Razlaw,

I think what we're experiencing on this thread (and to a large extent the TrueHD Audio thread), is a difference in point of view, not neccessarily a debate of fact. I also feel that you and I (and many others seen and unseen) are of similar minds as to what makes a quality product and a great experience.

I think that I could probably sit down in a Rolls Royce and say that the steerling wheel could have been carved of a rarer wood, or that a gasket could have had a different chemical make-up, or a dial could have been made of a different allow, or you could have put a more expensive pair of tires on it, and on and on. These are the cheap and easy criticisms, in my viewpoint, though I respect that our brand attracts a following who are, by nature, very detail oriented.

What I am saying is that, while we can discuss intellectually the possibilities in terms of material and component choice, aesthetic details, etc., we also have to zoom out a bit and acknoledge that on balance, it is difficult to find another product or brand where ease of use, quality of build, strength of performance, and level of service are simultaneously achieved at such high levels. In other words, you may find a speaker that has a better quality driver, but it will either sound worse due to other compromises, or be so expensive or difficult to use that your own spouse would avoid its operation. You can also find beautiful products (I personally think of Brionvega, Loewe, and even Sony from time to time) that are initially very striking, but aren't built with much care and don't have nearly the performance or ability that a Bang & Olufsen system would.

So, like I said, I think that we can all agree on many cold hard facts (i.e. drivers, chipsets, materials, etc.) but many of us diverge on our point of view as to what we personally look for in a brand or product.

I was going to say "just my 2 cents," but I think I'm probably up toward $2.37 by now!

P.S. Peter, maybe you can add a new item to the gift shop to raise some capital. I'm thinking a "TrueHD Audio Thread 2008: I Was There" T-Shirt!

The daleks have always been a superior race.  Lets hope this is maintained.