| Editorial January 2003
Paying for What You Don't See
Consumers want to feel that their money is well spent.
Check-out-line satisfaction is, in fact, a common goal that bonds all of us shoppers
together. A home-theater purchase is not unlike buying anything else whether it’s a
car, a house, or a pair of shoes. You want to feel that you spent your money wisely, that
you got good value for your dollar, and have something that will last a long time. How do
you ensure you’re getting all this before the purchase? Ah ha . . .
there’s the tricky part. Things aren’t always as they initially appear.
When evaluating home-theater gear, there are some obvious
things we can put our fingers on: the cabinet or chassis, the cosmetic touches, the
high-tech parts, the tactile feel of the controls, and the overall appearance -- even of
the packaging. These aspects of a product are right up front and plain to see. If all is
well, you get excited about the item. "Man, that’s a nice amp," your
buddies will say. And yeah, it’s a good sign if all the exterior components fit as
they should, operate flawlessly, and are attractive to the touch. But there’s so much
more to a complex home-theater component -- you may not see it, but hopefully
you’re paying for it!
Yep, no doubt about it, you should be paying for
what you see and don’t see. And let’s hope there are equal parts of both in the
gear you’re buying. Let’s consider some of the things that you don’t see
but you should look for.
Research and development: This is a biggie, likely
the most important aspect of the product. What has gone on behind the scenes to make sure
the concept and implementation are in sync? Does it work as intended? Is it mechanically
and acoustically sound? Are there solid engineering principles underlying the design which
insure that the product performs properly now and in the future? Or, is the product flawed
because of poor design? Is it prettier than it is functional? Was it built with the
correct materials, or just the readily available ones? All these decisions go on behind
the scenes in the research-and-development stage. It is simply the foundation upon which
the product is built. Would you buy a house that rests on a shaky foundation? Look at the
research facilities of Audio Products International or Paradigm and you’ll see some
of what you’re buying when you take home their products. It’s very
impressive.
Production, or in some cases, craftsmanship: A good
design is pivotal, but at some point the design has to take shape in the form of a real
product. And not a one-off, but many units that should be identical in all regards whether
serial number 01 or 1000. Production techniques can enhance a company’s reputation --
as in the case of Wilson Audio Specialties, a company that defines quality control even
though they crank out lots of speakers. Conversely, poor production techniques can lead to
failures in the field and discontinuity within a product line. We’ve all heard
stories about this or that widget, things that are known to break all the time. Hopefully,
you won’t be the one who gets the lemon.
Service after the sale: Can it be fixed if it breaks?
Now there’s a good question. And how long will it take? Are you going to have
to wait three months to get your amp back or is the turnaround quick and easy, meaning an
efficient repairs bay? Companies that support what they sell are easy to recommend, too,
because in the unlikely event that something does go wrong, rectifying the situation is
relatively painless. But, the most important reason to consider buying from a company that
offers exemplary service is almost too easy to see: It nearly always insures that the
previous two paragraphs have been taken care of! Why do you think the Maytag repairman
sits around all the time?
When you’re doing your research, make sure you do what
you can to find out about the above points. You’ll be happier in the long run with
your purchase and you’ll spend that hard-earned home-theater budget more wisely, even
if you don’t always see what you’re buying.
...Jeff Fritz
editor@hometheatersound.com |
