Mr. Framer, the reviewer extraordinaire of Stereofiles magazines went to Australia for his vacations. “My God, those poor Australians live in a complete ignorance - Mr. Framer said, - and I’m confident that they desperately need a help form such an experienced marketing framer as I am.”

Upon returning from his virtual trip to Australia Mr. Framer wrote in his diaries:

August 2005. Australia. Sun, dust and crocodiles…

I see a tall bold man with face more intelegent then anyone ever written for my audio publication. The man is staying at his knees before a skinny kangaroo and is begging apology from the kangaroo: “Sorry, my jumpy, that I can not feed you. I am broken man who could not afford to buy you even a low-fat milk.”  I approached to the man and asked him what was his problems. The man explained to me that he was a chief-designer of a Continuum Audio Company and that they manufacture some kind of audio turntables. The problem was that they can’t not sale their turntables because no one ever heard about them. In additional the $50.000 that they ask for these turntables is too little price that hardly covers their manufacturing expenses. I was so touched with the man that I decided to help him.

“First off all,”- I explained to him, - “you misunderstood the neurons flow in the brains of your prospective customers. The audio people have accustomed to $20.000-50.000 high-tech turntables that sound like vacuum cleaners plugged into 220V instead of 120V. The audio people sick that no one does a good TT and they ready to a TT Messiah. However, they will not accept a Messiah for $50.000. I’m wiling to convince them that your TT is the Messiah but you should rise the price to $65.000, commit yourself for 5 years of prepay advertising in my beloved publication, promise never push back any accommodation for anyone who will feed you in industry, find yours US-based destitution-pimp, and keep those $15.000 mark-up as disposable sum for the industry interests.  In return I will facilitate for you a ride across the valets of the Morons-Yankee who have between their ears juts a pile of extra cash instead of brain”

The man was hesitant for a second and then asked me: “Would you like to hear my TT first and get some idea about it’s sound?”

“Fuck the Sound” - I replied – “Rankin Fitch said that the verdicts are too important to be left for juries, so is your turntable. A Messiah is not something that is coming but something about what people got informed. Your job is to glue those stupid turntables and shut up. My job is to make hoodlums out there to believe in those damn turntables. If you do not like the rules of the game than your kangaroo will die from starvation and your turntables will be used for nothing else then the helicopters drops on the alligator’s heads during the hunting season.”

Yes, I understand”, - the man was blabbering, -“but you see I have some ides how to make the turntables…

“Oh, shat up!” - I interrupted him, - “if you do not sign this damn stupid turntable right now to the approved by me distributor than I will shoot this ugly kangaroo right it her face!”  I pulled my Magnum 45 and stack it right into the dripping mouth of that kangaroo. The Continuum designer scream:  “I agree, agree, Your Honor.” We shacked the hands and I gave him $5 to feed his kangaroo.  He grabbed it and ran to a nearby 7/11. Then, I called to my editor and informed him:  “Hey, our next magazine issues is look like is taken care. I found another one. Thanks God a sucker is born every minute …”

Romy the Cat wrote:

Mr. Framer, the reviewer extraordinaire of Stereofiles magazines went to Australia for his vacations. “My God, those poor Australians live in a complete ignorance - Mr. Framer said, - and I’m confident that they desperately need a help form such an experienced marketing framer as I am.” Upon returning from his virtual trip to Australia Mr. Framer wrote in his diaries: August 2005. Australia. Sun, dust and crocodiles… I see a tall bold man with face more intelegent then anyone ever written for my audio publication. The man is staying at his knees before a skinny kangaroo and is begging apology from the kangaroo: “Sorry, my jumpy, that I can not feed you. I am broken man who could not afford to buy you even a low-fat milk.”  I approached to the man and asked his what was his problems. The man explained to me that he was a chief-designer of a Continuum Audio Company and that they manufacture some kind of audio turntables. The problem was that they can’t not sale their turntables because no one ever heard about them. In additional the $50.000 that they ask for these turntables is too little price that hardly covers their manufacturing expenses. I was so touched with the man that I decided to help him. “First off all,”- I explained to him, - “you misunderstood the neurons flow in the brains of your prospective customers. The audio people have accustomed to $20.000-50.000 high-tech turntables that sound like vacuum cleaners plugged into 220V instead of 120V. The audio people sick that no one does a good TT and they ready to a TT Messiah. However, they will not accept a Messiah for $50.000. I’m wiling to convince them that your TT is the Messiah but you should rise the price to $65.000, commit yourself for 5 years of prepay advertising in my beloved publication, promise never push back any accommodation for anyone who will feed you in industry, find yours US-based destitution-pimp, and keep those $15.000 mark-up as disposable sum for the industry interests.  In return I will facilitate for you a ride across the valets of the Morons-Yankee who have between their ears juts a pile of extra cash instead of brain” The man was hesitant for a second and then asked me: “Would you like to hear my TT first and get some idea about it’s sound?” “Fuck the Sound” - I replied – “Rankin Fitch said that the verdicts are too important to be left for juries, so is your turntable. A Messiah is not something that is coming but something about what people got informed. Your job is to glue those stupid turntables and shut up. My job is to make hoodlums out there to believe in those damn turntables. If you do not like the rules of the game than your kangaroo will die from starvation and your turntables will be used for nothing else then the helicopters drops on the alligator’s heads during the hunting season.” Yes, I understand”, - the man was blabbering, -“but you see I have some ides how to make the turntables… “Oh, shat up!” - I interrupted him, - “if you do not sign this damn stupid turntable right now to the approved by me distributor than I will shoot this ugly kangaroo right it her face!”  I pulled my Magnum 45 and stack it right into the dripping mouth of that kangaroo. The Continuum designer scream:  “I agree, agree, Your Honor.” We shacked the hands and I gave him $5 to feed his kangaroo.  He grabbed it and ran to a nearby 7/11. Then, I called to my editor and informed him:  “Hey, our next magazine issues is look like is taken care. I found another one. Thanks God a sucker is born every minute …” Read from the Michael Fremer’s dairies by Romy the caT

Mr. "Framer" wrote:

I really enjoyed reading an ignorant rant by someone who has probably neither heard the Continuum turntable, nor who is willing to say anything substantive about its design, yet he's more than happy to mock me and the people who designed and built this turntable and who invested more than a half million dollars to see it developed.

Dear Michael. I applied to your confidence and cockiness but I think you lied as usually as I doubt that you “really enjoyed reading”. I believe in fact that you were very disappointed and pissed, so pissed that you begin to make the assumptions that are not based upon any facts. I know that for a ”Stereophile’s senior contributing editor” to make groundless statement is a routine but you are not writing for Stereophile but posting at my site, the place where people stay something, I presumably, stay behind the words they say. So, your assumption that I am not familiar with Continuum turntable and people behind them was your ignited imagination, your furies assumptions or the actually facts? Also, I would like to point out a VERY IMPORTANT MOMENT that Romy’s news release was not dedicated to Continuum turntable or Continuum Company. You would not see in the article any negative judgments about nether the Continuum turntable nor about Mark who designed it.  (I might share my idea bout the Continuum turntable but it would be a different subject.) The inspiration of the “News Release” was not the Continuum but you, Mr. Framer, or more precisely not about you personally but about the fealty army of your colleges. Sorry, that I have chosen you personally for my illustration. You was a good match juts because you are so “decorated” and so “typical”… also because it was your diaries…

Mr. "Framer" wrote:

Obviously Romy the pussy knows more about this subject than do the people who designed it, but he hasn't yet revealed his academic background. The Caliburn turntable was designed by a team including an aeronautical engineer with a Bachelor of Engineering in advanced physics and structural design, another engineer who developed the magnesium alloy, an electrical engineer who developed the magnetic levitation system, a professor of architecture and design who oversaw the acoustic modeling another EE who developed the computer controlled vacuum mechanism, another who developed the drive system another EE who helped optimize the motor and RF circuitry, and numerous other academics who worked on other aspects of the design.

Michael, I can talk about it and I could even try to educate you where you logic slips but it will be a conversation about the Continuum turntable - this is not the thread to do so. Also, if I engage in conversation with you about the Continuum turntable than I would need to read your review to learn what you were trying to say. I did not read the review yet.

Mr. "Framer" wrote:

Much of this was mentioned in the review, but facts are inconvenient to jealous pussies like Romy.

Mike, dear, are you really feel that I jealous of you or your juts convinced yourself in it because it makes you to feel better? Would you be so kind to explain to me why I would be jealous of you? Perhaps your explanation would discover some inconstancies of YOUR ego? Or perhaps I am wrong again?

Mr. "Framer" wrote:

Unlike many 'tables, which are "homemade" and the result of one person's tinkering, the Continuum is a serious, well funded attempt to advance the state of vinyl playback.

Hm, this is quite controversial. I spoke with Mark about it and I have some reservation how it all relates to Sound. Interestingly that he is a quite inelegant and broad-minded person to undusted it himself. You are not. Well, I will extend you some credit as I did not read what you said in your review but form the BS that you dumped in your reply about the Continuum I presume that you like a parrot just repeat what you was told.

Mr. "Framer" wrote:

Cleary, Mr. Pussy is a self-loathing audiophile, who unlike a car geek, who appreciates high performance vehicles, thinks high performance audio (read: that which he can't afford), is only for suckers. Of course Mr. Pussy has probably never HEARD the Caliburn, but why should listening to something stop an imbecile from posting an ignorant, semi-humorous rant?

Wow, jealousy and ignorance are the virtues that I was not accused recently and it become very fascinating and self-exploring. Let see what Mr. Fremer is capable to say if he dose not run his mouth for his Morons-readers but actually talks about something very tangible. I agree with your assessment that Romy the Cat is imbecile. Still, I have my reasons to believe so. Do you have YOUR reason of you just guessing? If you do have the reasons to propose that Romy the Cat is imbecile then please provide them. If you do not then let me consider your “educated guess” about the Romy’s imbecilesm worth as much as your usual pontification about audio. Besides, so far Mike, you with all your accusation sound like $5 per hour gas station clerk who wears Rolex.  Sorry, my new friend. I do not wear my these Rolexes juts because one reason: I do not what to be looking like you.

Mr. "Framer" wrote:

Go ahead and mock me, Mr. Pussywhipped, because I am me, and you are just some little twerp trying to get attention by wanking your crap on this website!

Got your attention, didn’t it? Well, frankly speaking you mocked yourself quite sufficient in your reply. The funniest past that you with your “reported intelligence” can’t not grasp that the article was explicitly about you and the industry, not the about the turntable.

That becomes almost fan. As I was informed by Michael Fremer:

“It [Continuum] is beautifully built, designed based on science and high technology and has proven to be ultra-reliable during the time I've had it here. In fact, I bought mine at considerable expense...I could have bought a very nice car for the money. Why don't you use your website for constructive, responsible criticism? You seem consumed by jealousy.”

Well, let me people tell you how to decode all this crap. The Continuum brought this TT to US market for $50 and THAT was the retail price in US… before the Fremerization. Then the marketing people of Continuum approached Mr. Fremer and proposed him to writhe a review. Fremer did so and decided to keep the TT for a symbolic accommodation. As a result the Continuum folks, who were forced to give up one of their units to an industry extortionist, decided in order mitigate the lost to increased the price from $50K to $65K. I have many, many, many manufacturers (practically all that I know) who confessed that the industry pimps extort from them products, refusing to pay, or “pay” by their reviews as partial payments. Yes, it is a win-win situation but in this game I’m on the side of the consumers, the consumer that you Mr. Fremer fucked with your bribes-extortion and with your brainless as usually doodles in your publications.

Also, Mr. Fremer, the “big time analog professor”, as I understand you eventually got yourself a reportedly good performing turntable. Does it mean that all your former pontifications about analog were a pile of garbage because you did not have a “state of the art turntable” at that time?

Rgs,
Romy the caT

Interestingly that I eventually decided to read the Mike Fremer review about the Continuum turntable. I was trying quite hard but I was not able to read it. The content was none-readable and revolting as in a beginning of each sentence the Framer just buttered up the reader’s attention to introduce a bitten cliché in the end of the sentence. In addition, each even sentence contained or the promotions of the industry associates or the attempts to suck own narcissistic penis. Furthermore into the boredom, each odd sentence contained quotes form the Continuum marketing schpeil.

Honestly I can’t judge Fremer’s review, as there were too many red flags in there that made me abandon reading and juys scan it. Besides, the shiny Fremer-boy should be out if his sick reviewing mind to review a presumably demanding turntable using Wilson Audio MAXX-2 loudspeakers. The MAXX-2 is the apogee of the audio foolishness where Wilson compromised everything that they ever done in the Grand Slams and packaged it into “wonna be Larger Wilson” speakers.

( I wrote about it at: http://www.goodsoundclub.com/TreeItem.aspx?PostID=1509   )

The MAXX-2 are horribly performing peace of audio junk and only because the efforts of Fremer and the similar to him the poor audio hostages buy this loudspeaking disasters. The MAXX-2 are absolutely dead in bass and the LF noise that they produce with their 4th other band-pass rumble generator is good enough only to impress a Moron with the demands of Neanderthal and the credentials of an audio-reviewer.

So, what the Fremer-Continuum review was all about? Interestingly that it is completely irrelevant what it was all about. The Continuum paid their money to Fremer in order him to writhe ANYTHING about this TT and then to place it in his own home (for a couple years until the Fremer endorses another company) consciously mentioning it in his upcoming reviewing doodles.

The astonish fact is this primitive approach is very affective for the industry’s well-oiled distribution mechanism. The problem is that “it works” only for the very specific individuals that I’ve mention in the end of my article about the benefit of the audio reviews:

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/TreeItem.aspx?postID=1977#1977

So, in case of the Continuum review the Fremer and his contribution to Audio Knowledge is triple Moronic: a restricted Moron writes to the Moronic publication and structures his thinking pattern explicitly for moronic readers.  His audio-cynical wife was convinced that his new turntable was “better than sex”. Should the rest of us, “filled with jealousy and ignorance”, be concerned? Probably I find myself on the same page with Fremer’s fife and would suggest him: “Fremer, dear, stop fucking and do something else.”

Rgs,
Romy the Cat

Michael Fremer keeps sending me emails, though I do not think I invited him. I suggested him at the very beginning that to contact me was a bad thing for him as I operate in the very different dimension that he, with his enslaved narcissistic complex of the industry sucker, can’t not afford. Since I consider his emails as a Spam I have no obligations to keep his email-brain-leaks private.  I have my theory how his behavior might be interpreted and I feel the pubic familiarizing with the real-Fremer’s prose would add some values to undestending of his “reviews”:

So, so far this psycho sent 16 emails with the approximately-similar content:

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Fremer
To: Admin
Subject: imbecile

Thanks. I enjoyed this post by totally ignorant imbecile. He thinks he's mocking me but he only demonstrates that he's consumed by jealousy.  He's never heard this turntable of course, but he's sure it's bad. Never mind that it was a project designed by a group of Australia's top academic experts in metallurgy,  and a whole host of system design elements. Never mind all of that. He can't afford it so he craps all over it. I guess he drives a Ford Focus and thinks people who buy Aston Martins and Ferraris are suckers.

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Fremer
To: Admin
Subject: Re: imbecile

Why do you bother covering audio?

You clearly detest the subject, and find the people in it vile,loathsome and dishonest. I am involved, and have been so since I was  around 7 because I love music and sound and find most of the people I meet in audio to be honest, generous, idealistic and occasionally  misguided, but rarely cynical and crooked. I know of no one like Amar Bose in "real" audio.

When all I could afford was a pair of Spica TC-50s and some old Hafler gear I didn't strike out in a jealous rage against people who  could afford better gear. Why do you? Do you really believe that audio is somehow different than cars, or clothing or kitchen gear?  That somehow more money doesn't bring higher quality? Generally, and sadly, it does. The first time I put on a $1500 suit after wearing  $300 ones, I felt the difference...and I was amazed that people noticed. People who know quality. I am sorry, but audio is the same.

What you wrote about the Continuum was particularly loathsome. There are some awful, amateur, overpriced products out there like  that Forsell turntable put together with wood screws (!) but the Continuum is a genuine effort and it works as promised. Why disparage  something like that? Because you can't afford it?

They installed a few to paying customers after CES and all are thrilled by what it does. It is beautifully built, designed based on  science and high technology and has proven to be ultra-reliable during the time I've had it here. In fact, I bought mine at  considerable expense...I could have bought a very nice car for the money.

Why don't you use your website for constructive, responsible criticism? You seem consumed by jealousy.

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Fremer
To: Admin
Subject: Re: imbecile

I see. The readers who read me every month know that I review  expensive and cheap stuff, that I like both, that I write in the  English language, that I give products BAD reviews when deserving and  good ones when deserving. That I am very specific about how things  sound and predict how they will measure and that I am usually correct  (see my Caldera review). However I doubt a fucking idiot like you has  ever read anything I've written. I think you simply react to my  success because you're a fucking jealous little dipshit who can't  write and is barely coherent. And I suspect you will now call me  "unprofessional" and BLAHBLAHBLAH for calling you a fucking little  dipshit. But that is what you are. A fucking little, dipshit, and I  don't need "good luck" charms from a fucking jealous little pimple  like you, nor do I have any idea what the fuck you mean by "ignorance  blames," nor do I care. Now go fuck off and don't waste any more of  my time for I will not be reading any more of your psychotic  emails....you are not the cat. you are the fucking litterbox.
 

When I wrote my article: “Disregard the industry participants”

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/TreeItem.aspx?PostID=930

my primary objectives were exactly the subject of  irreversible and unavoidable feedback-damage that the participants of the industry experience while they do audio professionally. It is inevitable and I have observed in with many people, including my friends, and even including those who come to audio even with their very better intentions.

I do not know who Fremer was in his beginning, I hope he was an insightful and a sensitive man, but nowadays he degraded and his today audio-state could not be characterized as nothing more then “being in a deep shit”. Nope, I am not trying to insult Fremer but rather give him a change to reconcile and then perhaps, who know, might be he can learn something about the “real audio”.

Let me to explain. I wrote 5 years ago at AA (now it all is vandalized by the AA cretins) that:
 
"in the contemporary audio world the audio reviewing process is nothing more then a creation of literature that brings a perception of prospective readers to the limited level of the reviewing components."

Since most of the products out there are juts plain garbage (regardless the price), made brainlessly juts because there was a time for a new model, then a reviewers deal most of his professional life with the very primitive audio. (Although there were some cases when the components were designed and released specifically for the given marketing presold campaigns that public was initially stuffed). Still, a reviewer should find within itself justifications to sell a new product to the public opinion. While this process is going on a person stop to recognize the actual sonic and musical benefits of the products and his/her awareness begin to acknowledge the only deference that might be enveloped into a wrapper of “external convinceabilty” and publishable/saleable evidences. The listening awareness of such a person  slowly begin to operate in a binary hierarchical mode because the person MUST name and express the auditable deference.

In the contemporary audio there is no established mechanism for the objective evaluation of subjective benefits. (The mechanism do exist but it is absolutely not know in industry and by own nature the mechanism is antagonistic to the industry processes) Therefore the “routine audio reviewer” creates for himself/herself a bogus evaluation pattern-surrogate and applies it for his weekly reviews. But here is the catch: the reviewer awareness does not see Sound anymore in it’s disconnection to audio products. Even Sound of the product (as it derives from the previous paragraph) begins to be viewed only in the prospective of applicable marketing reference talk-points.

So, what happens next – instead a person exposed to a machine in order to asses the machine’s humanity we have a machine that exposed to a complier of the algorithms of marketing absurdity. Furthermore, in the long time the person’s audio alertness is wipes itself out. The person stops to recognize audio Realty, substituting “living Audio” with own ego, loosing references to own relatively to audio, stop perceive Sound “as is” and replace Sound with the “sonic evidence of own correctness”. The most primitive of those people and particularly those who have under their “successful skin” the bone stricture of white trashes, self-place themes atop of the pyramid of consumer consumption and believe that anyone who question their sincerity juts jealous of them. The biggest problem at this point that at this stage the person loosing his interest and his references to what the “Truth“ is and spends all his efforts only for supporting his status-quo and the his position in the industry’s hierarchy…

In the Mike Fremer’s case, I relay do not know. Perhaps he is surrounded explicitly by the idiots in his normal live and no one can tell him that sometimes people are so way behind that they begin to feel that they are leading. Mike absolutely was not able to figure out what was the conversation in this thread - no one cared or spoke in here about the turntable and no one attacked Mike’s ownership of his turntable. Still, he feels necessary to jump around the silently observing him people, hit himself in his chest and to spin the stolen turntable like a lasso. Pay attention that if anyone I know see an idiot who run across a room, hitting the wall with his head, dropping the saliva on the carpet, rolling his eyes and screaming that he got a turntable but your do not got a turntable, assuring you that his magnifier glass through wish he looks at his penis has more magnification then anyone’s else magnifier glass, then the only one perception of this idiot could be: the idiots is comply lost his orienteer in audio.

Still, I hope Mike will take advantage of this little accident for sake of own education and would be able to make some self-beneficial conclusion about himself. Mike Fremer needs a serious revision of himself. The smartest audio writers nowadays have learned couple years ago that there is a saturation point of the expressed audio idiocy. They begin to pitch to their readers some “other views” and “other expertise”. I do not feel that they really know what and how to talk to reader yet. They just catch here and there some accidentally-correct phrases without really knowing what those phrases mean. To understand what those phrases mean and how to use them they need another 5-6 years of audio development and their efforts are too weak, steal the tendency is there.

Will that “new vision” (that would no be based on the ridiculousness that Parsons, Fremers, Fradels and Atkirsons have left as their disgraceful legacy) be something where the today reviewers would find themselves? I do not know, this is entirely up to them. Today, the “Mike Fremer as is” is dead and his reviewing intellect works only for the people who shares with him his audio-dead status. Does Mike have any chance? I do not know, but I hope. If Mike will not take advantage of his change to revise his Framers ways then he will die in his many years, surrounded with a small army of stolen audio goods without any realization of what Audio was all about. He will be placed into a casket made explicitly with demilitarized titanium, on a pillow covered by beryllium that was melted by NASSA on orbit and in his hands will be placed a rare staple along with an affidavit that there were only 8 staple like this ever produced in the world. I am sure that this Famamer will be a very peaceful man....

Roman notes among other things: I wrote 5 years ago at AA (...) that:
 
"in the contemporary audio world the audio reviewing process is nothing more then a creation of literature that brings a perception of prospective readers to the limited level of the reviewing components."

In the contemporary audio there is no established mechanism for the objective evaluation of subjective benefits."

I would agree. I'd feel that the objective of "audio journalism" (for wont of a better description) is entertainment -- not an "evaluation" that can be used for reference purposes.
So, the components discussed/presented are simply the vehicle of this entertainment. Similarly, in general public large publication (say Vogue) there are product presentations and articles, etc -- the "product vehicle" is different.

As to Mr Fremer's vehement assertions above...
He seems to have an axe to grind with people who are, the typical "high-flyer" profile: high income-bracket kids,  who can afford to be arrogant and snobbish and "above it all", and who can ultimately afford a Ferrari at whim even if they drive a 2CV.
He seems to believes that Romy is one such high earner, etc.
Whether Romy is or not is not an issue (Romy's system, for one, is quite expensive anyway) -- it's just interesting to read Mr Fremer's reaction! Cheers

Gregm wrote:

I would agree. I'd feel that the objective of "audio journalism" (for wont of a better description) is entertainment -- not an "evaluation" that can be used for reference purposes. So, the components discussed/presented are simply the vehicle of this entertainment. Similarly, in general public large publication (say Vogue) there are product presentations and articles, etc -- the "product vehicle" is different. As to Mr Fremer's vehement assertions above... He seems to have an axe to grind with people who are, the typical "high-flyer" profile: high income-bracket kids,  who can afford to be arrogant and snobbish and "above it all", and who can ultimately afford a Ferrari at whim even if they drive a 2CV. He seems to believes that Romy is one such high earner, etc. Whether Romy is or not is not an issue (Romy's system, for one, is quite expensive anyway) -- it's just interesting to read Mr Fremer's reaction! Cheers

The Fremer and alike do TRY to make the “high income-bracket kids” as the center of their attention and then, they inject into a wider public, that the all-American notion of “you neighbor Joe juts bought and new large screen TV”. There are many problems with this ‘sale strategy” and one of them is the fact that people who do sales for a while unavoidably begin to “believe” in all this crap himself. Furthermore, this “believe” is how they begin to perceive Reality NATURALLY. In the end this type of the reviewer become to behave like a clowns walking across known to them audio desert scamming: “I am too sexy for my shoes”. In realty, those folks are numb, deaf and just plane ignorant, not to mention that they have no serious sonic accomplishment in this listening room. I know people from industry who were in the Fremer’s listening room and they commented that it was insultingly laughable, so the ordinary people should understand that behind this “shiny glorification of themselves” there is nothing more then the people with very average financial resources, a few connections, who’s currency is only based upon the fact that he has an opportunity to run his mouth publicly and he get paid to do it.  Wait another year or two, when The Framer being to sponsor a new “revolutionary” version of some kind of Clearaidio and you will see the very same Framer will be trying to cash his stolen Continuum by the third Audiogon. Also, at that time the pissed Continuum (as the all do) will go public informing how the Framer hijacked form them a turntable. Well, if Continuum will be start then they will not do it but instead release a new Continuum MK II and start another round….

To conclude:  the way Fremer and the rest of them are juts the Rush Limbaugh of audio, or the semi-inelegant, ignorant Moron with questionable since of self-awareness, with a big mouth the they wiling to run in the any subject that afraid him

I wrote that the contemporary audio reviewing is all about degrading the readers’ perception to the lever of stupidity of a given audio product. In a way writing about Mr. Fremer I do the same. The level of audio perception at which Mr. Fremer operates does not deserve to any more civilized topic then to mock the fool. Otherwise the Continuum turntable subject might be the subject for more interesting observations (and I have some) but it would be another thread and obviously with other people, not with the full of themselves reviewer-psychos. The only thing that I feel apologetic about this entire thread where I decided to mock the Framer and placed the thread in the section of my site that is dedicated to the “Audio News”. Unfortunately the fact that Fremer is… a Fremer is not news…

PS: Yes, would it be so cool if the audio reviewing would be the QC of the audio industry!

I receive an email form a visitor of my site  with a “news” and was really laughing! Yes! I hate to know everything but proposed by me “The Rules of the Audio Morality Propagation” do work like a Swish watch!

It was enough of one audio cretin (Mike Fremer), with his pornographic-minded mouth strategically placed at the intersection of audio-foolishness (Stereophile Magazine), to scream about a new UPS-deliverable peace of audio as the avantgarde of the audio-nothingness begins to tremble.

The visitor in his email, also laughing, informed me that well exposed Audio Moron from Seattle - Mike Lavigne – is smashing with large NASSA-made hummer his shinny audio and desperately is looking to buy the Fremer's-blassed turntable.

So, for what kind of consciousness the Fremer expertise worked this time?

I met Mike Lavigne once or twice, had conversations with him and could personally testify that in audio Lavigne is unable to understand any more complicated concept then “toilet paper should be soft but a hummer should be hard”.  The guy understand any audio or musical subject ONLY at the point how fast is might be derived by UPS, how shinny the “subject” would look at the phonographs, and how many similar to him idiots would look at him with jealousy.  Mike has a listening room that he mimicked from those Gestapo interrogation chambers and the room staffed with many hundreds thousands dollars constantly revolving audio boxes, the boxes that he is constantly and unconsciousnessly buying explicitly upon the new blows if audio wind. Mike has barbarian musical taste and absolutely clueless what he is doing while he is sitting in his dentist char in font of his gold-plated speakers.  His primitive objectives and his experience in Audio made him to achieve the horrifying sound in his room.

Do you think all above are juts my personal venoms observations? Of course there are but is anything else behind them? Do yourself a favor - do not believe me. Instead visit Mike’s listening room, listen his sound yourself and make you own mind. (Mike invites anyone who can distinct AA form AAA to his listening sessions)

I spoke with at least two dozens people who were in the Mike Lavigne's listening room and all of them, regardless of their experience and reference points expressed not juts extreme dissatisfaction with Sound but also they stated that the Lavigne is absolutely out of slightest touch of how horribly his playback performs. Furthermore, all dealers what ever dealt with him, the people who sold his equipment and consulted Mike Lavigne with purchasing decisions, all of them, told me that Lavigne, although he is a wonderful buyer but at the same time he is a completely clueless and their equipment perfumes horribly in Lavigne's home.  The manufacturers whose equipment is sitting in Mike Lavigne home told me tat when they visited his room then were ready to throw up on their own components because they were completely faultily used and sounded like crap. Ah, did I I mention that Mike Lavigne – the barbarian with a taste of a Neanderthals, audio expertise of my grandmother and the interests of that Indian who gave up the Manhattan island for a hand full of shiny silverware – the very same Mr. Lavigne became a big-time audio reviewer. What else qualification might be desired!!

Mike Lavigne’s sound is not juts a sound of ignorance but the sound of a railway train that applied emergency break and is sliding across the wet trucks. This is not juts a bad sound it is a symbol of the worst objectives, worst reference point and the best “experts” in today’s audio industry

So, for whom the Mike Fremer’s “intelligence” works and to whom it dedicated? The jury is not really out...
 
In the end, when I got the email informing me that Lavigne “went ballistic” after the Fremer review I was ... satisfied.

Rgs,
Romy the Cat

I always had a great gift of prophecy. When I saw W Bush for a first time I did not question what I have seen/herd and declared him as a retarget idiot. Good for us – the stupid Americans - that we allow this dirt to ruin our county for 2 terms. When Michael Fremer for a first time jumped to my attention and when I read a few paragraphs of his review I immediately recognized him as a worthless blabbering cretin. It was a direct hit again.

A few days ago some kind of “individual” use to kiss W Bush into his ass for 6 year and nowadays he desisted to cash out his love to his “Republican Messiah” went public and admitted that after a number of years writing his stupid speeches for Bush he finally understood that good or bad Bush is capable to read the speeches but he is enabled to understand what the words means. I am very confident that Michael Fremer suffer form the very same illness – he really juts toss the “precooked words” without having any idea what the whorls might mean.

I actually did read the Michael Fremer latest inventions: his review of the Zanden 5000 D/A converter. God! This guy is not only ignorant and deaf but he is incorrigible in his ultimate stupidity. To run that DAC into Fremer’s system is the torture bun by the Geneva Convention. However, read his glorious adjectives!!!

Yes, the Zanden 5000 is very problematic DAC and even under the best condition it has very questionable sound. Obviously is it not up to the Michael Fremer’s brain and inelegance to understand that sound. However, it is not the stupid review that upsets me but my rather my concern about who we are. We still do allow the idiotic and criminal dirt to sit in out White house as well we still allow the idiotic and fraudulent dirt to fuck up out national publications. What dose it say about us?

Sure the reviewers are not selectable but… we do support them with our vote – we pay money to the manufacturers who pay (directly and indirectly to the reviewers). So, what I propose is to boycott what we, as citizens do not support. I do boycott this stupid White House war profiteering administration for 6 years. So as you the consumer might consider boycotting any manufacture, who in any way even touched Michael Fremer. Trust me the reader– you will not be very far from avoiding very poor audio element if you refuse to acknowledge any products that Fremer have spoiled with his attention. I think it could be your vote and if so then the industry will send his to hell, the place where he should be gone a long time ago.

Mike at AudioFederation.com posted in his blog something that I feel should be expended upon.

http://audiofederation.com/blog/archives/52

I meant to reply there but I never was able to find out how his login is working, so I decided to dump my comments on my site. AudioFederation’s blog is not exactly tha place where a lot of audio intelligence I would expect from. Mike is heavily conditioned in his judgments and conditioned  in his experiences by the fact that he is audio dealer and that he need to create enthusiasm and drummed up feeling about audio components. The problem is that he frequently, almost always, “over stimulate” himself with his typical “looking at the products” instead of “looking at the results”. So, I will leave along Mike preoccupation with Brinkmanns, Walkers etc. and try to inject into the subject of Continuum turntable some sense.

As I told above in this thread “Mike Lavigne” and “Michael Fremer” are not really names in audio but rather diagnoses. Their actions: buying, selling, liking, not liking, their motivations and conclusions should are completely detached from any sincere reality as they driven mostly by the “other” factors. In any case, by mocking the cretin Mike Fremer in the initial post I did not mean to pass any judgments about the Continuum turntable. (The Moron- Fremer did not catch it.) I had no motivations say anything about Continuum and just used the Continuum example to ridicule the Framer. Since then, people asked me why I do not like the Continuum turntable. It is ironic, because I do not think I never passed any judgment about Continuum, not even during my “arguing” with Michael Framer in a few posts above.

Nevertheless, since people continue to have interest to the Continuum subject I think I need to express some observations. I have nothing against Continuum and it “might” be a good accidental performer. However, I have some very serious concerns. The Continuum was designed as a civil engendering mechanical blueprint, based upon amoral rational (do not confuse with immoral). It is OK to use equations and mechanical principles (at least it what stated) if you build a bridge but unfortunately it never works with Sound. (I might say more about it.) For example listen any of many audio amplifiers that were designed by computers, base upon the primitive theory of currents propagation: that electronics always sound like crap. Anyhow, the Continuum was designed and made as a “conceptual vibration propagation model”. It is good and it is perhaps noble (it is it true) but it HARDLY has anything to do this Sound. You see, Sound is validation of all concepts and I my experience with Continuum indicated those folks are very shallow in Sounic region.  I had some very promising conversations about the subject with Continuum designer and he did indicated himself as an interesting person but when we were moving into more or less interesting discussion we were constantly interrupted by an idiot Stereovox guy who felt that he  with his  revolting cables should be in epicenter of everyone’s attention.

So, what is my problem with Continuum? I like the guy who initially designed the Continuum. I like the way how he was truing to think.  I do detect that later on, when his company got some marketing memento, his thinking got much more stale and much more contaminated by the marketing BS but I think it is unavoidable for anyone who embrace the fealty Industry:

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/TreeItem.aspx?PostID=930

So, if I so like that Mark Doehmann (the Continuum designer) then still: what are my problems with Continuum? Well, dispute of the presumed Continuum credentials and the Continuum’s proposed objectives I have my doubts that Continuum team is able to manufacture Sound instead of rendering thier abstract mostly irrelevant design principles. Furthermore, the exposure the Continuum’s results to the legendary Michael Fremer’s idiocy did not make the picture clearer.

It was a year before Continuum sold itself to the Michael Fremer’s self-inflicted slavery. I think it was CES 2004 or 2005, I do not remember already. Continuum was a newcomer who was looking for a representative in US. They made that CES with no noise and no one mentioned their existence. A friend of my invited me to go with him to listen a new Australian TT that he was contemplating to became US distributor: It was a dedicated listening session special for him, deep into night. I suggested that there are no reasons to asses a TT’s sound within a completely random and unknown playback (particularly cartridge and phionostage) but… you never know where you might find and where you might loose…

The room featured that annoying Stereovox guy, the entire Continuum team and the Wavac dealer who serve all electronics. It looked like they all spruced up everything in order to make a good impression to a prospective distributor. After a short elevator speech about the “marvel of the design” they put a record on the TT, It was Bach’s partitas by Heifetz. The sound was on a soft side generally but you would never know as it was completely unknown setup. However, there was something in THAT Sound that made it very notable. The pitch was and tempo were completely off. I immediately concluded that this zillion dollars  turntables (during that time the price was 2 times less then after the Michael Fremer pop up to the picture),  armed with “cutting edge design technology and research” was just simply spinning at wrong speed.  The fact that a TT speed was off during a critical demonstration is slightly embracing but it is not big deal – it happens, and partially with certain “overly smart” TTs. However, what was really embracing, near-shockingly-embracing that there was a team of the people in the room who designed the TT and who were listening the music along with us and who COMPLETELY DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE the fact that the damn TT haw at wrong speed. I was looking at them was almost laughing trying do not dive into a depth of my typical in this case sarcasm. Then the fan part starts. I decided to make a comment that the speed was off. After then the Continuum guys begun to question IF THE SPEED WAS REALLY off. The friend of mine - the prospective distributor, and me were looking at each other asking ourselves: “Holly cow, what we do in here?” The Continuum guys brought then some kind of objective measuring devise and did confirmed that the speed was off. For whatever reasons it was not possible to set the correct speed right the way and they needed to disassemble the TT to do so. So, we did not listen the TT anymore.

Ok, what is moral of that story? The TT’ speed was wrong the entire day of the show and the people who made the TT did not recognize it. I do feel that it is symptomatic. I presume that something that Continuum guys do might not be where it should be and they have apparently limited understanding of the REAL subject of audio. Music and Sound are complex and not necessary comply with algorithms. I feel that success come from unity and non-conflict-ness between algorithmic thinking and human sensibility. From what I have seen the Continuum guys did not demonstrate any useful sensibility and therefore their engineering objectives nave no mandatory self-assessment. It is completely unknown to me how Continuum sounds today. The only thing is know about Continuum that Michael Fremer is trying to sell this TT to his constituents. However, whatever I know about Michael Fremer is that he is a DUNG FLY OF AUDIO and whatever he touches he pollute to the point of being absurdity fealty.

As you can see I have no judgment about Continuum. I might only presume that the Continuum guys should mature personally at sonic level before they might be able to make more sonically capable turntables. However, by the venture of association with Michael Fremer I propose the Continuum is already a brain-dead company. I did suggest in my posts above to sabotage, boycott and to discard any manufacture that associated with Michael Fremer. Why Continuum should be exception? After all, do you eat your steak if you have seen that a dung fly was sitting on it?

I do not know now many times 40 rpm it was. It was slower then necessary and I do not know, or care for how much. Also, nope, they did not blame anything and in fact after they measured the speed and confirmed that it was off they were very apologetic and immediately started to fix the problem.

Well, defiantly, many things that can go wrong with TT and I was not criticizing Continuum for running at wrong speed.  Hey, sometime even more nasty things happen! They just happen!  However I did question the seriousness of “it” if the Continuum folks were not able to acknowledge it. I know: now some kind of a typical audio-Moron will show up ay my site and will propose that we all hear differently, have different reference to tempo and a minor offset in the TT speed should not be audible if the offset it constant and do not fluctuate. Perhaps it is true for the Morons but when I see people WHO ARE NOT DEEPLY DISTURBED by this of tone and off tempo sound then I see the irrefutable evidences that those people never hear anything besides punk-rock or jazz on their turntables…

hi mike

congratulations for your site, it is very nice, specially the showreports, the pics are great. i heard in july a avalon speaker in italy, with these ceramic drivers, they sound horrible. no dept and image at all.
so i really dont understant how these ultra expensive marten design speakers could sound good. and their price is just ridiculous. by reviewing such speakers, may more obectivity would not be bad.

angelo

angeloitacare wrote:

hi mike congratulations for your site, it is very nice, specially the showreports, the pics are great. i heard in july a avalon speaker in italy, with these ceramic drivers, they sound horrible. no dept and image at all. so i really dont understant how these ultra expensive marten design speakers could sound good. and their price is just ridiculous. by reviewing such speakers, may more obectivity would not be bad. angelo

If you are overlay emotional when you see a peace of audio and count not hold your excitement so much that you need to go online and express yourself then let it be. However, I would insist that if you wiling to express your emotions on my site then keep your single “immediate sentiments” connected to the subjects of the threads, at least partially. The subject of the given thread is Michael Fremer or Continuums turntable. What the hell your admiration over Marten Design or whatever else you expressed in your post has to do with Continuums turntable? I’m not wiling to moderate this forum or make any measures to enforce posting discipline. There are very few very simple rules on this site and they are outlined at the registration screen:

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/Forums/User/CreateUser.aspx

There are pretty much there are no rules at all beside the DEMANDS OF FOLLOWING THE SUBJECTS OF THE THREAD. It’s it and it is not negotiatable.

Now. I do not want to see in this thread ANYTHG from you, angeloitacare, or  anyone else that would NOT related to the subject of the thread . Do not even replay with your agreement or disagreement! Just stop to post if it is not related to matter of the thread’s topic.