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Washington Post Article

Just wanted to alert members to an article appearing in the Style section of today's (6/13/01) Wash. Post.It is one of those articles that seems to be recycled every few years ridiculing the excesses of the audiophile community. As is typical it focusses on the bleeding edge fringe of the hobby, profiling a man who is at $140K and counting,is obssesed with stopping hum being produced by his fridge. The article includes some quotes from Deja Vu Audio pointing out to the reporter a $10k turntable and a pair of speakers with "magnet-suspended" tweeters. Just what we needed! My girlfriend described the article as a disturbing glimpse of what I might become. (My system is circa $10K in total.) Thanks again to the mainstream media for shining a light on the seedy underbelly of the audio community.
128x128jond
kthomas
911 posts
 
That article is on the Post's website, for anyone interested in reading it - it's a pretty entertaining (if frustrating) read. Jond - you're right, the author is definitely focused on the bleeding edge fringe which is especially apparent when the author speaks to Mark Levinson who has a new, simple system that costs "only" $15K, which the author seems to think is rational enough to be of this earth. Of course, then the author goes on to chastise ML for the more expensive systems RR has.

Another interesting point about the article is their main subject, he of the $140K system, is that he's 71 years old and lives in a "modest" house. There is no mention of signs of poverty or neglect. It's never mentioned whether this person has a family. He's also described as being constantly with a smile on his face. Clearly this guy is a kook - he obviously doesn't understand that he's going to live forever, that he doesn't have the right to spend the money he earned in his first many decades however he chooses, or that he should obviously be living in a much larger house with a much smaller stereo. What an idiot! On top of all that, he actually tries to pass off that he's happy. What's more, the author drew attention to the fact that this guy seems to REALLY enjoy the sound his system makes, that he's truly moved by the music of choice.

I guess it's the fate of anyone who spends more than Circuit City / Bose prices on audio equipment to be viewed this way, but this article certainly isn't journalism's finest moment. -Kirk

fpeel
446 posts
 
Authors that write about things they do not understand, and do not attempt to fathom, do their readers a disservice. The only possible motive is to entertainment by demeaning one group ('philes) so another (Circuit City-types) may feel good about itself. That kind of pablum is better relegated to the Star or Enquirer.
garfish
1,840 posts
 
.....does this article give any tips on how to get rid of the refrigerator hum? ;>) Cheers. Craig
plato
1,543 posts
 
To tell the truth, I din't think the article was all that demeaning and it actually made some good points. I thought I could sense a sort of a minor sour grapes syndrome on the part of the author (a women who points out that very few women are into the hobby), but overall, I had to laugh because she did a pretty thorough job of nailing our idiosyncracies and explaining them in terms that the general public can understand. I'm laughing at myself (with no intention of changing) because if you can't recognize and laugh at yourself when looking in a mirror -- then you really are too far gone. :)
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
It is very rare today for me to read any newspaper story, or see a television news program, that comes close to reporting accurately. Now days they form a conclusion first, and then search for, or make up evidence to back it up.


I read an editorial yesterday by Richard Lindzen, professor of meteorology at MIT and board member of the National Academy of Sciences. He is one of the authors of that report on global warming that is getting all the press this week. He said the report does NOT support the Kyoto Treaty and the conclusions reported in the press over the last couple days are simply NOT true. And there is no consensus in the report about long term climate trends (warmer or colder).

This means every newe organization ignored the report because they did not like what it said and made up their own. I have more faith in the Star. At least we know it is fiction.

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