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for sale: RAAL 140-15D Ribbon Tweeters (two)

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This sale of the tweeters prize to make money is a shame . I think a really BIG SHAME for anyone on the DIYforum. If you didn't want to use it you should have said so before accepting it . They might have arranged for something you'd use.
It could have gone to the next in line who would have used it VERY HAPPILY ! The best you can do it collect names of guys who really want to use it and pick a lucky name.
SHAME on you !
 
To preserve the spirit of the diyaudio forum and the BAF event, I suggest glottis999 sell the tweeters to the first diyaudio member who has shown interest for $100 to cover costs.

It's amazing that glottis999 doesn't even want to build a system around that . Even if it is just to 'hear' how they sound.

I hope Alex hasn't seen this post. Might be a big disappointment for him.
 
Geez guys. You are bit hard on the guy. He won them fair and square I presume. And last I heard the US is a free country. Maybe the guy needs to feed his kids.

Also don't underestimate the real costs of building a system where the RAAL's will shine.

The way I see it he does not have a single moral obligation to give them to someone else for petty cash. They are his to do with as he pleases.
 
However, in my opinion this is being done in very poor taste, especially to win them at BA08 and then to sell them on DIYAudio. It goes completely against the spirit of the event.

I'm not going to argue with that. It's just that I'm sort off addicted and my diyaudio spending has left me with many unfinished projects and some serious cash spent. You could say I've dug myself into a hole. So I can sympathise with someone who sells them because he does not have the knowledge/time/cash to invest in something worthy of the RAAL's.

I once sold back to the builder horn loudspeakers because I could not afford to finish them off in the foreseeable future. Is that poor taste. I guess so. But it was the only option that made sense to me.
 

opc

Member
Joined 2004
Paid Member
A big fuss over nothing...

Did anyone here ever consider that maybe he doesn't care for the way ribbons sound? Maybe he has great speakers and would rather spend the money on a new amplifier, or maybe he prefers the sound of a good pair of Scanspeak tweeters?

As mentioned earlier, building a pair of speakers around the RAAL's can get very very expensive, and it's impossible if he's not an experienced speaker builder.

I think the problem lies in the choice of prize rather than the actions of this seller. A gift certificate to PE or Madisound or Digikey would probably have been a much better choice. A pair of ribbons is hardly a universal prize, and I'd be willing to bet that only a small handful of the potential winners would ever be able to use them to their full potential.

What would be a real shame is if these just sat on his shelf for the next 20 years, destined for some project that would never materialize. At least this way someone will be able to use them and enjoy them.

Try to be a little more logical and a little less emotional.

Cheers,
Owen
 
BAF was last weekend! It's BAD karma and completely contrary to the spirit of BAF. A change of mind is OK, but offer them up for a parts trade with another DIYer.

Opportunists will ruin the best parts of BAF. It's the type of event where we all share secrets and parts. Even a few top designers and manufacturers are supportive - THANK YOU!

If he's new, hopefully there is a new understanding and a change of heart. Perhaps asking Alex of RAAL for his blessing or at least solicit for a worthy home and charge for packing and shipping. Perhaps work with Jason and Variac to sell the RAAL's with the proceeds minus a $100 for other personal parts purchases to DIYAudio.com to support the community?

I was at BAF and like others I turned down free parts, because there were others who more worthy or they could find a better home.

Just a thought.

-David
 
AX tech editor
Joined 2002
Paid Member
Re: A big fuss over nothing...

opc said:
Did anyone here ever consider that maybe he doesn't care for the way ribbons sound? Maybe he has great speakers and would rather spend the money on a new amplifier, or maybe he prefers the sound of a good pair of Scanspeak tweeters?

As mentioned earlier, building a pair of speakers around the RAAL's can get very very expensive, and it's impossible if he's not an experienced speaker builder.

I think the problem lies in the choice of prize rather than the actions of this seller. A gift certificate to PE or Madisound or Digikey would probably have been a much better choice. A pair of ribbons is hardly a universal prize, and I'd be willing to bet that only a small handful of the potential winners would ever be able to use them to their full potential.

What would be a real shame is if these just sat on his shelf for the next 20 years, destined for some project that would never materialize. At least this way someone will be able to use them and enjoy them.

Try to be a little more logical and a little less emotional.

Cheers,
Owen


Maybe this. Maybe that. Maybe he isn't an audiodiy'er at all. The point is that some understand that this is very bad taste and that you can pass on a prize if you can't/won't use it for its intended purpose. Others just see $$$ in their eyes. So be it. I don't think there is a way to prevent it. But it is bad taste and not good for diyaudio and it might give other potential sponsors second thoughts.

Jan Didden.
 
Administrator
Joined 2004
Paid Member
Hi Owen,
Would you pass it on for nothing?
No!

But I wouldn't ask for $800 or $900 for them either! Let's not talk about extremes to illustrate a point.

More likely, I would have given them to someone who could have really used them. Possibly trade for something I really wanted, but didn't get.

I have found this distasteful to a high degree. There is a spirit of goodness that has been rapidly disappearing since the "me" generation in the 70's and 80's.

Over the course of many years, I have given, or sold for cost, many bits of stereos to people who could actually use them. This is far more rewarding than selling for the highest $. I have even given test equipment away to people who really needed it. I guess I'm saying that I have put my money where my mouth is. There is far more to life than a few windfall dollars.

-Chris
 
opc said:
The question is:

Would you pass it on for nothing?

Yes, if I won something for which I had no use it would be declined. The donation's intent was obvious, otherwise RAAL could have just handed cash and saved the hassle of carriage. Most unfortunate is we'll probably never know how these devices perform. RAAL's gift is likely to be of no benefit to the DIY community.

I didn't bother looking up the details of the raffle process but in future it would be a good idea to separate out a raffle per prize. Make everyone enter for the prize they want and simply disqualify further participation by those acting in this manner. Manufacturers support DIY to foster DIY, not so someone can paint the garage or spend a weekend in Vegas. That's at risk. While glottis999 has the unalienable right sell the RAALs, organizers of BAF have the same right to discourage the practice to the greatest extent possible. Do it.
 
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