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11-25-2013

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Romy the Cat

Boston, MA
Posts 10,155
Joined on 05-28-2004

Post #:	1
Post ID:	20305
Reply to:	20305

How to mitigate the expectation of assurances.

A few days ago I had an interesting conversation. An audio friend of me from Utah called and asked about one audio product that I used in past. Then he told me a story about his exposure to the product. He called to the product maker and spoke with the owner of the company that makes the product. The owner assured him that the product is way superior to all any other competitor and insisted that the product is way more capable then anything else ever was mane in the industry. Then he went over a lenthy education of my friend about the use of his and other products, education about sound his and competitors’ product and general pontification how to listen and what to listen. The friend of my asked if they offered money-back in-home trail and the owner informed that they charge 30% in case the product was returned. The friend of my asked why they charged 30% if they are so confident that the product works, the question that was not answered.

Now is the truth. The friend of mine has probably 3995943% more experience not only in audio but in the very specific field where the product under the desiccations is used. In fact he is more than in position to teach the idiot-owner about use of his products. The story however is not about the friend of mine or the fool company owner but the story is wider: how for two people who talk about audio to find an equitable denominator in order to understand the level of mutual understanding.

We know that neither elevation on the industry stair, nor years of experience, nor cost/size of own playback could not be an objective assessment of what person understand in audio. We all see people who have a lot of advancement in each of the category above and we all know that the people still might be remarkably shallow and stupid. To a degree the complexity of own playback and the involvedness of decisions might be an indicator but without hearing the actual result it is frequently very hard to say anything definitively.

If you call to let say a chess player then asking his rating you might have more or less objective expectation of what person might understand in chess. If you want to discuss with somebody the specific of using the running shoes and you know how fast s/he run let say run marathon then it is very obverse that person has or has not any expertise in running. In audio it is much more complicated.

Very frequently in audio the sale people run their mouths over the phone and put them in position of authority and they are absolutely clueless with whom they are taking. The same come with many online interactions. So, my question to you guys: what techniques you use to filter out just wana-to-sound-intelligent audio people what you are engage in random let say phone conversation? Did you develop any practice to recognize that the person on another side is fool and lower your expectation in person’s assurance?

"I wish I could score everything for horns." - Richard Wagner. "Our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts." - Friedrich Nietzsche

11-25-2013

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dkarmeli
Posts 27
Joined on 01-25-2013

Post #:	2
Post ID:	20306
Reply to:	20305

You can add this guy to your list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnYa83UOvG4

11-25-2013

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Stitch

Behind The Sun
Posts 235
Joined on 01-15-2009

Post #:	3
Post ID:	20307
Reply to:	20305

To check a Moron

Romy the Cat wrote:

So, my question to you guys: what techniques you use to filter out just wana-to-sound-intelligent audio people what you are engage in random let say phone conversation? Did you develop any practice to recognize that the person on another side is fool and lower your expectation in person’s assurance?

Very simple:When someone asks me what I have, I will answer with a very expensive, well known Product, which is good for nothing....for example:
What cartridge/Turntable/Phonostage... you use/you will buy next ?
And my answer is
- I use/will buy Clearaudio Goldfinger ...Koetsu Onyx/Coralstone ... Linn LP12 ... Garrard ...Boulder 2008 ... Goldmund Reference ... Schroeder Arm.... something like that
and when the guy whispers respectfully "Whoah, super, great...."
then I know for 1000% I have a full time idiot on the other side

Kind Regards
Stitch

11-26-2013

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steverino
Posts 367
Joined on 05-23-2009

Post #:	4
Post ID:	20313
Reply to:	20307

Sales is selling

Why would you expect to hear something other than sales talk from salespersons? Even the producer is a salesman (or especially the producer). If they aren't moving product their time is being wasted. The only time I talk with them is when I have a specific question, such as: what is the output impedance range? The real problem is that even very knowledgeable people are less help than occurs in many other fields because we are dealing with preferences, not (musical) data. There is not even a fidelity metric for recordings where we could determine how each system deviates from that and which deviations listeners could accept and to what extent. The audio products we are surrounded with are simply those which have met the sales test, not the (unknown) fidelity test. The salesperson knows that some percentage of the customer base will like the Futzball cartridge without knowing who they are specifically. Hence they will ask you what your components are and operate on the same principle as Amazon. If Customer X bought the Shrill cartridge then they only have a 12% likelihood of buying the Futzball cartridge but a 65% likelihood of buying the Siren cartridge. So they recommend the Siren to X. Remember that the alternative to selling is one size fits all.

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