Re: [ARSCLIST] Clarifying the MAM-A gold comment

["Steven C. Barr(x)" <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Richter" <mrichter@xxxxxxx>
> Soon after, the company folded. They could not compete on price with 
> schlock from the Orient; they could not compete on reputation with the 
> high-end product. I fear that without supplement, the wanderings of 
> Mitsui/MAM gold will continue until a cliff is encountered and quality 
> audio media vanish.
> 
IF the "free market" works the way it is supposed to in theory (and note
that I make my comment as a NON-fan of it...!) there should be the following
result:

1) There presumably exists (must, for this to happen) a body of users
(aka "demographic") to whom quality is of sufficient importance to
reduce the importance of price.

2) Given the truth of (1) above, there will arise a manufacturer who
specializes in making available discs of consistently very high quality
and predicted life span...in order to sell them at a higher price to
the above-defined demographic.

There are any number of products where there exists a minority demographic
who demand and require a higher quality and/or dependability than does the
average consumer thereof. In almost all cases, there arises a supplier who
can fill that/those need(s). What can happen, though, is that the general
public start purchasing these "high-end brands" based on their anecdotal
repuation; in many cases, the increased production leads to a decrease
in quality!

I have a personal example here. Among my posessions is a c.1946 E.H. Scott
800-B radio (the last model designed under the supervision of Mr. Scott).
These sets were intended to be as close to perfect as a commercially-sold
radio could be, and "hang the cost!" Mine has 24 tubes, chrome-plated
chassis, a 15" coaxial dual-driver speaker, a solid-mahogany cabinet
(veneered with decorative mahogany as well!) and cost over $1,500 at
a time when a new Chevrolet cost $1,200.

I don't know the history involved, but not too long after the 800-B was
introduced, E.H. Scott left his firm and it was sold to other owners,
who tried to use the name to market ordinary high-end sets and quickly 
went under...

Steven C. Barr