what is the secret?

[Haselsh1]

If I think to myself about how often I just get talking to someone in a pub etc and find they share interests with me then motorbikes... pretty often, guitars etc and playing them... pretty often... hi fi? maybe one in 5 years!

Yep, unless they are old school friends then everyone is interested in music but not the equipment used to reproduce it. With lots of blokey friends you are correct of course, music, motorbikes and guitars, not always in that order. Strangely though, none of my friends ever discuss football. I wonder why...?

[Marco]

I was eager to demonstrate "my baby" but I was brusquely told by him that he had no interest in what it sounded like!! He then went into detailed talks with the casework designer demanding even more bling, gold plated knobs etc etc... which he got of course and smaller smoothing caps were fitted to the amps to help pay for this... THAT's how it works in practice

That's absolutely shocking, but not entirely surprising. If I ever received conclusive proof that such a thing was happening today with another hi-fi manufacturer, I'd expose them for the charlatans that they are. And I'd go to town on them in a big way, too!!

Marco.

[Arkless Electronics]

That's absolutely shocking, but not entirely surprising. If I ever received conclusive proof that such a thing was happening today with another hi-fi manufacturer, I'd expose them for the charlatans that they are. And I'd go to town on them, too!!

Marco.

That's just the tip of the iceberg!! I could tell tales about another ex employer (Wembley based for a not too subtle clue) that would make your teeth curl!

It goes on all the time I assure you....

[Marco]

A sort-of contrary position; products from one-man cottage manufacturers are vulnerable to the one man in question being out of action for whatever reason...

See my post here on that subject: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showt...306#post893306

Marco.

[Marco]

That's just the tip of the iceberg!! I could tell tales about another ex employer (Wembley based for a not too subtle clue) that would make your teeth curl!

It goes on all the time I assure you....

Well then, those guilty should be named and shamed, and their sham products exposed for what they are. I'd be happy to use AoS to facilitate it. All we're interested in here is supporting the genuine guys, who're in the business for the RIGHT reasons.

The rest deserve to have their deceit exposed, so that folks know *exactly* what's going on and can avoid buying their fake equipment.

Marco.

[Arkless Electronics]

Yep, unless they are old school friends then everyone is interested in music but not the equipment used to reproduce it. With lots of blokey friends you are correct of course, music, motorbikes and guitars, not always in that order. Strangely though, none of my friends ever discuss football. I wonder why...?

Sport is one of those things I've never really "got" either.... Motorsport sure, all that high tech petrolheadery and the fact that the riders/drivers risk death every lap! other sports... nah.. not really... and football? I'll never understand the obsession, verging on worship, shown by so many of my fellow males of the species (and a lot of women these days).. 22 blokes slowly going around a field trying to get a ball in a net for no good reason is about all I see

[anthonyTD]

Sport is one of those things I've never really "got" either.... Motorsport sure, all that high tech petrolheadery and the fact that the riders/drivers risk death every lap! other sports... nah.. not really... and football? I'll never understand the obsession, verging on worship, shown by so many of my fellow males of the species (and a lot of women these days).. 22 blokes slowly going around a field trying to get a ball in a net for no good reason is about all I see

[the_doc735]

You seem to feel J Wood and Guy Sergeant amps are the pinnacle of amp development and are both big companies

I don't have enough experience to know what the pinnacle is but I feel that wood and sergeant amps sound good to my ears, relatively speaking not all that expensive £1000+; not 10k! And I do not feel that these are big companies compared to the likes of sony, pioneer, denon. It's all relative, and these are relatively small companies in the great scheme of things i.e. no branches, no stores, no employees - one man bands! That is small in my book.

[the_doc735]

... I wouldn't be so sure of that. Any company would cut costs where they can regardless of how 'exclusive' they are.

If they can get away with it (which let's be honest they are in the best position to do so) they will because nobody would risk cracking hermetically sealed £10k, £20+ lids of kit to find out.

I WOULD!

[the_doc735]

Yes, but the harder part is identifying which from which!

The "super-expensive transformers", for example (especially in a valve amp), would interest me rather more than any "super-expensive casework", as for me hi-fi equipment is simply a functional tool, to perform a particular task, not an ornament to be admired.

Marco.

Me too!