Can we have an "Ask Sean" catagory?

Sean is one of the smartest people I have been lucky enough to communicate with. Some may think I've gone too far but he may just be a genius. In my work I communicate with many engineers and scientists. Very few have impressed me with encyclopedic knowledge and the ability to assimilate and then communicate it like Sean. No doubt he posts some big numbers on the IQ tests. Sorry if I made you blush Sean. Thanks for all the help you have given me and others.

Everyone knows that Sean is very knowledgable about equipment, but he is also a "stand up" guy, and helpful to people he doesn't even really know.

I bought a phono stage from a guy who took the money, never sent the unit, and then finally after much contact finally returned my money. While this was going on I posted a thread about it. Sean contacted me to find out if the guy was in the Chicago area and said he would go over and get the piece of gear for me. I was very impressed by his offer to help.

Everything worked out ultimately without his involvement, but he was the only person that offered any tangible help. For that he has my respect and appreciation.

Sean, sorry I missed you at the CAS meeting! Keep up the good work!

If Sean is a "genuis", maybe he should manufacture something?

Thanks to everyone for the kind words. I appreciate it, even though i know that i'm "like a rose". That is, nice to look at from a distance, but up close, you have to watch out for the thorns : )

Jes45: According to IQ tests that i took 25 years ago in high school and other testing that i took for a job ( you wouldn't believe what this place put you through ), Sean is a genius. He is also Irish, making him unmotivated and willing to let others benefit from their efforts.

If you wonder why i bring up being Irish as an "excuse", look at Ireland as a Country. How many other Countries in this modern day and age are still governed by another Country? Irish people are all great talkers and deep thinkers ( just ask them ), but we just aren't motivated enough to follow through with all of our "brilliant ideas".

As such, many of the ideas and research that i come up with end up in other people's product lines. I've done research and development for over a half dozen different manufacturers in the past and still do work for some today as needed. I hope to change that soon for my own financial benefit, but i'm not starting with audio related gear.

Many of my ideas are quite diverse and nothing that i myself would like to market. Given that i don't know how to approach a manufacturer with an idea without having them steal it out from underneath me, i've sat on these ideas / potential products.

If you're wondering how i could design or research a product for other manufacturers and not know how to go about approaching one with an idea, those manufacturers always contacted me first. As such, they presented the idea of what they were looking for / wanted out of a product, we worked out the facts and figures and i gave them what they were asking for. To be honest, many of these "opportunities" came about after they got to know me. How did that take place? Simple. I called them up on a regular basis to yell at them about how they were screwing up their products and offered insight as to how they could make them both better and less costly to manufacture. After getting several earful's and following through on a few of my suggestions, they saw the value in what i had to offer and took advantage of the experience that i have in the field that i work. That field is RF communications.

Walking in off the street with an idea for a marketable product and not having your intellectual properties stolen from you is another matter all-together. I'm not a lawyer, have never played one on TV and don't sleep at a Holiday Inn Express on a regular basis. As to why i haven't contacted a lawyer to go about doing this, figure it out for yourself. I'm Irish : ) Sean
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PS... I've had offers from various audio related manufacturers to work as part of a R&D team on several different occassions. I've always turned them down. The reason ? I love audio. I used to love RF communications before it became a full time job. I still like RF, but it is no longer my main source of enjoyment. On top of that, i enjoy communicating and working with people on the subject of audio and would like to continue to do so without any limitations. Working for audio related companies and then discussing various products from different manufacturers would be a conflict of interest as far as i'm concerned. As such, i'm willing to turn down money in order to maintain what i enjoy as a hobby and source of enjoyment. How much longer that will last, i don't know.

PPS... While talking to Arnie of Audiogon a few years back, i mentioned that i had a very specific audio related business in mind and was working towards making that a reality. Given that it was a few years ago, you can see how well i've followed through on those plans?

Damn that Irish blood. Maybe i need a transfusion. Or a drink : )

Hi Sean. Nice to see you getting recognition so richly deserved.

I know what you mean about fear of intellectual property theft. I been sitting on an idea for a decade due to lack of connections/experience (I'm Scottish -not far removed from Irish. Probably have that "Lazy" gene too).
I've looked into the patent process and learned:

1. When you file a patent, it is viewable by the public until approved (effectively spilling the beans).
2. Unless your application is PERFECT (by gov standards), it will be rejected.

The implications are obvious. If you mess up your application, anyone can co-opt your idea by filing a corrected application (Jeez, not TOO stressful!).

I also have a question today:

Mine ARC VT-100 has been in storage for 8-9 months.
How long before its capacitors start to go south?
Also have a preamp and CDP in limbo.
When should I start to worry?

Thanks again for your nobel service!