Art Dudley Calls B.S. but without naming names - PLEASE DO!


Hey all,

As someone who hasn't been reading the audiophile press for all that long, I stumbled upon this article that I'm sure it lit up these airwaves when it was first published: https://www.stereophile.com/content/skin-deep

It's a great article and one that any knowledgeable person would most likely agree with, but hey, spending your own hard-earned (or inherited) money is a right and a privilege.  Art does call out some brands that he perceives to give great value:  AMVR, VPL, Conrad-Johnson, DeVore and Harbeth and Kimber and Peachtree and Quicksilver and Rega and Rogue and Spendor and Wavelength.  Shouldn't NAD be on this list?  

But what he doesn't do and I think is warranted, is name the companies that are most egregious in selling high-end products where the performance is far below the cost.  

I, for one, would love to see a list of those manufacturers from the people who read this forum.  You can group them by what they manufacture or just put them in order as you see fit.  I think it would be most helpful in calling b.s. but with "added-value", which is what this whole article was all about.  Right?

lgoler
@lgoler It’s all good. I admit, very often when I post, my passion can get the best of me. Again, I do apologize. My dad also introduced me to Sinatra, Goodman, The Dorsey brothers, you name it. At 9 years old ( 1962 ) my dad gave me his Fisher 500C receiver, AR 2AX speakers, and Dual 1229 tt with Shure cartridge. I blame him for my madness, lol, may he RIP. *** The new and improved version of the AGs are 12K plus, almost triple the price as the originals. How do you feel about this ? Is this a value, reasonable, or over priced, in your opinion ? I have not heard the new ones, but the reviews I have read indicate to me they may be overpriced. @erik_squires Plus 1 - You and I are pretty diehard when it comes to " using our ears ". @tooblue Plus 1. Enjoy ! MrD.
@mrdecibel No apologies necessary.  My dad bought a pair of Duntech Crown Prince's and a full set of Nakamichi top-of-the-line gear in 1986 when I was 18.  I smoked a lot of hooch with that system in my basement.  Honestly, the Duntech's never sounded that great but the weed helped.  Regarding the AG's, I picked them up on here for I believe $3,000 about 7 years ago.  If they are $12K now, that seems ridiculous.  They happen to work very well for my apartment.  They sound good, bass is especially well articulated and decent mid and highs. I don't find them fatiguing at all. I'm sure the upgrade Gershman offers would help, but by how much I'm not sure and probably not willing to make the investment.  
@mrdecibel 
“...And yes, NAD, Parasound, Belles, and Odyssey, just to name a few, sell equipment at a reasonable cost vs. their performance.”

This goes to show that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. One company on this small list I found to be terrible and would not EVER buy again. But I agree that what is a forum to exchange ideas and experiences if all the negative opinions are left out? It becomes just advertisement for the companies (who have fanboys) and pay to have threads in the forum. I think the forum SHOULD NOT punish regular audiophiles for being honest about gear they spend alot of money on.
On NAD: I really like my current NAD 3020 D, listening to it now, but NAD has also made a few digital stinkers too. :) 

Even if I like the brand, I may not like everything it's produced.

Best,

E
Post removed