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
jlamb
150 posts
 
Yours is a tall order, more so because time is pressing! How do you educate otherwise fine people who just don't know any better? I hate to use cliches, but they seem like the ignorant masses. I use ignorant in its proper context: as from Webster 'destitute of knowledge in general, or with regard to some particular' (subject, for example). Ignorance does not equate to stupidity.

I'd do a little homework on their tastes, musical and film wise. Then invite them over to your place for an 'informal' but surreptitious demonstration of what they are missing.
Introduce them to the virtues of Audiogon!

It seems to me with a budget of $10k, they can do wonders.
elgordo
530 posts
 
This would be a case of casting pearls before swine. I gave up on giving this type of advice. You will spend a lot of time on this project and they will not know the difference anyway. The dealer with the $10,000 proposal will be very threatened by you and try to convince them that you are an idiot. These people probably would not know good sound if it hit them in the ass with a snow shovel. Let them spend their money, smile and say "gee, that sounds great".
seandtaylor99
1,262 posts
 
It will probably be clear within the first minute of talking to them whether sound quality is of interest. If it is offer to demo your system to make them aware of what a real hifi sounds like ... most people have no idea that hifi can sound real and natural.
The ball is then in their court.
I find that if someone is not interested enough to make the trek to my house to hear a real hifi then there is no point mentioning it a second time. IF they are then they will put in the time and effort, and will lap up any advice you offer.

the first step is to separate the people who did not realize what a good system can sound like from those who do not care, so long as noise is produced.
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
7,333 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!
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