Snobby

[Gmanuk101]

Why are some people so bloody snobby still when it comes to Hi-FI? Are these people stuck in some kind of time warp and possibly think that people even give a dicedToss about their own strange attitude. :scratch:

[Marco]

Hi Graeme,

What's prompted this, dude?

Marco.

[jandl100]

Examples needed!

Or does anyone with kit more recent than 1975 count as a snob? ;)

... looks like a good punch-up is brewing here. :lol:

[istari_knight]

The worst I've experienced were dealers that wouldn't acknowledge you if you didn't own equipment from a manufacturer that shall remain naimless ;) I went in there twice & received one word answers to my questions, the third time I made it well known I had an amplifier from said brand & lo I was their new best friend :rolleyes:

Although on the whole I find inverted snobbery far more irritating personally.

[julesd68]

The worst I've experienced were dealers that wouldn't acknowledge you if you didn't own equipment from a manufacturer that shall remain naimless ;)

Naim and shame them!

[AlexM]

I think it was pointless before that!

[Gmanuk101]

Hi Graeme,

What's prompted this, dude?

Marco.

meh, bad day at the office I think....;)

[Gmanuk101]

I think it was pointless before that!

Nothing is pointless, oh with the exception of Spock's ears

[RichB]

Who's crossed you then Gman?

I dont like brand snobbery but at the same time I cant help it of other peoples more expensive set ups dont sound as good as mine... heheheh. Avast!

[awkwardbydesign]

If you think that's bad, try motorbikes. Sportbike riders won't acknowledge anyone else, Harley riders, classic bike riders, etc, just the same. I like to combine hobbies, a Goldwing with a big stereo!
https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS5uGeJG_Qis2XBW_2die3Ph3ETRdwJU-7QE9tYiNCFUC2xYiwA

[istari_knight]

Naim and shame them!

No no no ... Been there/done that ! Got me in a spot of trouble on the 'wam as they threatened legal action against both myself & the forum. Luckily the forum owners a sensible chap & sorted it out.

[julesd68]

Got me in a spot of trouble on the 'wam as they threatened legal action against both myself & the forum.

Blimey that sounds rather unpleasant ...

BTW - is that a Fender Strat in your avatar??

[Audio Al]

Is it Snobbery or personal choice

We all have the option to choose and some even talk about their choices

I have made my choices :D

And live with them :)

[awkwardbydesign]

I have made my choices :eek:

And live with them :doh:
Fixt.

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

I've never encountered any form of snobbery among fellow enthusiasts but I've walked out of a few hifi shops because of the arsey attitude.

[synsei]

No no no ... Been there/done that ! Got me in a spot of trouble on the 'wam as they threatened legal action against both myself & the forum. Luckily the forum owners a sensible chap & sorted it out.

Was the legal threat their initial reaction or had they asked for the post to be removed beforehand?

[hifi_dave]

If you want snobbery, pop into a Merc dealership and ask for a test drive.

I did just that a couple of years ago and was told that they didn't have time and I could only sit in the car if I took off my shoes !!!

I didn't buy a Merc..:rolleyes:

[istari_knight]

Blimey that sounds rather unpleasant ...

BTW - is that a Fender Strat in your avatar??

Not sure TBH, I just liked the pic so stole it for myself :D

[istari_knight]

Was the legal threat their initial reaction or had they asked for the post to be removed beforehand?

It was couple of years ago now but IIRC they said remove it or we'll take legal action. The thread was live for over 12 hours before being pulled... They closed down 6 months later.

[Beobloke]

If you want snobbery, pop into a Merc dealership and ask for a test drive.


Wife and I did exactly that four years ago when she was looking for her first company car (note - we didn't mention that it would be a company car at the time). Not only did we get a test drive of an automatic version of the model she was considering, but they found one with a manual gearbox and had it brought down for the following weekend so she could try that.

Needless to say - she bought a Merc!

Clearly you just look like a ruffian....;)

[Marco]

Wife and I did exactly that four years ago when she was looking for her first company car (note - we didn't mention that it would be a company car at the time). Not only did we get a test drive of an automatic version of the model she was considering, but they found one with a manual gearbox and had it brought down for the following weekend so she could try that.


Maybe the guy in the Merc dealership fancied her? Dave, whilst charmingly cuddly, is perhaps less fanciable (and I suspect doesn't suit a short skirt)? :eyebrows:

Marco.

[seoirse2002]

Why are some people so bloody snobby still when it comes to Hi-FI? Are these people stuck in some kind of time warp and possibly think that people even give a dicedToss about their own strange attitude. :scratch:

Know exactly how you feel!! brought my AR(acoustic research) TT in to a well known hi fi dealer and not only was I made to feel like a piece of Sh*t...the so called turntable expert kept insisting on calling it an A&R turntable...then they overcharged me for a service that I didnt need.... when I pointed out all the stupid things they done....I received a refund of £100 of the £170 they charged me...one of the things on their list was £4 for a mains plug,but after changing the phonos,they didnt change the mains lead!!
What finally freaked me out was the "expert's" remark as I was leaving..."well, its not a Linn is it?"....
I think one of the members here had also a bad experience with same place.
Tim's P's quote on my signature says it all:cool:

[The Grand Wazoo]

You should have pointed out that without Ed Villchur's work on his AR turntables (first on sale in 1963), Linn would have been copying the Dansette.

[seoirse2002]

You should have pointed out that without Ed Villchur's work on his AR turntables (first on sale in 1963), Linn would have been copying the Dansette.

Thats exactly what I told him,but I just got a blank down the nose look...but thats all I expected,considering he was still calling it an A&R TT right to the end.:doh:

[The Grand Wazoo]

His loss.
I'd take the AR over a Sondek (and for several years, I did).

[synsei]

I thought the Sondek was a rip off of the Heybrook TT2 or am I mistaken?

[YNWaN]

Unfortunately, you are mistaken - it is (or was back then) a copy of the Ariston RD11, which was itself, essentially, a Thorens TD150.

[synsei]

Thanks Mark, I stand corrected ;)

Some may call it perspicacity, others might call it stealing, but whichever way one leans, Linn did rather well out of it...

[The Grand Wazoo]

The tt they actually took a tape measure to was theThorens but the principles of belt drive with a 3 point suspended sub chassis had already been in use in the AR two years before the Thorens became available.

[hifi_dave]

Clearly you just look like a ruffian....;)

Probably - I usually do but I learnt, many, many years ago, that you can't judge a book by it's cover !!! I did actually have my cheque book with me and eventually spent the money with Audi.

It does depend on the particular dealer though, be it cars, cameras, TVs or Hi-Fi.

[walpurgis]

The worst I've experienced were dealers that wouldn't acknowledge you if you didn't own equipment from a manufacturer that shall remain naimless ;) I went in there twice & received one word answers to my questions, the third time I made it well known I had an amplifier from said brand & lo I was their new best friend :rolleyes:

Although on the whole I find inverted snobbery far more irritating personally.

I'm trying to figure out "inverted snobbery" in relation to H-Fi. You've got me with that one!

[Joe]

I'm trying to figure out "inverted snobbery" in relation to H-Fi. You've got me with that one!

'I use an amp I built out of some spare parts in my shed, a DVD player I bought for £5 from Cash Converters, and a pair of car speakers I rescued from a scrapyard, and it outperforms every system I have ever heard, up to and including those costing £100,000'.

[walpurgis]

Any pictures?

[Canetoad]

:rfl:

[awkwardbydesign]

'I use an amp I built out of some spare parts in my shed, a DVD player I bought for £5 from Cash Converters, and a pair of car speakers I rescued from a scrapyard, and it outperforms every system I have ever heard, up to and including those costing £100,000'.
Now that's just ridiculous.








Cash Converters charge more than that!

[synsei]

The staff at Cash Converters are a little more clued up these days, 10 years ago however the Kettering branch didn't have a clue. I walked in one Thursday afternoon to have a nose around and noticed a mint Aura Evolution VA100 mk2 tucked in amongst the plethora of cheap and cheerful amps from the likes of Sherwood et al. The Aura looked the biz with its shiny chrome faceplate and the price on the ticket was a paltry £90.

While I was standing there working out my finances a sales bod came over and offered to help. I told him I was interested in the Aura and he spent the next five minutes or so trying to convince me that what I really needed was the Sherwood (which was 20 quid dearer) because its power output was 50wpc more than the Aura. "...and the Aura doesn't even have any tone controls" he said plaintively. Sensing an opening I dived in for the kill. "That's a good point" I said, "but I'm going to struggle to scrape up the £90 you're asking for the Aura, what will you take for it?" I asked hopefully. He excused himself and went for a chat with the manager. When he returned he carefully explained that it had been on display for many months and seeing as I obviously liked it they could let me have it for £60. Well, I was stoked but thought there might be even more mileage in it, so I put on my best poker face and replied, "50 quid?". A very happy Dave walked out of the shop with a delicious amp which might as well have been new complete with its original packaging which was also unmarked. I was on top of the world ;)

[prestonchipfryer]

'I use an amp I built out of some spare parts in my shed, a DVD player I bought for £5 from Cash Converters, and a pair of car speakers I rescued from a scrapyard, and it outperforms every system I have ever heard, up to and including those costing £100,000'.



You ain't heard many systems then, have you? :lol: :lol: :lol:

[walpurgis]

Things seem to have ground to a sudden silence here. Wonder why?

Come on Joe, I know you're on a 'wind-up'!

[Alex_UK]

Wasn't that just Joe's example of inverted snobbery? :scratch: - I don't think it was serious, chaps!

[Joe]

Things seem to have ground to a sudden silence here. Wonder why?

Come on Joe, I know you're on a 'wind-up'!

Of course. In reality I've never set foot in either Cash Converters or a scrapyard, and my DIY skills are limited to wiring up a plug. I've spent more on hifi over the years than is entirely reasonable, though having said that it still amounts to less than some would pay for a single component.

As for hifi snobbery, it comes in many varieties, from brand-snobbery to price-snobbery to techno-snobbery. Retailers should certainly be wary of judging potential customers by their appearance, especially these days when most shops seem to be bereft of punters much of the time.

[Marco]

Of course. In reality I've never set foot in either Cash Converters or a scrapyard...

Quite right, old chap, they're usually frequented by oiks ;)

Marco.

[seoirse2002]

The tt they actually took a tape measure to was theThorens but the principles of belt drive with a 3 point suspended sub chassis had already been in use in the AR two years before the Thorens became available.

Very True,and in fact the AR was the worlds best selling TT before the Linn came along.

[Lodgesound]

My Technics RS 1500 was aquired from a cash converters type place - cost me a whopping £50.00.......

Happy days - long gone now...

[walpurgis]

Quite right, old chap, they're usually frequented by oiks ;)

Marco.

Bit below the belt that. I like scrap yards.

Years ago I bought a rare and rather special Sony TA-5650 V-FET integrated amplifier from Cash Converters. It seemed OK on demo, but when I got it home it was low on one channel, so back it went and they had the cheek to tell me that it was tested and could have no faults. I kicked up a fuss and demanded a refund, but it wasn't until I said I'd have a full diagnostic carried out by Mike Solomons at London Sound at a cost of £150 (it was cheaper back then) at their expense and bring along my colleagues from just up the road at Trading Standards that they gave in. Needless to say I've not been back.

[Marco]

Bit below the belt that. I like scrap yards.


You missed the irony, daftee... In a thread entitled: 'Snobby', I was merely acting the part! ;)

Marco.

[WOStantonCS100]

Only experienced a touch of snobbery when a "thread-drive" turntable owner asked what I used. It was like I shat on his dog when I said the "Techy" word. ;) S'ok. I returned the favor when he gave me his US standard choice of amplification (McIntosh, of course) and I mentioned that I build my own to spec with NOS valves from Amperex, Sylvania, GE, RCA, Mullard, etc. etc. :ner:

FFS, hobbies are supposed to bring people together. :rolleyes:

[walpurgis]

You missed the irony, daftee... In a thread entitled: 'Snobby', I was merely acting the part! ;)

Marco.

Rather ironic that I missed the irony!

(I wasn't really being serious, but I thought the bit about Cash Converters might be of interest)

[walpurgis]

Only experienced a touch of snobbery when a "thread-drive" turntable owner asked what I used. It was like I shat on his dog when I said the "Techy" word. ;) S'ok. I returned the favor when he gave me his US standard choice of amplification (McIntosh, of course) and I mentioned that I build my own to spec with NOS valves from Amperex, Sylvania, GE, RCA, Mullard, etc. etc. :ner:

FFS, hobbies are supposed to bring people together. :rolleyes:

As the Harley biker said to the Ducati rider!

[Blackmass]

Only experienced a touch of snobbery when a "thread-drive" turntable owner asked what I used. It was like I shat on his dog when I said the "Techy" word. ;) S'ok. I returned the favor when he gave me his US standard choice of amplification (McIntosh, of course) and I mentioned that I build my own to spec with NOS valves from Amperex, Sylvania, GE, RCA, Mullard, etc. etc. :ner:

FFS, hobbies are supposed to bring people together. :rolleyes:

What is a ''thread-drive"?

[hifi_dave]

A turntable, usually high mass, driven by a thread rather than a belt.

[Marco]

Or, quite often, tape :)

Marco.

[Blackmass]

A turntable, usually high mass, driven by a thread rather than a belt.

Thanks for clearing that up.For some reason I got into my head it was some forum slang like 'thread-crapping':doh:

That's sleep deprivation for you.I really need to stop watching Babestation on a school night,:D