Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site mmm.UUCP
Path: utzoo!decvax!bellcore!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!mmm!schley
From: schley@mmm.UUCP (Steve Schley)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: mail order audio equipment reliability vs. their price
Message-ID: <588@mmm.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Mar-86 10:18:53 EST
Article-I.D.: mmm.588
Posted: Thu Mar  6 10:18:53 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Mar-86 11:41:07 EST
References: <149@hfhrv.UUCP> <400@ur-tut.UUCP>
Reply-To: schley@mmm.UUCP (Steve Schley)
Distribution: na
Organization: 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.
Lines: 40
Keywords: Quality of audio equipment.
Summary: 

In article <400@ur-tut.UUCP> junk@ur-tut.UUCP (Jan Vandenbrande) writes:
>....
>	A friend of mine (who has a friend working in a plant where 
>	stereo equipment is made) claims the following:
>	Each finished article is checked against a reference (what ever that 
>	actually may be) in the factory. If the article is superior
>	to the refernce it gets a good grade (A), if it just about matches
>	the refernce (+/- some tolerance) it gets a passing grade (P), and
>	those who are below the standard a failing grade.
>
>	The friend claims that the stereo components with grade A go to
>	the "fine" stores, the ones with a passing grade to the discount
>	stores. What happens to those that failed he did not want to
>	elaborate. I assume that they fix them up and than sell "em.
>
I find this very hard to believe.  I have been acquainted with some
local manufacturers of audio equipment (Magnepan, Audio Research, DLK,
SoundMates/Janszen), and I have never experienced anything like this.
What I have seen is this: Some manufacturers have better quality
control, and all their products are high quality, whereas other
manufacturers have poorer quality control, and an individual product's
quality is governed more by chance.  I cannot fathom a manufacturer
allowing their quality to drop while at the same time instituting a
"selection" process at the end.  It's more difficult to do what you
suggest than to get control of the quality process.

I think that your friend is having a bit of fun with you.  I am glad
that you didn't post the name of the manufacturer; ugly rumors are
dreadfully hard to stop once they've been started.

By the way, there is something known in the retailing business as
B-goods.  These, as I understand it, are products that were returned by
purchasers under warranty, and have been "factory refurbished",
whatever that might mean.  They are (in my experience) clearly labeled
as B-goods and command stiff pricing reductions over the standard fare.

-- 
	Steve Schley

	ihnp4!mmm!schley