Introduction, try to head off wrong start
woodguru
Posts: 76
I just wanted to introduce myself with some background and try to head off what feels like a bad start. I am not a dealer now nor am I affiliated with any manufacturers in any way. My time and advice is pretty much something I like to do. I have been liquidating all of my personal equipment here and there as I have time to sell locally and that gets me into long discussions with audiophiles. I'm used to hearing them tell me I need to get back into it and I may at a later date when I have virtually unlimited funds.
My wife is an Avian specialty veterinarian with her own clinics in Sacramento and Placerville. I had an interest in a bird food company (Roudybush) and managed all aspects of that business including US and foreign distribution, marketing, and financial operations. A falling out with my partner found me in the audio industry with it's start mostly in home theater but I got caught up with high end stereo.
The approach I took to audio was to do the purchasing, break-in, and serious comparison work that people don't have the time or money for. I figured this would not only save people tens of thousands of dollars but cut through right to the best products for the money available. This evolved into a serious interest with evolving systems from entry priced audiophile products to where upgrade money is best spent. I had Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) to work with with their comprehensive lines of tube and solid state components and entry, mid, and high end. I could take a $2000 each amp and preamp and easily define whether it made a bigger difference to go from a $300 interconnect to the top $800 one or from the $2k preamp to the $3500 one.
You start talking about what makes a bigger difference in any given system profile and you are square on my turf. I had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cable to try. I was able to call any manufacturer and get them to send me full compliments of every cable they make, I'd get two I/C's and a speaker cable of every grade from entry to ultimate in both bi-wire and shotgun, RCA, and balanced configurations. Some companies were sending well over $100k worth of wire to me. (That's like christmas all year long
)
I don't argue with people about specific cables and how they work with any given system's synergy, but what works in one usually isn't going to be universal. The exception to that is that a truly neutral cable works in any system whether it's tube or solid state based. A large part of what I got into was in home demonstrations of cable with guys who had systems from $20k to hundreds of thousands of dollars. I never had any single situation where neutral cable didn't dramatically transform any system, it's that foolproof.
So anyway even though I am out of the business of selling equipment I love talking to and recommending products to try to people who are rather daunted by a vast array of cable.
I am writing books right now and want to write one on system synergy from a logical approach about how the system works one stage at a time from component to component with attention to how and why each I/C and cable is important and what it does. That logic makes it way easier for people to better understand where to prioritize upgrades because it becomes so logical.
Before I can get serious about writing my wife and I are developing several veterinary products that will need to go through FDA approval, one has been started and should be finished with the application and licensing this year. This should give me the financial freedom to write the several books I have outlined.
Three years ago I liquidated out of my audio business, Holy Grail Audio. I had accrued about 1200 feedbacks on ebay selling wire, speakers, and other components. The approach I took was to write very lengthy explanations about wire and it's function in the system, I called them cable 101, 103, and 105 as the auctions went up in caliber. Sales averaged about $25k a month in wire alone, my biggest month was $165k. The approach I took was to get a customer to try a low cost but excellent entry cable, and get them to jump up to mid grade to establish a baseline for us to communicate well on how much improvement could be expected with different things.
I am hoping I don't get sceptical people jumping to the conclusion that I don't know what I'm talking about to where nothing I say at that point means anything with. I find that that is exactly what happens in political circles. I was on a gun chat site and there was a hot debate about what gun was best. In order to know more what I was talking about I bought 17 rifles from $600 to about $1500, and bought an array of scopes that cost another $8000so as to eliminate marginal optics from the equation. Obviously this was going to establish some credibility strengths that made observations.
That was overcome by some dimwit calling me a liar when I said my Audi S8 would do almost 190 mph and I had done it on a rural road in such a way that it was witnessed and verified when I passed a sheriff at 160 and cranked it up to 195 mph from there. Because it had been established by the republican contingent (gun nuts/republicans) that I was a liar that proved everything I said had to be a lie (it's a very interesting thought process to be sure).
The argument over whether that car would do 190 got so furious that the subject was banned from the site (go figure with a patriotic constitutional rights advocating bunch like that) and I was banned. Several of the people supporting my positions got banned as well. I believe it had to do with the fact that opinionated people that have taken supposedly learned positions on things with which they don't know jack about absolutely hate to be proved wrong.
I have done very well with audiophiles across the board with the exception of those who are convinced a power cord makes no difference (the old lampcord theory in motion).
Hopefully people will over time take some recommendations I suggest and be pretty amazed, that will start to speak for itself.
I have a set of a military created wire that is shielded so well it was made to withstand Nuclear blast EMP without adulteration. It is better than Nordost Valhalla (as transparent but dead neutral which Valhalla is not). I was thinking the reliable people on here would get a kick out of sending a set of that cable around to members to see what a Valhalla category cable sounds like in your system. As long as I get it back after it's made the rounds I can do that. The wire cost the military over $200 a foot and that does not take into account the staggering cost of development.
Anyway don't let my attitude when I'm on topics I know what I'm talking about put you off. There are a lot of things I look to you guys for in regards to Polk speakers which I know almost nothing about except that which I learned having the SDA 2.3TL's, which are a screaming phenomenally good deal for their available price.
Get to know me and a lot of you will find me very helpful and entertaining.
My wife is an Avian specialty veterinarian with her own clinics in Sacramento and Placerville. I had an interest in a bird food company (Roudybush) and managed all aspects of that business including US and foreign distribution, marketing, and financial operations. A falling out with my partner found me in the audio industry with it's start mostly in home theater but I got caught up with high end stereo.
The approach I took to audio was to do the purchasing, break-in, and serious comparison work that people don't have the time or money for. I figured this would not only save people tens of thousands of dollars but cut through right to the best products for the money available. This evolved into a serious interest with evolving systems from entry priced audiophile products to where upgrade money is best spent. I had Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) to work with with their comprehensive lines of tube and solid state components and entry, mid, and high end. I could take a $2000 each amp and preamp and easily define whether it made a bigger difference to go from a $300 interconnect to the top $800 one or from the $2k preamp to the $3500 one.
You start talking about what makes a bigger difference in any given system profile and you are square on my turf. I had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cable to try. I was able to call any manufacturer and get them to send me full compliments of every cable they make, I'd get two I/C's and a speaker cable of every grade from entry to ultimate in both bi-wire and shotgun, RCA, and balanced configurations. Some companies were sending well over $100k worth of wire to me. (That's like christmas all year long
)I don't argue with people about specific cables and how they work with any given system's synergy, but what works in one usually isn't going to be universal. The exception to that is that a truly neutral cable works in any system whether it's tube or solid state based. A large part of what I got into was in home demonstrations of cable with guys who had systems from $20k to hundreds of thousands of dollars. I never had any single situation where neutral cable didn't dramatically transform any system, it's that foolproof.
So anyway even though I am out of the business of selling equipment I love talking to and recommending products to try to people who are rather daunted by a vast array of cable.
I am writing books right now and want to write one on system synergy from a logical approach about how the system works one stage at a time from component to component with attention to how and why each I/C and cable is important and what it does. That logic makes it way easier for people to better understand where to prioritize upgrades because it becomes so logical.
Before I can get serious about writing my wife and I are developing several veterinary products that will need to go through FDA approval, one has been started and should be finished with the application and licensing this year. This should give me the financial freedom to write the several books I have outlined.
Three years ago I liquidated out of my audio business, Holy Grail Audio. I had accrued about 1200 feedbacks on ebay selling wire, speakers, and other components. The approach I took was to write very lengthy explanations about wire and it's function in the system, I called them cable 101, 103, and 105 as the auctions went up in caliber. Sales averaged about $25k a month in wire alone, my biggest month was $165k. The approach I took was to get a customer to try a low cost but excellent entry cable, and get them to jump up to mid grade to establish a baseline for us to communicate well on how much improvement could be expected with different things.
I am hoping I don't get sceptical people jumping to the conclusion that I don't know what I'm talking about to where nothing I say at that point means anything with. I find that that is exactly what happens in political circles. I was on a gun chat site and there was a hot debate about what gun was best. In order to know more what I was talking about I bought 17 rifles from $600 to about $1500, and bought an array of scopes that cost another $8000so as to eliminate marginal optics from the equation. Obviously this was going to establish some credibility strengths that made observations.
That was overcome by some dimwit calling me a liar when I said my Audi S8 would do almost 190 mph and I had done it on a rural road in such a way that it was witnessed and verified when I passed a sheriff at 160 and cranked it up to 195 mph from there. Because it had been established by the republican contingent (gun nuts/republicans) that I was a liar that proved everything I said had to be a lie (it's a very interesting thought process to be sure).
The argument over whether that car would do 190 got so furious that the subject was banned from the site (go figure with a patriotic constitutional rights advocating bunch like that) and I was banned. Several of the people supporting my positions got banned as well. I believe it had to do with the fact that opinionated people that have taken supposedly learned positions on things with which they don't know jack about absolutely hate to be proved wrong.
I have done very well with audiophiles across the board with the exception of those who are convinced a power cord makes no difference (the old lampcord theory in motion).
Hopefully people will over time take some recommendations I suggest and be pretty amazed, that will start to speak for itself.
I have a set of a military created wire that is shielded so well it was made to withstand Nuclear blast EMP without adulteration. It is better than Nordost Valhalla (as transparent but dead neutral which Valhalla is not). I was thinking the reliable people on here would get a kick out of sending a set of that cable around to members to see what a Valhalla category cable sounds like in your system. As long as I get it back after it's made the rounds I can do that. The wire cost the military over $200 a foot and that does not take into account the staggering cost of development.
Anyway don't let my attitude when I'm on topics I know what I'm talking about put you off. There are a lot of things I look to you guys for in regards to Polk speakers which I know almost nothing about except that which I learned having the SDA 2.3TL's, which are a screaming phenomenally good deal for their available price.
Get to know me and a lot of you will find me very helpful and entertaining.
You aren't done with wire and ready for upgrades and other tweaks until you are totally done with wire.
Keith 2006
Keith 2006
Post edited by woodguru on
Comments
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Can I have your autograph? :rolleyes:
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This all makes sense now for the most part.
PS: Stay away from the "republican" and other such words here. Threads that turn political are swiftly closed, and posters are treated like big taboos. That's what turned the other thread ugly, not necessarily your views on cable.
Most of us "believe" in cable here.
I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.
Living Room: B&K Reference 5 S2 / Parasound HCA-1000A / Emotiva XDA-2 / Pioneer BDP-51FD / Paradigm 11se MKiii
Desk: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / ISK HD9999
Office: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / Dynaco SCA-80Q / Paradigm Legend V.3
HT: Denon AVR-X3400H / Sony UBP-X700 / RT16 / CS350LS / RT7 / SVS PB1000 -
I had a fish taco today. It wasn't very good.- Jeremy
Amps: Jolida FX-10, NAD 3045, NAD C320BEE, Sansui G-9700
Speakers: Polk Monitor 7A's, KEF Reference 104aB
Sources: ProJect Debut Carbon, Sonos streaming FLAC -
Get to know me and a lot of you will find me very helpful and entertaining.
Or not._________________________________________________
***\\\\\........................... My Audio Journey ............................./////***
2008 & 2010 Football Pool WINNER
SOPAThank God for different opinions. Imagine the world if we all wanted the same woman -
I had a fish taco today. It wasn't very good.
"Fish" and "taco" are two words that my brain just doesn't like to put together in a sentence.
Draw your own conclusions from there.I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.
Living Room: B&K Reference 5 S2 / Parasound HCA-1000A / Emotiva XDA-2 / Pioneer BDP-51FD / Paradigm 11se MKiii
Desk: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / ISK HD9999
Office: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / Dynaco SCA-80Q / Paradigm Legend V.3
HT: Denon AVR-X3400H / Sony UBP-X700 / RT16 / CS350LS / RT7 / SVS PB1000 -
concealer404 wrote: »"Fish" and "taco" are two words that my brain just doesn't like to put together in a sentence.
Draw your own conclusions from there.
:eek:
- Jeremy
Amps: Jolida FX-10, NAD 3045, NAD C320BEE, Sansui G-9700
Speakers: Polk Monitor 7A's, KEF Reference 104aB
Sources: ProJect Debut Carbon, Sonos streaming FLAC -
concealer404 wrote: »This all makes sense now for the most part.
PS: Stay away from the "republican" and other such words here. Threads that turn political are swiftly closed, and posters are treated like big taboos. That's what turned the other thread ugly, not necessarily your views on cable.
Most of us "believe" in cable here.
+1938342432432243243243247378988899888
Cable threads are known to bring debate, and drama, and I really don't have enough popcorn to watch it all again....
Political words are like fighting words around here these parts, lots of people don't like them and leads ya into trouble... -
concealer404 wrote: »"Fish" and "taco" are two words that my brain just doesn't like to put together in a sentence.
Draw your own conclusions from there.
ummmmm huhhhhhh, errrrr ahhhhhh..... I don't get it....;) -
LoManac, buddy, is that you?
To summarize, you play with your cable while your wife examines birds all day. Makes ya wonder where the name "woodguru" came from?
Seriously dude, tone it down. You're not the only one that knows alot of stuff and you're not the only one here that plays with high dollar equipment or that has an opinion on cables. You can stay and play but if your ego gets out of control and you don't check it before you feel the need to make posts like this, you're gonna have a less than desirable existence here.
Welcome to Club Polk. See RuSsMaN for your tinfoil hat and F1nut has the bendy drinking straws so people don't poke themselves in the eye. Stay away from the doro guy, he's a weirdo and that sound in the bushes is just lightman relieving himself. He has a small bladder.Expert Moron Extraordinaire
You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you! -
Sorry, but you come off as a condescending, crusty, "I know more than everyone else", name dropping elitist. It's in your writing style and I'm afraid it's not going to go over very well here.
When you throw things around like $$$ amonts and expensive cars and dropping names, and then opening with the most contraversial issue here on CP or in audio circle; CABLES etc. It comes off poorly since you are so new here. And I am highly suspicious of your motives and truly wanting to fit in.
Good luck with your stay here, I predict it will be short and I will be ignoring most of what you write since I don;t believe your motives or approach are sincere. And while you think you will be enlightening us peons with your vast amount of experience with ultra high dollar components, cables, etc.............in the end it's just another person's opinion and so far my opinion doesn't agree with your opinion.
and I don;t give a rats behind about your opinions.
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
So....
Guns, politics and cable debates :rolleyes::rolleyes:
Yeah, your motives are pure. To the IL you now go.
H9
P.s. Why not add a little religious fodder as well........you missed that one."Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
Sorry, but you come off as a condescending, crusty, "I know more than everyone else", name dropping elitist. It's in your writing style and I'm afraid it's not going to go over very well here.
When you throw things around like $$$ amonts and expensive cars and dropping names, and then opening with the most contraversial issue here on CP or in audio circle; CABLES etc. It comes off poorly since you are so new here. And I am highly suspicious of your motives and truly wanting to fit in.
Good luck with your stay here, I predict it will be short and I will be ignoring most of what you write since I don;t believe your motives or approach are sincere. And while you think you will be enlightening us peons with your vast amount of experience with ultra high dollar components, cables, etc.............in the end it's just another person's opinion and so far my opinion doesn't agree with your opinion.
and I don;t give a rats behind about your opinions.
H9
I was trying to keep a really open mind, then I decided to write a paragraph or two, then I realized h9 had already done it for me. VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
NAD SS rigs w/mods
GIK panels -
Do fish tacos REALLY suck, or was mine just bad? I love fish, and I love tacos; I need to make this work...- Jeremy
Amps: Jolida FX-10, NAD 3045, NAD C320BEE, Sansui G-9700
Speakers: Polk Monitor 7A's, KEF Reference 104aB
Sources: ProJect Debut Carbon, Sonos streaming FLAC -
Do fish tacos REALLY suck, or was mine just bad? I love fish, and I love tacos; I need to make this work...
Woodguru should know............he knows everything. Wait, how expensive were your fish taco's? If they weren;t top of the line from the finest restaurant..........then he probably won't know.
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
Thank God I bought Orville Reddenbacher.The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
Just curious here more than anything else, Do you read your own posts after you are finished? If so you would know you are missing a couple of key elements to making friends here. First off there is no need to Categorize all republicans as bad or are argumentive nor democrats or any other group of people.
Secondly we have no need to know nor do we care about your whole life, especially if the main goal is to brag about your past present and future ventures, what your wife does, what kind of car you drive or how fast it goes nor do we need to be taught that cables make a difference.
If you want to establish yourself here as a member perhaps start by answering questions posed by newbies, Purchase a few items in the FM area so people can see your trustworthy and responsibile, put up a Karma or two, sponsor a get together in your area with other Polkies etc.
Dont give the impression in your first 50 posts here that feel you are this guy.
REGARDS SNOWWell, I just pulled off the impossible by doing a double-blind comparison all by myself, purely by virtue of the fact that I completely and stupidly forgot what I did last. I guess that getting old does have its advantages after all -
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Who is that?2 Channel/HT:
Sony SS-M9 P's (ES version)
Sony SS-M1CN Center Channel
Polk RT800 Surround Speakers
Odyssey Stratos Dual Mono Amplifiers
TAD 150 Signature Tube Preamp
Harman Kardon HK354
Sony SACD Player -
Thats the most interesting man in the world..
-
He doesn't always drink beer. But when he does, he drinks Dos Equis.Expert Moron Extraordinaire
You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you! -
Well, I just pulled off the impossible by doing a double-blind comparison all by myself, purely by virtue of the fact that I completely and stupidly forgot what I did last. I guess that getting old does have its advantages after all
-
Do fish tacos REALLY suck, or was mine just bad? I love fish, and I love tacos; I need to make this work...
MAHI or Halibut fish tacos kick **** if prepared correctly.. dont give up. -
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Who is that?
Quite literally, Jonathan Goldsmith.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_GoldsmithExpert Moron Extraordinaire
You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you! -
He once had an awkward moment...just to see how it feels.Expert Moron Extraordinaire
You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you! -
He can speak French...in Russian.Expert Moron Extraordinaire
You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you! -
His charm is so contagious, vaccines have been created for it.Expert Moron Extraordinaire
You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you! -
If he were to punch you in the face, you would have to fight the urge to thank him.Expert Moron Extraordinaire
You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you! -
Stay thirsty, my friends.Expert Moron Extraordinaire
You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you! -
I don't know what I'm talking about
Honesty is the best policy, even if it is taken out of context. Vinyl, the final frontier...
Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... -
His motto is “safety third”.
-
I dont have to listen to music through speakers, but when I do it has to be Dos Polkies.
emotiva xpa-2
emotiva xpa-3
Denon 3312ci
Rtia9 /csia6 / FXi A6
Samsung LN46A650
SVS PB-12-NSD sub
Audio Research SP-9 MKIII (GNSC mods)
W4S ST250
Lsi 9 (mods)
W4S DAC-2
Mac Mini
Audio Aero Prima CD player
Pro-Ject debut
