Polkfest '05 pictures

exalted512

audiobliss wrote:

Duh!! You're huge!! LOL

hes got a point
-Cody

ND13

Man, all this just because Dave and I hooked up Bill with a decent 2-channel starter rig :rolleyes:

He'd prbably do the same for a member that wanted to start a decent car rig, too. It was a pleasure to meet Bill, along with John, Mac, and everyone else.
This **** is **** childish.

beardog03

MacLeod wrote:

Yo bear! I thought your old lady was tagging along. Hell I thought there were going to be several wives there. My poor wife was bored to tears which means next trip we have to go where she wants to!

Ya,she was ...but she didn`t want to be the only one there...
She knew she would be bored to tears also, so she bowed out at the last minute....

Take the wife where she wants to go and make it special..
It was really cool that she went and suppoted your hobby/passion

She was real nice...we didn`t talk much, but she seemed to be interested in what was going on..

Tell her beardog say`s hi...

I also am very happy for Bill..
He got a great start on a fantastic system..
I could tell he was really jazzed
It `s cool to see that kind of inner excitement in someone that gets to check out something that makes them that happy..

good on ya Bill...
I hope all works out for ya in the future, be it Ha, CA, both , or nothing...your a great guy....
I enjoyed meeting you..

hoosier21

ND13 wrote:

This **** is f*cking childish.

Oh stay tuned, it will only get worse.

Polk65

Hi. I am a vintage Polk Audio HA guy and this is my first CA post. This seems as appropriate of a place to start since this thread is on topic with what I would like to share.

Fellas, I can feel your pain that more did not get the chance to be there. However, Matt Polk told us in the conference room that he was thrilled to see all of us. Matt was pretty choked up about us coming from all parts of the country to see him and Polk Audio. He said that he would like to do this again next year or maybe in 2007.

Being new to CA I obviously did not know what I was missing with Josh and Thom being out of town in Atlanta? for a car show. The few times I have poked around reading the CA posts here tell me that these guys are highly respected.

Here is what a HA but CA virgin (me) thought of this Polkfest.

When I heard that "Polk" Paul would not be attending the gathering at Mark's house on Saturday I was saddened. However, I was instantly impressed when he told me in the Polk Audio parking lot (of all places) that he was flying down to the CA show on Saturday.

I had several audio questions on my mind (which were all answered) and I had set one goal while attending this Polkfest. Not being much into CA I wanted to learn something about it at Polkfest. After the CA demo and listening to the SR6500's I had met my goal. I'm saving up for a pair since they have the sound I like to hear in speakers.

Polk Audio has a mind boggling collection of CA trophies that I was happy to see on display right next to the hand made speakers that got Polk Audio started.

Ken Swauger told me some of the history of those red truck doors hanging near the ceiling. The truck was named Polk-a-saurus and had attended several Polk employee's weddings where it played music for all the guests.

Aaron, it was big of you to make up your mind about attending this not knowing if you would have a job on Monday. It was great to meet you and your wife. You are to be respected along with ND13 and Mazeroth who drove all through the night.

Steve

MacLeod

I wouldnt have missed this for the world. Job or not! Once in a lifetime chances are, well, once in a lifetime!

This was my wife and mine's anniversary (the 18th) so I knew Id be in the doghouse for a long time so Saturday I decided to not go to Marks crib cause I knew shed be miserable being the only chick there so we drove down to D.C. and spent the day sightseeing. So it worked out well. I got to have a blast at Polk HQ AND do something cozy with the wife for the anniversary so Im not in trouble!

Polk65

Congrats!

Tell the Missus that she really "fit in". You are a great looking couple.

Jstas

Wow. It's really neat how my words can get so twisted when they are plainly written on the forum.

I did not say that the "CA guys" were ignored at Polk Fest. I said I was ignored and it was already stated by one member so far that it was intentional.

With that said, I DID hang around the big tent. I DID say hi to those who happened to speak to me. I DID speak to all the Polk people. I DID participate to the fullest. I was being paged incessantly by work all day long. I was also being called on my cellphone. There were several times where I had to step away from the group to handle business. My friend was usually with me because he works with me and I needed him to answer questions at times. I know why I was ignored and I think it's pathetic. I'm not looking for apologies or individual explanations and I don't need to be patronized.

I also understand that the tuner incident was a mistake. However, given the way I was treated by the general club population, I returned to my spot in the conference room. I had placed my shirt and my passive radiators on top of my tuner and left them neatly stacked. When I returned, my shirt was draped over a chair and my passive radiators were sitting on the desktop, one face down and my tuner was gone. What does that look like to someone who was getting dirty looks and condenscending head nods from the other club members all day long? Whether it was a mistake or not, when I saw it, all I could think was how sad it was that it seemed that someone else decided that I was not permitted to participate over petty ****. Sad, guys, real sad. I could have lost it and I could have gone ape **** pointing fingers and causing a ruckus but all I did was realize what kind of people I was dealing with and sat down and just let it go. It's just a tuner and I can live without it. I was just thankful that no one stepped so low as to screw with my gear. I was happy to find out that it was a mistake but still disheartened to realize that the current company, Polk Audio employees excluded, that I was with had such a low opinion of a person they never met for me to think that they would be capable of such behavior.

As far as hanging out in the parking lot, yeah, I was. I was in the parking lot because I needed Paul DiComo to ID a set of Polk Audio speakers for me and see if he had a model number for them. It was something I approached him about a year or so ago on the forums and he could not remember the speakers I was speaking of. So I asked him to stop by so I could show him. I also had a few requests to see my truck and listen to the stereo. Both of which were not near the tent. The times that I did go near the tent, barely anyone spoke with me aside from Noel, Mazeroth and Bill.

I wasn't the one that didn't make an effort. I certainly wasn't going to force myself on others and act like nothing happened. I'm not making excuses for anything I've posted here and I am not handing out apologies for my own thoughts and opinions. I am entitled to them and other if eople are upset by them then they could at least try to see where I am coming from instead of holding grudges, misinterpreting statements and letting impersonal words on a forum affect thier lives so greatly.

I met my goals of seeing Polk HQ, meeting Matt Polk, Al Ballard and Paul DiCiomo and I also got my PR's signed. Met a few friends and basically had a great time despite the adversity presented to me in the passive-aggressive cold-shoulder treatment.

Please, stop thinking that I am bashing the Polk HQ tours and the effort put forth by Doro and Polk Audio the company and people. I am eternally greatful to have the chance to participate in such an event. I enjoyed myself immensly. It's certainly not a once-in-a-lifetime deal but it is rare enough that if I missed it this time, I would have been dissappointed in myself to let people who affect my life so minisculy to affect my life so greatly to miss out on such an experience. I did not notice any other "CA guy" getting the silent treatment. I did not notice any other animosity toward people in general. The only place I see it is here on the forums and that is the only place I ever said it existed through the population here as a whole. My personal experiences are unrelated. Please, understand that and stop posting long messages trying to show me the way. I see the way, clearly and definitivly. I was only commenting on what seems to be an overwhelming theme that causes dissent among forum members on the forums and affects how they participate in the gatherings.

The only message I ever tried to convey was that the areas should be seperated into car audio and home audio. However, there are real people on both sides. Everyone should be more conscientious and considerate of that when discussing things and drawing that line in the sand by telling people that they are "converting" people to the "HA side" or "CA side". It's something that causes a rift in the membership that may not be apparent to others but it's there. I have seen it and I have spoken to many people who have been on the "CA side" and fear posting anywhere else but the "CA side" so that they don't get attacked by a pack of wolves and "run off".

Please, stop this posting about things I didn't say. This was supposed to be about pictures and Polkfest and it's turned in to something that is decidedly not pictures and Polkfest. I'm sorry I ever mentioned anything.

swerve

Good pictures MacLeod.

Hopefully I can make it to the next one..

spwuinmk67

Guys, please let's not kill a great weekend.

Dave and Noel, thanks a million, it sounds awesome. Listening to some 311 right now, which is also cause Jesse took me, Dave, and Troy to the used record.cd store.

Aaron, it's a shame you left so fast. I wanted to hear your truck. Those SR's sounded f-in sweet on that board though, and I heard plenty of comments from Mark and the others in my group after A-b'in the SR's and the Q's. It's all good though, just a little more money for the next car right?

It was awesome to meet everyone and try to put faces to names. Unfortunatly, I'm horrible at remembering. It was cool to meet some of the HA guys, as well as the 12v guys that showed. I would like to that you guys though, for making me the only 12v guy at Marks!

audiobliss

spwuinmk67 wrote:

I would like to that you guys though, for making me the only 12v guy at Marks!

Hahaha...oh well...

MacLeod

spwuinmk67 wrote:

Guys, please let's not kill a great weekend.

Dave and Noel, thanks a million, it sounds awesome. Listening to some 311 right now, which is also cause Jesse took me, Dave, and Troy to the used record.cd store.

Aaron, it's a shame you left so fast. I wanted to hear your truck. Those SR's sounded f-in sweet on that board though, and I heard plenty of comments from Mark and the others in my group after A-b'in the SR's and the Q's. It's all good though, just a little more money for the next car right?

It was awesome to meet everyone and try to put faces to names. Unfortunatly, I'm horrible at remembering. It was cool to meet some of the HA guys, as well as the 12v guys that showed. I would like to that you guys though, for making me the only 12v guy at Marks!

Yeah I hate that I didnt get to hang out longer. Me and the wife went outside to put our stuff in the truck and get my knife back from the thieving Neo and then noticed everybody walking out. Also knowing the place was closing down for business we decided to cruise. I also thought I would be at Marks the next day but after an evening of evil looks and pondering sleeping on the couch for the next year I decided to dedicate Saturday to wife duty!

Actually Im glad nobody got to listen to my rig cause at the time it sounded like ****! Shew! Ive since retuned everything from scratch and its coming around much better this time. Hearing those SR's on the board properly set up and the inwall speakers really woke me up to what these things should sound like (although neither had a 40 acre windshield nearby) and Im making it my goal in life to get them as close as possible to that.

spwuinmk67

Mark's was cool. Lot of hangin out and just relaxing, listening to music on different rigs, and eating. The one room was an all tube set-up, sounded sweet. Listened to the monitor 10's, lsi7's, some ohm walsh's, and some other polks I believe in there. The soundbar downstairs had me thinking it was his full set-up at first. There was a lot comin out of that little thing.

TroyD

Bill,

First, it was a pleasure meeting you and I appreciate you humoring me with what I'm sure were rudimentary questions. If you PM me your mailing addy, I've got a couple of goodies that I'd like to send to you to further you in your HS (home stereo) pursuit.

Second,

Stas, I ignored you simply because, well, my mother said if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Period. Why spoil a perfectly nice outing? Those that don't get along could EASILY avoid each other. I'm honestly glad that you had a great time. Just because we may not get along, I don't feel that you should, in any way, enjoy what Polk has to offer any less than anyone else.

There is no "side" here. It is all one forum but so many people refuse to see it that way and discount the entire CA realm of Polk Audio and Club Polk because they think they know but they really don't.

I, for one, know nothing about car audio. Why? I average about 12 miles a day in my vehicle. It's not something that I really care about. Does that in any way infer that I think it's a 'lesser' pursuit? Of course not. There are LOTS of things that I don't care about. Tools, for example. I don't need tools that often so I don't buy Snap-On or whatever. Cheapies work for me. Does it mean that I think Snap-On is a waste of money? Of course not.

If you step away from it all and take a look at the interactions here, you can see how a new guy with no knowledge of teh personalities and cliques here would feel incredibly intimidated by this group of people.

And yet we continue to get new folks posting and getting involved, without incident genereally, every day. Simply amazing.

I noticed that quite a few people felt quite awkward when they saw me and there were looks of consternation and discomfort on faces everywhere I turned

No, not akward at all. A lot of people just don't like you and choose not to go out of thier way to create a scene of any sort.

It was kind of icing on teh cake though when I came back from the demo tour and someone had taken the XM tuner that my PRs were placed on. It was intentional and I was disheartened to see that someone had done such a thing and no one but the Polk people seemed to care.

The fact is, no one STOLE anything. One of the Polk employees mistakenly picked it up (there was nothing on top of it, according to him) and put it back in the stack. That's what happened. None of us meanies were conspiring to deny John of anything. Had it been the shoe on the other foot, I'd think that it was an honest mistake before jumping to conclusions.

Anyway, I'd like to think that all of us Polk nuts are welcome on either side and to be honest, I don't see why they wouldn't be. None of the gang, on the HS side, that I know of, look down on the car audio side and vice versa. Now, as far as good natured needling goes, that happens. Have a sense of humor. Poke fun back. It's a fun hobby. If it isn't, find a hobby that is.

Mac, Bill et al.....it was a sincere pleasure meeting you guys.....who knows, when my one speaker in my truck finally gives out, maybe I'll find out what I've been missing. Maybe I'll replace the stock radio/cassette deck too!

BDT

Toxis

Sides? Cliche's? wow... is this high school all over again?

I can honestly say I'm not part of any side. I don't talk to anyone from here off the site, I have equal respect for home and car audio, and I don't really get a whole lot of PM's or emails asking me questions. Guess I'm the loner... hahaha

MacLeod

TroyD wrote:

Anyway, I'd like to think that all of us Polk nuts are welcome on either side and to be honest, I don't see why they wouldn't be. None of the gang, on the HS side, that I know of, look down on the car audio side and vice versa. Now, as far as good natured needling goes, that happens. Have a sense of humor. Poke fun back. It's a fun hobby. If it isn't, find a hobby that is.

Well said. I couldnt agree more.

In the end, we're all audio nuts, we just prefer different venues, for lack of a better word, and we're all in it for enjoyment.

danger boy

MacLeod wrote:

Well said. I couldnt agree more.

In the end, we're all audio nuts, we just prefer different venues, for lack of a better word, and we're all in it for enjoyment.

I'm just here for the chicks. :rolleyes:

F1nut

Well, well, well........Hoosier hit the nail on the head. Read that line twice John, it's "THE" not teh. Anyway, you didn't talk to me, I didn't talk to you. I was perfectly happy with that arrangement because I don't like you. As for the separation of CA and HA, I didn't see any of that. The "CA" guys I met, Aaron, Bill and Noah were great, I'm damn glad to have meet them and look forward to meeting them again. You go on being your paranoid self John, seems to suit you.

I give a lot of credit to Bill for hopping in my van with Troy and Dave, not knowing any of us, tolerating a trip to Record and Tape Traders in Towson to shop for vinyl, then going out to dinner at the Akbar Indian restaurant, never having had Indian before and then crashing on my sofa, not knowing where the hell he was. Bill is a great guy (sure sleeps a lot...lol) and welcome in my home any time. He also got his first SDA experience on the modded CRS+'s, sure seemed to enjoy that. I also got to hear his truck rig and I enjoyed that very much.

Bill, PM me your address info and I'll send you those Polk emblems for the 10's.

PoweredByDodge

... I grenaded the 727 - and blew a set of valves out.

I'm half leaning toward scrapping it - half wanting to rebuild.

Push rods got stuck again. Even 0.01" error in drilling is unacceptable.

Tranny grenaded when linkage went to hell, motor revved wildly and it kicked in reverse. Bands blew it out.

So that's where the f*** I've been.

I'm taking some time off school and going to see what I can do with it.

Truck is dead in the water. 16 grand down the pisser.

jdhdiggs

I don't know, I was going to make the effort but the crack about engineers pretty much let me know he has the same personality in person as online.

That being said, it was great meeting a lot of the car audio guys. I had met most of the HA before, so I tried to meet a good chunk of the CA folks. Not one of them seemed "immature" or "obnoxious". In fact, if there is a PF in B'more again, I'd open some spare rooms in my home for them. Cheers!

Anyway, I'm out of this, have fun all. BEER TIME!!!

Jstas

Crack about engineers? What the hell are you talking about?

faster100

Ive had my fair share of disagreements with members but i would have loved to be able to make it. I talked about it all weekend to my wife. I'm sure everyone would have been cool in person, I think But john has stirred the pot around here with some guys lately and in the past and made it personal.. hence why he might have gotten ignored.. CA and HA are IMO 2 different types of people (sometimes) and if they all don't mesh together that's completely normal..

oh well wish i woulda been there, so i coulda atleast been ignored.. LOL and not home wishing i was there,

W WALDECKER

ND13 wrote:

Man, all this just because Dave and I hooked up Bill with a decent 2-channel starter rig :rolleyes:

He'd prbably do the same for a member that wanted to start a decent car rig, too. It was a pleasure to meet Bill, along with John, Mac, and everyone else.
This **** is **** childish.

i agree! what do you think ND13 ? is this FIGHT CLUB POLK ? it sounds to me like some little boys were never taught any manners or like in the story of Peter Pan never grew up!

beardog03

Man, that was one of the highlights, IMO...
seeing Bill get a great start on a new rig...and seeing the excitement on his face...

priceless..

How`s the new rig comming along Bill ?
Gotta be diggin it, I`m sure...

PolkThug

Wish I could have went, but I was forced to go to Cabo San Lucas for my one year wedding anniversary.

beardog03

PolkThug wrote:

Wish I could have went, but I was forced to go to Cabo San Lucas for my one year wedding anniversary.

must have been rough on ya ... :rolleyes:

congrats on the anniversary though..

MacLeod

I had that look too.

Id never heard a high end home audio system and the inwall speakers just blew me away and then I was further awestruck by the SRT's.

In cars you have so much glass, hard plastic, wind noise and improper seating positions that its difficult to get pure, unpolluted sound quality but hearing those properly powered, awesome speakers was extremely eye opening to say the least.

One thing tho, its put me on a quest to make my beloved SR's sound as close as possible to those demos!

beardog03

Go Mac , Go..!!

Soon you`ll be like me....I have to do both CA and HT/2ch..!!!

I have to have good music in all phases of my life to keep me sane...





and off the six o`clock news..!!

spwuinmk67

The new set-up is awesome. I definatly find myself listening to more music at home. My dad loves it cause he can use it when he watches his movies, and my brother cause he listens to his video games through it. It's an all around hit. Next step though, after repairing my f-ing truck, is to get some at least half-way decent RCA's and speaker wire, and to convince my dad to let me move the right speaker where it should be, rather then where it looks best. I think he said something about as long as I find something to replace where the speaker is, I can do it, but I'll have to double check.

MacLeod

I still would be more into home theater than 2 channel. Whenever I try to sit there and listen to music I go to sleep. When Im at home, Im either on here, playing Xbox or watching TV.