I must say that I'm surprised at the anti Apple stuff that appears on some of the UK Forums, their success alone should be enough to persuade people that most love it because it works beautifully. If you don't like it, it could be you.
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Microsoft dominates the Market, even though Apple will probably surpass their turnover within a year or two because they sell the hardware as well. We designed the original ADM9s with a USB connection so that they'd work with Windows, but it was clear even before we were shipping that this was a mistake. Nearly all the people who contacted us wanting to buy them had recently switched to Apple or were using Sonos etc. Therefore we quickly switched to Optical digital.
People love Apple because it's good looking in a home and the quality is superb both inside and out. It is better designed and built than some high end hi fi too, and that is not just our opinion as a manufacturer with an ex military avionics designer at its head, but also of most who've ever had cause to work on them.
If you have a Desktop or Tower PC, I recommend that you try an M-Audio 24/96 and don't judge it by it's price, because as I've previously explained the cost of the bits to make them is tiny, especially to a massive concern and Market leader like this company. If you have a Laptop, try an M-Audio Transit or, if you want real hi end, an Edirol UA25, which is astonishingly good. For a streaming device, why not buy a Beresford and try that, most people love it and it's a good price because it is sold direct and avoids dealer margins.
Claire
I'd love to see a review in WHF that compares the relative merits of PS3s, Apple's streaming products, particularly the ATV and Sonos etc with the expensive Hi End Servers, so that everyone can understand exactly how they benefit from each choice. Where I think the assessment of all this gear fails so badly is splitting things up into price categories, when companies like Apple will have massive advantages in purchasing power and manufacturing cost savings over a company located in the UK, using old fashioned hand assembly techniques, old fashioned through hole components and buying in hundreds or less rather than millions.
MikeinBrum
I'm sorry that you have ruled us out, I think you'd have been very surprised if you'd heard ADM9.1s. I'm certain that they are far better than you expect and I believe this is because the magazines that you are so keen to have review them, don't have sufficient understanding to realise the enormous benefits to performance the technology we've used can provide. There is a big difference in sound, so they are more likely to think it is us that is wrong than what they are used to. Likewise with dealers, as I've already explained, they don't want more for less, they'd prefer to sell higher margin products that are upgradeable and keep computers out altogether IMO.
AVI got a series of rave reviews back in the nineties and demand rocketed. It caused us massive production headaches and even bigger financial ones. This time we've teamed up with www.ls-design.co.uk so that we can use components that they already buy and so that we have access to modern Robot building techniques that give greater reliability and save a considerable amount on building costs. LS also have a massive productive capability. Our biggest problem is drive unit and piano black and white cabinet supply that comes a long way by boat. We've run out of both and won't have more white till March.
What all this means is we can sell more than enough direct and through our few loyal dealers and agents and that we don't need to approach dealers to help us yet. I don't think they'd support us anyway because we've had literally hundreds of complaints from people who do understand what we're selling and have been infuriated by misinformation, dismissal and prejudice shown by shops ignorant of the fact that most of the music we've all been buying for the last twenty years or more, has probably been made on a Computer. Mostly likely an apple Computer that Audiophiles so love to hate. Have a look at Logic Studio 8, which is regarded by Sound On Sound (probably the world's most influential Pro Audio Mag) as the best.
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