Come on, tell the truth. Doesn't it make you uncomfortable when you find out you were way wrong about something? Especially when you'd argued how you knew you were right?
OK, I admit it. I missed this one.But first, although I'm not making excuses, here's my side of the story...
I held them back
Business had been going great. Lots of music lovers were switching to Avantgarde Hornspeakers. So I didn't want to rock the boat. Meanwhile, Holger Fromme, Managing Director of Avantgarde Acoustic, had been using every opportunity to tell me about their newest project - a huge pair of BASSHORNS. Not only were these BASSHORNS large, they'd be costly to produce.
Holger was making irrational claims too -120 dB at 20 Hz with almost no distortion! Well, as we say down south, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck...
Hey, I KNEW no one would buy them.
Finally deciding to go along with Holger, we brought the BASSHORNS into the U.S., first at BobVisintainer's Avantgarde Music & Cinema in NYC, then at our place. Now, we'd see who was right.
At this point, I had to admit that lots of music lovers were checking them out. Way more than I expected. Not long after that, we unveiled them at CES. And, wouldn't you know it - folks started buying them! Sometimes two or three pairs at a time! All of a sudden, BASSHORNS were outselling everything in the entire line.We couldn't produce them fast enough. Then, it got worse...
Bad publicity
Already eating massive amounts of crow, I made still another mistake by going to the HE 2003 in San Francisco, where we demo'd the TRIO 3.0S and BASSHORNS.
Listen, when you're back-ordered for months, the last thing you want is somebody fueling the fire of demand. So imagine how I felt when TAS Editor-in-Chief Robert Harley wrote in the Aug/Sept 2003 issue:
"This over-the-top system was staggering in its resolution, dynamics and musical expression. (At the end of two demos) both times the audience of about 25 people spontaneously burst into applause. In all my years of attending hi fi shows, I've never seen an audience react that way to a demo ... Bravo!"
You might as well pick on me too.
Go ahead. Hear the Avantgarde BASSHORNS, with TRIOS or the exciting new SOLOS. You'll probably want to buy a pair too.Especially if you currently have a very high performance loudspeaker. Why not take it to the next level by adding the BASSHORN subwoofers?
While you're about it...
Take advantage of our free InfoPak offer. You'll get the acclaimed 31 Secrets to Better Sound, Top 150 CD list, literature and much more. Call the InfoPak line at 800-944-9537 - or e-mail me.
Hey, want some sautéed crow? I've got plenty....
Best regards,
It’s About the Music...
