Hi Swampwalker,
Thanks for chiming in. I understand your point, but i respectfully disagree - that is to say, in terms of degree. You could make your argument at any point ... we can't argue degree of content, because opinions will differ there.
Let's assume you know nothing about Lansche - why would you? They're relatively new to the US audio scene. Let's also assume, then, that you might be interested in finding out more about them - but you don't know that yet because it takes someone like me, who takes the risk of distribution and brings it in to the country to tell you about it.
Of course this is a passionate hobby - we love this stuff, and that includes me. So I relate my experience with the speaker in order to raise some awareness and stir up conversation about it. Because I'm the importer, it seems to you like it "walks and talks like an ad." If I were a consumer, it would walk and talk like enthusiasm for a new product. Change no words except for those that identify me as the distributor, and you have a consumer review.
So, in essence, it seems that you are saying that - because I have a (well publicized) financial interest in the product, that alters the meaning and purpose of my post. It goes from consumer review to "informercial" simply because of my relationship to the product.
"Infomercial" is one of those pejorative terms that is meant to stir up instant feelings of distrust ... as if I'm selling miracle mops at midnight. So I'm not terribly impressed with the comparison, but it does identify the cynicism clearly.
Again - respectfully - I disagree. Any "civilian" audiophile excited enough about a product they have acquired to write a review and share that experience with fellow audiophiles hopes, at some level, that others will use that review to audition the product and get the same enjoyment out of it. Conversations will be started, questions will be asked, places to audition and purchase the product in question may be revealed.
So it goes with my review, as well. The product excites me, it belongs in the extreme-performance category with other exotic technologies, and you might not otherwise know about it if it weren't for me posting about it. At least it would take some time before you found out about it. You're a big boy - you can choose to read or not read what you want, and if my review irks you because I have a financial interest in the product ... move on. I've been very clear and up front about that from the start, so no surprises there.
The issue then becomes - do you trust me? Does the mere fact that I am the importer (and therefore stand to gain by cultivating your business) mean that I am to be instantly distrusted? For some, the cynical answer is "yes." I accept that, I know that ahead of time, I'm not looking to convert naysayers or skeptics.
For others, they may realize that in an industry that is withering away and in a price category that is unrealistic in an economic recession, I've taken on the risk of investing in this company not because I think they will sell like hotcakes to Audiogon'ers ... but because I believe it's a genuinely amazing product and deserves attention. For those people, my review may get them to visit us at RMAF and hear something that I think is truly remarkable.
Another thing is this - I don't sell these speakers directly, so this is not an advertisement. I've advertised price (which has since gone up) to qualify the price category that the speaker occupies, not to sell them directly to you or anyone else. Lansche will only sell through dealers, which we now have one of in Santa Fe, NM. I'll be looking to generate interest from other dealers with proper shops, as this product is a very high-end product that belongs in an appropriate environment. That means local dealers serving local customers directly, coming to their homes and setting up the speakers, etc.
So while I expect some cynicism from folks like you and Bill, if you take the time to think - what could my expectations possibly be by posting a review here, considering the exotic nature of the speaker and the high price? You might come to the conclusion that it may be as I have stated: I wanted to share my experience with a product that has impressed me significantly, to talk about it with others who might be interested in it, and to participate in conversations about it.
I believe, and Audiogon has confirmed with me directly, that the forums here are appropriate for reviews and commentaries from industry insiders such as myself -so long as I have been up front about my association with the product.
If you patently distrust someone like myself simply because I have a financial stake in the product, take a moment to think ... why did I bother to take the (considerable) risk to begin with? On Audiogon I'd fare WAY better to push a price-to-performance loudspeaker, sell them direct for a discount to the teeming masses from coast to coast, and move on to my next hi-fi bargain campaign. To automatically reject my review as an "informercial" and, therefore, untrustworthy misses the larger picture: It's extremely unlikely that it could ever generate a sale.
Take off the cynical sunglasses for a moment and consider, for a brief moment, that you incur zero risk by reading my words. Further, you incur zero risk by auditioning the speaker in a public forum like RMAF. Unlike an "Infomercial," nothing is being demanded of you. You don't have to "buy in the next 10 minutes and we'll give you an incredible bonus Atomic Blender completely free!" ... You can choose to read or not read, share or not share, but you cannot choose to buy. At least not from me.
So when you write, "Giving us the basic facts is fine, but a little more discretion might have been appropriate," I think that's too clinical. What fun is it to write about a glorious meal in a fantastic restaurant if it reads like:
We sat at a table. It had a white cloth and some silverware. A couple of glasses were there too, and someone poured water in them. After we ordered, a man brought a basket of bread. We ate some of that. Then some plates were delivered and on them there was meat. The meat looked cooked, and there were some vegetables on the plate, too. We ate the meat, it tasted good.
You get the idea. This is a hobby about a passionate interest in great sound, in moving musical experiences, in extraordinary technologies creating the illusion of incredible soundscapes. "The basic facts" just doesn't cut it. This stuff is phenomenal, and I write about it in the terms that I experience it.
If it's inappropriate for you, that doesn't make it inappropriate for someone else ... or inappropriate for Audiogon.
My $0.02.
Now we have $0.04 !
Chris
