Interesting read

[samberger0357]

Found this from a 2011 issue of Positive Feedback, hunting the web this morning for AR related stuff.  Picture in the article shows I believe an AR 3, and there's some stuff about the writer's experience's visiting AR listening rooms both in NY and Harvard Sq. Enjoy

 

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue58/clark.htm

[Lucky Pierre]

Thanks Sam!  That is an interesting read.

 

[ar_pro]

Thanks, Sam...that was fun.

With this hobby, it's always about the experience - no one will ever romanticize an Amazon Prime delivery!

[samberger0357]

12 minutes ago, ar_pro said:

Thanks, Sam...that was fun.

With this hobby, it's always about the experience - no one will ever romanticize an Amazon Prime delivery!

Well put. 

[LouB]

Having been in the near west suburbs of Chicago at the young age when the HiFi bug bit me, I had no shortage of stores to visit.

Within an easy bus ride, I had Allied Radio, Radio Shack, Olson Electronics, Musicraft, HiFi Hutch, Tech Hifi, Lafayette Electronics, EDI (electronic distributors inc.) and this was just in 1971!

By that point in time, the StereoSnob sales technique was on the wane, primarily due to the fact that a large percentage if not the majority of purchases were being made by high school / college age customers. Kids would be annoyed and go elsewhere if confronted with an attitude like the salesman was vastly superior to the cretin about to fork over his cash.

At that point in time the stores like Musicraft had used as well as new merchandise for sale, as much of their sales volume was stimulated by the fact that a five year old item could be traded in on the latest piece of silicon. My first Scott 299B came from Musicraft in such manner, along with a pair of AR-2's in glorious unadorned pine. The smart salesperson applied a veneer of friendliness since he (no girls allowed at that point) knew that the kid would soon be coming back for a step up in the sonic vistas offered on the carpeted shelves.

I'm sure that I wasn't the only kid  in the early 70's outfitting not only his bedroom with precious electron hungry hardware, but also his private psychedelic dungeon where sound, smoke and blacklight occasionally escaped but everything else that happened there was uncharted territory to all adults. 3600' at 3 3/4 ips on a reversing reel machine could play for hours to the delight of all who dared enter the magic pit of sound. I really have to wonder where the indulgence, tolerance and forbearance of the denizens of the adult world came from.

Now that the audio hobby has retreated into relative obscurity, I would imagine that the supercilious salesperson selling magic speaker cable has returned. When you have to pay for a retail business with a diminishing clientele, maybe it pays to insult the customer again?

 

[genek]

From what I see, what little is left of retail high end audio still continues to use the business plan of telling your customers how you know so much more about quality sound reproduction than they do.

[JeffS]

Sam,

Nice article.

The author mentions Greg Milner's 'Perfecting Sound Forever' which is a great read also.

I believe that AR in the picture has an 8" tweeter.

[ra.ra]

45 minutes ago, JeffS said:

I believe that AR in the picture has an 8" tweeter.

Nice little article, thanks, and yep, I was thinking that speaker (with no "3" badge) was probably an AR-1 or 1w. I also liked the pegboard wall, the acoustic ceiling tiles on the opposite wall, and of course the argyle socks.