Poor Fritz

Hey Erik, Who is Fritz? What speakers does he make?

http://www.fritzspeakers.com/
In the price bracket he's operating in, these are absolutely THE BEST.

I have never seen a bad word about the man,or his speakers.  To me at least, it seems that when folks buy his speakers,they keep them. I constantly check classifieds,and I think I’ve only seen 1 or 2 pairs come up for sale in the last couple of years. 

   I’ve never heard any of his speakers,however, this is one brand I would feel comfortable purchasing on the blind. I didn’t realize folks were that critical of him.

It’s not that I read negative comments about Fritz, it’s that the reviewers go over them with a microscope like no other $5K or less speaker pair. 

Not enough is made of how great they are for the money and that it is a one man shop.



Best,

E

@rocray -- happy to tell you about my experiences if you want to P.M. me.
@eriksquires Erik, I agree with you so wholeheartedly that I reviewed two of his speakers even though (for circumstantial reasons, mainly) I went with some Salks. Honestly, there is a small set of extraordinarily capable speaker makers who are both artisanal and affordable, who listen and give great value and customer service. Salk and Fritz are two of them. And Fritz works extraordinarily hard and is a one man company. My hat’s off to him. People who give him hard time are really obtuse. But the reviewers know and many of us know the truth. 40 reviews, here: http://www.fritzspeakers.com/sound.asp

Fritz is an awesome guy.  I was interested in his speakers and then out of the blue, he pm’d me and asked if I’d like to review his Carreras.  I accepted, reviewed them, fell in love with them and then had to send them away to a buyer.  
I loved the Carreras so much that I thought I’d probably love any of his speakers, which is still probably true.  He sent me a pair of Carbon 6’s and as good as they sounded, I still longed for the Carreras and Fritz knew it.  I was going through a difficult time, still am a little bit, with a broken leg and no work. Fritz offered to work with me on a pair of new Carreras in a gorgeous walnut finish.  I had no money and didn’t know when I would have the money to pay him but it didn’t matter to Fritz.  His exact words were “it’s not always about the money”.  

He sent me 2 pairs of Carreras and a pair of Carbon 6’s without me giving him a dime.  I secretly think Fritz may be Saint Nick but I haven’t confirmed this yet, so don’t quote me.
Anyhow, I’ve now given a nice chunk of change to Fritz but still feel that I owe him and will continue paying him as I can.  His speakers are worth every penny of his asking price and when you actually add up the cost of materials, labor, shipping, and his expertise, you quickly conclude that he is doing this because he loves it.  I think his best pay days are when he gets to see people fall in love with his speakers.

I know of no other speaker builder at his level where1 man is doing everything.  The only thing he doesn’t build are the grills, thats it.  
I absolutely love the Fritz Carrera BE’s and if possible, they will be with me for decades.  I feel a connection to Fritz because of his speakers.  I thoroughly enjoy the escape his speakers provide, daily.

I hope that the positive reviews of his speakers will get him many, many good buyers and many, many happy audiophiles.

Thank You Fritz for being the best boutique speaker builder out there, and Thank You for having a true passion for audio and sharing that with others!

I’d like to add that anyone in Colorado Springs ( non smoker / shoes off environment) or surrounding areas is more than welcome to come to my house and hear the Carreras for themselves!

I spoke with him once.  Very nice guy not to mention great sounding and high value products.  Have only read and heard good things about him and deservedly so.

Scrolling down on his site, his phone number is offered to arrange for an in-home audition. You don't see that often. He deserves success!

Eric, good of you to bring attention to these.

The fritz speakers are pretty overpriced it seems. The FRITZ CARBON 6
2 Way stand mounted monitor costs $2200 and uses sb acoustics drivers which are about 300 bucks in total.

So youre paying about $2k just for the box plus labor. I'm sure you could get a cabinet maker to do the box for much less than that. If you could get the mdf cut for you, you could even glue the box together yourself with a few clamps and some glue. Just drill two holes for the drivers and youre done. You would then save $2k. 

Get yourself a mini dsp and you'd get even better performance than the horrible passive crossovers used in the Fritz. They dont even tell you what slopes they use so you have no idea what youre getting.

In conclusion, high end audio is overpriced and these speakers are no exception. Also you need to remember that hifi speaker drivers are overpriced too. The only thing with that is there is nothing you can do about it. You cant make your own drivers. Its just a bit of metal and paper in most cases if you think about it. 

@kenjit When you see a doctor, why do you pay money? Experience, expertise, training, and good advice. Fritz is in his shop, eating sawdust, trying different woods, experimenting with crossovers, trying different amps, creating a website, going to shows, contacting reviewers and customers, packing up speakers, arranging with shippers -- and all to do what? Make a living.

Some people learn, work, create, and risk. Some people just talk. You’re a talker. That’s it.

You continue to tilt against windmills, thinking you’re the Don Quixote of the audiophile world. But in fact, you do harm, not good, by disparaging good people doing good work, work which makes other people happy.

Get a hobby, one which preferably requires that your fingers be occupied somewhere beside a keyboard.

When you see a doctor, why do you pay money? Experience, expertise, training, and good advice.

Its highly offensive to suggest that there is any expertise involved in screwing a pair of drivers into an mdf box. Where is the expertise in that? 
There is nothing wrong with earning money by making speakers. The question you can't answer is this. At what point does a speaker become overpriced? What you seem to be suggesting is that no matter how high the price is, as long as someone is willing to pay for it, its reasonable. Its people like you that have made hi end audio so horribly overpriced. Not only does this make it unaffordable but it promotes scamming.

Healthcare is a horrible example to use as that is just another area where people are being overcharged for little work.

@kenjit 

Not only are you obtuse, but your math doesn’t work.

How can you buy drivers for 300.00, pay a cabinet maker  and still save two thousand dollars on speakers that cost 2200.00? 

hilde45

Plus 1 from me. 

kenjit

It's a free country, but perhaps the comments would be less tone deaf if included in a different thread?

Thanks for listening,

Dsper

🙄
B

@kenjit-    PLEASE: move to Cuba, for their free, "healthcare".      They have very restricted internet access, as well.      Hopefully: that would keep you off AudiogoN.      A WIN-WIN scenario, for everyone (well, except for Cuba)!

Not only are you obtuse, but your math doesn’t work.How can you buy drivers for 300.00, pay a cabinet maker  and still save two thousand dollars on speakers that cost 2200.00?

By buying the mdf and gluing it together yourself obviously. It would cost far less than $2200 I kid you not.

"What you seem to be suggesting is that no matter how high the price is, as long as someone is willing to pay for it, its reasonable."

That would be a YES.  

And by the way, I solely got him banned for a month.  If 10 of us got together and e-mailed Tammy we could vote this yahoo off this site.

Why do you say that as if its something to be proud of? you ought to ashamed of yourself for getting me banned unjustly.
and if word got out that audiogon promotes this kind of activity where they suppress any opinions that people like you disagree with, what will that do to the reputation of audiogon? 
Its going to reinforce the idea that the audiophile industry is all just a big sham.

If you dont like the truth Bruce, you are the one who should avoid reading what i write. If you disagree with what I write, it is unacceptable to resort to name calling.

Kenjit, I will not engage further with you. Because that is *truly* something which is not *worth* my time.

Erik has raised a good question and if there's more on it, I'll read about it and possibly reply. But I will not allow myself to be drawn in to more nonsense. No need to ban you, Kenjit. Ignoring you is simpler.

Someone should heed this man's advice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkoPq5AOCOA

All the best,
Nonoise

When i read your subject, i thought he had fallen ill. Not sure i get the title and point of post. He has great speakers, as do many others. Hes a one man shop and you cant listen to these. Most on here, prefer a bigger company when buying and can demo in.person. ive spoken to him, he has a great product. But..poor fritz ?? 

Ozzy, obtuse...that word was used in shawshank redemption and he got the hole for that
 

Ny, I thought the same thing.  Good to hear that wasn’t the case.

@kenjit , getting you banned for a month was easy.  I just showed the moderator 5 or 6 of your posts.  You’re nothing but destructive to this site.  I’d leave because of you but then you win.  Fortunately, all the regulars around here know that your a troll, and a joke.  We’d all be better off around here without you. You offer nothing good or productive.  You try to destroy.  Thats why I don’t like you.  Being totally conceited and completely ignorant is not a good look Kenjit, maybe you should change.

I’ll be ignoring you now Kenjit simply because you aren’t worth a second more of my time in this or any other thread, ever

"By buying the mdf and gluing it together yourself obviously. It would cost far less than $2200 I kid you not."

Some of us could not do it right even for $22000. We pay others to do it better.

Fritz speakers was great ! I have a pair of focal 1008 be and I prefer fritz carrera over focal 1008 be ! I talked to him a couple of times and I know him was very aged but his passion for speakers still with him by the ways he asked for some other crossover of other brand and his knowledge was great ! I hope fritz all the best of health and happy !

Some of us could not do it right even for $22000. We pay others to do it better.

so if i wanted to charge you 2000 bucks to change your lightbulb, would that not indicate that i was being unscrupulous?

I have been on Fritz's site many times drooling over his speakers. The seem to have a simple sophistication about their design.

There has been so much positive talk about his speakers across the internet that I am very curious to hear them for myself. I feel that speaker design is a very nuanced art. Much skill is needed to even be able to hear what is off, never mind how to fix it. A bit more to it than just gluing a box and throwing some drivers/capacitors/inductors/resistors into it like the Kenidjit would suggest.

This process of buying, returning, buying, returning is just gross.

People order wine at restaurants, and it is understood that if you dont like how it tastes, too bad... Now, if the wine is off, it gets replaced.
And should they be scrutinized by reviewers? No more so than other speakers in their class/price point.

I guess this whole "Wanna try that one" problem has come about as a result of internet shopping. Pro's and cons as a small manufacturer can reach a huge buying public, which is great, but, you then have to deal with some less than "proper" customers.

Kinda like this a poster in this thread, and how the village idiot thinks bricks and concrete make you an architect. Less than "proper"...

so if i wanted to charge you 2000 bucks to change your lightbulb, would that not indicate that i was being unscrupulous?

That’s a silly analogy and typical of your reasoning.

All the best,
Nonoise

Is...

"change your lightbulb" CODE for something weird?

DeKay

Hey Kenidjit,
Just so you know, every single item you post, I'm going to report until you have something of value to contribute.
Wanted you to know that I am in fact doing that.
Now, far be it for me to suggest others do the same...

20 years ago people calling each other names on the internet was a problem.  People got really angry and tried to track each other down.  That ended, we've all seen millions of trolls, been called names a million times, and no longer respond with much emotion.  The next step is to learn to ignore trolls.  It's obvious that they just want attention, but people still can't let it go.  If the trolls were ignored for a few months they'd go away.  Just be an adult and ignore them.  They don't deserve a response.  

@dekay 


Suspect it is? Incel code for something perhaps?

@jon_5921

I know, I know.
But its sooo hard to just leave it alone. It's like an itchy scab, or head lice...

I have been fortunate in my life to be able to afford speakers at prices in excess of $10k +. I am an accomplished jazz pianist by training (although not my profession) with perfect pitch. Yes, I listen to the piano notes as my basis for the right "tune" of a speaker.@kenjit, if you can build me the same quality of a speaker that Fritz can for under $3.5k with a 30 day trial period, flexibility in payments if needed and garauntee that your speakers will smoke Fritz's...bring it on! I have the money to take your challenge and will be more than happy to report back my "neophyte" comments to the entire community.  Otherwise, I have bought Fritz's speakers first for the sound of his speakers, second for the man who stands behind his products and last because the price he charges relative to the above mentioned benefits. We should all wish that this industry promoted more audiophile artists like Fritz...because we wouldn't be having so many discussions about the exorbitant prices paid for other commercial speakers. And the irony, Fritz isn't in this just for the money, he's in this industry for the love of true reproduction of sound from the original recording to your ear. Thank you Fritz for your passion!

@kenjit 

Hard eyeroll... damnit man. Ita like playing cards with my brothers kids. I give up rather than argue with you because why argue argue with a simpleton.

If you are going to be playing in the game, you need to be sober...hate to steal your money!

@perkri

If you disagree with any of the points Ive made the onus is on you to refute me. It is devious of you to think you can win the argument by silencing me.

Clearly you are unable to provide any reasons to refute me which is why you would rather I disappear from this forum.

I am here to stimulate further discussion about speakers but you and others here are simply unable to go beyond name calling. 

So the question for you perkri is this. Who is the better audiophile? me or you? Who is the real troll? The one that seeks to prevent any meaningful discussion by resorting to insults and other extraneous remarks or the one that tries to carry on with the discussion of the topic despite the attacks?

The fact of the matter is that the fritz speaker uses at most $300 worth of drivers in a speaker that sells for $2200. It is natural to ask where all the rest of the money goes. If you are in favor of this price, the onus is on you to convince me that it is reasonable. It is natural to ask, at what price point it becomes unscrupulous? Give me one example of a product that you believe is in fact overpriced so that i can understand your views better.

As a manufacturer, there is risk in doing anything.  Anyone can make a product.  My partner and I know that if we send something out, it better sound so much better that what it is being auditioned against so that the potential buyer wants it period.  Not just better in this area or that area, it has to just plain better within the first 30 seconds.  If not then you have made something that is the same as everyone else.

Happy Listening.  

How many Kenjits does it take to change a lightbulb? None, he will just complain that no one make's a perfect lightbulb.

After kenjit was born they broke the mold. They complained no one make's a perfect mold.

I’ve never heard any of his speakers,however, this is one brand I would feel comfortable purchasing on the blind.

+1 @rocray

BTW, after foolishly participating in the first thread I saw from kenjit a long while back, I have since just smiled as I breeze past all his inane posts realizing how much potentially wasted time I’ve saved for more useful and productive things, like chewing on tinfoil. I honestly don’t know how the moderators here justify not banning him as he contributes nothing and just pollutes the site. So I it goes...

Kenidjit
If, at any point, you were to present a single argument either for or against something that was actually worthy of discussion, it would happen, but your infantile repetitive ramblings are no more worth debating than arguing with a young child who keeps repeating "are we there yet?are we there yet?are we there yet?"
Let me guess - you claim to have "golden ears". Prove it. Your response is "Prove I dont".

Heres the thing Kenidjit, when a hypothesis or theory is presented by anyone, the onus is on them to prove it. Not for others to prove them wrong.
See, there is nothing you say that needs to be refuted, there is nothing of value. It quite simply, needs to not exist.

kenjit,

"so if i wanted to charge you 2000 bucks to change your lightbulb, would that not indicate that i was being unscrupulous?"

That would indicate that you are wasting time. I can change my lightbulb and would not take your offer. If you offered me a speaker that I cannot build for $22000, I would consider.

I've only heard Fritz's speakers at Capital Audio Fest but they were a top 3 standout that the $1m Vac/Von Scweikert didn't best...