Thanks for all the well wishes from my good friends here!
To be truthful, I detest a company selling in the threads, but I have always welcomed manufacturers sharing insight so I appreciate Ralph Karsten, Bobby Palkovic, Israel Blume, Kevin Halverson, etc. contributing here. Again, the purpose of this thread is to just announce that while I am such an insignificant piece of the puzzle here, I need to let everyone know that I am involved in a high end audio company.
Jond, you are so right about Smarty. Honestly, I was devastated Saturday. For a while I had the sinking feeling that he would lose, as our teams have so conditioned us to get to this point and fail that we expect it. But, he is such a happy looking fellow that he will forever be our favorite horse.
Drubin, your prayers have probably been answered. But, please raise concerns like this here, as it gives me ammunition to let folks know what we want, as opposed to it being my opinion only. The cabinets you saw somehow looked all wrong. Unstable, unsettled. What will be sold differs in height - shorter, but gives it a more reassured, solid look and feel.
The speakers you heard were basically a disaster, and the impetus for this group of people, along with Bud, being here this time. The sound is so much better now that I can't even describe it to you. All at the same $5000 price. Let's just say that a $24K statement product was made and its technology is just pouring in as opposed to tricking down. Credit correct line damping, much better yet lower cost drivers, and better crossovers for the improvements. You will finally hear the speaker image, and a more open, detailed, refined, yet easier to listen to sound.
The new Vifa line flat out blows me away, and will be a boon for all of us audiophiles as it arrives into the marketplace in whomever's speakers that use them correctly and intelligently. Performance reserved for much more expensive drivers is now a reality at a significantly lower price point. The $65 Ring Radiator runs with their (our designer says beats it) more expensive ScanSpeak Revelator that I just dropped into my Coincident Digital Masters (had I only known!), at least to my ears, at 25% of the cost. The kevlar midrange and woofers are superb, and tailor made for Bud's well known theories on using low Q drivers in his TL designs and first order crossovers overall. The savings allow us to funnel the money into crossover parts quality unheard of in non statement loudspeakers.
The standard finish will be a light cherry that is actually much closer to maple in color. Personally, I am not in love with it, but that's my opinion. This is where you all get to have a real impact, so speak up. My own feeling is that maple, dark red stained cherry, and black lacquer all represent today, but what do I know? I am told a customer can get any veneer he wants.
Gunbei,
http:www.friedproducts.com is the website, and is the more appropriate source of information, as opposed to me, once this thread runs its course.
Pbb, Fried is pronounced like greed, and the pun was funny. I guess we will instruct people to say it like "freed".
Tomryan, from what I understand, there will be an extensive dealer network in the fall, so you should trust your own ears to judge the speakers, as opposed to my big mouth.
Albert, the $24K upmarket speaker is probably more your speed. I have not heard it, so cannot comment on it. But, I love the fact that those who are involved have been jaded by it to the point where they are doing whatever possible to make the $5K version reach up to it.
This is my own personal opinion here, and may not reflect the company at all...
We in America can compete with anyone, in any company, in any country, in any forum. It will require a new way of thinking and doing business. It will require intelligence, creativity, luck, the ability to think freely and try new things, and to not be afraid of failure. It will require us to listen to the customer and the marketplace, and actually react to it.
My feeling is that this will be critical in the high end audio marketplace. The Chinese are coming, and there is no doubt whatsoever about that. Building a $10K power amp simply because that is what the market bears will have disastrous effects when a competitor introduces a superior sounding, well built product at 25% of that cost. There is more complacency and lack of creativity these days than there should be. Where are the technologies of Apogee, Acoustat, Carver Amazing, etc? I am excited because beyond Meadowlark and PMC, who offers a true Transmission Line loudspeaker? Like time alignment, lots of companies may say they have a TL, but the reality is different. Beyond Kharma and Roman Audio, who offers the series crossover network? Bud's ideas on superior, if more difficult to implement, technologies deserve one last good attempt. I have a lot of strong opinions on high end, which has probably been too evident over the past years of my participation here. This isn't the right time to express them, but I hope we can all make this hobby prosper far into the future.
Thank you again!
