Art Dudley Calls B.S. but without naming names - PLEASE DO!


Hey all,

As someone who hasn't been reading the audiophile press for all that long, I stumbled upon this article that I'm sure it lit up these airwaves when it was first published: https://www.stereophile.com/content/skin-deep

It's a great article and one that any knowledgeable person would most likely agree with, but hey, spending your own hard-earned (or inherited) money is a right and a privilege.  Art does call out some brands that he perceives to give great value:  AMVR, VPL, Conrad-Johnson, DeVore and Harbeth and Kimber and Peachtree and Quicksilver and Rega and Rogue and Spendor and Wavelength.  Shouldn't NAD be on this list?  

But what he doesn't do and I think is warranted, is name the companies that are most egregious in selling high-end products where the performance is far below the cost.  

I, for one, would love to see a list of those manufacturers from the people who read this forum.  You can group them by what they manufacture or just put them in order as you see fit.  I think it would be most helpful in calling b.s. but with "added-value", which is what this whole article was all about.  Right?

128x128lgoler

Showing 4 responses by lgoler

@mrdecibel my forum notifications weren't turned on and I hadn't been receiving the updates to my original thread.  I've just apologized to those who responded and added some clarification.  As for my question being ridiculous, you are entitled to your opinion.  
@mrdecibel No apologies necessary.  My dad bought a pair of Duntech Crown Prince's and a full set of Nakamichi top-of-the-line gear in 1986 when I was 18.  I smoked a lot of hooch with that system in my basement.  Honestly, the Duntech's never sounded that great but the weed helped.  Regarding the AG's, I picked them up on here for I believe $3,000 about 7 years ago.  If they are $12K now, that seems ridiculous.  They happen to work very well for my apartment.  They sound good, bass is especially well articulated and decent mid and highs. I don't find them fatiguing at all. I'm sure the upgrade Gershman offers would help, but by how much I'm not sure and probably not willing to make the investment.  
@tooblue   Thanks.  Civility is way under-rated these days.  I'm a human being first and foremost and know my time is short, so trying to limit the bad vibes I put out there.  @mrdecibel I may have a second home, but I assure you, I'm not loose, careless or showy with how I spend my money, hence, I'm on here looking for deals and expert advice!  My dad was careless with his and it literally killed him.  But he turned me on to Sinatra, so I forgive him.  For those who say that posting brand names would be egregious (but then again, most luxury goods are anyway:).  I was looking to have a little fun.  Sorry if anyone thought it was in bad taste to ask folks to name names of manufacturers.  Furthermore, I'm not a regular poster here and should respect my place.   But I'll say this, I read about too many products that seem to have the potential to be outdated in a year, and they were expensive to begin with.  Upgradeability is key in this day and age, where advancements in all kinds of technology happen at a much faster rate with much bigger gains.  Peace.  
@chrisoshea how funny you bring up MBL.  Just yesterday I was at a demo studio (Sensorium in NYC) listening to a pair with the source being Pappa Was A Rolling Stone, a 50's Bud Powell recording, Nathan Milstein's classic Bach partitas and a few others and thought they produced some of the best sound I've ever heard.  The speakers retail for $30K.  That's definitely a tidy sum but imho, stacked against other speakers I've heard similarly priced, the MBL's were astonishing, especially given their ability to play loud with no distortion and incredible dispersion in the room.  I did t find them the least but harsh.