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Art Dudley Calls B.S. but without naming names - PLEASE DO!

Hey all,

As someone who hasn't been reading the audiophile press for all that long, I stumbled upon this article that I'm sure it lit up these airwaves when it was first published: https://www.stereophile.com/content/skin-deep

It's a great article and one that any knowledgeable person would most likely agree with, but hey, spending your own hard-earned (or inherited) money is a right and a privilege.  Art does call out some brands that he perceives to give great value:  AMVR, VPL, Conrad-Johnson, DeVore and Harbeth and Kimber and Peachtree and Quicksilver and Rega and Rogue and Spendor and Wavelength.  Shouldn't NAD be on this list?  

But what he doesn't do and I think is warranted, is name the companies that are most egregious in selling high-end products where the performance is far below the cost.  

I, for one, would love to see a list of those manufacturers from the people who read this forum.  You can group them by what they manufacture or just put them in order as you see fit.  I think it would be most helpful in calling b.s. but with "added-value", which is what this whole article was all about.  Right?

128x128lgoler
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
You’re only half right. I’m the King of Charlatans and I’m the King of Truth. 
supertweak
90 posts
 
 Instead of getting somebody for a whole $60 for a phone call, you might consider what helped a guy I knew a long time ago.He was sort of a pudgy black man in his late 50's or early 60's and he would just go and sit off to the side of an entrance to a shopping mall.I don't know if you have any re-runs of the Ed Sullivan show, but he always had with him a little hanky like when Louis Armstrong used to come on the show with his trumpet, and he would wipe the sweat off his browevery so often. Anyway,when a lone shopper would be heading into or out of the mall he would just kinda wipe his brow with his hanky and kind of meekly mutter to himself, but loud enough,"Boy if I had a few dollars I'd go buy myself a lemonade".You would be surprised how many people gave him a few dollars for a lemonade. For some strange reason he said in front of J.C. Penny's always worked best.

kahlenz
168 posts
 
The old Louis Armstrong hanky con. Back in the day he and Sammy Davis Jr. were the only negroes most white suburbans ever saw (on TV). Both great talents, but sadly played the "Step ’n Fetchit" role to pander to white audiences.

I’m sure your street beggar was able to belt down quite a few "lemonades".

But if it makes you feel good, go ahead and give the man a few bucks. If it takes $60.00 to become aware that you do not need to spend $60.00 to improve your hi-fi, then that is money well spent! Value, like music, is all in your head.
jhills
323 posts
 
@johnk
I agree. While it’s someone’s right to spend mega bucks to by gear, without doing their homework, believing that higher bucks always means better sound - as that reasoning becomes the common consensus - it’s inevitable that good companies, who build very good equipment and sell it for a fair and reasonable price, will jump on the big bucks band wagon. Another nail in the coffin of a disappearing market...Jim
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Why does anyone care about the rich being 'cheated'? LOL that is a good one.The 'poor little rich girl/bald headed billionaire syndrome'?If someone can buy a $200,000 toy and sell it a week later because it was not satisfying enough, Why should any normal slob care???And it some manufacturers can make a few bucks off of that guy, again why do YOU care?
When the company gets called out with it's pants down, it is a funny funny thing.Two items:Some company stuck an actual Oppo in an expensive box and sold it for way many times the cost of the original Oppo. That is FUNNY.Then some guy selling garden hose and Home Depot wire as a uber quality power cord. They were like $10,000 for home Depot garden hose and wire. He vanished and came back.. What he is doing now other than ripping folks off (because God told him to, yeah wore his religion on his sleeve) is beyond me.
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