Know thy domain

16 Apr 06

If i'm going to buy a technology related product, then i'd prefer to buy it from a domain geek - someone with an almost obsessive knowledge of the technical details of said product. This works for me because i'm a particular kind of customer - one with an interest in tech. Generally, people like me want a domain geek because:

  • A domain geek does not want to sell you whatever 'specials' distributors are pushing on their franchised store in any particular month. He's in this for life.
  • A domain geek will call BS on anything that's technically mediocre.
  • A domain geek will teach you something about said domain.
  • A domain geek will give you an enthusiasts approach (cable? Here's a reel, cut it yourself!)
  • A domain geek will be keen for you to test out the technology in question before buying. After all, he would never buy anything without pulling it apart first.

Case in point: In search of a speaker system for my place I walked into a sevenoaks nearby and was met by an audiophile named Rob, with thick glasses and unhealthy looking skin.

The first thing Rob said was, "no we don't do computer audio, we do sound fields. You need to go somewhere else". You need to go somewhere else. There isn't a single better line in retail for boosting consumer confidence in you. He then proceeded to draw me two schematics on a piece of paper with an HB pencil. The first explained crossover (a simple concept, but i'm a bit of a novice when it comes to sound engineering). The second was a conceptual architecture sketch for a proposed system, based on 10 minutes requirements capture. During that time he had extracted a lot from me without my conscious knowledge; my usage patterns, the dimensions of the room, the issues i have with my current system, my budget and a number of other bits.

This weekend Rob set up the proposed system in their basement and i dropped by with a CD of anything i could think of that would call BS on a mediocre system:

Picture 106.jpg

We blasted these through it and it sounded ace. I walked out of there with some B&W components and an amp. Victory to the domain geek.

miranda says

so you've bought the first segment of your tannoy system? if so, wow.

anil says

This B&W system is a direct competitor to the Tannoy system. Not quite as cute, but a lot cheaper.