2. home-theater
  3. 1066752107

It's No Fun Being a Guru Anymore

I would be curious to hear everyone's opinion on this -- somthing that probably happens to all of you as often as it happens to me.

Years ago, when systems seems more oriented towards MUSIC, it was flattering and fun to help friends choose equipment. Choose music, choose equipment, sit down, enjoy.

Today, however, it just seems like a nightmare and fraught with potential problems. Or is it just me?

Last night, I visited a friend of a friends new apartment in mid renovation -- a beautiful pre-war high ceilinged apartment near Park Avenue in New York where he has happily spent a zillion dollars on everything.

And here is the exciting news on the state of his audio/video plans:

He is requesting:

1)bookshelf speakers in a study/library, approx 8x12

2)unobtrusive speakers in living room, possibly near ceiling and possibly with subwoofer, approx 14x20

3)a second pair of bookshelf speakers in a kitchen/den area, approx 18x20

Here's is where it gets interesting: (NOT!)

He thinks he can use a 10ish year old YAMAHA AVR-75 receiver and a similarly low end SONY DVD/CD/Video CD player to drive EVERYTHING.

And the dealer who gave him a $10,000 proposal has encouraged him!

So the proposed solution is:

Keep the existing yamaha components and add:

1)Fujitsu HD plasma screen in kitchen/den area
2)$900 flattish speakers that hang off the plasma screen
3)An $800 Denon A/V receiver to drive these speakers and possibly the second pair of bookshelf speakers in the kitchen/den area

4) Hundreds of $$$ more on stuff I've never heard of, including programming his remote to receive Timewarner cable, and an ARTICULATING arm to swing the TV off the wall and over the kitchen table. Am I just getting too old or is this a JOKE?

I would say $10,000 or more later, this will sound like CRAP, in EVERY ROOM.

Despite the cheesey garden variety home theatre "solution" there has been no mention of surround sound or a subwoofer for the plasma system.

So my first thought would be to listen to TV and DVD through a decent pair of proper speakers in just stereo and junk the flat speakers that mount on the TV.

But I really dont even know where to begin.

He is actually a nice guy with a nice wife and I would like to help, so if anyone has any ideas or advice, please let me know ASAP.
cwlondon
slipknot1
1,423 posts
 
I call it the "Audio/Video Interiors" syndrome. If you have perused that periodical of late, you will see some very nicely appointed dwellings crammed with expensive, out-of-site components with performance somewhere between mediocre and (fill in the blank).

In the early days of it's publication it represented a marriage of the high-end AND interior design, each issue usually having at least one audio only set-up. Slowly the HT/visual image centric systems became prominent. The roaring stock market flooded this sector with cash as boomers moved up, built up, and wanted to equip their homes with toys. The partnership of ASID/CEDIA and the dealers who got themselves "certified" answered the call. Hide it away, make it look good, and give me loud with lots of thunder for my movies and video games, ceiling speakers or in-walls painted to match my decor and I'll be OK.

An uninformed person will not be swayed. After all, he just threw 10,000.00 at an HT installer. They must be good, right? If they can watch movies with big sound effects on their latest, greatest plasma TV, and playback MP3's from a 100 GB file server anywhere in the house AND they are happy fine. These days it's form over function. In some ways audiophiles are lucky in that we know you can have both form and function, but like religion, it's a tough sell to someone of another faith
unsound
7,329 posts
 
I think your right. At least as far as Audiogon is concerned. We haven't heard from Asa or 6chac for some time now!
slappy
903 posts
 
Dude, i feel you here.

My ol man had a HT built in his basement when he finished it. He asked my advice, but he didnt take it. He asked me about the Bose Accoustimass systems and i told them they were more hype than anything else, and he could get better sound for far less.

He now has a Bose accoustimass system running, with a Yamaha Reciever that does not even power his speakers, instead the power is redived from the bass module.

I dont like it, and he could have gotten better if he had listened to my advice, but here is the simple truth of it.

He thinks it sounds fantastic, he is confident he bought a good product, and he is proud of his HT setup. I could tell him that he wasted money, but in his mind he diddnt. And telling him this would only give him the impression that i think he is stupid. With 3 masters degrees 4 bachelors degrees and like 5 associates degrees, there is no way he can be an idiot.
Plus when he watches a movie with big explosions, and the sound shakes the room and h gets that grin on his face, he obviously got what he wanted.

I like a crab and steak dinner, but sometimes i would rather have a cheeseburger
slappy
903 posts
 
Ya know...

Audiophiles are a very small percentage of people. Most people really dont care about having the "Best" quality of sound. They just want something to make them grin when something explodes on screen.

None of my friends are into audio gear like i am. Yes, i confess, i love the gear. maybe even more than i love the music.
When one of my friends buys a new HT-in-a-box or a new stereo system, they always want to know what i think about it. They always start with "Yeah, its not as nice as yours" and that is when i usually crank it up and find every nice thing i can possibly say about it, and sometimes even make a few things up. They bought something they really like. Who the hell am i to tell them they wasted thier money? it sounds like crap? How good does something have to sound? 99% of the people out there are pleased as a puppy with 2 peckers if they get deep bass range and snappy dynamics.

Remember this, for everyone who we say wasted thier money on a sub-par system, im sure there are 100 people who think we waste money on a "stupid stereo system"

Its a hobby that not too many people really get.

hahahaha

PEACE!
bigkidz
3,381 posts
 
Funny, I have found the same sound at dealers with all the equipment in the world to make a system sound musical at the least. I recently heard a new speaker line made by a very well known cable manufacturer and the guy who set up the audition for me and my friend was gushing about how real it sounded. I felt so bad when after the first three notes my friend said "I don't like this at all", I was a little more relaxed and said that he needed to use some different components and reposition the speakers, BTW the system had the worst sound I have ever heard, Slappy, even worse than my wife's friends Bose system. It actually hurt our ears. After we left, I told my frined to take me to the rat shack to get us some real speakers.

So it does not always come down to componets every time but bad sound is bad sound no matter how much you spend.

Happy Listening, just not on those new speakers I heard!
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