[Peter Wieck]

On Mar 28, 5:59=A0pm, Audio Empire wrote:

In my case, I used a similar device based on the fact that MOST audiophil=
es
DO think that new stuff is better than old. Hell, much of the business mo=
del
of home audio is based upon the audiophile striving to "upgrade" his
components to the latest and the greatest. The reality is that while many
audiophiles do not think that newer stuff is necessarily better than olde=
r
stuff, the vast majority probably do. But, by reminding the reader of thi=
s
widely held wisdom, I create a literary "peg" to hang my anecdote on.
Oh, yes, and one more thing. I STILL work as an equipment reviewer and I'=
ve
been with the same publication for more than 16 years.

hmmmm..... Business Model - I get that. And in order for the business
to survive, it _must_ support and adopt the myth (for lack of a better
word) that new equipment is necessarily better than old equipment. And
this is an absolute necessity when the equipment in question does not
age in a linear, predictable manner as to many other consumer goods -
vehicles, appliances, clothing and so forth - nor does it go in or out
of fashion as other consumer goods, nor does it become more or less
energy-efficient as do appliances, vehicles, or safer as do appliances
and vehicles as they advance. If {insert favorite maker name here}
states that the amplifier made and sold today is absolutely the best
there is upon which no improvement may be made - where does that leave
them tomorrow?

Audio 'improvements' remind me of that proverbial Vanishing Bird (not
to be mistaken for the Ooh-AHhhh bird) that flies in ever decreasing
circles until it finally vanishes up its own fundament (the Ooh-AHhhh
bird is a one-pound bird that lays a two-pound egg).

I know more than a few audiophiles - and more than a few purveyors of
audio equipment. I have found from long association with both that the
one more-or-less excludes the other during the sales process. I know
one (1) reviewer-of-equipment at a professional level - and bluntly, I
would not trust that individual to call it daytime at noon. A decent
individual - but within that profession no better than any given
congress person.

Ah, well. I really do not believe for one hummingbird heartbeat that
"new" is necessarily better than old - and in many cases I would posit
that it is far worse. Nor do I think that outside of transducers and
other analog media (tape, vinyl, FM *analog* tuners) that there is
much room for improvement. See "vanishing bird" above. And I also
would suggest that at least within my limited experience most
audiophiles - really - with even half-a-brain pretty much know what
they like and pretty much leave it at that eschewing the magic Kool-
Aid entirely. Starting with cables and other interconnects....

It was Mr. Menken who wrote that famous phrase: Nobody ever went broke
underestimating the intelligence of the American public.

The high-end audio industry lives by that. Nor, of course do I think
that "all amps sound alike". The one does not follow from the other.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA