An Open Letter to All Members

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I dont' know why this is so, but I seem to have an innate ability to bring out the worst in some people. It's not something I consciously do, but it still somehow manages to happen.

When I joined AR, I had just been banned from "another" site, and wrongfully used AR as a sounding board to state my dissatisfaction with that site. Rightfully, I was informed that such was "bad form," and my posts were deleted. I rarely ever mention that "other" site, unless someone else mentions it first. If anyone's really interested in why I'm not there anymore, just send me a PM, and I'll give you all the gory details.

When I post a thread here, or a comment to another's thread, I generally do so with the purpose of providing useful information. Either I'm relying on my experience in the industry, or my personal listening experiences over the years to make the comments and judgements that I do.

If, for example, I send the woofers of my Dahlquist DQ-10's to a facility in Florida for a refoam, and that facility takes over 8 weeks to complete the repair, and sends the woofers back with a significant defect, that then becomes information readers of this site need to know about. If I then take those "repaired" woofers, and send them off to Regnar in N.Y. for a complete rebuild (for three times the money), and get them back in outstanding condition in less than two weeks, resulting in my DQ-10's sounding better than ever, then that too is noteworthy. So too, is the first outfit's statement that "we stand by our work," and then refusing to refund the $80 I paid them for a sloppy job.

If I spend $80 on a digital coax cable to connect my CD player to my DAC, and it sounds noticeably better in all respects than another one costing more than twice as much, that's worth posting too. So too is posting my stunned observations as to the significant sonic improvements the "Achromat" turnable mat makes.

If I purchase a used turntable on ebay, and receive it in near mint condition, with not one, but two perfectly functioning Shure cartridges, and then discover that the turntable winds up being the best sounding one I've ever owned, that becomes news worthy of shouting from the rooftops. And, it also provides a modicum of credibility for making purchases on ebay.

While I'm 63, and spent close to 40 years in the industry, the old adage still holds: I may grow older, but I don't necesssarily grow up. Little ticks me off more than someone disputing what I've stated, not just because they disagree (which anyone has a right to), but because they accuse me of being a liar, making up stories as I go along, and, for reasons that have totally eluded me, calling me a coward as well, then I, unfortunately, allow my ego to take over, and I respond with an equally nasty post of my own.

AR is not the place for such stuff, no matter how justified I, or others may think. My experience should give a modicum of credibility to much of what I have to say, but, since I've been retired now for almost 8 years, I know that many things have changed. I know nothing whatsoever about the interface between one's computer, and one's home audio system, and so I never dare post a comment on any such related thread.

I know cartridges very well, but not any of the newer, very expensive moving coil models, all of which I suspect would dazzle me if I were to buy one and install it in my tonearm. I've frequently heaped praise on the Stanton Collector's Series CS-100 I own because, after extended listening tests between it and many other cartridges, I prefer its sound. Some of those "others" are: Shure V/15 Type V Mxr, Ortofon MC-20 MKII, and Denon DL-103D - all fairly stiff competition for sure. To off-handedly dismiss the CS-100, without ever having heard it, is just wrong.

So, to any who may have found my posts offensive in any way, I sincerely apologize, with one very noticeable exception (see, I told you I don't have to grow up!). To those of you who feel what I have to offer is worthwhile, and interesting reading, then I hope to continue in that vein in the future.

In the meantime, happy reading, either from me, or others here at AR.

Meh, you are tame compared to me. My delivery is as smooth as steel wool, everyone is just pleased after I post something.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Meh, you are tame compared to me. My delivery is as smooth as steel wool, everyone is just pleased after I post something.

I wish you would start being nice to pix...

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I wish you would start being nice to pix...

Hell no!!! I want to sandpaper him to dust. I probably should be nicer to nightliar though.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Hell no!!! I want to sandpaper him to dust. I probably should be nicer to nightliar though.

I'll tell ya, I didn't think this site's s/w was be able to handle so much text in one post! You must either have special posting priveleges or you've found a way to hack around the character limitation threshold. In some of those posts, my up-down scroll bar was so thin I could hardly grab it. Great reading nonetheless.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I'll tell ya, I didn't think this site's s/w was be able to handle so much text in one post! You must either have special posting priveleges or you've found a way to hack around the character limitation threshold. In some of those posts, my up-down scroll bar was so thin I could hardly grab it. Great reading nonetheless.

And to think, as long as the post were, they only took me about 5 minutes to think it up, and type it. He called me names I have never even heard of.

[Groundbeef]

Meh, you are tame compared to me. My delivery is as smooth as steel wool, everyone is just pleased after I post something.

Actually, I was thinking your delivery is received as well as 80 grit sandpaper on a fresh case of road rash. Of course it depends upon the recipient. More times than not, a hammer would have done nicely.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Actually, I was thinking your delivery is received as well as 80 grit sandpaper on a fresh case of road rash. Of course it depends upon the recipient. More times than not, a hammer would have done nicely.

Hammer too easy, sandpaper......road rash......can't be good....must continue....maybe find virgin skin untouched by road rash....hammer=mess......no mess just pain.......need reprogramming.....

[audio amateur]

Meh, you are tame compared to me. My delivery is as smooth as steel wool, everyone is just pleased after I post something.

Throwin' flowers at ourselves are we?