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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?

128x128lgoler
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
@lgoler  My buddy who imported the Jadis equipment, owned the top model MBLs, and they were fantastic. I played, both on vinyl and cd, the song Europa, by Carlos Santana, and, I cried, it was so emotionally " you are there " engaging. He drove them with the large Jadis amps, and also with a 360 wpc Crown Macro Reference, and sounded great with both ( different characteristics ). Although I love horns, I could easily live with the MBLs. Maybe if you could double your budget, they would do EVERYTHING you would want them to do. Enjoy ! MrD.
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
From the " Amigos " album.
kahlenz's avatar
kahlenz
274 posts
 
A corollary to the OP's original call to action would be a discussion on which manufacturers and distributors offer what would be considered a low "BS" factor.  But when I think about it, it's not really the BS that bothers me, it's the price!  I don't want to be made a fool of buying amp x when I could have gotten amp y (a "better" amp at less cost).  But at the same time, I need a reason to justify my decision to buy any amp.  That's where good BS (or lack of it) comes in.  Part of the fun of the hobby is investigating the minutiae.  I also find being an audiophile a form of expression, which makes buying decisions even more complex.
So with an emphasis on moderately priced audio equipment that sounds good, I will endorse the following companies I have had experience with:
VanAlstine, Rogue, Rega, Odyssey, Schitt, Joseph, Magnaplaner, Harbeth, PSB, Blue Jeans Cable, NAD, Bluesound, Sonore, Technics, Yamaha, Grado, Zu.  By no means an exhaustive list, and others may have differing opinions, but I think these guys have good products at reasonable prices, and, perhaps more importantly, their "BS" is well presented, informative, and entertaining!
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
Yes, there are many audio products that can be considered reasonably priced. If the money is available, the room large enough, and a proper amp used to drive them ( proper room set up as a given ), I do think the MBLs are a reasonably priced pair of speakers, because, to my ears, they are that good. Of course, if they were 1/2 the cost, they would be a bargain. This is in comparison to all else available, as I agree with lgoler. Enjoy ! MrD.
jhills
613 posts
 
+1 kahlenz
I have had nothing but good experiences with most all of the companies you mentioned. And most have very good products that fall within the reach of an average person's budget...Jim
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