Bent Audio - Passive Preamps

Face · December 2008

Oh well.

I'll have a chance to compare them to Goldpoint's SMC resistors soon.

SolidSqual · December 2008

Face wrote: »

Oh well.

I'll have a chance to compare them to Goldpoint's SMC resistors soon.

I was kidding. I have no idea what I'm talking about.

SolidSqual · December 2008

And you know what else. I like Canadians.

Face · December 2008

I'm glad someone here does.

ben62670 · December 2008

Cheese eating surrender monkeys! O wait thats the French from France:D

Early B. · December 2008

Face wrote: »

Those are Vishay resistors.

Vishay manufactures a large variety of resistors that vary widely in quality. To build the best resistive-based passive pre, you gotta use the best resistors on the market.

SolidSqual · December 2008

Talking with John Chapman of Bent Audio, he indicated companies like Promitheus are situated where they can buy the expensive parts and put them together with cheap labor. He laughed and was telling me he could barely buy the pars for as much as Promitheus charges for an assembled unit. Interesting . . . anecdotal.

ben62670 · December 2008

I use the Vishay 1% metal films in all the stuff I build/mod, and they are very nice pieces.

tryrrthg · December 2008

Face wrote: »

Oh well.

I'll have a chance to compare them to Goldpoint's SMC resistors soon.

Did you buy the one you linked to at videogon? If so let me know if you decide to sell it...

Early B. · December 2008

SolidSqual wrote: »

Talking with John Chapman of Bent Audio, he indicated companies like Promitheus are situated where they can buy the expensive parts and put them together with cheap labor. He laughed and was telling me he could barely buy the pars for as much as Promitheus charges for an assembled unit. Interesting . . . anecdotal.

Yep. If it doesn't say, "Made in China" (or Korea, etc.) I don't buy it. You can end up paying 2x or 3x the cost for the same quality for Made in USA products. This becomes more evident as the dollar continues to weaken globally.

ben62670 · December 2008

Early B. wrote: »

Yep. If it doesn't say, "Made in China" (or Korea, etc.) I don't buy it. You can end up paying 2x or 3x the cost for the same quality for Made in USA products. This becomes more evident as the dollar continues to weaken globally.

Keep on sending your money out of the country. Maybe you should move there so you don't have to deal with America period:rolleyes: Oh wait you would be getting 3rd world wages so you wouldn't be able to afford even the 3rd world prices:cool: You probably wouldn't have health care either, or you may not even have electricity to run your stereo gear:cool::cool: Never mind the lack of food, or clean drinking water. Yeah everyone just keep sending US dollars out of the country. That's a good idea. Brad maybe you should watch the news;) I know this statement is a little blunt, but saying

If it doesn't say, "Made in China" (or Korea, etc.) I don't buy it.

is seriously lame. You know what maybe you should hire illegal aliens to do all the work on your house. You could save a good deal of money there too. They don't pay taxes, or insurance like real American citizens do. Screw the Americans who are trying to do things the right way. Right? Sorry to just nail you with this Brad, but Americans that believe this way are/have been killing our country. Supporters of NAFTA should slap and sterilize them selves. Well I am going to eat some dollar store food with my kids because my industry has taken a dump from dumb-asses trying to save a buck, and the funniest thing about this is the actually have the nerve to complain when they have to deal with someone who doesn't speak English because its cheaper to send our jobs to 3rd world countries.

SolidSqual · December 2008

Early B. wrote: »

Yep. If it doesn't say, "Made in China" (or Korea, etc.) I don't buy it. You can end up paying 2x or 3x the cost for the same quality for Made in USA products. This becomes more evident as the dollar continues to weaken globally.

I'm being sent to work in Malaysia this summer. Honestly, I love when they do this. I'll be making an American wage in a country where the average person can't fathom the value of $100 made in a half days work. My apartment costs $67 a month. I'm already talking to the guys from Promitheus to stop by their shop in Kuala Lumpur.

I don't really care whether things are American or not, it's a global economy. And, our main export is no longer manufactured products, it's ideas and technology. People in this county have to adapt and accept this. Emotiva is a great example of a company who's stuff was designed by Americans and made in China. In fact, it's more American that the product is made in China because it follows the fruits of competition born out of a free market.

When I seek to buy a product, I look for innovation, quality, and customer service. If we buy only American then what incentive do American businesses have to innovate? Ask GM.

ben62670 · December 2008

SolidSqual wrote: »

... If we buy only American then what incentive do American businesses have to innovate? Ask GM.

If it was profitable to buy American then Americans would want to start making things here. Then there would be competition between American companies. Then there would be jobs here. Then We would be able to spend money, and then we would have a healthy economy, but I guess these little basics are too simple to understand:rolleyes: You sometimes can't find stuff in America like cameras, but I certainly do look at stuff when I buy it, and even if it cost a little more I will buy American. I showed you the prices that I could offer a pre made here so you can imagine the markup they are getting from doing it there. The prices that they are charging are way high than I would charge just making one unit at a time.
Congrats on narrow minded thinking.
Hopefully people can see it's not just the housing market to blame.

I am not Paul Harvey
Good day.

Edit: The auto makers are stuck trying to compete with other auto makers, and they have to factor in that the UAW kills them. To be honest I think they have put out a good product considering that they have to deal with over paid unskilled lazy union workers. Been there done that. Most union workers moto is work slow make more dough. Work fast and take it in the A$$.

SolidSqual · December 2008

ben62670 wrote: »

If it was profitable to buy American then Americans would want to start making things here. Then there would be competition between American companies. Then there would be jobs here. Then We would be able to spend money, and then we would have a healthy economy, but I guess these little basics are too simple to understand:rolleyes: You sometimes can't find stuff in America like cameras, but I certainly do look at stuff when I buy it, and even if it cost a little more I will buy American. I showed you the prices that I could offer a pre made here so you can imagine the markup they are getting from doing it there. The prices that they are charging are way high than I would charge just making one unit at a time.
Congrats on narrow minded thinking.
Hopefully people can see it's not just the housing market to blame.

I am not Paul Harvey
Good day.

Edit: The auto makers are stuck trying to compete with other auto makers, and they have to factor in that the UAW kills them. To be honest I think they have put out a good product considering that they have to deal with over paid unskilled lazy union workers. Been there done that. Most union workers moto is work slow make more dough. Work fast and take it in the A$$.

ben62670 wrote: »

If it was profitable to buy American then Americans would want to start making things here.

The BASICS are this and what I think you meant to say is if it was cheap to manufacture here then Americans would start making things here. The problem is that we lack human capital like Asian countries and our workforce is used to a standard of living that excludes them as viable competition in manufacturing. AND, we lack a work force that adapts well to change. I understand this. I'm conservative as hell and hate change. That being said, it's time to reeducate and refocus our workforce.

Ben, competition is everywhere. We can't isolate our country from the rest of world so only Americans can compete against one another. That will only drive up the costs of production and decrease innovation. The issue is that over-regulation or no regulation at all has killed competition. Not to mention socialist policies that prempt the free market. Americans can't compete because stupid people in power won't allow the market to work properly. Don't hate the market. Hate the person who says the market stole your job and you can't learn a new skill. Hate the guy who says your current skills are only useful in one kind of position.

How's GM supposed to build a car when they have to meet all kinds of useless specifications and pay their employees twice that of foreigners in benefits. See we agree on this.

SolidSqual · December 2008

ben62670 wrote: »

I showed you the prices that I could offer a pre made here so you can imagine the markup they are getting from doing it there. The prices that they are charging are way high than I would charge just making one unit at a time.

Ok, here's where you don't have a handle on the basics. A product's value is not only measured by the cost of production.
1. Reputation.
2. Support
3. Company History (knowing support will last the life of the product)
4. Prestige
5. R&D
6. Aesthetics
7. Reliability
8. Resale Value
9. Longevity of Company (knowing they will be around to support the product).

To just name a few . . .

ben62670 · December 2008

I have a firm handle on that. I pick and choose very carefully;) My point is disregarding all American products because people point out some of the lemon cars we produce, and make a blanket statement against buying not America products period is disturbing.

SolidSqual · December 2008

ben62670 wrote: »

I have a firm handle on that. I pick and choose very carefully;) My point is disregarding all American products because people point out some of the lemon cars we produce, and make a blanket statement against buying not America products period is disturbing.

I couldnt' agree more. It's a bade stereotype. GM and Ford are extremely successful in other markets without leeching unions.

ben62670 · December 2008

I am a little more than a little stressed out. I have many friends that are losing everything. Things suck real bad here too. Goods, and services have been going over seas slowly, but steadily over the years. Now it is rearing its ugly head. I know a lot of guys, and gals here are not in the service/goods industry, or live in an area that hasn't been hit hard. It can be hard to understand how bad it is. When I hear my friends freaking out, and about to lose their homes it really tears me up. I firmly believe that money out, and money not coming in is a major part of the problem.
Now that I have said this; it is not an excuse to lash out at some real good guys. EB, and SS both have been real kind when I injured myself, and they have been good to talk to. You guys both deserve a deep heart felt public apology.
Ben

awe-d-o-file · December 2008

ben62670 wrote: »

I am a little more than a little stressed out. I have many friends that are losing everything. Things suck real bad here too. Goods, and services have been going over seas slowly, but steadily over the years. Now it is rearing its ugly head. I know a lot of guys, and gals here are not in the service/goods industry, or live in an area that hasn't been hit hard. It can be hard to understand how bad it is. When I hear my friends freaking out, and about to lose their homes it really tears me up. I firmly believe that money out, and money not coming in is a major part of the problem.
Now that I have said this; it is not an excuse to lash out at some real good guys. EB, and SS both have been real kind when I injured myself, and they have been good to talk to. You guys both deserve a deep heart felt public apology.
Ben

I hear you. Unemployed almost a year now- no more benefits. Can't quite live on wifes pay. No added debt yet but savings almost gone.

But to the topic Bent has cool stuff. I talked to Mr. Chapman in 2005 when I wanted a Bent TAP the coolest looking passive ever! I was solver TVC based AND had remote control. It was two boxes and near $3K and I think I looked cooler than the one they have now. Anyway, I have a Placette as you can see.....

Bent Audio - Passive Preamps

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