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(tämä
sivu suomeksi)
April
2001 HiFi Lehti (HiFi Magazine)
(translation
from Finnish)
STILL GOING
STRONG
ROBERT WOODS – FINLAND'S HIFI
TRAILBLAZER
In 1970, Robert Woods
founded a unique company in Helsinki that sold only hi-fi.
After a pause of a few years, he has returned to again serve
the cause of those interested in good sound.
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Tapiola – the Garden City of
international fame – lured a young man at the end of
the ‘60’s from the US to study Finnish planning.
Robert Woods, born and brought up in New York City, was a
chemical engineer and had just finished his Ph.D. at the
University of Michigan in Environmental Planning. He bought
a one-way ticket to Finland to study the development of
Tapiola.
Soon after his arrival, his own
Acoustic Research turntable arrived by freight –
damaged during the trip, of course – the motor axle had
been bent. Robert Woods wrote to the manufacturer in
Cambridge, MA and asked where he could get a new motor. The
answer came in the form of a new motor – with no charge
– with an apology from AR that they had no
representative in Finland.
The priority of things changed as
Tapiola receded into the background [Woods later moved
to an adjoining suburb] and instead was born the idea of
importing AR. So, from a bent axle, Sound Center was born in
1970 – at the start, Helsinki, and later expanding to
eight other cities.
A Win Through the
Courts
Sound Center’s beginnings were
not without problems. An association of radio dealers did
not appreciate this upstart non-member introducing a new
direct pricing system and also guarantee times of 3-5 years.
Customers, of course, were more than enthusiastic about the
new policies and ideas. Matters, however, ended up in the
courts due to a statement by Sound Center which was critical
of product comparison set up by competition to combat the
success of the AR loudspeakers – the suit claimed the
statement was slanderous.
Sound Center ended up bringing a
counter-suit claiming the product comparison was wrong and
misleading. The court decided that Sound Center was correct
in their allegations and was based on the Helsinki Chamber
of Commerce’s investigation.
The decision was precedent-setting
in the matter of product comparisons – not only in
Finland, but perhaps world-wide. It was stated that
comparison demonstrations are indeed legal but they must be
made honestly and objectively. The case brought a lot of
attention and the result was that a Finnish hi-fi business
could continue on a healthier foundation with the new
rules.
The Birth of
NAD
Manufacturers began to gradually
add all kinds of buttons and lights to equipment which did
nothing to improve actual sound reproduction. The importance
of these ‘gadgets’ began to overtake the original
purpose of high fidelity – to provide faithful sound
reproduction.
“The addition of superficial
features certainly doesn’t require the same serious
design criteria as attention to the actual quality of
sound,” says Woods. “A few buttons and colored
lights are a cheap way to bring on new models even every
month. Many consumers are ‘hustled’ into making
buying decisions solely based on these ‘features.’
This makes sales ‘easier’ – no salesman need
pay attention to actual sound quality – and, for that
matter, doesn’t even need to know anything about
it!
At the end of the
‘70’s’ a conference was held in Malta where
the AR importers - and some designers – met to start a
new company. So, in 1977, New Acoustic Dimension began in
earnest – later to be called just NAD. Robert woods was
one of the founders, shareholders and a
director,
NAD’s line of thought was
clear. The object was to manufacture reasonably priced sound
reproduction equipment with excellent components and without
unnecessary lights and buttons.
“My thinking was that
equipment should not need – or even have – the
‘Tokyo by Night’ syndrome, Woods says. The model
customer for NAD was the university student who hadn’t
much money but still wanted good equipment - and
couldn’t afford to buy things twice, throwing out the
first one.
This idea was indeed successful and
the same principles were used when Sound Center designed and
manufactured its own speakers – Acoustics of
Finland.
“The goal was to make a
sensibly-priced product with excellent components and
accurate sound reproduction – without frills. Woods
said the emphasis was on natural bass reproduction –
namely low bass without the usual bass boom and false
exaggeration. Demonstrating proper bass requires time and
patience and proper material – organ and bass drum
provide challenging content.
The Needs of
Hi-fi
“It’s easy to classify
hi-fi owners by how much absolute money they spend on
equipment,” Woods says. Rather, he thinks, a more
sensible way is to judge their intelligence by the way they
spend their money – has it been spent on real sound
reproduction – or rather just on status based on
price.
In Woods’ opinion there is now
a wide gap between the mass producer and the high-end
manufacturers where there are many who want good equipment
but can’t afford to buy ‘snob stuff’ with
perhaps some famous fashion-name – but still without
any guarantee that there is any real functional quality.
Hopes are that manufacturers will realize there is a good
market for value-oriented consumers.
Excellent sound equipment
doesn’t need to be expensive – but neither can it
be ‘free.’ Hi-fi is not like a washing machine
where it can do its work by itself. Listening to music is an
investment of one’s own life and one’s own free
time – much more than just money – so a bad
purchase means much more than just money
lost.
No Golden
Ears
Interest in computers inspired
Woods to begin a new part of Sound Center – Program
center – which concentrated on computer programs and
literature. An especially successful venture was the sale of
Windows 3.0 where the price was set to remove any
unnecessary margins. Direct purchases from publishers
allowed the sale of books with a delivery time of a week
from the US and at US prices.
Personal interest in books and
literature inspired future development and soon was born the
American Bookshop. Alongside computer literature came a wide
collection of books in history, philosophy, culture,
cooking, etc. The Helsingin Sanomat [Finland’s
largest newspaper] culture reporters called it a
“must place’ to visit.
At the end of the ‘70’s
the new interest in Home Theater brought a new group of
customers that began to require excellent sound reproduction
with movies. This development brought Woods and Sound Center
back to the field – now to supply good sound for the
budding multi-channel arena.
Woods doesn’t believe in
golden ears. It’s important for an ordinary person to
get to recognize and appreciate good sound – and if
equipment is good, they will do so. Woods notes the
similarities of the sense of hearing with the senses of
sight and taste. When a person experiences a really
magnificent landscape – such as the Rockies –
it’s remembered with great impression and favor. Also
wonderful experiences of taste are never forgotten. These
memories do not dissipate over time. The same is true for a
great experience listening to good sound – once heard,
it stays with you as a constant reference [And this is
meaningful to any person as it is to a supposedly golden
ear!]
A well thought out purchase –
made without unnecessary frills - will always bring the
owner good value. One area which shows up how far things can
go wrong is the matter of loudspeaker cables.
The terrible amount of money spent
on cables is total nonsense. Those that purchase over-priced
leads are stuck with the old problem of cognitive dissonance
– they have to sound better because they cost so much
– or, if they don’t seem to, one doesn’t dare
to admit that they have wasted their money. Much more
important is the cleanliness of the interfaces. One can save
a ton by simply cleaning and tightening all connections
and/or renewing lead ends. It pays to do this every year or
two – heck, even cars are washed at least that
often.
New Brands – Old
Principles
Home theater developments emphasize
the need to have a proper balance of loudspeaker
performance. Before it was satisfactory to have different
types of speakers in different positions. But now with Dolby
5.1 and 6.1 – where each channel is full frequency ,
it’s much more necessary to have all speakers fully
capable of proper performance needs.
The belief in good quality and
sensible solutions has been Woods’ motto right from the
beginning with Sound Center. He has dared to begin marketing
brands unknown in Finland [Marantz, Harman-Kardon, Teac,
NAD, Pickering, Nakamichi, etc.] He was told nothing new
was needed – Finland already had Salora [ a Finnish
brand from the ‘60’s].
The same principles are now brought
to home theater. Sound Center’s latest brand is the
American Outlaw – with simple appearance and without
the Tokyo neon light show. Many of Outlaw’s designers
were the same people behind the original NAD. Woods’
own NAD shares were sold already 10 years ago when NAD moved
its production to China at the same time as the Tiananmen
Square massacre. Woods is now also working to set up Outlaw
distribution throughout Europe.
Robert Woods’ own favorite
music includes classical orchestral and chamber music, jazz,
folk and ballad types such as Simon and Garfunkel. His
equipment includes the Acoustics of Finland AE-2X
loudspeakers and the NAD 7240 receiver. In another room
there is the Outlaw 1050 Home Theater receiver, six
AE-2X’s, and an Atlantic Technology
subwoofer.
Also
see: 30
Years of Quality Hi-Fi!
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