What it actually comes down to is ease of assembly in a production facility. Philips head screws are not good in mass production.
I remember as a tech in the 1980's when the first CD came into the workshop it had Torx and I could not open it. Took a while to find Torx so it could be opened and repaired.
HAHAHA!
Love it!
Once, a guy brought into my shop a goofy system which centered on a subwoofer box and satellite speakers.
The woofer box had controls on the rear, and on the front a chrome framed window with 2 small (12AX7?) tubes behind it.
The guy said the tubes must be bad, but that they still "lit up".
Being the suspicious and experienced tech that I am, I plugged it in on the counter.
Those tubes lit up for sure....... a real pretty purple/blue from an LED under them.
Needless to say, they were simply HOT GLUED in place on a plastic bracket, not connected in any way to the cheap chinese electronics inside the crappy box.
Picking up the thread, I read the following review of some acoustic cabinets.
"... Rob Wassermann's double bass in" Ballad of the runaway horse "sounds deep, detailed, rich in harmonics. He had never perceived so many details, etc"
Below the reviewer details the classic description of the components used in the audition.
Point one, does everyone have that topic at their disposal?
(I looked it up on Spotify, and it's nothing special as a double bass performance, I found it boring, I prefer something by Charlie Haden)
Point two, everyone has the same amp, turntable, capsule, etc. ...?
Point three and perhaps the most important, what about the room?
Making a diagnosis of low frequencies without considering the importance of the environment I see it absurd.
I don't see any more sense in that review than to promote his favorite music.
"... Rob Wassermann's double bass in" Ballad of the runaway horse "sounds deep, detailed, rich in harmonics. He had never perceived so many details, etc"
Below the reviewer details the classic description of the components used in the audition.
Point one, does everyone have that topic at their disposal?
(I looked it up on Spotify, and it's nothing special as a double bass performance, I found it boring, I prefer something by Charlie Haden)
Point two, everyone has the same amp, turntable, capsule, etc. ...?
Point three and perhaps the most important, what about the room?
Making a diagnosis of low frequencies without considering the importance of the environment I see it absurd.
I don't see any more sense in that review than to promote his favorite music.
ABOUT REVIEWERS:
Years ago, when I was younger (1960s/1970s) I read a lot of audio magazines.
Of course, the climate then was not like it was today.
Greed, egos, etc., have pretty much taken hold of things, and honesty seems to have taken a back seat.
Back then, a given review was pretty accurate, as were advertising brochures.
You actually got what you paid for, more or less.
I know, because my personal purchases, and the fact that I worked in several "audio salons" as a salesman, gave me the experience and knowledge to see things as they were.
That's why I, and so many others, have kept the "vintage" world alive.
That's also the reason that sayings like "they don't make them like that anymore" have been born.
But today, I don't give a rat's azz about reviews.
Why?
Working in the service industry for 45 years, watching products change, evolve, and getting to know some corporate big wheels with "inside information", makes me feel depressed.
These corporate executives plainly came out and told me that reviews these days are purely for marketing, sales boosting, and keeping competition in line.
Reviewers get kickbacks for their compliance and beneficial-to-the-company reviews.
That's the norm, the way it turned out to be, to survive in today's market.
To hell with the customer I was told, and make warranty service another cash cow.
Make any after-the-sale service profitable for the company, at the expense of the customer.
This, and the massive sizes of corporations, makes them invincible, with lawsuits or recalls a non issue. - small potatoes to them.
There ya have it.
Years ago, when I was younger (1960s/1970s) I read a lot of audio magazines.
Of course, the climate then was not like it was today.
Greed, egos, etc., have pretty much taken hold of things, and honesty seems to have taken a back seat.
Back then, a given review was pretty accurate, as were advertising brochures.
You actually got what you paid for, more or less.
I know, because my personal purchases, and the fact that I worked in several "audio salons" as a salesman, gave me the experience and knowledge to see things as they were.
That's why I, and so many others, have kept the "vintage" world alive.
That's also the reason that sayings like "they don't make them like that anymore" have been born.
But today, I don't give a rat's azz about reviews.
Why?
Working in the service industry for 45 years, watching products change, evolve, and getting to know some corporate big wheels with "inside information", makes me feel depressed.
These corporate executives plainly came out and told me that reviews these days are purely for marketing, sales boosting, and keeping competition in line.
Reviewers get kickbacks for their compliance and beneficial-to-the-company reviews.
That's the norm, the way it turned out to be, to survive in today's market.
To hell with the customer I was told, and make warranty service another cash cow.
Make any after-the-sale service profitable for the company, at the expense of the customer.
This, and the massive sizes of corporations, makes them invincible, with lawsuits or recalls a non issue. - small potatoes to them.
There ya have it.
There once was a comment made regarding pricing of components and services.
At first, I thought it was odd, perhaps a biased account from someone.
Asides from inflation and brand name popularity, it was........
The more you charge for a given object or service, the public will naturally assume that "it's better".
I suppose that I'm not a "normal person".
Because I always blazed my own path, didn't follow the sheep mentality.
I'm sorry, but for my Latin language and idiosyncrasies, that doesn't tell me anything.
It's as if I told you to understand this:
"Not by much getting up early one wakes up earlier"
Yes, with the internet you could have asked him what he considered an organ that is not cheap and adequate.....
It seems that reviewer talks with the snobbish "audiophile" attitude, which bores the tears out of me.
Reviews of accessories such as power cables and interconnects are just laughable!
Here's what a reviewer had to say about a "silver-plated copper fuse wire" equipped 13A UK mains plug fuse:
"To test the (fuse), I replace the standard 13A mains fuse in the mains plug of the cable that supplies power to my audio system's balanced mains transformer and distribution blocks. I then go ahead and listen to a range of different music on my system and can instantly perceive clear audible improvements in terms of fullness of sound and overall realism."
Now, who's queuing up to part with $90 for a mains fuse - not me for a start!
"Perceive"........ notice that word?
That's what's so idiotic about audio decriptions.
Yeah, you PERCEIVE........ in your mind.
I'm too old to buy that crap.
My feet are firmly planted on the ground of reality........ not "perception".
Manufacturers sometimes disguise a commercial interest through an established myth.
I never believed that a fuse could change the sinido, neither for the better nor for the worse.
But the recommendation to use fast cut fuses that are of good quality convinced me and look here in my country for these Little Fuses. The local PL distributor was not even aware of this report ...
I found an electronics importer who had them, but was not retailing them, so I had to buy a bag of 100 units.
I did NOT notice improvements in the sound, but I posted the fuses as audiophiles and made millions !!!
Welcome to the Machine …. PrimaLuna DiaLogue Premium Integrated Amplifier 2012 (Part 6) | PrimaLuna's Blog
" We are so satisfied with these that we want to go so far that we actually RECOMMEND these for a better sound ánd for a better handling of unexpected issues like a problematic tube. "
Yes, that's an example of marketing hype from the designers of that particular valve amplifier! I looked up the data sheet for those 5 x 20mm time-lag fuses to find they meet the IEC 60127-2, third edition specification (which relates to miniature fuses).
So, at least they will do the job for which they are intended in a safe and reliable fashion!
You will not be surprised that the actual manufacturer of the fuses does not claim they give "a better sound"!