Salesmen - Blowing smoke...

[captain_tinker]

Folks,
I think the steam vent is probably the best place for this thread. I have had some rather funny run in's with some stupid salesmen recently. I told my wife I think they were blowing smoke up my backside. In any case, we just got the first RC Willey's store in California built nearby, so we went to check it out. They have some Polk and some Infinity speakers, and some others, along with some Sony and some Denon and a few other types of receivers. So I saw some Polk RTi12's that looked really neat. They were a tall floorstanding speaker, with two main drivers, a tweeter, and three bass drivers in each. I had the salesman turn something on so I could listen to it for a moment. It took him 5 minutes of trying to get some sound to come out before he finally called someone over to help him. He pushed a button and Zammo, it worked. Anyway, he puts on the Eagles Hell Freezes Over concert DVD, and I started listening. I am not sure what was the deal, but it didn't sound right, not the way I would have expected. I think something wasn't hooked up right, and in this case, it wouldn't suprise me.

Anyway, I pointed out the bass drivers on it and mentioned something to the salesman about it, and that's when it all started. He says, oh no, those are not actual drivers he says. Those are just there so that when the bass echoes inside the speaker, it hits those and they start to vibrate and give off more bass. So I ask him, you mean like a passive radiator? Yeah he says, not sure what I just said. So I nod politely, and think ok, that could be, I didn't expect that, but sure, I guess that's possible. I looked it up online later, and they sure look like actual drivers to me...

Then I said something about having the Telarc 1812 Overture on SACD, and he said "Oh yeah! When they were first figuring out how long to make a CD they used the 1812 overture as a guide. They said, ok, how long is the 1812 overture, about 112 minutes, so let's make cd's 112 minutes, and thats how we got CD's! Just a bit of Trivia.

I just about couldn't hold in my laughter at that point... At this point I knew the salesman was just blowing smoke and didn't have a clue what he was talking about. First of all, a typical rendition of the 1812 is somewhere in the vicinity of 15 minutes, give or take a little depending on how it is played. And there are not very many 112 minute CD's that I have ever heard of. I think I've seen a rare 100 minute cd-r once, but that's not normal. Typically it is 74 minutes from what I have seen.

Anyway, just figured that would be a fun little anecdote to tell you guys, give you a chuckle. Have a good one.

-capT

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

You almost have to feel bad for some of these guys. He probably just got let go from Sears - selling washers and dryers. He's so used to giving BS to people, he probably doesn't think twice talking out the other end of his pie hole. It would have been funny had you started in on one more technical aspects of speakes, cd-r's, etc... Was this guy older?

 

[captain_tinker]

You almost have to feel bad for some of these guys. He probably just got let go from Sears - selling washers and dryers. He's so used to giving BS to people, he probably doesn't think twice talking out the other end of his pie hole. It would have been funny had you started in on one more technical aspects of speakes, cd-r's, etc... Was this guy older?

Buck,
Older? Hmm, you have to be careful answering that question. It seems that it's all relative. What I may consider "older" someone may say, hey! That's not old. Perhaps I can say in a somewhat kind way... He was "older" than me. I am not sure how old, but he wasn't what I would consider "old." Probably no longer 40, not quite 50. That's my best guess-timate. I just figured it wasn't worth attempting to correct him when he is that far off, just nod my head, and leave. Though, they do have washers and dryers at that same store... Maybe he had wandered over from there? It's not far. If anyone has ever been to an RC Willey, it's a lot of fun, just a very large store, selling everything from inexpensive electronics, to furniture, to large appliances, to computers, to bedding, etc. In fact, on the news the other night, they mentioned that Warren Buffet actually owns the chain. Check out www.rcwilley.com. Hey, on Saturdays in some stores, they actually do free hot dogs! whoo whoo.

I suppose I probably ought to have spoken to someone in management and let them know the low level of competence of this salesperson, but then I figured, I bet most consumers probably would not have caught that, and would have stuck with the Bose speakers they had on the shelf above the Polk's. Owell. *shrug* Thank goodness for sites like this to help educate the uneducated.

-capT

 

[Sheep]

They probly had the speakers hooked up without jumpers, thats why the woofers were not moving.

I always liked the look of the RTi10 and 12, but they need serious power.

SheepStar

 

[majorloser]

This is why I call them "Sales Holes".

 

[Tomorrow]

This is why I call them "Sales Holes".

LOL, I'm thinking of promoting you to Colonel.

 

[captain_tinker]

They probly had the speakers hooked up without jumpers, thats why the woofers were not moving.

I always liked the look of the RTi10 and 12, but they need serious power.

SheepStar

Sheep,
Well, I touched the driver, and felt it pulsing, so something must have been coming out of it, the volume wasn't really very high, I suspect now that I think about it, that maybe the receiver had it's crossover set really high, and so not much bass was making it to the speaker. They had a subwoofer hooked up and it was making way too much racket (really loud volume). Much more that it probably should have, so like I said, it was probably just not set up right. Other than that, they sure did look nice. I don't know much about Polk. My local Hi-Fi shop where I bought my Titan's said that they used to carry Polk a while back, but stopped. I don't remember if they gave a reason or not. Owell.

-capT

 

[majorloser]

LOL, I'm thinking of promoting you to Colonel.

Actually, it would be Lt. Colonel

 

[j_garcia]

The salesperson's JOB is to blow smoke most of the time... It is rare to find someone who actually knows WTF they are talking about.

 

[Sheep]

The salesperson's JOB is to blow smoke most of the time... It is rare to find someone who actually knows WTF they are talking about.

Thats because they're fired after a couple months.

That may be (Xover). Those towers need power, big time. Even with they were running full range, they still would have need more power then that.

SheepStar

 

[markw]

The salesperson's JOB is to blow smoke most of the time... It is rare to find someone who actually knows WTF they are talking about.

But it's the rare salesperson that is smart enough to realize that the person he's talking to actually knows more than he does. Generally, they just keep on digging deeper and deeper.

...that's when it's a temptation to zap 'em with some facts but they wouldn't realize the truth anyway. I usually just shake my head, quietly laugh and walk away and quietly say "no".

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

If you look on their website, they don't sell a receiver capable of driving those towers to achieve any type of bass output.

By "older" (and I'm old - pushing 37), I meant late 50's, early 60's. That's your typical Sears appliance salesman. Bleached out hair and ill fitting suit. BTW, I'm allowed to make fun, I'm a sales rep.

 

[Tomorrow]

If you look on their website, they don't sell a receiver capable of driving those towers to achieve any type of bass output.

By "older" (and I'm old - pushing 37), I meant late 50's, early 60's. That's your typical Sears appliance salesman. Bleached out hair and ill fitting suit. BTW, I'm allowed to make fun, I'm a sales rep.

Older? OLDER! Typical Sears appliance...?! Thanks.

an older guy

 

[Johnny Canuck]

I have the RTI 12's and trust me, when you drive them in 2 channel and give them a bit of bass with the tone control or EQ, they rival having a sub. My problem has always been the brightness. But I also sit 9 feet from them. They are overkill I think though as you cross them over at 80hz anyways. But they look very nice and I thought might as well get their best.

JC

 

[Sheep]

I have the RTI 12's and trust me, when you drive them in 2 channel and give them a bit of bass with the tone control or EQ, they rival having a sub. My problem has always been the brightness. But I also sit 9 feet from them. They are overkill I think though as you cross them over at 80hz anyways. But they look very nice and I thought might as well get their best.

JC

Have you posted any pics of your system yet? It sounds like it would look nice

SheepStar

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Then I said something about having the Telarc 1812 Overture on SACD, and he said "Oh yeah! When they were first figuring out how long to make a CD they used the 1812 overture as a guide. They said, ok, how long is the 1812 overture, about 112 minutes, so let's make cd's 112 minutes, and thats how we got CD's! Just a bit of Trivia.

I think it was actually Beethoven's 9th symphony.

 

[Johnny Canuck]

Yeah sheep. Like your Energy speakers would "look" nicer. Give me a break idiot. Energy is no better than Polk. A and B sound's lowest end speaker.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Yeah sheep. Like your Energy speakers would "look" nicer. Give me a break idiot. Energy is no better than Polk. A and B sound's lowest end speaker.

JC,

I don't think Sheep was being critical of Polk. He's told me he actually likes the look of the RTi series towers, but from my take, knows they need extra power to sound their best. Circus City used to carry the 2 largest towers, and never had an adequate AVR to properly power them. I think that's the reason more folks don't have a better opinion of the RTi towers. IMO, the RTi4's sound excellent, as do the towers off a standard AVR if the straps are removed and top half of the towers are used as "expensive bookshelves on built in stands."

 

[Sheep]

Yeah sheep. Like your Energy speakers would "look" nicer. Give me a break idiot. Energy is no better than Polk. A and B sound's lowest end speaker.

ROFL.

Actually, Reference Audio and Pro-Linear are A&Bsounds lowest end speakers.

This is rediculous. I tried to compliment your system, and you completely throw it back in my face.

Wow,

SheepStar

 

[Johnny Canuck]

not the first time sheep you have used sarcasm with me. Now you are trying to get everyone around here to believe you. Your comments were meant to say they "look" nice and that's it. Then i saw what you had and couldn't believe you had the nerve to say what you did. You like your gear. i like mine. Let's leave it at that.

Truce.