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Graham Slee
Admin Group Retired Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: South Yorkshire Status: Offline Points: 16298 |
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Posted: 17 Apr 2008 at 7:29am |
The community reached 100 yesterday, I didn't
Thanks by the way, for the birthday congratulations. I once said if I'd not made it by 53, I'd pack the whole thing in and get a job stacking shelves down the Tesco supermarket. Well, glutton for punishment I must be because I'm still here, battling on with design and development work that today takes an age because of the invisible changes. These invisible changes include the proliferation of radio frequency devices (what do you call a series of hexagonal cell-phone transmitter groupings? Answer: 666...!), RoHS (the removal of [alleged] hazardous substances which were needed to make electronic components function properly), and numerous energy saving directives (lots of spurious emissions just beyond the audio spectrum that wreak havoc with audio gear), to name but a few. Criticized left right and centre, our equipment still picks up a good review now and then, and by comparison with pre-RoHS reviewers equipment, that is often bandwidth limited, hence suffering few ills of this new era, I would have thought we should now be picking up a knighthood for our perseverance in RoHS and EMC compliant wideband audio. The number of reviewers (or is it their editors?) who completely miss the point I've been trying to make these past 10 years, beggars belief. Review articles seldom make much more than 500 words and sail straight past the important features of a design. Skim reading is the order of the day, and thus little knowledge is passed on, nor gleaned by the reader. However, it is written in an ancient book I own that all these things shall come to pass... Therefore I decided some 97 days ago, to launch this community with the hope that the "common man" (or woman) could communicate at a higher level than it is within the limitations of modern journalism - and guys! You're certainly doing that! 97 days which have brought 97 new members! Add 97 to the three company administration ones: "gspaudio", John C, and me, and we have 100! Every member a welcome one, I hope you all feel part of the community? And I truly hope we can make a difference, and more people can really begin to enjoy the music. |
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That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps
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Hear, Hear !
Adrian.
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tg [RIP]
Moderator Group Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Location: Sydney Status: Offline Points: 1866 |
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If it is any consolation, a similar sized operation here in Aus, a well respected maker of quality valve amplifiers, have just closed their order books and operation, not due to the pressures you face, but due, I believe, to the rapid appreciation of the $AUD damaging their profitability in their main market, the USA and to the onslaught of cheap products from PRC removing a deal of the already small and not really viable home market.
Those of us who are enjoying the fruits of your labours are, I am sure, grateful for your perserverance. |
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Graham Slee
Admin Group Retired Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: South Yorkshire Status: Offline Points: 16298 |
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I know you are tg, thanks.
As dvv says, true audio lies on the fringes of the industry. The only way true audio can survive is by it also having marketing abilities. It is a shame that I and others like me can't just concentrate on the sound. But quite a lot of the blame can be laid on the Hi-Fi press and their failure to support audio on the fringes. But they did it once for their mates! And they're still doing it for their, now rich, mates! (But that's just my own personal opinion) They have completely failed to continue the support they started out to do as can easily be seen from magazines full of rich companies products. That's my "beef" and will continue to be so until they change. And you never know, if they did, they just might find they sold more magazines... |
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The UK used to be well known for it's small dedicated hi-fi manufacturers, who concentrated on quality of sound , but when I wanted to purchase some new speakers last year ( after several years of no research ) I was surprised to find that most of these famous names are now owned by PRC, and 1 company in particular !!!!
Same in other areas of manufacturing, where is our engineering backbone? It seems the UK is now owned by Japan, India and PRC And our wonderful politicians have welcomed it
If these wonderful politicians had supported our engineering industry the same way they support banks, building societies, estate agents and surveyors, perhaps we wouldn't be in the dung heap we are
I saw Tesco was singing about the thousands of new jobs they are creating. Question, what do these jobs produce?
Rant over, keep up the good work Graham.
Adrian.
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Graham Slee
Admin Group Retired Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: South Yorkshire Status: Offline Points: 16298 |
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Rant over? Adrian, never!
We have to keep being a thorn in their sides - and by jove they deserve it! When you and I were younger we had a chance - there were apprenticeships! What is there for todays young? Sod ALL!!!! If todays young fail university they're on the scrap heap, period! The idiot Brown just cut their throats with his removal of the 10% tax rate! How do you climb the ladder as a single youngster on what Tesco shelf stacking pays? Even worse now! The greedy fat controller Brown, luxurating in American hospitality while the young pay more for his 10 years of cock-ups, and the lot who were in before the incredible duo! And the lot before them..., etc Where has all the love gone? Monty Python forecast today in their early 70s "Bicycle Repair Man" sketch and its following rant by John Cleese, but the Bible has much more to say on that very same subject! And so has Bowie in the words of "Slow Burn" which follow... (these lyrics differ to those published on lyrics sites - these are what he actually sings) "Here shall we live in this terrible town But the price for our eyes shall squeeze them tight like a fist And the walls shall have eyes And the doors shall have ears But we'll dance in the dark And they'll play with our lives I guess they'll burn Leading us on and on and on I guess they'll burn Turning us round and round and round Hark who are we So small in times such as these Slow Burn Slow Burn Oh, these are the days These are the strangest of all These are the nights These are the darkest to fall But who knows? Echoes in tenement halls Who knows? Though the years spare them all (he sings something slightly different that I can't make out) I guess they'll burn Leading us on and on and on I guess they'll burn Turning us round and round and upside down There's fear overhead There's fear overground Slow Burn Slow Burn I guess they'll burn Leading us on and on and on I guess they'll burn Turning us round and round and round And here are we At the center of it all Slow Burn Slow Burn Slow Burn" (edited today at 22:58 to add link) Edited by Graham Slee - 17 Apr 2008 at 10:52pm |
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ManuelC
Regular Joined: 23 Jun 2008 Location: Portugal Status: Offline Points: 67 |
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And it seems to be like that all over the place, from Tibet to South Africa.
I remember how difficult things were in the middle eighties (last century, you see) when I went round looking for a job, but it did't get better.
More media has meant less information (check your Orwells, check your Huxleys) less information was turned into distorted knowledge, while less jobs has meant fear and fear turns into less you (check your Adam Smiths, check Burgess' and Kubrik's A Clockwork Orange). The kids are alright?...
"Hospitaller: I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of god. I have seen too much religion in the eyes of too many murderers. Holiness is in right action, and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, and goodness. What god desires is here
[points to head] Hospitaller: and here [points to heart] Hospitaller: and what you decide to do every day, you will be a good man - or not." (from Ridley Scott's Kindom of Heaven... although the Templars did get a lot of excessive beating on that flick) Edited by ManuelC - 25 Jun 2008 at 4:42pm |
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