Audio Kharma website

Abucktwoeighty,

I would not go there if they paid me. The last place I need to be is with a bunch of overweight pigs that are eating bacon in every way possible. Plus the fact they are a crowd living in the 1970's. Been there, done that.

05-05-13: Taters
Csmgolf,

Call me whatever you like! At least I'm not dumpster diving for gear or talking about a 6.00 reciever I just bought from the Salvation army.

You are certainly correct there Spuds. You come off as more of a pompous a$$, which is far more superior to a dumpster diver. LOL!!

05-05-13: Taters
At least I'm not dumpster diving for gear or talking about a 6.00 reciever I just bought from the Salvation army.

Yes, you are so much better than that. You don't talk shit about $6 receivers, you talk shit about people.

Csmgolf,

Call me whatever you like! At least I'm not dumpster diving for gear or talking about a 6.00 reciever I just bought from the Salvation army.

They won't like you there, and you're getting less respect here.

You're right, lowlifes and scumbags need a place to chat!

Then you should find that place, because it's not here.

I know Johnvf as a young enthusiast who 'gets it'. He attends the annual AK party here in the Chicago area and usually brings something interesting and has a good ear. I go there mainly to check out what the guys are up to and to socialize, most certainly not to push anything. It's a low key friendly event, very laid back, with plenty to eat, too. I look forward to it for the comraderie most of all.

05-04-13: Taters
Johnvf,

You're right, lowlifes and scumbags need a place to chat!
Taters (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

At least you're right about one thing. You seem to have found yours.

All that you seem to be doing is making a case for why you weren't welcomed. Behavior begets behavior.

The latest and the greatest from our friends at AK.

General discussion on 1978 Grundig stereo. Aren't these guys the best!

Johnvf,

You're right, lowlifes and scumbags need a place to chat!

Much of life is how you present your point of view. If you shove it down somebody's throat, they'll barf it back up in your face.

Well said Johnvf!! Ye reap what ye sow!!

Taters, you're really stretching it. There's some bad apples on AK but for the rest of them, their heart is in the right place and if people are into something, its their right to have a place to chat about it. It says nothing about them other than that they're into something you aren't. On paper I don't fit in there at all, and I do have some issues with the place behind the scenes, but I have over $25k worth of gear, and was voted (co)member of the year...so it is possible to be accepted there even with a different outlook.

Much of life is how you present your point of view. If you shove it down somebody's throat, they'll barf it back up in your face.

AK reaches a new high! Thread of the week: 16.00 rummage sale. It's hard to believe a company like Dynaudio displays at AK nerdfest. I will give the VP a call this week and ask him.

"posting about bacon can be viewed as silly”

Essentialaudio, I agree. But it’s no less silly than the “mean girl" type ridicule that’s being posted about AK participants. In fact, I would consider a bacon discussion more beneficial.

A good many people, who have a passion for music but work hard for their money, read these forums for a time before plunging in with an actual purchase. I’m embarrassed to think that these prospective enthusiasts have to listen to the rantings of audio brats putting down those who can’t afford to make the financial investment that they can.

Phaelon, I see your point if all this thread is about is bacon, but it isn't, it's about AK as far as I can see, but yes, posting about bacon can be viewed as silly. Still, we've witnessed the Spudz Effect even in this thread.

Taters said, "I can't see any well respected distributor-slash retailer attending the AK-fest."

I have attended AK Fest 3 different years. I have heard the following speakers at those shows (amongst many others I don't recall)
Dynaudio- Excite x-12 and x-16, Confidence C-1
Joseph Audio- Pulsar
Dali- Helicon 400Mk2
Classic Audio Reproductions- T 1 and a larger model I don't recall
McIntosh- x100, x200
Audio Note- AN-E/SPe
Vapor Audio- Cirrus, Breeze, Aurora, Arcus
Ridge Street Audio Designs- Sason
Selah Audio- Game changer (curved line array)
Fritz Speakers- Carbon 7
Salk Sounds- HT3, HT2TL, Song Tower, Archos, Soundscape 12 and Soundscape 8
Vivid Audio- Giya G1
Odyssey- Kismet reference, Lorelei
Hawthorne Audio- Rainier
Harbeth- 30.1, 40.1
Bogdan Audio Creations- Petra, Catalina
Tyler Acoustics- Woodmere 2, D1, D2, D10, MM5
LSA Statement
Fried- Studio 7
Bamberg Audio- Series 5 TMW

I guess all of these manufacturers should be embarrassed according to you. Just to give you a partial clue, these all range from very fine to outstanding against any standard. Only a couple of them retailed for less than $2000 and many were over 10k retail. When you post something like that try backing your statements up with something resembling facts. I am certain that I missed a large number of excellent speakers as well.

As far as the members themselves, I found all of them I encountered to be very friendly and gracious. The DIY factor was present there big time and my impressions were like Mapman's from CAF. Some of it was really good and some not so much. I had multiple discussions with members about cables (initiated by the members), not one of them contentious. In fact I would call the attitude I most often encountered was curiosity in regards to cabling.

Many of the member rooms used vintage gear that they did not pay a great deal of money for. So what? They did the most they could with the funds they had available and I applaud them for it. Quite a few of those systems did a fine job of making music and that is what this hobby is all about. If that bothers you as much as it seems, just ignore it and stead of complaining about it.

"A good example of the "Spudz effect" is the downward spiral this thread has followed.”

How in the world could this thread spiral downward when it started at the bottom. If you can discern any potential for a discussion of merit in the original post, I sure can’t.

Thanks for proving my point yet again, Spudz. Seems you have a lot of time on your hands if you've been following the bacon thread. Not me, business has been brisk all this year, but I do look forward to having bacon and eggs tomorrow for breakfast. No hashbrowns, though, because potatoes aren't needed or desired. Sorry, "sweetheart," I don't go that way.

At last summers Capital Audiofest, the DIY'ers had some of the best sound I heard in the show. Did not look like much, but with some know how, they put the fancy stuff there on notice for a fraction of the cost. A real eye/ear opener. I would expect to find more stuff like that on another site, but not here on A'gon. Performance matters here but style is also a factor. The DIY'ers proved that style was not critical to having good sound.

A little know-how can go a long way when it comes to these things, bacon or not.

"Interesting" LOL

Taters, it seems to me you're one of the folks having a good time checking out the site. Why are you cutting it down?

No reason to put them down. They do what they do and enjoy it, like you. I'm not putting you down, just stating an observation.

Hey Brian sweetheart,

If you want to see a thread that has went downhill look at the bacon thread on Ak. 1200 posts so far and growing.

I know you are trying desperately to push your C class goods but this is still not your market unless you are giving 50% of retail. I guess you want to stay on there good graces by giving them props. I can't see any well respected distributor-slash retailer attending the AK-fest.

Why next for you a honey-boo-boo convention?

Liquid-smooth, I believe it for a couple of reasons:

- While the guys on AK tend to have fairly low dollar systems, some of the systems perform very respectably - some at AKfest have outperformed some of the commercial exhibits - and once you get past the 'cheap' aspect the guys are pretty decent folks happy to help others.

- Spudz has proven time after time that he is incapable of posting constructively and coherently, researching the topic and engaging his brain before posting, without merely trolling and being a putz. A good example of the "Spudz effect" is the downward spiral this thread has followed.

Welcome Larry! I see this is your first Audiogon post. Interesting.

For comparison, I set up 2 separate systems to listen to while I had my bacon. System A was a Sound Design super console with tower speakers. System B was a mcIntosh receiver with Martin Logan speakers. The result: The bacon tasted the same with either system.

Prefab,

If you enjoy reading about dumpster diving, craigslist ads, the Goodwill, Salvation army, Radio shacks classic catalogue then it may be good for you. When I was 15 years old I had a better system than most people have over there today. I want to progress with my life. I don't want to live in the 60's, 70's and 80's. I want to learn about what's happening today in the audio world. If you still enjoy playing with recievers from the 80's and listening to Advent speakers more power to you.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!

I have learned a lot at AK. There is much more to it than the Bacon thread. There are a lot of talented techs both professional and serious hobbyists that contribute.

Another thing I like about AK is their appreciation of quality vintage audio. Yes, I appreciate the high end. I have Ear, Thiel, and Audio Research gear running currently, but I also love vintage gear. The build quality surpasses most contemporary pieces and the audio is generally very good to excellent.

If you are of limited financial means (most people are), AK is a great place to find out about quality audio that is within reach. For a lot of people that rules out $500 cables. But hey, I have some nice cables, and while I bought them for a reason, they are really the smallest part of the overall equation. Decent cables can be bought for $50.

Oh and I have heard the uber high end too. Sorry, it is simply not that good. If you have the money, have at it. It is beautiful stuff. But not having it does not preclude you from a quality audio experience.

Liquid-smooth,

Nice Story! I don't believe a word of it.

You guys are doing great! We are only 1093 posts behind.

I hang out on AK and my system is excess of $65,000 with McIntosh, Audio Research, Krell, Sony SACD, B&W Nautilus, and transparent cables.

I also am tickled to death at finding good sounding gears for a few hundred $ that comes way too close to my main system for comfort.

One of my 3rd systems I assembled for $70 and it sounds quite good! If you heard that, you would agree... It's Denon Cd-Receiver with Klipsch KG speakers. What a synergy it has - provides good music while I soak in warm water (please be very careful not to let water near electricity - as we all know, if you too have a system there)

Some people don't have the money to spend like some of us, but they deserve great music too - please don't knock it.

Hmmmmmmmmm......BACON!!!!!

Bacon is neither pointless nor petty. And I wish I would get some feedback on my
“crisp or with a little bend to it” query.

I'll show that list to my doctor.

so Taters this thread is simply becoming (and quickly) as pointless and petty as the site you for some reason think about way too much.

Here is a list of the Top 10 Reasons why bacon is actually healthy for you!

Pork Powered Protein: The protein found in bacon is extremely valuable to maintaining our energy levels and a fully functioning, healthy body, with a minimum of those nasty, waist, thigh and butt expanding, fat building carbohydrates.

Bacon’s Blood Balancing Bounty: Several university and medical center studies have shown that including bacon as a regular, moderate pat of one’s diet, actually naturally works to lower the bodies blood pressure and blood sugar levels, helping to prevent and / or alleviate the effects of diabetes, as well as heart disease, stroke and heart attack.

Flushing Fat With Flavorful, Friendly Flesh: While people have heard horror stories for years that bacon is full of harmful fat and after all, if you are what you eat, who wants to be a PIG? But the facts are completely the opposite, as bacon helps to fully satiate our appetite with high protein / low carb energy, helping the body lose weight, raise one’s metabolism and build leaner, stronger muscles.

Bacon actually has less total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than many popular cuts of beef and chicken. While some fish has less fat and cholesterol than bacon, bacon has more protein power and does not contain toxins such mercury.

Bacon’s Brain Building Business: Bacon is chock full of a very important nutrient called “choline,” which helps increase our intelligence and memory, from conception to Senior Status, and has been shown in University studies to help fight off the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s Disease and other chronic mental impairments.

Bacon Let’s You “Pig Out” On Essential Vitamins & Minerals: Bacon provides us with substantial amounts of the important, necessary vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function healthfully. From bacon, we receive: 65% of our Recommended Daily Intake of Thiamin (Vitamin B1) as well as 47% of our Niacin (Vitamin B3), 38% of our Vitamin B12, 36% of our Zinc, 24% of our Vitamin B6, 22% of our Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), 22% of our Phosphorus, 10% of our Pantothenate, 10% of our Magnesium, 9% of our Iron and the Protein to fat balance in bacon is actually 4 to 1, which is one of the highest protein to fat balances found in any meat, fish or fowl found on Earth.

Effective Mood Elevator: Bacon makes you feel happy, satisfied, blissful, which greatly reduces stress in our lives and effectively relieves the negative effects of frustration, self deprivation and sense of lack in ones existence.

Nitrates and Nitrites – Now Non-Issues: The fact is, while it is true that nitrates and nitrites are unhealthy for your body, what most pro -veggie, chicken and fish nutritionists fail to tell you is that you can easily avoid nitrates and nitrites by simply (A) not burning / charring / over cooking your bacon or by (B) Baking your bacon in the oven.

Some people also choose to avoid nitrates and nitrites by (C) cooking their bacon in the microwave, however, some medical research shows a strong correlation between micro-waved proteins (all meats and proteins, from beef to fish, from cheese to eggs and even milk) and cancers caused by protein mutation under the conditions of microwave bombardment, so we recommend using the oven, 400 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes per side.

P.S. if you always include some dairy and citrus in your bacon meal, the vitamins A, D and E work to effectively prevent conversion of “nitrates and nitrites into dangerously toxic “nitrosamines” in the stomach, rendering them harmless to the body.

Bacon Power Now Expands To Our Vehicles and Industry: Yes, believe it or not, a company in The United Kingdom, TMI Foods has already successfully found a way to use bacon fat / grease to manufacture a powerful, low emission, minimal pollution, environmentally friend, all-natural, bio-diesel fuel that can be used to effectively and inexpensively run anything from motor vehicles to turbines and from the various engines of industry to illuminating and empowering generators. That’s right Pig Power now also means “Power To The People!”

Universally Beloved Flavor Enhancer: Because bacon tastes so amazingly awesome, we’re a LOT more willing to set many of our finicky ways aside to enthusiastically eat many of the boring, icky, lack-luster, “so called,” healthy, nutritious food items that are supposedly good for us, as long as they come wrapped in bacon or with lots of bacon bits broken up and served with or within them.

While We Heart Bacon – Bacon Heart’s Your Heart: While people over the years have mistakenly made jokes about bacon being a leading contributor to heart disease, actually there are in fact, several studies that show that the Omega-3 Fatty Acids and “choline” found in bacon can actually protect the heart from developing detrimental problems, as well as actually help HEAL such anomalies, after they have occurred!

Unlike the Omega-3 Fatty Acids supplements derived from fish sources, the one’s that come from bacon aren’t chock fully of poisonous mercury, like most of the popular fish oil versions are. So bacon Omega-3 can not only help prevent heart disease, as well as lower your cholesterol, reduce inflammation and improve circulation, but also help you to avoid mercury and other toxic poisons being regularly spewed in our planet’s oceans.

New hot topics on AK:

1.Cleaning vinyl with windex.
2.So, what did I just buy for 6.50.

It's funny, just when you think they can't go any lower they do.

The only time I read Audiokarma posts is when the results come up from a search engine query. Other than that I never go to the main site. Too much noise.

Live and let live, better than looking like a dbag.
Who is smarter the guy who is "blessed" with a taste for finer things in life but not enough cash or the guy who finds pleasure in the affordable and obtainable?
I would pick 2, its better than pipe dreams and disapointment.

Yeah, so those ak guys seem to be a bunch of dumpster rooting, thrift fair tootin simpletons.

Now, here's the million dollar question...

Sound quality/dollars spent ratio.

Who wins?

Audiogoners?

Or AKers?

My cardiologist won't allow me to eat bacon. He said my cholesterol is to high.

"I know most people are into crap! Whether it's food...

You're so right. But you know what you can always depend on? A good ol’ BLT - bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich - Mmmm mmm... I usually order double bacon. How do you like your bacon? Crisp or with a little bend to it?

I'm waiting for Honey boo boo and family to go on there and talk about dumpster diving for a home theater set-up.

Last month I saw Ferrari advertising there 7 year maintenance program on new cars. I e-mailed Ferrari of North America and told them they were not a good fit for that website. I told them they cater to the dumpster diving crowd and Pep boys. They e-mailed me back that they would look into it and thanked me for bringing it to there attention.

Go to the audio snobs thread. 1200 posts about bacon!

04-25-13: Taters
Today's hot AK topics:

My favorite thread on the AK site is Pictures of Cats on Audio Gear. I visit the site and enjoy it, but always thought that thread had to be something else besides what the title suggests. After many months of bypassing it my curiosity got the best of me and I clicked. Guess what - It's a bunch of pictures of cats on audio gear. go figure.

The latest post, #2,289 (!!) reads, "here we have possum girl delaying my morning walk by presenting a terrific photo opportunity"
I don't think I'll ever click that thread again.

If my life was relegated to dumpster dives and seeking out audio gear made by Radio Shack and Sears I would wrap my acoustic Zen cables around my neck and jump off the roof.

I know most people are into crap! Whether it's food, alcohol, material goods, yada, yada, yada. Thank god I appreciate the finer things in life. My only downfall is I should of been born rich.

Mapman,

I would not want to Insult the community colleges by making a comparison to AK. I would compare the members of AK to a work release program in the desert.

Taters,

You realize of course that there are way more people in the world who are interested in bacon, rummage sales, and Sears stereos then there are interested in most things discussed here, right?

Think of AK as community college. SOme may graduate to this site and actually become fully indoctrinated audio nutcases, if they can afford it. :^)

Today's hot AK topics:

1.Rummage sale score.
2.Looking to find Sears stereo.

No I didn't make this up. It's in General discussion on AK.