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All you need to know about Response Audio
What you will find on this page:
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About Response Audio
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Audiophile or Music Lover - Where do you fit in
(The best description of what Response Audio is all about))
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About our Modifications
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Buyer Beware - Buying Direct From China
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About Response Audio
Response Audio Co. LLC, owned and operated by Bill
& Leann Baker was established in the early 90's and is located in Endicott,
a small village in Upstate New York. We provide custom and unique
products and modifications with the goal of building the best music
system (see below) for our customers, all within individual budget
limitations.
Our Facility/Audition Rooms: One visit and you
will immediately note that we are much different from most audio stores
or dealers you may have visited in the past. Our "showroom"
was primarily designed to house systems for testing and evaluating our
many custom and exclusive products as they are completed. Over the years of Response Audio
expanding, we have opened our doors to consumers to share in the
excitement. In many personal auditions, a consumer may very likely be
auditioning a product that was recently finished for another consumer.
Customers are encouraged to bring music as well as associated components
they are familiar with to listen.
Our Philosophy: We carefully listen to our customers to be
better able to assemble systems or come up with modifications to best
suit their personal listening habits, environments and budget. However,
the overriding criteria is sound quality - providing the best
possible listening experience for our customers is the paramount
consideration.
Our Products: This is where we differ greatly from others.
Response Audio is dedicated to bringing you not only some of the best
values in the industry but also some of the most unique and exclusive.
Bone stock and/or customized systems can be assembled to suit budgets
from $2,000 to $100,000 or more. For this reason, you will also find
that we do not stock a lot of product.
No Games: We do not play typical internet games commonly
found with other dealers just looking to make sales. You will not find
our products on Ebay or Amazon. We do not advertise an "open
box" unit for months at a time. If we have a demo or used unit, we
will advertise it on our website and/or AudioGon. Once it sells, that's
it.....it's gone. No games. We do not play the Internet pricing game.
Our prices are listed and you will not find "Call for pricing"
on any product unless it is a custom unit with further options available
such as any of the Bella EXtreme Signature or Reference products.
No Games.
Exclusives: Over the years we have become well known for our
custom and/or exclusive products. Many products found here are only
available here. Take a look at our Bella EXtreme amplifiers, Musica Bella SP/AV loudspeakers,
Audio Note Custom, Jolida based "3205" amplifiers, EXtreme ASL Hurricane and
Monsoon amplifier modifications and
EXtreme Adagio loudspeakers. You will not find anybody else in the
world offering these units. They are exclusive to Response Audio and are
custom built to order to meet your personal preferences, needs and
budget. You will also note that all of our modifications have been
cleared and approved by the manufacturer and/or distributor.
Tired of buying a "me-too" audio products only to find
yourself listing it on AudioGon within a few months? Response Audio is
dedicated to offering you many one-of-a-kind products that are custom
tailored to satisfy your musical preferences. It's time to start
enjoying the music rather than evaluating your gear on a daily basis.
Our Services: We specialize in custom modification and design
of loudspeakers and tube amp products. We work with each customer on an
individual basis to assure designing a system that one will be happy
with for many years.
Custom Products: Almost all of our exclusive products and
modifications are custom built to order. We realize everyone has
different taste, listening habits and budget so we try to meet your
needs to the best of our ability. Many now desire one-of-a-kind products
to set them apart from the masses. The prices listed are for the
modifications listed on the page. If you desire a products as it is
listed, you only need to call and order that particular product. If you
desire customizing to your personal taste, you can call or email with
your inquiries and an estimate will be sent to you via email.
After Sale Services: Consumers' preferences can change from
time to time, therefore when customers feel that the time has come to
upgrade, improve of simply change their current system or even set up
another system, we are here to make the transition as easy and pleasant
as possible. We guide customers through this phase and advise them of
the best time and the best approach to adopt when changes are desired
within their own musical ventures.
Some thoughts
The audio industry is tricky and challenging at best. I've learned
some valuable lessons along the way, mostly from customers, a lot from
manufacturers, and most importantly my family, to whom I am truly
thankful for putting up with me on a daily basis. In regard to products
that I will represent, I do not always look for the "best of
breed" but rather seek out those that represent true value and make
recommendation's accordingly. I like to be unique with many of my ideas
being anything but conventional. Like anything audio, my designs and
modifications are voiced on what sounds best to me as well as my
customers. I guess you would
call it my "Signature Sound". What is my sound? Just read "Audiophile or Music Lover - Where do you fit in"
below. Obviously, what sounds best to
me will not always fit the criteria of others and I do not take this to
heart. Most of the gear you will find on this website, and in my
store, you may not have heard of... yet! I would say that 95% of people
who visit in person or after receiving their custom product(s), hear the
best sound they have ever heard. "Buyer's remorse" is not a
phrase we hear very often!! Our Testimonials
pages will attest to this. I try very hard to make my customers as happy
as possible.
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Audiophile or Music Lover - Where do you
fit in
HOW NOT TO LISTEN TO MUSIC
(at least my views on the subject)
Okay.....where to start? It is my opinion that audio consumers fall
within one of two categories, "Audiophiles" or "Music
lovers". Let me explain.
An audiophile seeks a system capable of portraying each
individual piece of information separately as if it existed in it's own
place in space and time. This goes much further than simply being able
to distinguish individual instruments. It is my opinion that a system of
this kind does not have the proper "blending" as you would
experience at a live venue which in turn gives the music it's emotion. There is a perfection in center imaging
usually with an eight inch sweet spot, more emphasized detail than one
cares to hear and the most unrealistic bass that I have never
experienced at a live event. The problem? Move even slightly out of that
sweet spot position and the whole illusion disappears. Overall, I find
these types of systems dry, clinical and plain boring to listen to for
any extended period of time. Yes, they do have the utmost level of
detail, resolution and dynamics but simply do not sound "real"
to me. No texture, no body, no realism........no soul.
This is what we have been brainwashed to believe as
"accurate" musical reproduction by hi-fi rags and
'politically' run review sites. These systems can find, all to easily,
any minute flaw in the recording, how fun is that? We already know 99%
of all recordings are flawed one way or another. Who cares. Who wants to
buy a system that makes only 1% of our recordings enjoyable? Yes, they
may be theoretically correct in terms of measurements but we don't
listen to measurements. Just look
at how many reviewers and over paid marketing agents have coaxed people
into buying overly analytical crap for ridiculous amounts of money, only
to wind up selling it within 3 months because it didn't engage them in
the MUSIC!! Duh. It is this high turnover that keeps the super exotic
product manufacturers in business. Ask yourself this question, "do
you want to listen to your components or your music"?
On the other hand we have the music
lover, that's me, who focuses attention, not on a single piece of
data within a recording, but to the presentation as a whole. Yes, you
can hear all the information in the recording, the difference is in the
delivery. The music should get inside of you and touch your soul. A good
music system should provide you with every aspect of the recording but
not "dissect" it and throw it at you in pieces. Response Audio
is all about this type of experience. I choose to hear my music the way it
was meant to be heard, as close to a natural event as possible. I don't
need or want an eight inch "sweet spot". After all, what
about those of us who actually have friends that we want to share our
musical experiences with. "Okay, move over, it's my turn to
listen". Give'me a break. I want a system that does not call to
attention itself rather disappear allowing the music to flow. It should
be smooth, enjoyable and non-fatiguing over long periods of time. Has a
good center image that more than one person can enjoy at one time and
most importantly, simply allows the music to get inside of me. Music is
all about emotion. If you want to walk away talking about how perfect
your components are, buy an audiophile system, if you want to walk away
understanding what the artist was feeling and trying to portray, put
together a music system that allows the music to get inside of you.
That's what Response Audio is all about! Emotion!
I can promise you that most enjoyable music systems will not measure
perfectly but if they give us pleasure in our musical ventures, that's
all that matters. Yes? This is not to say that systems sold, designed or
modified by Response Audio do not measure very good, just not
analytically perfect.
I realize many will not agree with these thoughts and they may even irritate some of you but
please realize that these are my personal opinions and preferences only. I only want to
allow others to understand the philosophy of Response audio and how our
systems are meant to be understood. I mean no disrespect to the
Audiophile community and the companies that cater to them. After all, my
personal quote..........
"Build your system for yourself, not the
critics"
1-21-06 Revision
After reading the these writings, I do not want anyone to think that
I do not appreciate and enjoy a system that provides a clean and
articulate presentation. There is a difference between detailed /
accurate / musical and analytical / un involving / dry. At least to my
ears.
I would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to Email
me
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About our
Modifications
First things first: If you are simply not
happy with the performance of your tube product (amplifier, preamp, CD
player, etc.), modifications may not be the answer. Our modifications
are designed to bring out more of the hidden potential within a product,
not completely change its overall characteristics. We can bring out more
resolution, inner detail, dynamic control, transparency, etc. We cannot
change a Pinto into a Porsche.
In short, if you simply do not like what you
are hearing, I recommend considering other alternatives.
We are often asked if and why modifications are
recommended. -- Every product [can] benefit from being modified/upgraded
if the proper path is chosen. There are some manufacturers that already
use what they feel to be the best of components when assembling their
products. To modify these products with the wrong or even just different
components could destroy the sonic flavor you have already come to love
but then again, it could take the product to the next level. This is why
I like to discuss any custom modification prior to you making any
commitments. We modify products based on price/performance value while tailoring all
of our work to fit within a justifiable price point. Also keep in mind
that Response Audio does not actually alter the circuit design in most
of our modifications but rather installs upgraded internal components
that enhances the natural hidden potential within. The combination of
components used within our upgrades are based on many years of
experimentation. We will often alter the internal layout to optimize the
upgrades that are implemented into the product to create the shortest
signal paths, reduce the potential of interference and control internal
resonance. Our mods are based on personal research and years of consumer
feedback to find just the right combination of parts and arrangement
rather than just throwing in a bunch of parts that are “claimed” to
be the best. Not all combinations make for a sonic improvement. With our
modifications, it's not any single upgrade that makes the difference but
rather the sum of the whole that brings out the very best in any given
product.
While other companies will throw together
a package of expensive components that are "claimed" to be the
best, this does not always equate to the best sonic formula. Our
modified components have stood the test of time and most important, the
test of the consumer. We take pride in working with each individual
customer to custom build each unit to his/hers personal
preferences. We are not looking to change the sonic characteristics of
these products but rather bring to the surface more of the hidden
potential that lays within.
Some will tell you it is not the
components within a product that make it sound good but rather only the
circuit design. Is this true? Yes, but this is only a half truth. When
you combine quality internal components into a product with a good
circuit design, you bring out much more of the hidden potential within.
Yes, it is true that many products sound good in their stock form but
with some well thought out modifications, it is only that much better.
We do not design our modifications based
on internal components that carry the highest price tag or are
"claimed" to be the best. We design these products based on
our many years of listening and evaluation as well as listening to our
customers. Sometimes it is the most unorthodox combination of components
that yield the best sonic results. Yes, some of these components carry a
higher price tag but we also have different levels to accommodate a wide
variety of budgets.
Don't be fooled by others telling you
they used the best, most expensive components.
Although we list modification packages,
we can custom modify your amp to fit within your personal listening
preferences, habits and budget. All you have to do is call and we can
start designing a modification to fit your needs.
A few secrets:
Coupling Capacitors: Do
capacitors make a difference? Absolutely. We have found that capacitors
used throughout the design can make a significant difference in
the sonic presentation. The down side is that it is not always for the
better. Over the years, we have experimented with many different
capacitor makes in our products. We found that some sounded better than
others depending on the design and particular application. For this
reason, we use and recommend various capacitor makes in our products. To
this date, I personally feel there are two manufacturers that provide
enough options to cover many different sonic characters. Who are these
manufacturers? VH Audio with their V-Cap TFTF (Teflon) and OIMP (oil
impregnated metallized polypropylene) and Sonic Craft with their SoniCap
Gen I, Gen II and Platinum capacitors. Response Audio has voiced our
products and modifications on the offerings of these two very highly
regarded capacitor manufacturers.
Connectors: Upgrading to
expensive, name brand RCA jacks and binding post does not always provide
you with better sound. Upgrading these components (on older pieces that
use very cheap connectors) will give you a superior contact that allows
for a better connection thus allowing your system to stay in tune. You
would be amazed at how much a worn out or cheap connector could effect
the sound. If a component is already supplied with decent connectors
that provide a good, tight contact, your are only wasting money
upgrading to more expensive pieces. This is the reason why our standard
mods do not use exotic, high priced pieces as a standard.
Internal wiring: For those
components that have their inputs connected to a circuit board only an
inch or so from the RCA input jack, such as most CD players, replacing
these contacts with a short piece of wire (some are only an inch long)
will have absolutely no sonic effect no matter how exotic the wire may
be. We replace the internal wiring in many of our products due to the
longer lengths that DO effect the sonic characteristics.
Volume controls: Using a good
quality volume control IS very crucial but it is not always necessary to
chose the most expensive unit. The pricey volume controls are well worth
their cost but may not provide the sonic flavor you desire. A DACT
attenuator would most likely not satisfy one looking for a seductive,
warm presentation just as a Noble or carbon based unit would not be the
choice for an extremely detailed, analytical sound.
Basically what I am trying to state here
is that not every component should be evaluated solely on it's price
tag. This is why we work with every individual to custom modify almost
every product we produce or modify.
Jolida Modifications
Response Audio has become very well regarded in
the modifications for the Jolida line of products as well as our custom
built new units. We were the first company to start offering upgrade
modifications for these products starting with the 302/502
"A" Series Special Edition units that were brought forth via a
special contract with Jolida Inc. We will continue to offer these
units, now the Signature and Reference Series, as long as our inventory
holds out. Before releasing these integrated amplifiers to you, many
variations of modifications were performed to find just the right
combination of components to meet our strict requirements and the
signature sound we were after. See component selection below.
We will continue to offer further custom
variations of all of our products to meet the individual requirements of
the end user, you the consumer. Response Audio is familiar enough with
these products and the various components used within the modifications
to custom modify the product of your choice to meet your
personal listening preferences, taste and budget. So if you have a
particular sonic flavor that you prefer, we can work together to custom
build or modify your component that will provide you with many years of
sonic nirvana!!
Since the introduction of our Signature
and Reference products and modifications, our customers have been
overwhelmed and amazed with the amount of dynamic control these
amplifiers now offer. This is due to the new modifications and upgrades
we incorporate into the power supply. After a long period of
testing and evaluating various electrolytic capacitors, we have come
across some new pieces that we use in the two of the three power supply
stages. What these bring to the tale is dynamic bass control unheard-of
in any tube amplifier anywhere near the price of our exclusive units
and/or modifications. From the 202A right on up to the JD1000, our
modifications turn these amplifiers dynamic power houses.
Antique Sound Labs
Response Audio has become very well regarded in
the modifications for the Jolida line of products which led to inquiries
from consumers to perform surgery to other product lines. One of the
most common products was the Antique Sound Labs (ASL), line of
tube products. I was interested but could not devote the time or capital
to purchase one of each model to develop the modifications. This problem
was cured in an unusual way. Products owners starting offering their
personal units, giving up their amplifiers to be used as “Beta”
units. Credit must be given to these consumers as many of our
modifications were based on the experimentation with their units.
The ASL line of products are another one of
those in which provide a quality product at a predetermined price point.
These are exceptional values and like the Jolida products, have a lot
more hidden potential to be brought forward.
While the ASL line is very similar, they do
have their differences. Many of the product line is wired as a point to
point application. Many consider this to be a preferred way of building
tube electronics but is much more time consuming when it comes to
modifying and/or servicing. This is not to say that circuit board
applications cannot be exceptional pieces for music reproduction, just
take a look at the Jolida tube amps as well as a Fender Deluxe guitar
amplifier. If music can be made with this type of design, who's to say
it can't be reproduced the same way? The other drawback, for myself, is
that there are many more models available and the circuitry changes
between these models and even changes within the same model depending on
vintage. It is for this reason Response Audio cannot post set pricing
schedules and must take on each modification project on a one-on-one
basis. This also allows the owner to have their unit custom modified by
choosing what is to be incorporated into the modification to meet their
personal listening taste.
Other Stuff
Over the past several months, we have been
receiving an overwhelming number of inquiries to perform upgrade
modifications on various tube products that are not carried by Response
Audio. While we truly appreciate your trust and respect for our work, we
unfortunately cannot accommodate all these request in a timely fashion.
There are a large number of products on the
market that we are not familiar enough with to arrange for modification
packages. While we can work with you in a one-on-one custom basis, this
would obviously come with a slightly higher price and turnaround time
than working with those products we are familiar with and have worked on
for so many years such as anything from the Jolida tube amp line to many
of the Ming-Da and Antique Sound Labs products.
At the bottom of this page you will find
a list of everything we have worked on an even those we have not. As we
work on various products available we get a better idea of what hidden
potential can be obtained from any given piece. If it is a piece we find
worthy of developing a standard modification for, such as the Dared
VP-845 as mentioned below, we will set up a dedicated modification page
for that product.
If you have a product that you truly enjoy and
only want to bring out more of it's hidden potential that you know lurks
deep within, accommodations can be arranged. However, we would need for
you to obtain and send us an up-to-date schematic ( hardcopy send via US
Mail or FAX) for the unit as well as knowing a bit more in regard to the
type of presentation you are seeking. Many of the higher end products on
the market are already equipped with high quality internal components.
Modifying these components does not always result in a better
presentation but rather a "different" sound which we
realize many people may be after.
SUMMARY
Rather than paying several thousands of dollars
to purchase a new amplifier that [may] be an upgrade over what you
already own, you can upgrade your current amp or purchase one of our new
modified units to exceed the level of that much more expensive unit. You
could be spending a lot of cash for a “name brand” product only to
find out the parts quality is no better than what you have on your rack
now. By having your amplifier modified, you are maintaining that
presentation you fell in love to begin with while bringing out and
enhancing much more of it’s capabilities, the hidden potential within.
Not to mention, now you know what is inside your amplifier. The best
aspect of it all is that you invested only a fraction of cost of a new
unit leaving more money available for further system upgrades and/or
adding to your music collection.
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Buyer Beware - Buying Direct From China
The audio industry is getting tougher by the day. There is a plethora of
inexpensive products now finding their way into the market from
overseas. Many of these products contain bottom of the barrel internal
components and quality control. Many of these factories have changed
ownership with quality control being the key sacrificed element. I know
this because I get inquiries on a daily basis to service, rebuild or
modify these products. Buyers beware! We are now getting back to the
"you get what you pay for" syndrome. There are several small
companies that start up just to bring in these products, move them
quickly at discounted prices (quantity), make their money and move on.
When it comes time to service these products, they are nowhere to be
found. You saved a few bucks in the beginning but now have an expensive
paper weight. The only way to get these units repaired is to find a
local facility willing to take on the task or ship them back overseas to
the factory (if you can) and wait several months for the return.
Here are only a few of the key problems associated with many of these
products.
1) Our 120V outlet will increase the global voltage of the
circuit by 20% .The problem is that these products are designed for only
220V operation without any variance allowance in the transformers.
When they rewire their transformers for use in the US, the circuit is
wired to operate one a true 110V (half of their 220V). When we apply
117V-125V to these products, the circuit is over driven and this is
when you see capacitors and resistors start to burn up. This also
causes a problem with even the filament voltage of the tubes causing
them to run well above their required 6.3V.
2) You usually need to replace ALL the capacitors in these units as
they are all subject to "Ballooning" (from the overvoltage),
we have seen many of these products fitted with Fake Solen capacitors.
3) Most power supply applications are running under valued
resistors causing premature failure..
4) Almost all these products have improper grounding.
As an example:
A while back, before I did my extensive research, I had a Chinese
factory do some OEM work for me on 300B mono bloc amplifiers. I decided
to order a few pair in for evaluation only to find that every one of
them would burn up the 300B cathode resistor and bypass capacitor with
only 2 -3 days of use. In the end, it turned out to be caused by the
situation as mentioned in #1 above. Every piece I brought in was wasted
as the transformers were designed to operate ONLY on 110V and were not usable
for our 117V AC. This was a very expensive lesson with the only
advantage is being able to pass this information on to you the consumer
so you do not through your hard earned money away.
You will also notice many products appearing under different names
that look exactly the same from the outside. While some of these
products are highly regarded, well researched and designed, many of them
are just a new name badge on another "bottom of the barrel"
products. If you are considering purchasing a product with a name on it
that you are not familiar with but it looks exactly like a highly
regarded "name brand product", do yourself a favor and do some
research before handing over your hard earned money. Don't be fooled by
look-alikes. Just because one product looks like another of higher cost,
this does not mean that it is of the same quality. I do agree this makes
things very difficult when it comes to buying a new product. I have been
researching many of these products for some time and all I can say is
this, purchase products of known integrity or from a company who has a
background and decent reputation. Be careful with "companies"
or "importers" that just started up yesterday as they may not
be around tomorrow.
The downfall: Unfortunately, Response Audio is now at
the point where we can no longer spend countless hours each week on the
phone or emails giving free advise on how to repair these products. Not
that we don't want to, we simply don't have that kind of disposable
time. This is now beginning to overwhelm us taking up far too much of
our time that we need to spend working on our customer's units and/or
answering their questions. If the dealer that sold you the product is
still in business, please refer back to them on their service
procedures. In many cases where we have serviced these products, the
repair bill was more than the consumer paid for the product and honestly
not worth it in the end.
All of our products have stood the test of time and have developed
industry integrity. We also stand behind all of our products and
modifications, especially our custom and exclusive pieces. We can do
this because we are very confident in them because we built them and
know every thing that has gone into them in regards to parts quality and
the QC these products receive. The consumer can now feel confident about
their purchase knowing there is someone to stand behind and service this
product should the need arise. All of our products are serviced right
here in our New York facility, you will not have to ship your product
across the oceans and wait 7 months to get it back. If you get it back.
With a few hundred custom or modified products in service
around the globe the past few years, we still have less than 5 products
that have ever come back for service work.
NOTE: This does not mean to stay away from Chinese
manufactured products as there are many highly quality audio products
sold in this country that are manufactured in China. I am simply stating
to be cautious as to who and where you purchase these products from.
Modifying "China Direct" products
I receive several calls a month to modify and/or service these
products. From this time forward, we will no longer work on or modify
any product purchased direct from China. We will also not work on any
Ming-Da amplifiers that utilize the 300B, 845 or 805 tube or any
combination there of.
I recommend buying from a reputable US importer as there are a few
around but many of them will even now tell you it is to risky and they
have stopped importing particular lines due to major inconsistencies in
quality control lately.
Do your research first and don't be fooled by companies that are
"based" in the US but have shipping direct from China or Hong
Kong. These are usually just a front and in many situations, you may
never see your product or money again.
If unsure about the company and/or product you are looking to
bring in to send in for upgrade modification, please feel free to
drop us a line to discuss some of the companies and products I have
worked with in the past. I cannot make any promises but may be able to
help you make a better buying decision.
Jolida Products:
I will keep this simple. If you purchase a Jolida product from
someone other than an authorized US dealer, it is NOT designed for use
in the US and will most likely fail in a short period of time. Products
design for the Asian market do not and are not required to be built to
standard required to run on US voltages. They have a sticker on the back
(which I am sure would be peeled off) that states "For sale in
China only" and is signed by Mike Allen, the owner of Jolida. These
products are not covered under warranty in the US and Response Audio
will not work on or service these products.
This recommendation is simple: DO NOT BUY ANY JOLIDA PRODUCT
FROM OUTSIDE THE US.
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