On Audio Note, I like their Kit One and Kit Two, and I'm sure I'd like the preamps and other stuff. Their statement products are just that - Statement products, never expected to sell, just used to wow the crowd and get 'em talking. It's shock value like a show car for a trade show, at least that's my opinion. That's cool, as long as the company supports the real stuff. Sometimes they'll sell one of the show pieces, but mostly they are trade show dressing. There has to be some "actual" products that have realistic market prices. And towards this aim, as far as I know, Audio Note makes various grade levels so that each piece of equipment is available at several price points. But I don't know about their cartridges.

As far as their company reputation, I've been watching Audio Note for a few years and have even spoken to them about what I think I've seen. I consider David Cope a friend of mine, and Peter Qvortrup is an interesting fellow too. Brian Smith has been pleasant and supportive, and seems like a real good guy. So they seem to be industry leaders, and I wouldn't want to think of them as following the pack instead of setting the tone. It's like a company self-worth thing, trying to make appearances. Seems to me the best thing to do to set oneself apart, is to set oneself apart. Audio Note can stand on its own reputation, just like Harley-Davidson, Bosendorfer and Lear. So I'm thinking maybe there is some pruning that could be done, and some renewed growth in different directions.

I expect this will be case at GPAF, the question is with what and by whom? With the schedule conflict vis-a-vis VTV and the incremental distance/time/cost involved, it's quite possible that Peter Qvortrup, owner, designer and major domo at Audio Note UK will be at GPAF while I may do the NY/NJ show. For Peter, the diff between flying London to NJ or OK is not that big. For me, OK is 24 hours of driving vs 4 hours to NJ.

The "with what" part refers to the fact that I tend to show the mid-range stuff while Peter tends to show the no holds barred goodies. Dunno. Haven't figured it out yet. But one of us will be there one way or another.

Looks like I shoulda read a little further down before I plunked down the mention of what AN is doing this Spring.

Yes, Audio Note makes some very expensive pieces of kit. But they're not statements; they're "what would happen if . . ." exercises which find a niche. It also just occurred to me that in some ways the upper level stuff makes it possible for a small specialist manufacturer to offer the less expensive stuff.

Using the E speaker model as an example: Until two years ago our most expensive E sold for $30-40k a pr. Then, because Peter Q was one step away from a complete, pure-silver-nose-to-tail signal chain, he built a version of the E using what feels like 50lbs of silver foild caps per channel in the crossover besides the silver wire, chokes,voice coils, binding posts, blah blah blah. He was amazed at the sound and took it to the '04 TOPs show in Milan, Italy with no name, no price and no plans to sell it. More than one show-goer tried very hard to buy them on the spot. And so the Sogon speaker was accidentally born. Following the exhibition of the same system at CES '05, reviewers, forum folks et all went nuts. Peter's intentions and ancestry were called into serious question. So were mine, since I had the bad luck to be running the room at times.

I've made the observation (repeatedly) since then that yes, if someone wants a pair, we can build E/Sogon spkrs. We also build 9 other performance levels - sub-models, if you will - starting at $4,300/pr. Kit E's are available at $1,050 (std drivers) and $1,950 (HE woofer, silver voice coils).

I've seen a Ferrari Enzo listed at something $1,000,000 used, but AFAIK, no one is protesting their offering such a car. Doing a little (rounded, calculator-free in-head) math, to offer as broad and egalitarian a range as AN, Ferrari would need to offer a $10k kit car.

Meanwhile, back at the original topic, The IQ1, 2 and 3 retail for $375, $525 and $800 respectively. The 3 is a wolf in sheep's clothing, using the square cross-section titanium cantilever and stylus tip from the $2,650 IO1 lo output mc cart.

Gads, this thing is long. Better quit . . . .

I'm still amazed that Kittleson scheduled his show on the same date as GPAF, which has been set for this date over a year. What an oversight! I like the idea of regional shows, and I obviously agree with his choice of suites, since he picked the same ones we've been using. But I do wish he had not overlooked the date, as it inconvienences all of the exhibitors. It's too small a market for this kind of oversight.

Wonder if and when VTV will even be published again? I sure liked the magazines, but it's been a couple years since the last issue. I hope he'll put one together soon.

One can have the best product out there for a few hundred bucks, that is to say, the best product in that budget price range. They can have the best in that all important few thousand dollar range. Or they can have the best period. These are different price points, different markets and different design and manufacturing conditions. But they all represent greatness, which is to be the best that we can be.

What I think is important is being true to yourselves, and true to your customers and the buying public. I mean, we're sort of alike in this goal. There are choices one makes, and those choices say a lot about one's motives and character, and also of their passions. Would one strive to be the best, or do they spend more energy trying to look the best? When one is confident, they don't follow, they lead. That's how I see it, and I think you and Brian and Peter do too.