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In the Forum: Audio News
In the Thread: Michael Fremer Continuums…
Post Subject: Name(Face)/Face(Name)Posted by Paul S on: 7/25/2011
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Several years ago I had a 20 minute conversation with AJ Conti (Basis).  I thought at the time that he represented the best of "audio manufacturers".  He is VERY bright, and he seemed quite knowlegable. He freely gave credit to others where he  felt it was due, and he seemed tireless in the "pursuit of excellence" in his own products.

I am not saying that anything has changed since then, but it did seem to me that those products quickly hit a sort of plateau with respect to materials and design as relates to sound.  Decide for yourself if they leveled out at the "best place".  Regardless, it appears that materials and design were settled on for reasons that have much to do with "manufacturing" (including, probably, QA), and also "appearance".  The latter "trait" is something one sees in all "product lines", that they might "distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack".

While "sound" may be considered to be "abstract" and/or "subjective", who can argue with, say, all-acrylic construction, etc.  Never mind the sonic merits of this stuff (which may even be touted...); there it is, for all to see for themselves.  This has got to be the biggest reason for most of the high-flown (often absurd) "design" decisions we see in any given "product", that a product will somehow "distinguish" itself in the mind of the shopper.

At the "basement" level, a "product" might be any concoction the "maker" dreams up, and "explanations" might range from reams of "white papers" to "secret", mystical references, to "haute couture" design that "speaks for itself".  No telling how much money might be thrown at any given product, for any given reason, especially during the early  "coming out" part of its life cycle.  Likewise, any old product might find supporters who want to "revive" it.
In all cases, the Name needs a Face, and vice-versa.

What, again, is the sonic hope for the "Pierre Clemente" cartridge?


Paul S

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