|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
75.161.17.101
In Reply to: Dudley REALLY doesn't like HP posted by Fishfood on February 23, 2007 at 22:04:18:
Dunno if he actually doesn't like HP or not but if what AD writes about him routinely demanding meals at 3 star restaurants, rare wines, etc. is true then I don't blame him - that's the equivalent of a shakedown as far as I am concerned.
Follow Ups:
< < the equivalent of a shakedown > >This is just plain wrong. For a decade or two, HP was extremely influential. Manufacturers were clamoring for his attention, hoping to get a positive review in TAS. He probably had a half-dozen callers each week.
Now, it so happens that HP enjoys the finer things in life, such as good music and a good meal. It's preposterous to think that he should have to treat visiting manufacturers to dinner several times a week. So if they want to go out, they get to pay.
I took HP out to dinner perhaps a half a dozen times in my life. He knows some great restaurants, and we had some fantastic meals together. Even with the liquor added in (he and I are both port fanatics), I don't think I ever spent more than $200.
And if I was stupid enough to think it was buying me some good exposure in the magazine, I got what I deserved -- nothing.
Go ahead and look in all the back issues you want. HP gave the original Avalon Ascent a nice review back around 1989. MK (who visits these forums, but whom I have never even met) gave the Ayre V-3 a nice review around 1996.
And that's it -- nothing more, nada, zip.
If a manufacturer is stupid enough to think that buying HP dinner is going to make a difference in what he writes about, he is probably stupid enough to claim he was "shaken down".
So your posting is just plain wrong. HP is a fascinating guy, extremely perceptive, unbelievably entertaining, and full of integrity.
His main failing was that he has no idea how to run a successful business.
x
(nt)
Wining and dining isn't new. Neither are free review samples, $, etc.HP's favorite is a signed full page ad contract for a year. ($60K?)
Unfortunately, it's like this in every Industry.
You accuse HP of extortion and accepting bribes. Look up one post and I've explained my experience of the "wining and dining".I don't for a second believe any of your other charges -- "free review samples", "money", "full page ad contracts for a year".
So give us some concrete examples. Name some names.
/
I get 300 - 400 spams every day. I have a filter that will sometimes delete legitimate mail. The best way to make sure your e-mail makes it through the filter is to include the word "ayre" somewhere in the subject header.
/
wining and dining isn't new - hell, I'm a doctor and the drug companies pay for that sort of stuff all the time. but they're big companies, and they invite me, I don't demand it of them, and I don't always go. Those companies actually have a budget for such "advertising." Compared to pharmaceuticals, audio companies are very small time - of course, there are a lot more doctors than audio critics, too.
< < HP's favorite is a signed full page ad contract for a year. ($60K?) > >Any evidence for this, or just another nasty rumor? I've spent time with him on many occasions and he *never* even hinted at anything like this.
Any time at restaurants?
< < Any time at restaurants? > >You bet -- some of the best meals of my life! (see link below)
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: