HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

The word which describes most audio buying activities is 'satisficing'.

"1. General: Aiming to achieve only satisfactory results because the satisfactory position is familiar, hassle-free, and secure, whereas aiming for the best-achievable result would call for costs, effort, and incurring of risks.
2. Decision making: Examining alternatives until a practical (most obvious, attainable, and reasonable) solution with adequate level of acceptability is found, and stopping the search there instead of looking for the best-possible (optimum) solution.
3. Marketing: Concept that consumers are inclined more toward satisfactory decisions instead of the 'best' decisions due to lack of (1) information, (2) information processing ability, and (3) time to do all that for every purchase decision.

Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/defin ... icing.html"

In other words it's about minimum acceptable standards, sub-optimum solutions and inadequate information gathering and processing.

This thread needs some update, I will think about what seems to have changed in the last year or so. The obvious one is the promotion of the daft shite as promoted at TAS like the fuses, lumps of strange stuff that use magical material, what looks like a small dildo (small arses, not for Marco then). Even magic cremes (some combination required I think). Italian hi-fi pasta. If the past history of the industry was dubious these present additions are ludicrous.

What I'm noticing is the boom in headphone sales. Wherever I go people have them on and in many cases they must have cost a fair bit. I think the challenge is persuading these young buyers that good SQ can be achieved in the home through two speakers with a phone or laptop as the source. I don't know of a way of going about this and the increasing nonsense on the forums is not helping. Reasonably priced enthusiast shows at major cities could help. Waswam shows fail on both counts and their site is the worst of the lot with a £600 MCRU kettle lead flashing up on the front page.

Is this a fact. Clearly what I notice and what is a fact are often 2 different things. Pretty sure it the same for most people

People doing direct sell at retail prices. Just been looking at Elsdon Wonfor - thought you retired Col. Not the only transgressors.

It means he wants export distributors and they are more important than UK hobbyists (per usual), so he still has to build in trade margins. I rely on ebay overseas shops. it probably means less business but I don't want more. The benefit of using distributors is they order in (normally) large stocking orders which are paid for up front, but then you have to build it.

It also means he can give a trade discount to UK retailers if any approach him. You have to choose one way or the other. Most choose his way, in this I am still pretty much unique - hence the prices. For example the amp starter kit at £300, if I went this way I would have to build in min 20% distributor margin, and min 30% retailer margin. Probably a lot more in both case to get people to sell them and not just let sit on the shelf. So min price increase £300 to £450 and more likely to £500 or £600, and even then it is a bargain compared with its competition. You get NOTHING back for that extra money, it just goes into the slurpers pocket.

Well yes on the 21st August 2018 I am retired Hugh will be taking the reign and god help him poor sod.
Well to be honest blunt EWA has sold very few bits so it must be a few problem out in the world.
I suspect NVA is too good so why risk anything else. he he luv yer Doc

Colin you will get bored, I bet you are back with the soldering iron for fun in no time. I am 71 at the end of May, and like the US gun lobby "I'll give you my soldering iron when you pry (or take) it from my cold, dead hands"

Comparison - you only have to look at the picture of you standing next to an amp that is taller than you

Hey Doc I am a short arse compared to my nephew who is 7ft 2in he is 10inchs taller than me.
71 is that all Dame Thora Herd was over a hundred when she stopped making amps, or was it clamps.

Well retirement is going well and another kidney infection brings joy a delight to all.