Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site moncol.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!ihnp4!pesnta!moncol!ben From: ben@moncol.UUCP (Bennett Broder) Newsgroups: net.audio Subject: Re: Looking for medium expensive speakers Message-ID: <409@moncol.UUCP> Date: Tue, 2-Jul-85 12:42:55 EDT Article-I.D.: moncol.409 Posted: Tue Jul 2 12:42:55 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 4-Jul-85 00:29:07 EDT References: <11353@brl-tgr.ARPA>, <3938@alice.UUCP> Organization: Monmouth College, West Long Branch, NJ 07764 Lines: 41 >There is only one way to decide what speakers to buy, >and that is to decide. Don't let anyone else decide >for you. If a dealer makes claims about speakers that >you can't verify with your own ears, it doesn't matter >whether or not the claims are valid. > >Remember, you are the one who will have to live with them. I don't think this is terribly good advice. Remember how good you thought your old speakers sounded when you bought them? Notice how over time they sound less and less good until one day, you realize that a new pair is in order? Well, this phenomena is not caused by a degradation in your old speakers, it happens because your ears become more trained: they hear problems with the sound that they once overlooked. I would *definitely* not take a dealers word as gospel. He has a vested interest in selling you a particular brand of equipment, and though he is useful in that he can point out the strong points of the products he represents, he is highly unlikely to provide an unbiased opinion. This is where equipment reviews and the advice of experienced professionals comes in. The experts have tools to measure and the years of listening experience to judge whether a particular item is clean and accurate, or whether it just has colorations that you find pleasant. In the latter case, you may be buying a piece of equipment that you will tire of very quickly. I believe the best way to go shopping for audio gear (particularly if you are new to the high fidelity scene), is with a batch of reviews under one arm, a bunch of your favorite records and CDs under the other, and with an experienced friend to help sort it all out. In the final analysis, your ears *are* the best tool you have to evalutate equipment. But, take off the blinders, learn why you like or dislike what you hear; try to make an informed, intelligent decision. Ben Broder ..ihnp4!princeton!moncol!ben ..vax135!petsd!moncol!ben