So now that Valin likes a speaker that you approve of, he's suddenly OK?
alexandre
You may be on to something, there. Don’t be surprised if you go to an audio show and see an older guy and a younger guy hugging.
Joking aside, I’m just trying to focus on, accentuate, and reinforce the positive, while you guys are just trying to rile me up.
I held off despite having such low hanging fruit – Valin including Alon’s picture in the CES write up in the latest issue. Instead, Valin could have used the space to get a picture of some cool looking speaker or provide more paragraphs of coverage for the readers to enjoy. And I am sure the Magico groupies already have their lives full Alon’s pictures all over their phones, posters on walls and doors, and even images stamped on room treatments.
You seem to think that I like Raidho. But that’s not really true. As a personal reality, I have come to the conclusion that I don’t like box speakers that much. I have always steered toward open designs such as Soundlab, Nola, Magnepan, and MBL, etc. It is rare that I enjoy box speakers or other varieties. When I listen to box designs, instead of the music, my mind is wandering. I'm thinking about the system, how things could be different, what else is needed, or I daydream about what has or will happen in my life, who I got to call, what I have to do, etc. That, of course, doesn't mean that they don’t sound real to you…
With the 101 (which is the speaker of my dreams) and other open designs, however, I am able to focus on the music, all other things be damned. I get into a rare state of complete focus, which occurs only when having "intimate relations", playing sports I like and I am good at, or talking to close friends. The 101 speakers get me that similar effect of engaging my whole self and providing sheer enjoyment. So I’m set for at least the next 10 years.
So it’s not that I like Raidho, but Raidho has more diverse reviewer support than Magico. Just like you wouldn’t want to put all your eggs in one basket and trust a single expert with a financial, sports, or political prediction, and you would average the responses to of the experts to get a realistic prediction, you want to average the writings of the reviews to get a realistic sense of a product.
And I don't really like ARC either. Unless it’s in a Nola system, I always thought of ARC as over-hyped and over-marketed. But Carl is a master and makes his Nola system and ARC sound DIVINE. (I’m not using the word divine lightly, and I’m using the word divine as it was used 500 years ago.)
So you misinterpreted by enthusiasm of Valin’s writing. I was actually talking about why the high end audio illusion gives us pleasure. The purpose of the Absolute Sound is to trigger that imaginative process of escapism that valin describes in the quote in my other post ... Just like a paratrooper jumping out of a plane in a military commercial would excite a certain young man or woman, or wearing a costume of a superhero can spark the imagination of a young boy. The pictures of gear and that type of writing about high end audio gives us pleasure and creates yearning for more pleasure, as we project ourselves into that listening session , like the potential recruit projects himself into the paratrooper commercial. This intensifies our desire with improvement as we strive for the “real” feeling. This type of entertainment makes us feel good and takes life from mediocre to great. It may be a fantasy, as the perfect system doesn't exist, but that fantasy makes for a better life.
Coming back to Valin, his excessive cheerleading has cost him and his magazine’s reputation. I just checked out his latest blog. In the comments section, there is a much discussion about his personal dealings as there is about the gear he is writing about. And it’s been like that for the last few years. What a shame.
Yes, Valin can still be an excellent writer. I don’t know too many reviewers that can discuss in audio words that Valin can. And Valin is still capable of writing great reviews, which are an escape from the current, boring, deficient system. But in retrospect, HP should have never hired him.
Imagine if Fremer hired someone to help with Analog Planet. And when Fremer gets sick, this guy goes on to trash analog in favor of digital, constantly and incessantly, for 4 or 5 years. I imagine valin wants to shape people’s taste, but he has failed to get his readers to like “transparency to source speakers”. People’s tastes are too entrenched, having been shaped through years upon years. He may be able to reinforce people’s tastes, but he cannot shape them. He may have an easier time converting hard core heavy metal fans to love Kenny G.
I don’t want to start calling other people’s babies ugly as Valin has done with Nola and Scaena. The reality is that most people acquire the sound they enjoy not from rationalistic arguments or purist manifestos but instead from experiences and associations. According to Valin himself, Magicos are not “absolute sound type speakers”; rather, they are “transparency to source” speakers. I could probably be safe in saying that if lAon brought his speakers to HP’s house, he would throw both him and the speakers into the Long Island Sound. Not that there’s anything wrong with Magico, but because Magico sonic signature just doesn't resonate with HP’s vision. And add to that the fact that most Magicos, especially the Q5, are a lot harder to drive than a YG, Wilson, or Tad, it makes it very difficult to tailor it to one’s taste.
Whereas we can like whatever we want, the absolute sound has a mission. And "transparency to source" gear violates that original mission. Now I understand that this is a business and it’s good to mix things up, but only once in a life. A country rock song is fine on the rock radio station once in a while, but if you turn it into a country and western radio station, listeners will be pissed! And in addition, the unrestrained cheer leading and excessive promotion of something that just doesn't fit the mission. If valin doesn't subscribe to that mission and wants to fantasize about perfect measurements and technology for the sake of technology, he should go. HP couldn't take it and left the magazine he started.
And there are thousands who feel this way. Browse Valin’s latest blog, and there are more posts about his travels, dealings, and personal business than about the speakers he is writing about. A real shame. And despite the uproar, he still publishes that picture of alon.... Being stubborn and being foolishly consistent don't always help one's situation... It may feel good to publish alon’s picture, but what does that add to his legacy?
Coming back to topic, this speaker by the Raidho brand reminds me of a gorgeous bathroom I own by an Italian firm. The pictures and ads were all over design magazines and won multiple awards, and we fell in love with it when we saw it. But those who awarded the prizes never checked the usability. I didn't do enough homework, and as a result I can’t plunge the damn sink, so I have to periodically use lye to clean it out. In the end, Usage is the critical test of a test of product. Usage is where the product stands on its own feet, unsupported by marketing BS, awards by the clueless, or cheerleading. All that matters is how the product performs. The more assertive owners got rid of the bad speakers, while others are stuck.
Gotta go and hear some live music now!
