If you know how to do it, you can get a dinner spot at Adria.
Slightly irrelevant anecdote: Some years ago, when digital cameras were still rare, I ate at a legendary and multiply-starred restaurant with my cooking/drinking partner from The Stupids. We each got the 5 course menu; he got the "normal," I got a special vegetarian version. Superb food. As each course came, he would stand up and photograph his dish, hand me the camera, and I'd photograph mine. This is apparently common now, but rather rare back then. Anyway,as we would do this, the waiters would stare at the process with an air of Gallic bemusement.
At the end of dinner, the maitre-d' placed a silver plate with the bill on it in front of me and said, "Perhaps monsieur would like to take a picture of this as well?"
Slightly irrelevant anecdote: Some years ago, when digital cameras were still rare, I ate at a legendary and multiply-starred restaurant with my cooking/drinking partner from The Stupids. We each got the 5 course menu; he got the "normal," I got a special vegetarian version. Superb food. As each course came, he would stand up and photograph his dish, hand me the camera, and I'd photograph mine. This is apparently common now, but rather rare back then. Anyway,as we would do this, the waiters would stare at the process with an air of Gallic bemusement.
At the end of dinner, the maitre-d' placed a silver plate with the bill on it in front of me and said, "Perhaps monsieur would like to take a picture of this as well?"
+10
+10
LOL and Canada ....
surface deep at every angle ... 
Yep, JD. He's amazingly talented in the kitchen and is one of the two most talented wine tasters I've ever met. He has some decent speakers- MTM Audax HM100Z surrounding a JBL/Audax DT101 with two Dynaudio 17W75 mid woofers (Allison configuration) and an NHT1259-based subwoofer.
Hi SY,
Completely agree from my standpoint as well!
Hi John,
However ....
Take it from one of many who know (me for one), there are no shortage of designers or products that are poorly conceived, poorly executed and simply shouldn't exist. In most of these cases, those responsible for the travesty hide behind the fabric of "high end" verbiage. Intentional charlatans and out right rip-off artists.
The end result is that many potential audio customers view the entire industry through the same glasses, so they find another hobby. Audio desires are satisfied with the purchase from something mainstream (mass merchandiser) that will at least operate without too much smoke.
I can't say as I blame them at all. It is the intelligent way to handle an industry that has lost both it's moral center and any trust it might otherwise have enjoyed. Various magazines have toiled for over 20 years to shed any guise of believability possible.
It seems to me that the only way to truth and happiness is a DIY effort, or at least an understanding of what makes these various things tick.
While you may produce an excellent product, John, some (not all) of your contemporaries are responsible for destroying what could have been a very enjoyable business. The industry is in serious need of government intervention, or responsible policing.
-Chris
Completely agree from my standpoint as well!
Hi John,
Of course, not every design is overpriced or poorly done.
However ....
Take it from one of many who know (me for one), there are no shortage of designers or products that are poorly conceived, poorly executed and simply shouldn't exist. In most of these cases, those responsible for the travesty hide behind the fabric of "high end" verbiage. Intentional charlatans and out right rip-off artists.
The end result is that many potential audio customers view the entire industry through the same glasses, so they find another hobby. Audio desires are satisfied with the purchase from something mainstream (mass merchandiser) that will at least operate without too much smoke.
I can't say as I blame them at all. It is the intelligent way to handle an industry that has lost both it's moral center and any trust it might otherwise have enjoyed. Various magazines have toiled for over 20 years to shed any guise of believability possible.
It seems to me that the only way to truth and happiness is a DIY effort, or at least an understanding of what makes these various things tick.
While you may produce an excellent product, John, some (not all) of your contemporaries are responsible for destroying what could have been a very enjoyable business. The industry is in serious need of government intervention, or responsible policing.
-Chris
LOL and Canada ....
At some point did I hurt your feelings Watts? You should try and get over it and move on.
1st of all - and with all due respect JC - for the most part I agree with you. Products that are developed to operate to high levels of performance cost more to R&D in regards to materials, circuits, testing, skill of tech's, etc. These higher (and justified) manufacturing cost are reflected in a higher price to the customer. A Ferrari will get you to the same place as a pick-up truck, but it sells for a higher price for several reasons.
Buuuuuut - some hi-end goods - and not just hi end audio - justify a high price NOT based on cost of materials, engineering, technology, etc., but are presented as high end based largely on snake oil and slick talking. You have seen 'em and you know very well that there are some that market their wares in this manner.
The same holds true for all market price niches and even some of the lowly - gasp - mid-fi makers of audio gear that have more yap than bite when it comes to the "value" of the goods they sell.
As to the second point about having a clue concerning the cost to make something. Sum of us duz - I'm one of 'em.
I suspect Chris means something more along the lines of a consumer protection agency - what we have here as the Fair Trading Act where (amongst other things) an advertiser or retailer is liable for ensuring the item does what it's meant to in the manner it says it does.
Ample examples of "stereophile" items that would fall well short of either mark...
Ample examples of "stereophile" items that would fall well short of either mark...
Well that gets into the realm of politics which as I understand it is verboten here. So I'll just say that 'caveat emptor' isn't a new-fangled phrase.
That's exactly what we need, a "community organizer" elevated to Audio Czar making all the decisions on what you can buy.
Just relax, they'll know what's best for you...
TerryO
Problem with caveat emptor is it relies on a fully informed buyer and seller - something that is non-existant in many transactions these days either through the intricasies of the product or the subterfuge of the participants.
That's a new one on me. What do you mean by 'fully informed' ?
And I would say subterfuge was still operative in Roman times. What's new? The notion that government can protect buyers against subterfuge by sellers is really laughable. Plenty of buyers love the BS element of marketing - that's part of the reason they buy.
It can't before the fact - it can after. The USA is rife with it except they do it through tort law at vast expense. As an example, check out last year's debacle over the Lexus/Toyota brake faults (the ones thet weren't).
GB has legislation that does a similar thing to our law - you don't need to get so indignant since you are protected by it.
Plenty of things are too complex or different for the average customer to understand fully the performance or suitablity of hte product - laptop computers, a car, a holiday in the south of France and the like are all purchases that only expose their true value as you experience them. Only the seller knows the truth - the laptop hasn't got the grunt to perform its duties or has a useless wifi tranmitter, the car has a known engine defect, and the hotel is not yet finished, those sorts of things.
GB has legislation that does a similar thing to our law - you don't need to get so indignant since you are protected by it.
Plenty of things are too complex or different for the average customer to understand fully the performance or suitablity of hte product - laptop computers, a car, a holiday in the south of France and the like are all purchases that only expose their true value as you experience them. Only the seller knows the truth - the laptop hasn't got the grunt to perform its duties or has a useless wifi tranmitter, the car has a known engine defect, and the hotel is not yet finished, those sorts of things.
I'm cherry picking the not so political comments. Have you been on that cabernet again as your unfounded assumptions are showing through here. Evidence please for your claim that I'm getting indignant? I haven't lived in GB for over 5 years so please explain how I'm protected by GB legislation in my current location (China) ?
And in some cases, even the seller's unaware of the truth - like the case of Toyota's acceleration problem. So your point is that the government needs to be aware of what the seller's aware of? And potentially what the seller's not yet aware of (like in the Toyota case). How do you propose for that to happen?
HEY!!! Here in "Music City" that could be "high-end" - considering if it can actually get up to speed on the local hi-ways - i.e. NASCAR speed.
Note: "Music City" is on da doooooor.
I've thought this myself a few times in the past, I certainly don't understand anybody objecting to consumer protection legislation on the basis that it's going to restrict choice. I remember a time when we didn't have legislation, and taking a non-functioning item back to the shop could be a stressful and sometimes totally unproductive experience. I don't feel that the legislation is restricting my opportunities to buy.
Just as many other functions once organised by governments are being usurped by mass movements (cf. elections in Egypt), however, I think that the audio industry will be policed by the weight of informed public opinion accumulating on the internet. If I were a producer of audio equipment the last thing I would want is a bum rep on diyAudio.
w
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