My previous blog navigated an old car audio experience into illustrating why car audio is not car stereo as it ultimately morphed into another Ed’s AV Handbook ‘Saving the world from poor fidelity’ sermon. It concluded with a request. I asked AV professionals to expand their understanding of the word aesthetic to include sound. Too… Continue reading Adventures in AV-land Part 2: Wipe out the noise
Category: Uncategorized
Adventures in AV-land Part 1
In an early adventure as a sales rep in the eighth decade of the last century, I carried a briefcase of product lines that included car audio. It was customary to refer to ‘car audio’ as ‘car stereo’. I resisted that convention. I still do. Legitimate stereophonic audio is an unobtainable goal in a car.… Continue reading Adventures in AV-land Part 1
I Am A Salesman
I am a salesman. I am not a sales associate. I am not an agent, broker, consultant, product ambassador, customer advocate, or any other possible pseudonym, alias, stage name, handle, or nom de plume that a human resource department can create. I might accept the term peddler. It projects an old-world image that can induce… Continue reading I Am A Salesman
Not Invented There
The phrase “not invented here” was recently invoked by a friend. He used the expression to criticize the reluctance of many Americans to accept a Western European solution to an American problem. In this case, he cited health care. Is this reluctance rational? Yes, it is. I embrace this reluctance. It’s a grip on the… Continue reading Not Invented There
The Bully
Stories about bullies seem to reappear on a cyclical basis. Local TV news generally pictures a trembling child, partnered with a dialog of half-witted solutions such as, “We just need to improve our communication with the misunderstood bully”. Some even suggest that fault lies with an unjust society and the victim. This was not always… Continue reading The Bully
Ray Davies
My son William took his old man to a Ray Davies concert at the Uptown Theater in Napa, California. That’s Ray Davies as in the Kinks. Any conversation regarding great British bands such as the Stones, the Beatles, the Who, the Faces, should also include the Kinks. I saw the Kinks at the Santa Monica… Continue reading Ray Davies
Where have all my AV friends gone?
“Where have all my AV friends gone? Long time passing. Where have all the customers gone? Long time ago. When will they ever return? When will they return?” Another AV shop has closed their door forever. It was a special place for customers and those who worked there. Together they were members of a cutting-edge… Continue reading Where have all my AV friends gone?
4K BluRay, What?
Sony has released a $249 4K BluRay player. Initially, I was surprised and confused by the news. Then my ‘hype antenna’ got flagged. What is 4K BluRay? Before I address the hype flag, let’s examine the 4K in the player’s description. (Note: K = 1000) The 4K refers to horizontal resolution; the number of pixels… Continue reading 4K BluRay, What?
Mis-mixed Audio Concepts
The following quote is a negative response to my criticism of using active equalization in a high-fidelity audio system. Its from an audio engineer of impressive credentials. His remarks were written in a comment area at HomeTheater.com. He stated, “If audiophiles were able to actually view the results of EQ on legitimate test… Continue reading Mis-mixed Audio Concepts