Tvad: Unfortunately, there is no "Big Dummy's Guide To Assembling A High Fidelity Music Reproduction System". It's NOT that easy. But then again, if it were that easy, you would have to find some other frustrating and equally expensive hobby to spend your time on : )
Personally, i have always thought that a "good" product was a "universal" product. Anything that requires very specific mating of componentry is strictly a "specialty" item. If one is getting involved with that type of product, they should be prepared to deal with the specifics that come with it. This is why i tend to "knock" certain products, as they are very specific in what they do. This makes them less than ideal for the average user that wants to maintain some semblance of balance.
Having said that, there's nothing wrong with a manufacturer targeting a certain market. So long as they are forthright in their product descriptions and are willing to make specific recommendations as to how to achieve optimum performance with their product(s) and others that will mate well with them, more power to them.
Atmasphere / Ralph: Your comments pertaining to damping factor are evidenced in how you design and impliment your products, which is good. This shows a form a consistency in both thought and action. This makes it easier for the consumer to understand what they are getting and what to expect from a given manufacturer / product line.
Having said that, i don't think that your amps are a "universal" product as described above. This moves them over into the "specialty" category ( in my opinion ). Given that you are willing to work with your customers and offer specific recommendations with reasoned explanations, your company is a great example of the "specialty" market.
The fact that you are willing to contribute to these threads and in other forums, share your opinion in a forthright manner without soft shoe dancing or pulling punches, etc... lets the customer know where you stand, what they can expect from you and your products and what will work best. Kudo's to you, as i wish more manufacturers were like this.
With all of that in mind, we obviously have differences of opinion on certain aspects of sound reproduction. You typically prefer vented speakers, whereas i typically prefer sealed speakers. You typically prefer a lower damping factor, i typically prefer a moderate to reasonably high damping factor. The sonic differences between each approach are typically easily identifiable when listening.
This does not make one approach "better" than the other sonically, as that all boils down to personal preference. Obviously, the differences could easily be debated electrically and acoustically. In that respect, i "know" that i'm right, and you "know" that you're right, so where does that leave us???
Suffice it to say that, it all still boils down to what one likes as an individual and system synergy. The only way that one would know for certain whether a product would be right for them would be to use & listen to that product for themselves. Knowing how things work and being able to decipher standardized test results can point us in a given direction, but they can't give you all of the answers. There's just too many variables involved and that's why the "Big Dummy's Guide" hasn't been written as of yet. Laura Dearborn, Robert Harley, etc... have tried, but the results are still pretty variable : )
As such, all one can do is to learn, listen and compare for themselves. When you find something that you like, sit back and enjoy both the music AND your new toy. After all, that's what it's all about, isn't it? Sean
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