Columns Retired Columns & Blogs |
The Apt Holman preamp was a well-engineered product with an owner's manual to match.
The results of last week's "Vote" indicate that audiophiles do indeed read manuals
The manual from Avalon that came with my Radian HC speakers wins hands down. It looks and feels great, and it goes far beyond telling me how to connect cables, etc. Really, it is a very good starting point for topics such as speaker placement, room interaction, etc.
The Mackie 1402-VLZ PRO. Well written, clear, friendly and occasionally quite humourous. It explains some rather complicated mixing/recording setups with clarity. Includes wiring diagrams for maintenance and modification. I wish every manual could be as well written.
The manual for the Sumiko Standards (28" speaker stands) was very well written and printed on good heavy paper. I am a technical writer, and my wife taught English, so we are pretty critical of these things. Runner up: The manual to help me put together the StudioTech Ultimate Furniture U-48 cabinet.
The owners' manuals that are packed with Avalon speakers. These manuals are some of the best-written, information-packed manuals I've ever seen on any consumer item, and particularly in audio. The scope of the manual and the proliferation of diagrams go well beyond what is necessary for correct setup of the speakers. Kudos to Neil Patel and his team for an absolutely superior job.