Hello All,
I can honestly say that I regret much of the tone of what I originally posted on our website, I was perhaps a little overexcited and overzelous about our product. I've been trying to change a number of things on the site, but Yahoo.whydidIusethem?? , the host of my site, will not let me change a thing with their software, and will not let other software into the mix. In short, I'm stuck with things I'd like to change. While (I'm told) it comes off as a very professional website, I created it myself and I'm an engineer by trade, not a web-designer, and as you've noted, not an orator. Sorry.
The very first thing I'll change is the very first line, the comparison to $30K speakers. Yes, our speakers sound better than many very expensive speakers, but the comparison is simply not reasonable. Will you allow that I was so excited about my new product (as any of you would be) that I became a little overzelous when single-handedly starting a successful business while remaining true to my audiophile roots and creating a website by my own hand that most thought I'd paid a high-ticket ad firm for??
Blue Ridge Sound Engineering was created by one man, not a team of high-paid magicians who create the image of most companies. I was lead engineer, chief technician, web designer, financier, and everything else. Now, we're a much larger team, but let me ask you this... who, of you out there, could do what I did? I don't even ask for a pat on the back, just look at my high-quality speakers for what they are and give them a fair shake, and, dear God, give me a break from the ridicule you love to sling at larger corporations who may well deserve it. I'm just a family man with the right background to do get this job done, and whose customers all appreciate my efforts.
One of the first things I'll change when able, is the reference to Roy Allison's excellent IC-20's, which, while excellent speakers in any regard, are certainly not everyone's idea of the ultimate.
Our HR-1 speaker is not intended to be the ultimate loudspeaker either. The reason we're so excited about it's performace is that it's so far beyond what it's price (especially here on Audiogon and on eBay) would indicate. What we have here (as one of our earliest customers, smillin, testifies in his posts here) is a high quality, high resolution, very accurate loudspeaker that belies it's price.
Best speaker ever at any price? Certainly not.
Best speaker available now? Probably not.
Best, most musical and true speaker under $3K? There's alot of cometition here, but I'd put it up against any of the competition any day, any time.
My website needs to be updated and changed, and as soon as I have a break in the # of orders I'm receiving so that I have the time to do it (and the site-host allows me), I'm there, with apologies for the tone the site now carries.
For now, please refer to the feedback of actual customers on ebay and here on Audiogon rather than the opinions of those who have not heard the speakers and (while many of them may be highly knowledgeable) don't know enough about my designs to judge them. Everyone has an opinion, and that's fine, but you must weigh someone's opinion against the knowledge they have of what they opine over. Only my customers have full knowledge of my speakers, and it's mighty hard to ignore that they're all 100% positive, and 100% happy with our speakers.
Everything below the asterisk line following this paragraph is from a post I made this evening at another forum (I don't think I can mention the name here, but it rhymes with AVS) and the post (I hope) carries a new tone for this new year. Happy Easter to all!
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Hello Gents,
Since someone (thank you, sterankoman) actually said "welcome" to the forum, perhaps I'll give it another shot.
I'm in this for the long haul guys. Making money is not my ultimate goal, making speakers that please the ear is. I love music, and I have a deep passion for the kind of equipment that produces it properly. That kind of equipment is rare indeed, the kind that when you close your eyes and let the music take you away can make you nearly startle and open your eyes to check and see if reality matches what you're hearing. This experience is very rare and in my opinion needn't be hugely expensive.
Few of us have the time or money to go to live concerts very often, but most of us can afford to flip on the stereo at least a few times per week to have some quality down-time. It is my desire to see as many people as possible be able to appreciate this hobby to it's fullest. Tward that end, and because it's my passion and particluar God-given talent, I build the best speakers I know how to for the least money possible. I do not believe that only the wealthy deserve to have the kind of audiophile systems that can take you away from your troubles and even bring tears to the eyes.
This is the basis for my business. It would have been quite simple and easy to position my business as a super-high-end company that can quote expensive and exotic components that comprise our speakers, OR, I could have (and did) simply take great-quality components that are not rediculously expensive and remake and refrom them into high end speakers worthy of many thousands of $$ but sell them at an everyman price.
Perhaps it seems too good to be true? Why would someone actually live up to their claims? Ok, I'll entertain reasonble questions like that, but if I'm going to do that, some of you out there need to open your minds and give something new a chance. I have risked my life savings, and all that is me, on the belief that I can offer something new and different to the audiophile community, and by God I've done it... all you need to do is wait and see. If you don't think you have enough information to offer an intelligent opinion on my product (and you don't) , please don't. Soon, after I've ramped up to full production I'll be so incredibly happy to release test samples to each and every one of the reliable audiophile publications (like Stereophile, who IMHO I deem to be one of the rare pubs that really test and really compare before publishing an opinion, some of you out there might take a lesson here..) so that my claims can be verified.
Do I make the best speakers money can buy? While that is my goal... I'm pretty sure I'm not there yet. Do I make truly musical speakers that will continue to please and bring new joy to many who have put 10K+ speakers in the closet or on auction in favor of mine? Heck yes. Will I continue to do so? Absolutely!
All I ask is a fair shake. I've put my name, endless efforts, every penny I've ever had, and all of the years of time I've spent working for thankless "bottom-line only" companies into a design I fully believe in. Can you, just for a moment, have a leap of faith and trust that I've got something worthy of your notice?
If you can't have the faith to wait for forthcoming reviews, can you at least actually go to my website and see what actual customers are saying? It seems that most of you mistrust the customer comments on my website, OK. But what about the many customers who have purchased my speakers on eBay (not my main sales avenue, but a place where I can't possibly sway feedback if I wanted to) and have had 100% approval and 100% positive things to say about my speakers?
I ask you, do you want to beleive the judgements of those who may have glanced at my website and have come to (who can blame them, in this day and age?) quick and unfounded opinions or those who have actually purchased my speakers and are totally pleased with them? Are happy customers everything??? YES!!!
Until the reviews come out, you'll have to rely on my customer's feedback, because not a single one of you out there has enough information to judge my product otherwise. Please see username blueridgesoundeng over at eBay for comments from those who've actually heard and own my speakers. In addition, there's one customer review and two customer feedbacks on Audiogon for your perusal.
Deep inside, don't you want to beleive that I've actually done the seemingly iimpossible? To produce a relatively inexpensive speaker that does a total beatdown on much more espensive speakers? Isn't that what you wish you's gotten with your last speaker purchase??? Think about it. Come on over into the light my friends, I've done it, and it's yours on the cheap.
To those of you who doubt, and I can't say I blame you to a certain extent, I say please read the feedback and wait for the reviews... you know full well that you don't have enough info to make a valid judgement compared to those who own my speakers.
To those who want truly great speakers for a pittance that were designed by someone who's heart thumps only to the beat of music, Blue Ridge Sound Engineering is happy to provide.
BTW: Which unfotunate pic are you guys looking at that seems to show one mid misplaced? While our speakers are totally hand-made, including hand-soldered connections throughout instead of press-on terminals like 95% of the garbage out there, we don't ship anything substandard and while it's been months since Yahoo.crap has let me update my website they're so-called hosting, I'd really like to put a more representative pic on.
Thanks, and God Bless you on this Holiday Weekend!
Carl Halling,
President, BRSE
