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Re: Reports from LSAF '09 [message #60539 is a reply to message #60537] Fri, 07 August 2009 06:32 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
AudioFred is currently offline  AudioFred
Messages: 377
Registered: May 2009
Location: Houston
Illuminati (1st Degree)
I was disappointed in Phillip Holmes Dagogo summary of my room at the 2009 LSAF. Not disappointed with his summary of the sound he heard in the room. I vaguely remember the track he played sounded awful on that system. My disappointment isn't with his comments about the system, but with the fact that I completely and totally failed to communicate to Phillip the purpose of the room.

In the Dagogo summary he said "(My) mission was to show a $500 audiophile quality room". For most visitors whom I was able to greet as they entered the room, my pitch was "No experienced listener is going to confuse the sound of this system with high end audio, but for less than $500 most people can trade up from whatever they have today to a system that will be enjoyable and involving...". My mission wasn't to demonstrate an audiophile system, but to demonstrate that it's possible to assemble a $400 to $500 system that will sound much better than the computer speakers or iPod with earbuds that most people listen to today.

I believe this mission is important because most of my non-audiophile friends, even those who love music and could easily afford a high end system, have a mental block that prevents them from even considering a high end system. I find this hard to understand in a neighborhood where few would have a problem paying an extra $10K to get the Levinson sound system in their new Lexus, but for most a $1K home system doesn't feel like a rational purchase. Here's how this plays out in my experience: Somebody visits my house, sees my main system (Krell amp, Selah Audio line arrays, etc), and asks to hear it. Their reaciton usually is "WOW, I didn't know a stereo could sound like that! If you don't ask my asking, how much does a system like that cost?" My usual answer is "It's expensive, but I can show you a system upstairs that cost less than $500 and will knock your socks off".

I've sold about a dozen PE BR-1's using this pitch (including two pairs at the show), and many BR-1 buyers also bought the Insignia receiver and an $80 Sony DVD player, or the equivalent, to complete the system for less than $400 total. (I order the BR-1's in quantities of four to get free shipping, build them, and sell them at my cost). What this has accomplished is simple: It elevates a potential audiophile to the point where he can start the upgrade process to a real high end system. The next purchase I recommend is a Cambridge Audio or NAD integrated amp, which is a great improvement over the Insignia receiver.

I don't know if this will create any new audiophiles, but it does provide greater music enjoyment to friends who otherwise would continue to listen to a really bad sounding system. Hope this made some sense.

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