Women and High End Audio

[puroagave]

to her credit my wife takes up a lot of slack esp. with the kid's activities so that i can have a hobby.

 

[LL21]

Whereas in the rest of society women have frequently surpassed men in recent years, women in high end audio seem to be peddling cables. I think there are at least 3 cable companies run by women. Now I am not a cable denier, but I don't see cables adding more than 10-15% to the system. And when you have reached the top of the mountain in the audio hobby, you are like the guy in the desert who is valuing that glass of water very highly and willing to pay big bucks for it. But only cables? Surely women could do better! Are there women who design amps or speakers?

The only exception I can think of is Manley, who married into the industry and had a chance to learn how the business runs from the ground up.

Does anyone know of any other women who contribute significantly to our hobby?

And why are women so disinterested in our hobby, anyways?

There was an article in Stereophile or one of the journals about this very topic. They interviewed several women in audio incl D'Agostinos wife, co-founder of Transparent Cable, maybe VTL Manleys wife and one other....all of whom are actively in the business from day 1. Many yrs ago.

 

[NorthStar]

Why, because women have more important things to do like taking care of our sorry asses and keeping our heads below 10,000 feet than to worry about audio.

----

There was an article in Stereophile or one of the journals about this very topic. They interviewed several women in audio incl D'Agostinos wife, co-founder of Transparent Cable, maybe VTL Manleys wife and one other....all of whom are actively in the business from day 1. Many yrs ago.

---- Yes, I remember that article (I still have that issue). ...Would you like to have the link from that particular Stereophile's issue on that article? ...That was back in 1998

1. http://www.stereophile.com/news/10171
2. http://www.stereophile.com/news/10173

* http://www.stereophile.com/content/women-audio
* http://www.stereophile.com/content/sisters-sound-karen-sumner
* http://www.stereophile.com/content/why-arent-there-more-women-high-end-audio

P.S. I couldn't locate that full article online; regarding the full interviews of Karen Sumner,
Lori Brown, & EveAnna Manley.
But my Stereophile's issue from back then, with full interviews of these three 'high-end' audio ladies is in my basement, among millions of other audio mags.

 

[ack]

I am actually immensely glad my wife is not into this hobby - she brings a sense of sensibility to our expenses, and that keeps us above water.

 

[NorthStar]

Women who are into music and good sound quality are . . . . some of my best friends.

 

[Bruce B]

I am actually immensely glad my wife is not into this hobby - she brings a sense of sensibility to our expenses, and that keeps us above water.

Mine too..... she's the CFO. If it were up to me, we'd be eating Top Ramen every night!

 

[LL21]

----



---- Yes, I remember that article (I still have that issue). ...Would you like to have the link from that particular Stereophile's issue on that article? ...That was back in 1998

1. http://www.stereophile.com/news/10171
2. http://www.stereophile.com/news/10173

* http://www.stereophile.com/content/women-audio
* http://www.stereophile.com/content/sisters-sound-karen-sumner
* http://www.stereophile.com/content/why-arent-there-more-women-high-end-audio

P.S. I couldn't locate that full article online; regarding the full interviews of Karen Sumner,
Lori Brown, & EveAnna Manley.
But my Stereophile's issue from back then, with full interviews of these three 'high-end' audio ladies is in my basement, among millions of other audio mags.

Good memory!

 

[NorthStar]

-- You got that one right Lloyd; my memory is one of my fortes.

My brain is like a recording machine.

 

[NorthStar]

Mine too..... she's the CFO. If it were up to me, we'd be eating Top Ramen every night!

Bruce, what is Top Ramen?

 

[Bruce B]

Bruce, what is Top Ramen?

Top Ramen

It's a staple of every college student and starving artist!

 

[NorthStar]

Top Ramen

It's a staple of every college student and starving artist!

I eat lots of that stuff myself; 25 cents each when on sale. :b
...With wheat crackers, excellent! ...I buy more music recordings too.

 

[Mike]

-- You got that one right Lloyd; my memory is one of my fortes.

My brain is like a recording machine.

They say that the memory is the first thing to go, then it's the memory.

 

[NorthStar]

What does it mean, Mike?

 

[Mike]

What does it mean, Mike?

I can't remember...

 

[GaryProtein]

I can't remember...

They say as dementia progresses, you forget to zip up, later you forget to unzip, then you lose your friends, lastly you lose your enemies.

 

[NorthStar]

When we'll lose our planet, that'll be the day!

 

[MylesBAstor]

The biggest problem getting women into the industry and why there's not more involved? Without a doubt, reason number one is the attitude and how they're treated by male audiophiles. I've seen so many instances of women being treatedly badly, condescendingly, like they don't exist, etc., that it's not funny. So why should they put up with it?

Someday ask Colleen or Mary Cardas about what they encountered when they worked with their dad's company.

 

[opus111]

Interesting you should mention condescension - that's been a defining characteristic in the world of Hi-Fi since time immemorial, wonderfully satirized here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoPXQ9fotZM

 

[audioguy]

I've seen so many instances of women being treatedly badly, condescendingly, like they don't exist, etc., that it's not funny. So why should they put up with it?

Unfortunately, some men are treated the same way. There still exists those in the high end who spend much of their time looking down on those they deem to be less worthy!

The video in the above post is not far from the truth.

 

[cpp]

I am actually immensely glad my wife is not into this hobby - she brings a sense of sensibility to our expenses, and that keeps us above water.

Just think if more women were involved in audio, we would have a better selection of 'colors' instead of the mainstream black and/or silver.