Absolutely not aimed at you or at any specific individual but at the world of hi fi in general, which I am increasingly at odds with and find more ridiculous on a daily basis. I too do continuous R & D and in fact have many dozens of new products... which I can't afford to put on the market.
As to what potential customers may think.... There will be some who appreciate zero bullshit, honesty, a refusal to jump on any fad of a gravy train and technical excellence. The ones who wish to have their sometimes bizarre ideas pandered to, are maybe looking for sycophancy and want affirmation that maybe placing a banana on each speaker improves the sound can please take their business elsewhere!
If my latest range of products in the form of full function pre amp, line stage and phono stage does not take off, (and I'm not expecting it to as in spite of it being intended to be so good it will be a no-brainer purchase, no doubt the fact that it won't be in hi fi mags or dealers shelves and it doesn't say Naim or Audionote on the front panel will guarantee zero sales...time will tell), then I may well leave hi fi altogether, (do I hear a cheer?) other than for my own use, and go back into industrial electronics R & D, and start to make enough money to have a life once more etc....
My world of hi fi is the one of Angus McKenzie, Donald Aldous, Gordon J King, Peter Walker and Peter Baxandall etc. One where scientific method, technical competence, the laws of physics and careful measurement were EVERYTHING and, back then, anyone suggesting magic mains cables, fuses, interconnects etc would have been laughed at.
Then the clever marketing people got involved..... And boy did post-truth start early in hi fi! We now live in a world of hi fi where measuring things properly is frowned on, even being bothered by technical measurements, and therefore competence, is frowned upon and snake oil merchants are held in higher regard then engineers... people will spout technical diarrhoea at the drop of a hat based on something they only half understood in an article in Hi Fi World two year ago... and which was itself only half right... and when told the truth, want to shoot the messenger....
We live in a hi fi environment today where if someone suggested dipping mains plugs in carrot juice improved the sound, then instead of being rightly ridiculed, many would believe them and actually try it.... some would decide it really works even!
It's a world I really want nothing to do with TBH... So. no I'm not someone who will say nothing, to avoid "rocking the boat", when the bananas on top of the speakers are postulated, or will refrain from calling you an idiot if you suggest dipping mains plugs in carrot juice!!.... (or would have done/wish to would be more accurate, as it has been made clear to me that suggesting eg "dipping mains plugs in carrot juice improves sound" is fine on this site, welcomed even, but suggesting it's idiotic/impossible would put me in breach of site rules and looking at a ban. Yes you couldn't make it up and the lunatics have taken over the asylum but them's the rules... So next time something like this actually comes up for debate my input will be notable by its absence).
If honesty, a belief that the truth will out and that science, not mumbo jumbo, is what really matters, makes me so disliked that no one wants to buy anything from me... then so be it. I'm not in this game for the money.... Virtually any other occupation, including stacking supermarket shelves, would make me a better income than I make from hi fi ,and the only way to get a small fortune from hi fi is to start with a large one!
So why do I do it? Because it's a subject I love and which fascinates me and has never failed to arouse my curiosity since being a kid. Because I'm good at it. Because as a direct seller freed from dealer mark up , I believe I can build equipment with a true claim to being the best in the world at any price point. That's why
Own opinions only and YMMV etc
Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)
Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco
Well I believe in you Jez and stand by your products as being excellent vfm. As they would have said back in the old days
FTW
there's no justice just us
HEGEL H100 integrated amp
REGA rp6/exact cart
REGA Apollo r CD
NEAT ELITE SE loudspeakers
BERESFORD bushmaster mk2 dac
Powered by a DEBEN tracer battery
Mc5000 klotz ms audio cables(cheers Brian).
REGA couple 2 ics
JEZ ARKLESS phono stage
RUSS ANDREWS powermax mains cables
ISOTEK POLARIS mains block
ATLAS Speaker cables
CREEK OBH21 SE head amp
BRIANS silver hybrid ics
Location: Havant
Posts: 21
I'm Richard.
Location: Havant
Posts: 21
I'm Richard.
Location: cheltenham
Posts: 746
I'm matt.
I've heard a few people say those Sabre chips can sound a bit thin. Some people used to complain that the old Dacmagic (2 x WM8740) was a bit too lively (Mine sounds great but It has Teddy Regs and a PFM flea fitted).
Let us know what you think, I'm tempted to try a CA CXAxx amp after my experience of the excellent little CA AM1.
Location: Havant
Posts: 21
I'm Richard.
Location: cheltenham
Posts: 746
I'm matt.
Leema Pulse MKI; Electrocompaniet PC-1; PMC TB2i; Denon TU-260 MKII; Pro-ject Xpression 1 with ClearAudio Classic Wood cartridge