Has anyone heard the new North American products preamp and amp?

Mr. Geoff K.,

It is my opinion that Tom D., is in agreement with your methodology as highly functional. He is in simple disagreement as to the efficiency of the outcome based on his experiences and personal history involving vibration management. Upon further review I noticed you occasionally provide people with names that are presented as humorous or humiliating, for example the “Strawman”? When this takes place I feel the need to reply in kind so say what you will related to products and science but highly recommend refraining from calling us or the public idiotic names.

Your Statement: “It sounds like you’re perhaps from the Michael Green school of letting the vibrations RUN FREE, not attempting to attenuate them, isolate them, damp them or otherwise interfere with the natural flow of vibration in the room and in the audio system.”

Reply: The absolute finest product Star Sound offers is the Energy Room. A mechanically grounded structural listening environment where the energy is left to - and in your words “Run Free”! We reduce the negative effects caused from vibration via mechanical grounding (direct coupling through metal materials that have specific damping factors). Judging from all who have entered this physical space, the results are a newfound ‘live stage’ listening experience. The first is located in Charlotte, NC with the second currently being built is in Verona, WI. Both owners are interested in meeting fellow audiophiles and listeners so it is extremely easy for anyone to arrange an audition simply by calling us. Physical proof, public acceptance - no storyboarding.

Your Statement: “I am quite confident your statement implying that you have tried all vibration isolation devices is most likely just puffery.”

Reply: We wish! The monies invested for research and development alone would have let two of us retire at sixty. It all started with a brass ball bearing in 1988. You make false statements based on having no knowledge whatsoever of your competition’s history nor provide a basic respect for others participating in this industry. After reviewing many of your statements and in my opinion it appears to be a ‘my way or the highway’ basis for your product offerings and/or participation here.

Your Statement: “I use constrained layer damping as a means of reducing vibration in applications such as transformer and capacitors. Direct coupling will NOT accomplish this!”

Reply: Again, my way or the highway…based solely on your individual experience, practical knowledge and education. To further strengthen our understanding behind Live-Vibe Technology™, in 2004 Star Sound successfully marketed and sold thirty chassis of the M-100 amplifier and forty pairs of loudspeakers titled Caravelle under our Harmonic Precision™ trade name brand. Both products can be searched here to determine if the direct coupling techniques of all critical parts applied inside the chassis was a success. Physical proof, public participation and acceptance - no storyboarding.

Your Statement: “All that talk is fine but it strikes me that you actually don’t address very low frequency structureborne vibration or seismic vibration.”

Reply: We have been approached and are looking forward to working with a profound PHD in Seismology who has shared in our products, techniques and technical understanding. The Brass End Pin that attaches to cello, bass and bass clarinet motivated her to contact us where she too has invented products to improve the sound of instruments.

Our products address seismic vibration however as a company made up of engineers our comprehension can only provide educated opinions on this topic based on our ever evolving understanding of vibration and science. Adding highly qualified professionals to our company will provide proven testing methods that will explain in greater detail the seismic relationship and functionality of our innovations. We hope to formally announce her name, credentials and participation in the near future.

In closing: NOT TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THIS THREAD:

I recently spent a couple hours speaking with Mr. Roger Paul discussing his newer approach to amplification circuits and his understanding of sound. Although his technology and description buck the majority of defined gospel, he definitely aroused our curiosity particularly addressing the focus of signal and speed relationships to the human listening experience. We will be traveling to Somerville, NJ within the month for a listen .

Star Sound has a great deal in common with Roger’s dilemma here on AudioGon. It has taken our products 25 years to get us where we are. We experienced the pains from constant objections both scientific and public postings when introducing the first equipment “Platforms” designed to vibrate in 2001. Addressing AudioGon membership in those days felt like going twelve rounds with Larry Holmes, lots of black eyes… It has taken even longer to place our technology and products into a laboratory that is funded for the research and development of newer sciences related to energy conservation including the studies of vibration. If anything, we hope to be a reminder for the readership whereas one should always look forward to and embrace breakthroughs in sound reproduction regardless of current acceptance and understanding of the known rules.

Thank you for your time, As always - Good Listening!

Robert Maicks

Star Sound Technologies, LLC

Strawman is not intended to be demeaning. A Strawman argument is the term applied to an argument or statement that presents other person’s argument incorrectly, whether intentional or not. It is a technical term used in debate that I use occasionally when I feel someone mischaracterized my comments or puts words in my mouth. Sorry you misinterpreted my meaning. I like to keep things straight in these discussions. Makes life easier, no? I just got back in so let me read what you wrote in it’s entirely and see if and how I wish to respond.

from Wikipedia,

A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not advanced by that opponent.

Am I taking to Tom or someone else? I am not sure why you’re getting all wrapped around the axle but it certainly seems odd that you would take exception to my statements that were directed at Tom. Especially my rebuttal of his position or claim or whatever that isolation is impossible. By the way your approach from what I have read so far, I haven’t read your entire post yet, seems to echo Michael Green’s TuneLand approach quite a bit. Especially in terms of eschewing isolation and damping and letting the vibrations run free. Moreover, in terms of attitude. You know, the misunderstood long suffering audio manufacturer who has a chip on his shoulder regarding anyone with a scientific argument. I hate to judge before all the facts are in but it appears you believe your company actually transcends science and technical arguments. OK, so let me take some time out to peruse the rest of your post and I’ll get back here in some reasonable amount of time with some further thoughts. This looks like it could be fun.

Geoff Kait
machina dynamica
advanced audio concepts

Audiopoint wrote,

"Reply: We wish! The monies invested for research and development alone would have let two of us retire at sixty. It all started with a brass ball bearing in 1988. You make false statements based on having no knowledge whatsoever of your competition’s history nor provide a basic respect for others participating in this industry. After reviewing many of your statements and in my opinion it appears to be a ‘my way or the highway’ basis for your product offerings and/or participation here."

I was addressing TOM. Is TOM also Audiopoint? If YOU (Audiopoint) are supposedly going to talk to a PhD seismologist ...very impressive ;-) ...in the future then how could YOU have explored seismic vibrations in the past? More to the point, how could you have explored all vibration isolation devices or concepts in an knowledgeable way if you had no experience or knowledge of the subject? Your answer is actually unresponsive to my comment to TOM - I.e., he TOM could not have evaluated ALL vibration isolation devices - which was the claim TOM made. So, I wouldn’t be so quite so quick on the tigger accusing me of lying. Save the drama for your mamma.

Audiopoint wrote,

"In closing: NOT TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THIS THREAD:"

No need to yell.  Calm down, you're starting to sound possessed yourself.



Geoff kait
machina dynamica
we do artificial atoms right

Mr. Geoff K.,

Your speed reading skills need to be sharpened. I sign my name to the bottom of every post presented on AudioGon. You can go to our website and click on Home-About Us if you require a background check on Tom, myself or our staff.

I was forewarned not to participate on anything you have contact with on AudioGon for reasons we are about to expose and please excuse me folks… but lying tends to really piss us off.

You have taken our statements regarding seismology and stretched it well beyond what is actually printed so here we go again, I must defend and prove there are more untruthful statements provided by you on this thread.

1   Background and Analogy: Seismic vibration and 4 hz frequencies… The focus of Star Sound is to work within the frequencies related to the recording and playback sciences, musical instruments, structural environments such as listening suites and recording studios relative to the hearing range of the human ear.

Quite frankly we classify most inaudible frequencies as floor noise or a precious volume of space being cluttered by inaudible noise - again inaudible to the human ear. Locomotives passing by and earthquakes were of minor concern to us initially.

We study many things related to sound. Star Sound developed a concept that is being accepted by our peers as a theoretical science and is backed by a host of experiments resulting in products with proven success through public consumption. We are now working to establish the technology as a new science.

  

2  Rebuttal:  Your words printed as shown;  “More to the point, how could you have explored all vibration isolation devices or concepts in an knowledgeable way if you had no experience or knowledge of the subject?” (seismology)

Untruths Exposed:  As for the “no experience or knowledge on the subject” statement, we Never Printed or Stated That - you did!  Where did that come from? Again Geoff, you have no history on our past and in my opinion did not spend anytime researching the people you are challenging or you would easily come to the conclusion that YES, based on our group of engineers and educational backgrounds along with our Board of Technical Advisors we do have experience with “all” your seismic operandi. So what possesses you to alter our statement?

As to your using the word “All” in your toss back questions: The encompassing word ‘All’ really works in favor for a gent like yourself. It provides for tremendous defense strategies, it delivers an open ended form that easily sets the stage for endless rebuttals and arguments and can also be used as a line of attack in strategic debating. It is so easy to place this smallest of words into print and attack people who never used it in their original statements.

Where did Tom state that we or he tried “All” vibration devices? I am having trouble locating it anywhere here with exception to where you plugged it in. Are we missing something?

3   The reason for my involvement is your persistent nature of seeking out weaknesses of others both technical and personal, then attacking from a position requiring documented proof to everything or anything new or indifferent that does not match up to your philosophy in sound and lifelong beliefs. You are the most closed minded engineer we have encountered (just our opinion).

You find amusement in forcing long drawn out replies from those who you challenge (and there are many) then answer them with short paragraphs either creating greater challenges requiring  greater proof and longer replies or you initiate quick one line rebuttals - textbook or otherwise holding people in a state of demand for total and absolute accountability - over and over again.

You alter the statements of others towards your own imaginary liking - as proven above.

Upon review of your website, we see no history of employment after college other than generic descriptions. We see limited testing results provided in amateuristic form. We see multiple products that have explanations of function based on your discoveries with some analogies taken from textbooks. We see absolutely no third party testing or attempts to prove your product functionality and many multiple theorems supported by your understanding.

You have ‘So Much In Common’ with the people and companies you attack yet you demand the highest form of proof from others yet lack the same when it comes to your products. Hurry up defend yourself because it appears that we are unveiling the new Establishment of Hypocrisy?

You have obtained a BS in Aerospace Engineering; congratulations. No wonder you are the man who is trying to prove he is the best of the best of the best!

I personally do not fully understand the Brilliant Pebbles thing other than establishing a secondary grounding plane hence reducing the effects from acoustic corner and wall loading. An ivy type plant (natural or synthetic) in a brass pot placed into a corner also works extremely well, provides musical results and costs about the same. Please prove to the readership why pebbles are better…have you ever made comparisons to a device such as a plant? In fact show us testing information and what the differences are between the various products you have obviously compared to over time and let us know who is also in agreement with your results, plus provide a list of the testing equipment used and don’t forget to include the gear’s previous calibration dates and lastly tell us why pebbles are better than magnets, fiberglass, foam, wool , traps, acoustic panels, brass and steel, etc. or are they just polished with bullcrap like all those other isolation products built by your competitors? There are so many more questions we have for you but we’ll save those pending the answer to these briefs.

You have taken too much time off of my calendar although this is a bit fun and very relaxing, so might as well consider “All” future appearances here another win in your favor - have a nice life,  I’m Out.

Robert Maicks (Audiopoint moniker)
Star Sound Technologies, LLC