AVRant #10: Tom is a Badass and Dina is Evil

[admin]

Dina and Tom finish their discussion of her undercover trip to Best Buy. This one is all about cables and power. John could have suggested using the analogue inputs for high def audio but that was WAY out of his circle of knowledge so Tom just glossed over that. If you're wondering about the title, you didn't listen long enough! See you next week.

Discuss "AVRant #10: Tom is a Badass and Dina is Evil" here. Listen to the Podcast.

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[avaserfi]

Hey, I am internet famous now. So, when are the badass cables going to be released? I need a new rca anyways .

 

[Haoleb]

Ok i just have to say this, While I LOVE to walk into best buy or CC or whereever and know that Im more knowledgeable on the stuff than everyone in there combined, You cant expect some kid that gets a job at these places to be at the same level as alot of the people on this forum. If your going into that place and you need help on buying something the the advice they give isint REEEALLLY bad. Well the circuit city dude was pretty hit and miss. Mainly miss but the best buy guy seems alright.

Of course you can get cables cheaper, but the kid works at best buy, and thats what they sell not like the guy has much choice.

Its like going into radio shack and trying to buy electronic components or something, I dont bother asking anyone where something is because it will take me 10 minutes just to explain what im looking for. If your working at best buy or CC or radio shack, you Probabbly dont have a ton of knowledge in the field or else you would be working at someplace else, doing installs or working at a high end company. Best buy is like the fast food of the AV world. Not something to work your way up to.

 

[Tom Andry]

That guy had been working there for over 6 years. How much experience do you think he needs before he should be knowledgeable enough to hang out on these boards?

 

[majorloser]

That guy had been working there for over 6 years. How much experience do you think he needs before he should be knowledgeable enough to hang out on these boards?

He's way over qualified

 

[avaserfi]

He's way over qualified

Of course he is. He is one of the truly smart employees who not only gets you to buy crappy speakers, but he will up sell you on a receiver that you would never need with said speakers and cables that cost more than the receiver!

 

[Haoleb]

That guy had been working there for over 6 years. How much experience do you think he needs before he should be knowledgeable enough to hang out on these boards?

well, knowledgeable enough that you wont rip him to shreds. lol. thats what i meant.

The one thing about his job that I could never do is sell people the stuff in best buy. I would be the worst employee ever, sending everyone to this forum and the internet to get the best bang for their buck. I guess its good they dont work on commision though.

 

[Tom Andry]

Holy CRAP! You thought that was ripping to shreds?!? I've made grown men cry. That was positively cordial in comparison. I gave John and Carson every benefit of every doubt. I couldn't do much more than that other than give them both big hugs and tell them, "It's OK, your mommy will be home soon and make it all better. The bad man is gone now..." Geesh, the man is supposed to be doing a job. If we can't point out the flaws for the benefit of the uninformed public, then what's the alternative? Let him roam free spreading misinformation willy nilly across the countryside? This is America man! Land of the free, home of the brave. The place where I can say any damn thing I want to, especially if I'm right!

 

[Haoleb]

dont get me wrong here, i completely enjoy the undercover investigations. but its like taking your car to walmart to get it repaired. You just cant expect to get top notch kind of service.

On a side note, I think this badass thing is going to your head. ya know people keep saying it until you just wake up and look in the mirror every morning flexing your arms while brushing your teeth and saying man, I am such a badass. I could so just ram this toothbrush through carson and his center channel subwoofers...

man.... im such a badass... lol

 

[Tom Andry]

The next place I'm hoping that Dina goes is a boutique shop. I'll bet dollars to donuts that she gets more misinformation there than at either the two other places combined. That's the problem. If you don't do the research yourself on places like Audioholics, there is no "good" place to go IMO. Just lots of people spewing nonsense, snake-oil, and old wives tales.

Oh, and don't worry about my head. My ego long ego grew to maximum density

 

[avaserfi]

The boutique will be interesting I would be more then willing to bet they will try and sell her cables that cost more than everything that she was told to buy and CC and BB combined maybe she will even get those awesome wires that time when the signal is sent JUST incase the wirelengths aren't exactly the same . I hear those work wonders.

 

[krabapple]

Tom, you're wrong about no one in their right audio mind liking Bose. There's a guy called Gary Eickmeier who has built a whole room around a 901 surround system, and he's definitely not an idiot. His system was profiled in Sensible Sound a few years back, and you can find his posts on usenet and some interweb fora.

 

[Tom Andry]

Oh, well, if Gary did it then it must be OK

I've never heard the 901's but I've heard just about every other HT speaker they've made and they're all garbage. I've always been leery of speakers, in general, that require an EQ to fix their inherent problems so you'll have to forgive my hesitation in taking yours, Gary's, or anyone else's word on their quality.

 

[majorloser]

I've made grown men cry.

I'll just sit here quietly biting my tongue and let this one go.

 

[obscbyclouds]

Oh, well, if Gary did it then it must be OK

I've never heard the 901's but I've heard just about every other HT speaker they've made and they're all garbage. I've always been leery of speakers, in general, that require an EQ to fix their inherent problems so you'll have to forgive my hesitation in taking yours, Gary's, or anyone else's word on their quality.

I've heard them, and definately was not impressed. Very very vague soundstage....

 

[avaserfi]

I've heard them, and definately was not impressed. Very very vague soundstage....

You don't get the point. SOMEBODY did it so it must not be that bad .

 

[obscbyclouds]

You don't get the point. SOMEBODY did it so it must not be that bad .

Just like bi-wiring huh?

 

[zhimbo]

dont get me wrong here, i completely enjoy the undercover investigations. but its like taking your car to walmart to get it repaired. You just cant expect to get top notch kind of service.

How about basically competent? Never mind top notch.

CC and BB are supposed to be able to give you advice on home electronics. They say so themselves. Therefore, I expect them to do so at least at a very minimal level of competence.

Clearly, there's little evidence they can do so.

I won't be buying from either until I feel I won't get blatantly wrong information when I go in, or until they recluse themselves from giving advice and admit they're really only capable of being a distributor, and tell you that you have to do your own homework.

 

[obscbyclouds]

I won't be buying from either until I feel I won't get blatantly wrong information when I go in, or until they recluse themselves from giving advice and admit they're really only capable of being a distributor, and tell you that you have to do your own homework.

There's no doubt they have little competency, but personally, I'd never go into a BB or CC unless I know exactly what I want. The only thing I'd ever need an employee for is to get something from the back room, etc.

 

[Tom Andry]

There's no doubt they have little competency, but personally, I'd never go into a BB or CC unless I know exactly what I want. The only thing I'd ever need an employee for is to get something from the back room, etc.

I agree, hesitantly. It is an unfortunate state of affairs when you can't trust your salesman/woman to give you basic information correctly. I don't expect them to know everything about everything but they should a) know how to hook something up correctly, b) know that a stereo receiver won't give you surround sound, and c) know the basic functioning of their products, and d) give you options. While the CC guy gave options, he was clearly very confused about how things worked (center channel for bass?). The BB guy seemed to have more knowledge but that knowledge was riddled with fundamental misunderstandings of how things can and should be connected. Not to mention that he recommended a system and that was it. No other recommendations, no other information, take his suggestion or you're own your own. Makes you wonder what sorts of BS you're getting fed when you walk into HD or Lowe's doesn't it?

I hope that the boutique store has more accurate info about hooking stuff up but I expect there will be a lot of snake oil in there as well. We'll see.