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In the Forum: Audio Discussions
In the Thread: RMAF 2008 observations, opinions 1) ceramic drivers

Post Subject: Audiophile Design and FixationPosted by drdna on: 10/20/2008

Just to state the obvious, audio designers have for many years and continue to start with a good idea and then just focus on this single concept ad nauseum, extending it to all possible applications, and the Feastex driver is no different. It is a very myopic viewpoint in terms of design. It seems the designers lose sight of the idea of audio reproduction as a goal and instead keep focusing on this singular "solution" to find an additional 0.01% improvement over the last iteration.

I don't actually think audio designers are all malevolent and trying to market to sell to people at extravagant prices. However, the ones that are successful tend to market a single simple concept and combine that with a degree of exclusivity (fiscal or otherwise) because that is what people like to buy when the equipment sounds 99% identical to their ears.

Feastex is a great example of this. They have really reached the end of the line in terms of the price of the drivers, which probably do cost a lot to push their single concept of using Permandur cobalt alloy as far as they can go. Okay, it improved the sound by 1%, but it was not the most inexpensive way to approach the problem, nor did it likely approach exactly the problems or limitations of the original drivers to begin with.

But for the reasons I said before, that is not what makes a company successful. It is the mystification of the single concept combined with the idea of joining a special club by buying the drivers -- that makes the company as successful as it is.

Otherwise, why the hedging in describing the sound of the drivers. For this price jump, it should be unanimous and unequivocally better.

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