Are there any audiophile electronics companies who have a transparent, honest marketing as a priority?

[cjfrbw]

I don't trust anybody who is honest. They MUST be up to something.

 

[k3nb5t]

This is the only way for companies to stay out of trouble. Specs are guaranteed which means each single unit must fulfill them under the given circumstances. The higher the specs the more demanding is the production process.

I would like to think this is standard practice. When I saw the post, it struck me as refreshingly honest and I gave them some business as a result.

Certainly any company who publishes verifiable inaccurate measurements should be shamed, ousted, and possibly sued. I think your qualifier of "under the given circumstances" is where my focus lies. Companies can select configurations that favor their products and measurements that may or may not be indicative of actual use. These differences should hopefully be subtle, as selecting anything too far off-base would be suspect. However, these subtleties can often times be missed (or misunderstood) by those less informed, such as myself.

If I remember correctly, Emotiva had published open-air (middle of room) measurements of their subs to represent "worst-case". Hence, when placed near a wall or corner in-home, as is typical, the performance was improved.

 

[Daverz]

The Vandersteen external high-pass filters also use a battery. I've had the battery replaced once. Can I let it go dead next time?

 

[LTig]

The Vandersteen external high-pass filters also use a battery. I've had the battery replaced once. Can I let it go dead next time?

Yes. How much did this thing cost?

 

[Daverz]

Yes. How much did this thing cost?

https://vandersteen.com/products/m5-hp

I have the balanced version. I think they were about $800 at the time. I paid $8000 total for these and the speakers, the original cloth Vandersteen Quatros, in 2009. I don't recall how much I was charged for replacing the battery (it's soldered in).

 

[LTig]

https://vandersteen.com/products/m5-hp

I have the balanced version. I think they were about $800 at the time.

And now they are $1295
This is just crazy. I see about $10 max for the parts on the PCB, plus costs for battery, PCB, housing, cable and connectors.

I made a similar (but simpler and smaller) filter for my MG-1.6 when I had them, to eq the bass frequencies. Total costs were about € 15 for both.

 

[Daverz]

And now they are $1295
This is just crazy. I see about $10 max for the parts on the PCB, plus costs for battery, PCB, housing, cable and connectors.

I made a similar (but simpler and smaller) filter for my MG-1.6 when I had them, to eq the bass frequencies. Total costs were about € 15 for both.

Note that that pic is of the unbalanced version, while the link is to the balanced version.

I think there must be some exotic parts in there, but I couldn't tell you what they are.

Since I'm already using a convolution engine for DRC, I plan to add the first-order high pass filter to my current filter set, but I don't see an easy way to generate it in, e.g., REW, where second-order (12 dB/octave) is the lowest order HP filter available.

 

[LTig]

Note that that pic is of the unbalanced version, while the link is to the balanced version.

I think there must be some exotic parts in there, but I couldn't tell you what they are.

Neither can I. I see six precision resistors ($ 0.15 each), four red standard (foil?) caps ($1 max each), a dip switch array ($1 max) and two elcaps ($1 max each). As far as I can see these are all standard parts of good quality. If there is something exotic it may be hidden underneath the PCB, but I wouldn't count on that.

Regarding exotic parts: I've seen a review in the 90s where the reviewer nearly fainted when he saw a few of the latest hyped op-amps (OPA134) in a high end preamplifier which explained the high cost of several 1000 $. He did not knew that such an op-amp costs about $ 2 each where the standard op-amp like the NE5534 had a price of 0.50 $, so replacing the standard by the highend raised the production costs of this preamp by less than $10.

 

[DuxServit]

...”transparent, honest marketing as a priority” — this sounds like a self-contradictory question.

 

[DDF]

• Amplifiers: Bryston....

Wonderful company. I have a 35 yr old 2B still running and 2BLP Pro that PSU caps started to go at 19 years and they honoured the 20yr warranty and sent me all new caps gratis. Listening to it now very happily.

Flip side bought a very highly reviewed (by TAS and others) integrated early '18 and it suffered 2 failures within the 1 yr warranty but I reacted a couple months late and company told me to take a hike.

 

[solderdude]

I am wondering what the battery is for.
I see no active components drawing any current.
My best guess would be it puts a 9V bias voltage across the low pass capacitors ?

I would not put Vandersteen on the list of honest marketting as a priority.
This box could easily be marketed for $100 and do not need to have components 'requiring' a bias.
The least they could have done is either add PP3 battery contacts on the PCB or a PP3 clip so users could replace the battery themselves.

 

[Daverz]

View attachment 25840

I am wondering what the battery is for.
I see no active components drawing any current.
My best guess would be it puts a 9V bias voltage across the low pass capacitors ?

Yes, that's my understanding. Since there's no current draw, the battery is supposed to last about 7 years.

 

[Sir Sanders Zingmore]

Sanders Sound Systems

 

[Juhazi]

On the edge?

Pro-Ject https://www.project-audio.com/en/about-pro-ject/
Gradient speakers http://www.gradient.fi/en/content/9-gradient-story
Hegel amplifiers etc. https://www.hegel.com/about
Electrocompaniet amplifiers etc. https://electrocompaniet.com/pages/about-us

 

[FooYatChong]

What surprises me the most is that the audiophile label seems to be reserved for relatively young companies or excessively expensive products. The big brands with the experience and resources to put together about anything they like don't get much attention, be it in speakers or electronics.

 

[Tks]

I don't trust anybody who is honest. They MUST be up to something.

Um, what?

 

[Tks]

One very easy litmus test is to see if such audio company sells "audio grade" cables or "upgrades" purporting sonic quality improvements. Any of them that do (even if they offer products that actually are objectively high quality, or high performing, are simply companies I tend to avoid).

Btw how hasn't anyone mentioned RME yet :-\

 

[LTig]

Btw how hasn't anyone mentioned RME yet :-\

I did in Posting #7.

 

[Tks]

Yep, I'm illiterate.

 

[andreasmaaan]

If we’re including pro gear manufacturers, add Focusrite, MOTU, Genelec and Neumann to the list IMO.