by Michael

Prequalifying Customers?

There is a disturbing thread on the Audio Asylum… yes, I know that is nothing to post about… but in this case, it highlights why dealers are so despised in this hobby. And since we are a dealer, well, this is not only Annoying, but, well, maybe it is only annoying.

This is the link to the thead:

I just got phone screened by a dealer and rejected.

What is annoying is that this practice is defended by several dealers, and a reviewer. And we know several very successful dealers who do this. No wonder so many people think dealers suck.

Of all the dealers that have an excuse to pre-screen customers, it should be us. What with one $500K system and two quarter million (and one very nice $25K one, too. High efficeincy speakers rock.), are we supposed to answer the phone with “If you are not independently wealthy, at the beep, hang up.”?

Shhhhheeeeooooot, man, life is too short to spend it being rude.

I told myself, when I was starting out as a professional programmer, that if coding ever became a bummer [yes, it was a long time ago :-)] that I would quit being a professional and go back to doing it as a hobby. It was just too much fun and I didn’t want the business aspect of it to ruin it for me.

And over the decades, although some bosses were downright sleezy, I could still retain my love of coding. I didn’t have to become sleezy [although I did become angry and disgusted a number of times – I’m sure you all can relate].

The point of this is, the day when the business side of this hobby threatens to take the fun out of music, or threatens to turn us into a**holes – we are outahere.

And until that time, we welcome EVERYONE who is actually interested in hearing what we got. Be forewarned, you will be spoiled before you leave.

Funny, most people pre-qualify themselves with something like “I probably can’t afford anythiung you got up there…” [That’s OK, we know are out-a-control] “…but I would love to hear A, B and or C…”[Sure! When is a good time for you?]”… and maybe D too, but that is way out of my price range…”[Yeah, it is pretty expensive, but wait until you here it! It is so awesomely good at….] “…and I’m not really even looking for anything in particular, I like my current system.” [It sounds like your system is well-balanced. No reason to upgrade unless you want to. If and when you to decide to upgrade, give us a call, maybe we can help].

I cannot see how this is anything but common courtesy. I know being nice is out of fashion these days – everybody wants to be Dirty Harry [me, I’ll be Josey Wales :-)], but seriously, …..

Truth is, most people really *can* afford many things we sell – Audio Aero Prima CD player at around $2K, The Accoustic Zen Adagio speaker at around $4K, lots of Audio Note equipment, Edge G-series amps and preamps, Shunyata entry-level power cords, etc. etc.

But they often really want to be able to come hear the BIG STUFF.

Is there something wrong with that? It is what *we* would want to do if we were them. And heck, we *are* them.

OK, some people come up here to convince themselves (and us!) that their system, or more often: the system that they are going to be able to get for pennies on the dollar when they eventually find it, is better than all of our systems. This can be kind of awkward. But still, even these people are fairly polite and goodnatured, for the most part – especially because we are not interested in being stuck with teaching them that most of what they read about on the forums and magazines is… uh… not really about high-end audio, per se.

We are not evangelical here. We just push play, answer questions, and be polite. And meet lots of very nice people. Where is the call to be rude and nasty?

One thing though, if you want to come up here and listen. please remember… to bring some great music! [Almost all of the music we buy these days was something someone brought up here with them during an audition].

And, anyone know why people patronize these hard agressive dealers who are rude and impolite, and who sell stuff that sucks without blinking an eye? Just curious… Maybe it depends on where you live. Here in Boulder, this would be suicide. Boulder is not that friendly, actually, but to be rude is really bad karma, man.

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Philosophy 0 comments
 by Michael

Showroom 2 and 3 swapped their speakers…

We moved the Marten Coltrane Supreme speakers over to in front of the Soundlab U1 speakers and the Marten Coltrane loudspeakers over behind the Kharma Mini Exquisite speakers. The ‘Supremes’ are slowly making their way upstairs.


The Marten Coltrane Supreme speakers driven by Lamm ML2.1 amps and Lamm L2 preamp. Source is the Brinkmann Balance turntable with Lyra Titan cartridge and Audio Aero Prestige CD / SACD player / linestage.


The system sounds good – at the volumes we play it at (i.e. below 100 dB) the bass tower’s rear-firing ports did not seem affected by the proximity of the SoundLab speakers. The main towers, being sealed, also did not have too many adverse affects [we still need to move the bass towers farther back, away from the front of the main towers – which improves imaging significantly].

The thing about these speakers, which has been unexpected, is how ‘intimate sounding’ they are. Unlike most (all?) other speakers that produce a large soundstage, which have a somewhat dominating influence, distancing the musicans from the here and now in some way that is hard to explain right now – the listening experience here is more like listening to monitors. Like the musicians are playing music Just For Me.

Still don’t know what to make of this – or whether other people will appreciate this or not. But there is a lot more ‘affection’ for the music in this context – it is much more approachable.


On the other side of the room, behind the listening chairs, is the now sparsely settled showroom 2 with the Marten Coltranes waiting behind the Khamra Minis. This will be the configuration we will use, along with a pair of Audio Note speakers standing by, when the ‘Supremes’ make it all the way upstairs into the big showroom #1.

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Marten Design / Showroom 2 / Showroom 3 0 comments
 by Michael

An Advanced Audiophile Exercise Regimen

Being an active audiohpile can be both great exercise, and at the same time requires one to be very fit.

We are talking specifically about ‘active’ audiophiles who mix things up a lot. You know, audiophiles who are on a first name basis with the FedEx guys and gals.

In order to compete against other audiophiles for the title bout in the Audiophile Strongman Competition, the following are recommended exercises:

1. Carry a 120 lb amp up and down 45 steps.[builds strong legs and biceps].

2. Now carry the 120lb amp up and down the 45 steps while it is in its crate. [builds character]

Extra bonus points: Do it while it is snowing and icy.

Extra extra points: Do it while it is very hot and humid while it is snowing and icy

3. Lean over and plug in a power cord into a hospital-grade outlet. At an ackward angle such that one cannot use your body weight to help get it in. Now un-plug it, again without using the body’s weight, and plug it back in. Do it 10 times. Do not electrocute yourself. [builds finger strength and popeye forearms].

4. Practice routing a very stiff and large power cord under a rack and up and over into a power strip. Now do it for a transport, DAC, preamp, and 2 monoblock amplifiers. [develops analytical skills and legendary patience, along with an abilty to ignore situations of disturbingly low aesthetics].

Extra points if the lightweight power strip is made to remain in its correct horizontal orientation.

5. Bend the legs and lean precariously on tip toe over $50K+ worth of delicate and very hot equipment, putting one arm around the front of a equipment rack to stablilze a component while using the other arm around the back to plug in a cable. [develops the core muscles and a nerves of steel].

Extra points if the cable has a WBT NextGen connector which requires two hands – or in this case, one hand using precisely controlled fingers that hold, stabilize, push and twist the connector, over and over again, until it is in place.

Subtract points if the component ends up cock-eyed because of imperfect stabilization technique.

Subtract more points if the WBT did not go on all the way precipitating an embarrassingly loud ground loop. Take two Advil.

6. As quickly as you can [grasshopper], Take a CD out of a top loader CD player / transport in a single movement [builds precise motor control of the finger tips] and put it into a front loader so that it sits perfectly center in the tray [develops a precise feeling for the weight and aerodynamic capabilities of a silver disc].

7. Queue up an LP while straddling a half-dozen power cords, two SET tube monoblocks, a preamplifer’s power supply and without leaving any finger prints on the equipment rack.[Develops a care-free yet zen-like appreciation of the workings of the world].

Extra points if all of the beginning of the first track on the record is prefectly audible and at the correct volume.

Subtract points if the cartridge falls off the outside of the record.

8. Route 100 cables, power cords and interconnects, of various sizes, of various robustnesses, of ridiculously high but damn well worth it cost, in and around components without scratching either the components or the equipment rack. The wiiiiide equipment rack. Witn one side of the rack blocked off by a piece of furniture that appears to allow enough room to get behind the rack but in fact does not. With minimal room lighting. While playing Led Zepelin REALLY really loud. [Develops an ability to curse with the best of them].

Subtract points if a red cable goes into a black connector.

Subtract more points if an input is connected to another input, or an output to an output, and for any cables only attached at one end.

Extra points if the lengths are such that only some cables will only reach to some components, requiring a super-computer-like capacity planning algorithm to be running in one’s head to figure out what goes where.

Extra extra points if the final arrangement of all these cables was actually the optimal one for this system.

——

Those are just a few of the exercises that many audiophiles do, every day, as they prepare for the Audiophile Strongman Competitions. I.E. modifying a typcial system on a typical day.

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Humor 4 comments