I stopped into my dealers yesterday afternoon. In the rack that formally, traditionally held the BHK/P 20/DS stack was the new Rotel “michi” stack - p5 preamp and M8 monoblocks driving a pair of Monitor Audio pl 500’s
Gotta say, these components looked really nice, appeared to be really well built and were making some really nice music in that space…
Not intending to start-up the whole dealer vs direct debate, Just mentioning because I’m so used to walking into that room and seeing a full array of PSA gear that it caught me off guard a bit.
I was going to mention that the Quad ESL-63 were so named as the designed started in 1963, but they were only ready for sale in 1982, so Paul really should slow down a bit with these speakers. It then occurred to me that the new speaker/lights in my office, launched 2 weeks ago, a unique concept with very complex software, were done in 3 years, including 9 months of full lockdown.
I then stumbled upon www.paulmcgowan.com and there were many pictures with Mr Fremer, one looks like he just graduated from high school. So my comment was about objectivity. I had in mind a loss assessor I knew who was once noted to have been at the scene of the fire the day before it occurred.
P.s. I had nothing against said loss assessor. He was a nice guy and I almost married his granddaughter.
I don’t know where you get financial information from on PS Audio, but it’s not the impression I got.
I assume the original idea was that Mr Nudell was to be fully responsible for the design, as with other products like BHK and the DSD DAC. There’s nothing unusual in that. In retrospect, the missing cog was a good product designer. PS Audio previewed two wildly different designs and then sensibly went to a product designer recommended by one of Paul’s friends. Hopefully the product designer has, as well as fixing the external design, focused the engineering on meeting a price point. They probably also suggested Paul keep quiet about it. I cannot image how a product designer could work with a client who gave a running commentary on the internet.
It was meant in jest. Obviously it was a pun that runs a little too close to the bone. I have enjoyed reading his very knowledgable and informative music blog.
I don’t think so, but PS Audio and Michael Fremer get along well considering:
the raving review of the Stellar Phono Stage,
the exclusive interview with the developer which demonstrated great sympathy,
the fact that he assisted PS Audio with the product introduction.
You cannot be that surprised that the audience assumes the same process might be repeated for the PS Audio speakers. There is certainly time enough to provide Michael Fremer with valuable background information, perform interviews and probably listening sessions of the prototypes or pre-production units in the PS Audio rooms prior to the official release.
A raving review as short as possible after release of the speakers is certainly beneficial.
I think if any reviewer gives a honest statement independent of a historical connection then Fremer. I guess he might even be more critical to be safe from suspicion.
Methinks an inability to take a mild joke. There’s a guy over here who gives rave reviews to products designed by a close friend, two of which products are actually named after him. It happens.
The BHK products have got rave reviews in the UK press, but not most of the Stellar products, notably noise and jitter from the Gain Cell, the clunky (third party?) software in the Strata and M700 distortion. The Stellar Phono got an excellent review and I’m planning on giving it a test drive.
It might be perceived as a “mild joke” (this is supposed to be funny?) but for your history, the repetition, and your unwillingness to recant until backed into a corner.
I seem to remember when I criticised one of Mr Fremer’s reviews it was mainly because he plugged a Stellar component into his megabucks system, and was unapologetic about it, whereas other reviewers usually place it with a range of appropriate components that potential buyers might own. Also, he didn’t give a basic description of the product.
I may be a bit glib about reviews because I consider they have become part of the overall marketing of audio and they’ve had very little influence on my purchases. I suspect there are a lot of good reviews because there is a lot of good audio knocking about. I suppose what people really want is great quality and value, and the BHK certainly seems to fit that bill. This may interest you. I presume Paul and Mr Eric Neff are unrelated.
Did I say that he is not independent, or that he did not provide his honest objective opinion? I did not.
I did list the events that happened with the Stellar again Cell DAC. Those are just public facts, nothing more nothing less.
If you paid attention to the interview between Fremer and Meyers you know that Micheal Fremer was presented the designs prior to product launch.
If I were an Audio reviewer I would also lay my hand on any information and experience of or with the product I could get. Not sure if all reviewers do it that way.
I have no real details. However, they are bringing to market a floor standing speaker on its 3rd or 4th prototype in the same year they just acquired a building and are gutting it for a recording studio expansion. Either your a company with healthy financials to pull that off or… ?
I’d like to believe the company and those supporting PS Audio are in a healthy position.
Indeed, but I think that they still have decent margins in the new, no dealer model.
As far as I am concerned, I do everything I can do to help my local dealer survive.
We are in a healthy position financially but, as a small business, it’s never easy.
The transition here in the US from a dealer distribution model to a direct model was a tough slog but I think we’re coming out on the good side after all we’ve been through. I understand it’s natural for folks to think that since we get all the margin that the dealers used to get that we should be swimming in profits but it doesn’t work that way.
Here’s the thing to remember. There’s a cost to bringing customers and products together. The dealers bear the cost or the manufacturer bears the cost or both. There’s no free lunch.
We simply decided that in this country we could better serve our customers by working directly with them than through an intermediary. Realize that the vast majority of high-end stereo sales are now handled by online dealers which, in our opinion, bring little to nothing to the table.
In the days of bricks and mortar dealers made a great deal of sense.
It is expensive and challenging to work directly with our HiFi Family members but in the end we feel they are better served in this model than they were before and that is all that is important to us.
For the Stevens of the world who are financially adept, our profit margins for the company have remained the same before and after our transition to direct consumer sales. Our expenses have simply shifted. It costs us the same.