Brand Loyalty: Can one be too loyal?
- Thread starter PeterA
- Start date
Perhaps it your vision of this hobby. But IMHO the high-end is intrinsically evolutionary, independently of expense.
Al, you did borrow your amp from a dealer to give it a shot in your own system. Other gear you have bought without hearing beforehand in friends' systems, like the switch to your first Ref 3A speakers, your cables, and your subs, if I am not mistaken. These have been risks, but calculated. You are lucky to have avoided turning your system into an expensive laboratory, in that sense. Your new Ref 3A speakers were an example of brand loyalty, regardless of whether or not you could have returned them. You liked the previous pair you had and based on that experience, you traded up with a some degree of confidence and expectations.
Peter, the cables I heard in my system (as well as Ian's) before purchasing; you have a point about the first Ref 3A speakers and the subs. As I mention in my review of those speakers, I took the risk because they were not very expensive. The subs were less of a risk, but in both cases, yes there was a calculated risk, and you are right that in this sense I got lucky to have avoided turning my system into an expensive laboratory.
I conceded that Lee also made some good points above.
In any case, it helps to know what your priorities are in sound reproduction, so that you are not aimlessly torn in all kinds of directions whenever you hear something new.
While I don't subscribe to churning of one's audio equipment based on reviews or hearsay, I am also not a believer of undying loyalty to any purchase/brand, audio or otherwise, in an attempt to legitimize and/or rationalize that purchase as the "best there is" as so many do here and elsewhere.
De Niro, a one time favorite of mine, until he got too full of himself had a line in the movie Heat:
"Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat..........”.
To be honest, I think that is pretty good advice, regarding most purchases
De Niro, a one time favorite of mine, until he got too full of himself had a line in the movie Heat:
"Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat..........”.
To be honest, I think that is pretty good advice, regarding most purchases
Great movie along with HEAT one of my favourites , a lot of my speakerlistening/ design went on HEAT sound comparisons lol
Forget about walking out on a system in 30s flat, some people don’t seem to hang onto ANY component for more than 30s before trading up. Multiple times.
Dacs especially.
Dacs especially.
It's a great line. ...Great flick.
I also like Ronin, where De Niro is cautious before entering the bar, @ the beginning.
Sam: "Lady, I never walk into a place I don't know how to walk out of."
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Agreed. And there is nothing wrong with disliking a "house sound" either. That's why people gravitate to brands in the first place, along with reputation for quality, service and availability, and perception of value. Successful brands are just that because they have a following of happy customers.
+1!
As Nelson Pass wrote in the manuals of his amplifiers: " Our real customers care most about the experience they get when they sit down to listen to their music. We create amplifiers that we like to listen to, on the assumption that we share similar taste."
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