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dvv View Drop Down
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Joined: 12 Jan 2008
Location: Belgrade, Serbi
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Points: 95
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dvv Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Mar 2008 at 5:49pm
Oh Graham, laddie, where have you been hibernating all these years?
 
In this world, and in practical, user-friendly terms, there is no more scienece and/or engineering. It has been decided to turn everything over to marketing spinners, and it's been that way for at least 15 years and probably longer.
 
A small, first hand experience. A well known British company, manufacturing power "conditioners" (in at least 99% of all cases I have encountered, these were what we once used to call filters, but now - they are "conditioners"), and thus a competitor to me, decided Serbia could be a market for them. So, they set up shop with a local guy whom I have known for the last 20 years or so, and decide to organize some presentations. So far, all quite normal and usual.
 
The man is a truly outstanding salesman, my hat off to him - he's smooth, literate but above all, he knows how to captivate an audience.
 
So he shows people a lovely slide show, backs it up with several sweeping comments, all of this takes 20-25 minutes, then he answers questions from the public.
 
I fight my own battle, and decide not to go public, rather I nab him after he's done and offer him a drink. Then I ask - can you tell me what your filtering, or suppression curve is like? Eh, says he? Well, where does your filter being to work, where is its cut-off point of -3 dB? He looks at me like I'm inquring about the Queen's sex life, or some such. All right, says I, what do you tell people, where does it filter, how does it "condition" the incoming power from the grid? Ah, says he, that's simple, you see, it has a high input impedance and a low output impedance, plus the wiring inside is by Nordost, we do a lot of research with them, blah, blah, blah, names get thrown across the floor, the audience is duly impressed.
 
After half an hour, I never learnt where the cut-off point of the filter was. Quite obviously, he didn't know. The most basic of all possible questions after: "What is this, anyway?" - and he doesn't know.
 
That was 9 days ago, not 50 years ago.
 
With this sort of thing going on world-wide, OF COURSE you have to write diatribes of basic engineering truths to TRY to get things off on the right foot.
 
Where you err is in HOW you do it. Many years ago, I turned the tables on them - when I hear something like "superior sound through technology", I just say: "Really? Please explain". I get the usual sales talk. I sith through it, then ask: "This novel topology, please explain in some more detail." Stunned silence. Perhaps choke and gurgle a bit. Then I say: "Please give a bit more detail on your power supplies. You say they can cover loads down to 2 Ohms, yet you use twin 15,000 uF caps for the whole amp. Simple math shows that's good for around 45 Joules of energy, or 27 Joules per channel, and THAT'S good for only 270W into 2 Ohms - and that only if it's an exceptionally clean load." Deathly silence. Very rarely, a brave one asks where you get your info from? "You really should look over ON Semiconductor/Motorola site, you know, they have some oustanging IEEE and SAE published paper reprints there." That's the clincher.
 
I honestly don't mind sales talk, but I will not be trated like a moron without responding.
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Charley Phogg View Drop Down
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Joined: 28 Jan 2008
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Charley Phogg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Mar 2008 at 7:38am
Graham, your fighting a tough battle, as you basically say, for instance, I know how hard it is to get CSA,UlL, etc.  approval. And that's just a small portion of it. I never knew it was that much. it's easy to tell that you are a man of your convictions. All I can and is don't give up the good fight man. Keep plugging away. You let your product speak for itself, and that is exactly how I;d do it, and i'd say screw everyonel else, jusy like you.

  Being on the outside looking in, after knowing what you put into your desings and whatnot, maybe you should sacrifice some of that to develop a following. To get your product out there.

 I can empathize that it would be hard for you. I've gave up so much in my life because it was so important to me to do what I felt was the right thing, and I always screwed myself.

 Trust me, I'm not comparing your life to mine, just trying to give you some food ofr thought. It has to be tough selling a top of the lind product without anything leading up to it.

 I'm running my Solo directly out of my souncard on my pc, and I wonder evey day what dac could improve this sound.Sure, I know it would, but at what expense?

 I'm sure you have heard plenty of this before, but it seems that you need some introductory lines, and then fill in the gaps to get your signature out there.
 You get people woeking they're way up your product line, tou'll have it made. I know, easier said then done.

 You have a sweet product, capitalize om it

 Now if you;ll excuse me while I go get some serouis mind bloeing experiences from my SoloLOL



Edited by Charley Phogg - 27 Mar 2008 at 7:44am
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