Nagra VPS

Dear friends: I'm not against any of you or Nagra, what I'm trying to share with all of you is to find " roads " that permit to improve the whole quality on the high end audio industry and IMHO I think that the audio customers ( along audio magazines/reviewers. ) are the ones that can contribute the more to achieve that target.

Why ( example , nothing against it. ) Nagra makes the VPS design in that way: because its design know-how is a low one? because they really don't care about ? because they only want to make money? because....? because.... ? IMHO Nagra and many other manufacturers try to build/design at its best but they know something: that the high end audio community ( Customers ) is really whom does not care about, they know that it does not matters if its RIAA deviation is high or its output amplifier impedance is high: the customer does not question about so they don't have to be better: NO ONE ASK FOR IT!!!
I'm totally sure ( no doubt about ) that not only Nagra can do better but almost all the today manufacturers.

Please, for a moment try to imagine an " scene/stage " where we all customers before to buy an amplifier ask for a low output impedance or before to buy a phono stage ask for no step-up transformers or very low RIAA deviation, or whatever.
In this kind of " stage " several products ( lot of them ) like the ones that are on offer today ( VPS as example ) no one can/want buy them at any price so in these stage conditions/enviroment the manufacturers have to design according making better ( a lot better ) audio items in benefit/benefice of each one customer and on the whole audio industry.

What can we do about?, three very simple things:

ASK FOR IT, ASK FOR IT and ASK FOR IT!!!!!!!

We have to try to help to our self because no one will do it if you don't do it, remember that the " market " and the needs of that market is made/make/doing mainly by the CUSTOMERS ( you and me ) not the builders.

Friends we have to be better!!!!!, we deserve better and the best: we have to ask for it, we have the right to ask for it: we are the ones that pay for it!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Come on Raul, say it the way it is: the Nagra is a overpriced metal box with lots of air in it. :)

I forgot: Audio dealers too have a main " voice " on the whole subject.

raul.

Actually, Raul, you made the point. This is a hobby for an overconsuming society, where look-ophilia, prestige based on price and brand-recognition is more important than the original purpose of the hobby: realistic music reproduction. The high end industry is turned to serve taste niches, and professional journalism is serving this trend instead of providing honest and critical views and reporting about cases of badge manufacturing, or technically flawed products. Most of the serious companies with real technical background have withdrawn from the industry, and small firms without real RandD capacity and technological backing dominating the market. Customers are lacking the technical background, and maybe also they have only shallow experiences as far as live music concerned. As far as me concerned, I had my own bad purchases and constant disappointment in searching something similar to live music experience withing the limits of home reproduction. Finally, I have found real value in professional products done by big professional firms to real professionals at real world price level. From this position, it is really funny to hear how many highly expensive audiophile system provides very interesting, nice, exciting, but fatally flawed and very coloured sound.

Raul,
Raul,
I understand where you are coming from BUT even reviewers do not judge items from other reviewers write ups it would be unprofessional. As said before if you have not listened to it YOURSELF than you cannot judge it. AJ bench checked it but also gave it a listen and that is the way to do it. All reviewers say do not go by the technical info it DOES NOT GARRENTY good sound and I myself have listened to items that looked great on paper but were real crap. I also listened to the ARC that Stereophile also reviewed and thought it was great. I felt in MY SYSTEM it was good but had no life to it. And my preamp is a REF3 go figure. So what is more important to enjoy the music or hear it as you say correctly and fall a sleep because a reviewer said it was great.
We know we must try equipment out to see how it meshes with our existing items some work and some don't.
Does what you make SOUND great with every other audio manufacturer out there?
Hevac1