small enclosure with lots of knobs. The display for tuners frequency you can find as a ready PIC project for example at http://www.sprut.de/electronic/pic/p.../10_7/10_7.htm

its a lot of work and will be some 100Euro to put together a full intergrated preamp with tuners and remote etc, but its absolutely possible.