-=> Roy J. Tellason said to Greg Mayman
 -=> about "*BIG* TRANSISTORS" on 02-27-04  12:19.....

 RJT> There also seems to be a tendency for more lights on cheaper stuff.  I
 RJT> remember the first time I encountered one particular brand of stuff a
 RJT> while back,  doing a service call on an organ and these people had just
 RJT> got themselves a new stereo by mail-order and wanted some help with it.
 RJT> It looked like a christmas tree!

Have you seen the sound systems with the display that shows
pretty pictures while the thing is playing? I guess maybe $20
worth of parts to put $200 on the price... or probably more.

 I encountered that same brand of
 RJT> stuff some time later when we were dealing with rental companies, 
 RJT> where people would pay $800-1000 for a unit that had cost the company
 RJT> about $225.  Yikes! 
 RJT> And it was all the most cheaply made crap.

Yep, designed to break down just outside the warranty period.
6 months seems to be very common these days where it used to be
from 1 to 5 years. And of course the electronics are
unrepairable, you just replace the modules... except that by that
time they are no longer made.

 RJT> Not only was there a 5-level (or so) "VU Meter" in
there,  but also
 RJT> what they called a "spectrum analyzer" as well.  With
all of maybe 6
 RJT> bands to cover the whole audio spectrum...

Like the 5 band "graphic equalizers" on car sound systems.

That kind of gimmickry turns me right off. But it obviously must
appeal to some people.

   ,-./\
  /     \ From Greg Mayman, in beautiful Adelaide, South Australia
  \_,-*_/    "Queen City of The South"    34:55 S  138:36 E
       v

... Reality is a crutch for people who can't handle Star Trek
___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30

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