Ken Fritz - Audiophile Documentary

[Digby]

Not sure how it relates to 'Americans'. Do journalists avoid doing color-pieces on odd people outside of the Americas? Do people with extreme obsessions not exist outside of America?
IL PIU' GRANDE SUBWOOFER DEL MONDO - by Roberto Delle Curti - Italy But you are absolutely right, these personality types will find something to throw their life at. These guys just happened to fall for HiFi gear.

I ask Americans, because maybe they can read something into I can't, as it was written by an American. This is what I got from the article:

Successful man is obsessed with hi-fi, spends $1 million, puts children to work, falls out with one son and doesn't speak to him.

I'm not sure what the message is here? That spending this amount of money will turn you into a person who behaves like this, that spending this much on hi-fi is what turns your mind (nobody would care if it was cars or motorbikes, no article there!) and this is a cautionary tale for families/wives to look out for; is it saying something about men getting too obsessed with their hobbies generally...

I have seen plenty of articles on unusual people and hobbies, the articles either celebrate or comment on how odd the person is, occasionally a pretty neutral approach, but there does seem to be some insinuation that 'the hi-fi' made him this way (the way they suggest he is in the article).

Watching the video he seems a pretty nice guy. I don't know anything about him or his family, but if you throw as much attention into one thing, then it is likely you will neglect other things, but is the article more about hi-fi being something dangerous, than just a general warning about obsessive behaviour....? Like I said, I can't fully make it out.

 

[beefkabob]

https://wapo.st/47ErwZI

Some truly nasty comments under the article. Wowza.

 

[Anton D]

I ask Americans, because maybe they can read something into I can't, as it was written by an American. This is what I got from the article:

Successful man is obsessed with hi-fi, spends $1 million, puts children to work, falls out with one son and doesn't speak to him.

I'm not sure what the message is here? That spending this amount of money will turn you into a person who behaves like this, that spending this much on hi-fi is what turns your mind (nobody would care if it was cars or motorbikes, no article there!) and this is a cautionary tale for families/wives to look out for; is it saying something about men getting too obsessed with their hobbies generally...

I have seen plenty of articles on unusual people and hobbies, the articles either celebrate or comment on how odd the person is, occasionally a pretty neutral approach, but there does seem to be some insinuation that 'the hi-fi' made him this way (the way they suggest he is in the article).

Watching the video he seems a pretty nice guy. I don't know anything about him or his family, but if you throw as much attention into one thing, then it is likely you will neglect other things, but is the article more about hi-fi being something dangerous, than just a general warning about obsessive behaviour....? Like I said, I can't fully make it out.

It seems to have been mostly an excuse for "audiophile" keyboard jockeys to find a way to virtue signal about themselves.

Calling it child slave labor was pretty funny. Tell that to any farm kid.

 

[BobbyTimmons]

I don't think anyone is jealous of the man who had a $1MM stereo that sold for $150K.

You can put the $1 million in a bank vault for 80 years and you won't be alive to enjoy it. Instead he spent the money from his successful engineering business doing what he loved, expressing his talents creatively. It seems more laudable than buying a sports car.

 

[Digby]

Calling it child slave labor was pretty funny. Tell that to any farm kid.

I feel working on a farm or for the household in a way that benefits everyone is a bit different than spending your spare time building your father's audiophile (hobby) room.

 

[Astoneroad]

“All of humanity's problems, stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” - ” Blaise Pascal 1654, “

 

[BobbyTimmons]

I ask Americans, because maybe they can read something into I can't, as it was written by an American. This is what I got from the article:

Successful man is obsessed with hi-fi, spends $1 million, puts children to work, falls out with one son and doesn't speak to him.

I'm not sure what the message is here? That spending this amount of money will turn you into a person who behaves like this, that spending this much on hi-fi is what turns your mind (nobody would care if it was cars or motorbikes, no article there!) and this is a cautionary tale for families/wives to look out for; is it saying something about men getting too obsessed with their hobbies generally...

I have seen plenty of articles on unusual people and hobbies, the articles either celebrate or comment on how odd the person is, occasionally a pretty neutral approach, but there does seem to be some insinuation that 'the hi-fi' made him this way (the way they suggest he is in the article).

Watching the video he seems a pretty nice guy. I don't know anything about him or his family, but if you throw as much attention into one thing, then it is likely you will neglect other things, but is the article more about hi-fi being something dangerous, than just a general warning about obsessive behaviour....? Like I said, I can't fully make it out.

The journalists learn to write in a gently condescending tone. The readers feel better about their own lives and they buy the product. Most people are not interested in audiophiles so the journalist needed to find a human interest angle to the story. It is lucky the journalist writing the article is into music. He didn't frame the story using one of the political themes of the day like Trump or toxic masculinity.

 

[OldHvyMec]

I don't think anyone is jealous of the man who had a $1MM stereo that sold for $150K.

If what people say is any indication of jealousy then I beg to differ. I see and read it all the time. This thread is a great example.
Maybe I misread what they typed. They are just plain mean. It's neither here nor there for me I identify with him (the dead guy)
not those in the ranks making statements after he died.

Some people built Pyramids and some build stereo systems. I admire the builder not the guy expressing his love for coat hanger
cabling cobbled together that ekes out noise and how cheap it was to do it OR "A bump" called the first pyramid. How bad it
can look or it sounds ok, is not my goal.

Maybe that's why I chose to work on 500K to 5 million dollar machines rather that 64 VWs. They float, whoopee!! Still piles of shit!
I'm sure someone will chime in and say what great cars they were too. BS they were horrible. 64 Rolls Royce SS is a different story.

It kinda reminds me of the guy with the chainsaw sweating his butt off and the guy starts it and the guy sweating says "What's that?"

"I bet it doesn't even sound that good. I bet he didn't even measure." If that isn't jealousy or ignorance WTF is then?
I don't want to catch whatever it is. God Bless Mcintosh and that guys DREAM.

I remember they (the family) preparing a plan for the system after he received his prognosis. The dollar amount was not the issue,
who bought it was. The illness progressed quicker than they anticipated too.

God bless DIY all the way.

 

[Digby]

If what people say is any indication of jealousy then I beg to differ. I see and read it all the time. This thread is a great example.
Maybe I misread what they typed. They are just plain mean. It's neither here nor there for me I identify with him (the dead guy)
not those in the ranks making statements after he died.

You'll want to steer clear of the comments on the Washington Post then, the ones here are tepid by comparison; some people are really going overboard there, but that is the internet for you.

 

[OldHvyMec]

Sorry, all I can think about is the sheer hell he put his family through, and for DECADES.

Good lord man, how long does it take to build a room and grow a family?
I blinked my eyes and I'm 68.

I built or helped on at least 30 different rooms with my friends who did likewise.
My brother was a BA for his local Electricians Union, I was hooked up by
equipment repairs through OE Local 3, IAM 1173 and Teamsters 315.

It took 2 months to build or add 1200 sf and that was by HAND no nail guns,
Only after work and Sundays. Friday sundown until Saturday sundown I didn't work.
My home rested and enjoyed each other's company.

It took 3-4 years to to get everyone sorted out with my family and coworkers.

My only son helped me (at 6 years old) move 14 yards of basement 2, 5 gallon buckets at a time.
He better remember it! . That was a lot of steps with 5 gallon buckets is what I remember.
Arnold had nothing on my 6 year old's work ethic, that kid would drag bucket up stairs, laughing.

Regards

 

[Anton D]

"I bet it doesn't even sound that good. I bet he didn't even measure." If that isn't jealousy or ignorance WTF is then?
I don't want to catch whatever it is.

 

[Robin L]

I finished "Frank, the Voice" by James Kaplan last night. It covers Sinatra's life and music up to 1954. It's clear that OCD plays into Sinatra's process and that he managed to alienate those around him, especially his family. Of course, he is mostly famous for his art.

I recall seeing the video about Fritz and his stereo when it was posted here at ASR some time ago. Seemed to me that Fritz was more engaged with the process of creating his ultimate playback rig than actually listening to music. That was reflected in the size and nature of his record collection, thousands of used LPs, many duplicates and a number of versions I recognized as substandard pressings. I've collected a lot of Classical LPs in my time. My sense is, if this obsession of Fritz' was about the music, the record collection would be more cherry-picked and more time would be spent focusing on music than audio gear.

I've known other audio enthusiasts like this and I'm not saying this is necessarily a problem. But when I saw the video when it was previously posted here at ASR my thought was "when is this guy going to get around to listening to his record collection and what's going to happen when he dies?". It was clear that the man didn't have long to live. It was also clear that he put all his energy into this hobby, sometimes at the expense of the rest of his life. The WaPo article provided answers and closure to these questions. I already knew that it was unlikely that anyone would want both house and audio system - they were clearly integrated. I also suspected that the various bits and pieces of the system would not sell for anything like their initial cost.

So Fritz applied his OCD to his art, like Frank did as well. Fritz didn't leave as much emotional damage in his wake as Frank did, but he won't be remembered in twenty years time, as Mr. Sinatra clearly is still remembered.

 

[Dialectic]

If what people say is any indication of jealousy then I beg to differ. I see and read it all the time. This thread is a great example.
Maybe I misread what they typed. They are just plain mean. It's neither here nor there for me I identify with him (the dead guy)
not those in the ranks making statements after he died.

Some people built Pyramids and some build stereo systems. I admire the builder not the guy expressing his love for coat hanger
cabling cobbled together that ekes out noise and how cheap it was to do it OR "A bump" called the first pyramid. How bad it
can look or it sounds ok, is not my goal.

Maybe that's why I chose to work on 500K to 5 million dollar machines rather that 64 VWs. They float, whoopee!! Still piles of shit!
I'm sure someone will chime in and say what great cars they were too. BS they were horrible. 64 Rolls Royce SS is a different story.

It kinda reminds me of the guy with the chainsaw sweating his butt off and the guy starts it and the guy sweating says "What's that?"

"I bet it doesn't even sound that good. I bet he didn't even measure." If that isn't jealousy or ignorance WTF is then?
I don't want to catch whatever it is. God Bless Mcintosh and that guys DREAM.

I remember they (the family) preparing a plan for the system after he received his prognosis. The dollar amount was not the issue,
who bought it was. The illness progressed quicker than they anticipated too.

God bless DIY all the way.

Not really sure I follow, but what is clear from the Washington Post article is that:

1. Fritz sank his family's wealth and all of his--and much of his children's--spare time into stereo stuff.
2. He did not bother to learn a great deal about acoustics or loudspeaker design, beyond what he could glean from high-end audio wisdom. Perhaps he enjoyed the mysticism of high-end audio, or perhaps he lacked the patience or intellect required to learn more.
3. It follows from 1 and 2 that what he did was profoundly wasteful. If the sound had been transcendent (it almost certainly was not, and I know the subjectivists will ask how I can know if I wasn't there), I would take a different view. What he built was not a cathedral that subsequent generations could enjoy. It was, frankly, silly and probably worthy of the ridicule it is probably receiving in the Washington Post comments.

Alleging jealousy when someone criticizes something expensive is a common audiophile mode of argument. Some of us critics have many more resources to throw around than Fritz did and choose to prioritize other things.

I wish you well.

 

[Esprit]

IL PIU' GRANDE SUBWOOFER DEL MONDO - by Roberto Delle Curti - Italy

He was a loudspeaker manufacturer

 

[hvbias]

Good lord man, how long does it take to build a room and grow a family?
I blinked my eyes and I'm 68.

I built or helped on at least 30 different rooms with my friends who did likewise.
My brother was a BA for his local Electricians Union, I was hooked up by
equipment repairs through OE Local 3, IAM 1173 and Teamsters 315.

It took 2 months to build or add 1200 sf and that was by HAND no nail guns,
Only after work and Sundays. Friday sundown until Saturday sundown I didn't work.
My home rested and enjoyed each other's company.

It took 3-4 years to to get everyone sorted out with my family and coworkers.

My only son helped me (at 6 years old) move 14 yards of basement 2, 5 gallon buckets at a time.
He better remember it! . That was a lot of steps with 5 gallon buckets is what I remember.
Arnold had nothing on my 6 year old's work ethic, that kid would drag bucket up stairs, laughing.

Regards

It's been a while since I've watched the Youtube documentary but I seem to recall he also spent a good amount of time with his sons building things (or they were involved in the family business?), I imagine that was incredible quality time for this man. In a way I'm a little jealous of him and his sons, I moved out at 18 and from there on only saw my parents a handful of times a year.

 

[hvbias]

1. It follows from 1 and 2 that what he did was profoundly wasteful. If the sound had been transcendent (it almost certainly was not, and I know the subjectivists will ask how I can know if I wasn't there), I would take a different view. What he built was not a cathedral that subsequent generations could enjoy. It was, frankly, silly and probably worthy of the ridicule it is probably receiving in the Washington Post comments.

Ah yes the WaPo comments section, I'm sure they're filled with the enlightened musings of some millennials living in their parent's basement breaking down a man that worked nearly his entire life while they suck on someone else's teet.

Unless you've heard the system none of us have any idea how it sounds.

 

[BobbyTimmons]

Not really sure I follow, but what is clear from the Washington Post article is that:

1. Fritz sank his family's wealth and all of his--and much of his children's--spare time into stereo stuff.
2. He did not bother to learn a great deal about acoustics or loudspeaker design, beyond what he could glean from high-end audio wisdom. Perhaps he enjoyed the mysticism of high-end audio, or perhaps he lacked the patience or intellect required to learn more.
3. It follows from 1 and 2 that what he did was profoundly wasteful. If the sound had been transcendent (it almost certainly was not, and I know the subjectivists will ask how I can know if I wasn't there), I would take a different view. What he built was not a cathedral that subsequent generations could enjoy. It was, frankly, silly and probably worthy of the ridicule it is probably receiving in the Washington Post comments.

Alleging jealousy when someone criticizes something expensive is a common audiophile mode of argument. Some of us critics have many more resources to throw around than Fritz did and choose to prioritize other things.

I wish you well.

You started writing irrelevantly about objectivists and subjectivists. Ken Fritz doesn't promote subjectivist stuff. I think your identity is invested in these online arguments about subjectivists and objectivists which you need to regularly refresh with people you believe are in the outgroup to demonize. How otherwise to explain your interjection of it into the thread? Literally nobody outside the narrow world of audiophiles and maybe their long suffering partners knows or cares about that debate.

 

[Astoneroad]

Sisyphus Audio... where "Rock" rules...

 

[renaudrenaud]

I have always the same question when the system is massively expansive. Why don't you spend the money across the world in the best places? Go to the Royal Albert Hall, Scala de Milano, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam etc... Meet people, discuss, share your experience, listen to different style of music, visit the cities and go to the best hotels. What an experience and a nice way to increase your culture and spend your money.

 

[CleanSound]

Alleging jealousy when someone criticizes something expensive is a common audiophile mode of argument.

Amen. Couldn't have said it better.

Anyone who likes to accuse others of being jealous for their criticism have some sort of confidence issue or an illusion of grandeur. As if what they did is flawless and any criticism stems from jealousy, ridiculous view. Anyone accuse others of jealousy for criticizing other people either suffer similar issues or are overly sensitive.

People in general criticize others for various reasons and that will continue to be the case till end of time, especially on the internet when criticizing takes no more effort than pulling out a phone to type.