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Old 23rd Mar 2019, 11:26 am   #531
stevehertz
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
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Default Re: Audiophoolery?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig Sawyers View Post
Shirke, apart from being a very successful industrial entrepreneur, is and always has been an audiophile (I'm avoiding audiophool). He actually set up Cadence to manufacture electrostatic speakers, amps and so forth, but has decided instead to spend his money in buying audio companies.

And judging from what he has done SME, all he has actually done is put a new MD in place, put money in and let it get on with doing what it does and progressively introducing new product - and building up its subcontract engineering activity.

And whatever you think about stupidly expensive cable like Siltech, they have been in business since 1983, so they clearly sell product. And anyway, if someone is wealthy enough to spend 60 grand on a single cable, what do you care? It is no more daft than buying a Ferrari, Bugatti Veyron, or Rolls Royce - hey it has four wheels - why not just buy a Panda? What a motorphool!

Don't get me wrong - as you know I completely agree that there is a whole lot of madness out there to suck in the non-scientific gullible. But I'm not about to knock a guy who steps in to save one of the finest engineering companies out there - SME. It was on the cards that they were looking to close the place, bulldoze it and sell the land for housing. As far as pure money was concerned that would have been a lucrative deal in Steyning in Sussex. And that would have been a tragedy. So thank you Mr Shirke.

And at least he keeps manufacture in the original place, unlike the Chinese who transfer the entire manufacture and often product development lock stock and barrel to China. Quad, Wharfedale, KEF, Castle, Audiolab - all gone to China.

Craig
My point is, whether he's an audiophool or not, when it comes to making money - and I'm not against that! - he's seemingly as happy to sell high-end, no-nonsense, 'credible but expensive' SME products as he is cables that cost a mortgage and make no audible difference. No scruples, money talks, and that's generally the way of dealers in the audiophoolery market. Peter Belt being one such person.

The notion that someone has enough money to spend 60 grand on a single cable is not one that I "care about", indeed I find it quite funny, ridiculous even, hence the whole audiophool thing that we're now discussing and enjoying. Paying a large amount of money for a Ferrari, Bugatti Veyron, or Rolls Royce is not a valid simile, you will get an awful lot more of a motor car and objective, measurable added value than say an old Ford Escort.
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