The post in which Darko basically tells anyone who isn't a rich rube to ignore him and audiophilia in general

[Pearljam5000]

What makes Darko an audio guru?

 

[Trell]

What makes Darko an audio guru?

He is?

Edit: Spelling

 

[Robin L]

That was a nice system for 1973. Very nice. Back then most electrical components came with RCA stereo cables in the box. And your dealer would definitely throw in some speaker cable--called it 'hook up' wire! Also, if you bought a complete system, he'd usually throw in the Shure cartridge either 'for free' or at his cost. So you could get a pretty nice system with some built in savings.

Your AR integrated amplifier was an interesting move for the company. Prior to that, AR had worked out deals with Dynaco, and those were often bundled together by dealers. I remember reading an interview with Dave Hafler, who talked about his company sharing advertising expenses with AR. When the speaker company brought out their own amp he was asked about it. He said he didn't care one way or the other because he was selling more gear than he could make. Also, around that time, he was getting into the speaker business.

If you go to the on line markets, the system you describe is now selling used for as much as you likely paid for it (albeit now in inflated dollars).

$700, all told. The speakers were used, can't recall if the cartridge was bundled with the turntable, though the shop where I got the system installed the cartridge. AR 3s go for crazy money now, it must be the nostalgia factor, as it's easy to get better performance for less money with new gear. Fully functional AR 3s go for around $2000. AR 3a's go for less. The amplifiers go for around $700, the AR XA turntable is more like $300. So something like $3000 today, and $700 of 1973 money would be closer to $4000 today.

 

[mhardy6647]

What makes Darko an audio guru?

A Charles Rodrigues cartoon, via https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/comment/2659326#Comment_2659326

 

[Jimbob54]

What makes Darko an audio guru?

Audio companies pay him to be ;-)

 

[anmpr1]

$700, all told. The speakers were used, can't recall if the cartridge was bundled with the turntable, though the shop where I got the system installed the cartridge. AR 3s go for crazy money now, it must be the nostalgia factor, as it's easy to get better performance for less money with new gear. Fully functional AR 3s go for around $2000. AR 3a's go for less. The amplifiers go for around $700, the AR XA turntable is more like $300. So something like $3000 today, and $700 of 1973 money would be closer to $4000 today.

When I was in the Army I shared a barracks room with a guy, and we bought 3a speakers. Pooled our money. Sourced them at an 'audio club' in Frankfurt. You could get a pretty big discount at the audio club. But even so, they were not 'cheap'. AR were power hungry and never played 'loud', at least in the JBL L100 sense. More 'polite' and well rounded. Paired with a Rotel integrated (60watts/ch--bought that because it was less dollars than Pioneer/Sansui/Kenwood/Marantz); but would have done better with a Crown DC-300, or Bob Carver's up and coming Phase Linear. Couldn't afford any of that.

I owned an AR turntable--1973. Again, it was what I could afford, and about the most basic thing you could imagine. Yet excellent in fit and finish. A very very solid item. As I recall it had an on/off switch, and that was it. No anti-skate, no cueing, no automation, no nothing. You gave it a 'push' by hand to get it up to speed quickly. But it was better than anything selling for twice it's price. Easily.

If the 'old' gear is going for a lot of money on the second hand market (and it is) it's because that stuff had 'character'. Now, for your dollars, you get a 'black box' that looks like a black box. How uninteresting. If you want something aesthetically nice, you pay an arm and a leg.

Harman (or Samsung) plays off the nostalgia market with their updated L100. I'm really surprised that more companies haven't done that. The last thing I need is another amplifier, but if (say) Pioneer made an updated version of their SA-9500 integrated amp, with all the features of the original, and with all the aesthetics, plus the walnut wood sleeve, I'd plunk down several thousand dollars for it right now.

Unless that happens I'll stick with my period Dynakit/JBL L100. Or my Benchmark gear. If it does happen, I'm not sure which would go in the closet--the Dyna or the Benchmark! It would be a tough choice since I like them both, for different reasons. LOL

 

[Robin L]

I owned an AR turntable--1973. Again, it was what I could afford, and about the most basic thing you could imagine. Yet excellent in fit and finish. A very very solid item. As I recall it had an on/off switch, and that was it. No anti-skate, no cueing, no automation, no nothing. You gave it a 'push' by hand to get it up to speed quickly. But it was better than anything selling for twice it's price. Easily.

I'm not sure how many AR XA's [and XB 's] I've owned. I know two were modified to replace the stock arm with a Grace 707, one also got Merrill Mods that replaced everything but the plinth and the on/off switch, and I should have replaced that too. As a minimalist audiophile masterpiece, really groovy. For cuing tracks and suchlike, a disaster. Replacing the motor, the platter, the subchassis, springs, the arm, et al got me most of the way towards a Linn LP-12 with all the trimmings, which I eventually found a good example of at the precise moment all my day to day plans were blown to smithereens.

Be careful of what you ask for. You just might wind up with satan's taco.

 

[HammerSandwich]

What makes Darko an audio guru?

207k subscribers. They can't all be watching ironically.

 

[NiagaraPete]

I have to admit I like him as a personality. His reviews are all subjective but he has some whit and humour.

 

[Beave]

Is whit a Canadian way of spelling wit?

Or did you mean he has a whit of wit?

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

When I was in the Army I shared a barracks room with a guy, and we bought 3a speakers. Pooled our money. Sourced them at an 'audio club' in Frankfurt. You could get a pretty big discount at the audio club. But even so, they were not 'cheap'. AR were power hungry and never played 'loud', at least in the JBL L100 sense. More 'polite' and well rounded. Paired with a Rotel integrated (60watts/ch--bought that because it was less dollars than Pioneer/Sansui/Kenwood/Marantz); but would have done better with a Crown DC-300, or Bob Carver's up and coming Phase Linear. Couldn't afford any of that.

I owned an AR turntable--1973. Again, it was what I could afford, and about the most basic thing you could imagine. Yet excellent in fit and finish. A very very solid item. As I recall it had an on/off switch, and that was it. No anti-skate, no cueing, no automation, no nothing. You gave it a 'push' by hand to get it up to speed quickly. But it was better than anything selling for twice it's price. Easily.

If the 'old' gear is going for a lot of money on the second hand market (and it is) it's because that stuff had 'character'. Now, for your dollars, you get a 'black box' that looks like a black box. How uninteresting. If you want something aesthetically nice, you pay an arm and a leg.

Harman (or Samsung) plays off the nostalgia market with their updated L100. I'm really surprised that more companies haven't done that. The last thing I need is another amplifier, but if (say) Pioneer made an updated version of their SA-9500 integrated amp, with all the features of the original, and with all the aesthetics, plus the walnut wood sleeve, I'd plunk down several thousand dollars for it right now.

Unless that happens I'll stick with my period Dynakit/JBL L100. Or my Benchmark gear. If it does happen, I'm not sure which would go in the closet--the Dyna or the Benchmark! It would be a tough choice since I like them both, for different reasons. LOL

I lost my Dynakit preamp and power amp in mid 80`s. I honestly cannot remember how.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

I have to admit I like him as a personality. His reviews are all subjective but he has some whit and humour.

I need to switch jobs. Going to Best Buy tomorrow for professional YouTube equipment. Only need self help online course for wit, charm and humor.

 

[Pearljam5000]

He just sound like an audiophile snob
And I don't trust his opinions at all after the said the the Wilson are some of the best speakers he ever heard after he had the Kii 3 and DD 8C

 

[LaoMan]

Ernsthaft?
There better places to live, way better. Like any other city in D. Ah, or anywhere in Austria, minus Vienna (but even dit is better)

Strange comment. Austria is so parochial it bores you to tears until you can speed along the autobahn to Munich.

 

[roog]

I noticed that in a podcast with Michael lavorgna, Darko seems desperate to convince the listener that his opinion based on subjectivity must be right, seeking to name drop other reviewers of similar mind set. I don’t have a problem with seeking collective opinion but at least draw from a broad spectrum of people. It smacked of desperation to me.

 

[bevok]

I noticed that in a podcast with Michael lavorgna, Darko seems desperate to convince the listener that his opinion based on subjectivity must be right, seeking to name drop other reviewers of similar mind set. I don’t have a problem with seeking collective opinion but at least draw from a broad spectrum of people. It smacked of desperation to me.

Was that the episode where he tried to explain placebo effect and how it couldn't affect subjective reviewers?

 

[Freeway]

He just sound like an audiophile snob
And I don't trust his opinions at all after the said the the Wilson are some of the best speakers he ever heard after he had the Kii 3 and DD 8C

He did flash a World Party/Private Revolution cd at the beginning. Give him kudos for that. Otherwise . . .

 

[roog]

Was that the episode where he tried to explain placebo effect and how it couldn't affect subjective reviewers?

That’s the one, I liked the line that went something like, he was polite and he was my friend so I didn’t just tell him to #&@* off!
like either of the above conditions affects whether he was right or not.

 

[Mart68]

He did flash a World Party/Private Revolution cd at the beginning. Give him kudos for that. Otherwise . . .

He does have good taste in music but that's about the only positive.

 

[dontlikejazz]

I think there's things to take aways from his reviews. He has pretty vast knowledge in electronic music (which I am also a fan), and his videos are engaging and pretty high quality. I stop listening when he talks about how DACs sound different in his ears "and I know it's true cause my experience tells me it is".
But let's face it, hearing someone talking about measurements is boring, I'd rather watch his videos to get an impression on how a product looks like, UI functionality and all that and I go read the measurements if I want to.
I believe he knows some of the stuff he talks about are placebo and inaccurate but he needs to play that game, since he's affiliated with companies and needs them and viewers to pay the bills.