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In Reply to: Horror Stories posted by jdarby on February 19, 2007 at 15:23:23:
That was an excellent well-written summary of high-end audio industry.
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Richard BassNut Greene
Subjective Audiophile 2007
Follow Ups:
(nt)
I think it is a summary of the bad apples.Or the negligent or self-absorbed.
I have been around the audio business for more than 20 years, and for most of that time been a journalist of some sort or other. I really wish that I could claim that such behavior is representative of only a tiny minority, but while I remain confident that it is a minority, I can't claim that it is a tiny minority. And, BTW, God Bless Matt Lauer for smelling out Corey Greenburg live on national TV before people knew he was in the tank.
Here's a case in point, and I will name names. A few years ago Z-Systems had a hot digital preamp/EQ that could be used in recording, mastering, or in room correction. $12,000, IIRC. When they decided to make a splash in consumer electronics, they lent out six units. I spoke with the president of the company, who told me that many months after the last review had run, the only magazine that had settled up was Stereophile--JA asked if he could buy the unit for his recording and mastering activities, and JA promptly paid the asking price. The other magazines' writers or staffers either did not respond to calls and emails, or promised action that did not happen.
I am sure that eventually, most of the units made it back. I am sure that the TAS unit eventually made it back. But even one not getting back is just plain wrong.
And on the subject of "my friend sold the cables on AUdiogon."
OK, that's beyond stupid, but: what did the "friend" do with the money? Even if it was only $2500 on $10000 worth of cables, that would be a start on restitution.
Oh yeah--here's the insult to injury kicker. The reason the cable manufacturer knows stone cold which cables they were is--wait for it--the manufacturer was the winning Audiogon bidder.
I bet our critic never in a million years would have imagined that the winning bidder was the manufacturer.
I am told that certain manufacturers buy their own stuff at auction both to police dealers selling through sock puppets, and to shore up resale values.
But hell, as long as I am being prolix: How about the boutique classical music label that sent out 14 requested review CDs to classical critics, but then had to reprint the covers due to a typo or a legal glitch, so the "street date" was delayed? That means, no record store or online source had product, the only CDs in the US were the advance critic copies.
ALL 14 REVIEW CDS WENT UP ON EBAY. NOT ONE REVIEW.
"The fraud of men was ever so, since summer first was leafy."
JM
I know of a manufacturer that considered buying back something on Audiogon, not to support the resale value, but to take it off the market to support sales of new equipment. If something is selling cheap on Audiogon, it is hard for the manufacturer and its retail outlets to get people to buy the product anywhere near the listed retail price. This is particularly the case with very pricey and specialized products which only sell a few units a year.
sock puppets....". True.
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