The Robert Taussig story Blandford Street

On consultancy

Every time I meet a customer I try to guide themand to listen to what they're saying.To get them to a point where they can make a decision.And sowe all need to have options, but not too many options.And hopefully by doing what I've been doing for so longI now know how to guide people.And if somebody asked a question, I try and work out specifics like,Is living room?Do they want to have a dedicated movie room?They have ideas alreadyso they may say, "I want to have a large screen TV, I don't like projectors.I saw a projector ten years ago and it really wasn't very good."So these are things that I can help discuss and get to fine tune it.So what are the options?The options are a TV, a TV with a bit of better sound to make it enhance the soundA TV with home cinema or full blown home cinemawith a projection screen or projector screen and a TV.And I'll say there's reasons for that as well.A dedicated cinema room or room, which is going to be a family roomor a child's playroom, which is going to be multipurpose.So all these questions you can ask and get answersand with those answers, then you can work out which way to go.

Listening is key

Every time I meet a customer I try to guide themand to listen to what they're saying.To get them to a point where they can make a decision.And sowe all need to have options, but not too many options.And hopefully by doing what I've been doing for so longI now know how to guide people.And if somebody asked a question, I try and work out specifics like,Is living room?Do they want to have a dedicated movie room?They have ideas alreadyso they may say, "I want to have a large screen TV, I don't like projectors.I saw a projector ten years ago and it really wasn't very good."So these are things that I can help discuss and get to fine tune it.So what are the options?The options are a TV, a TV with a bit of better sound to make it enhance the soundA TV with home cinema or full blown home cinemawith a projection screen or projector screen and a TV.And I'll say there's reasons for that as well.A dedicated cinema room or room, which is going to be a family roomor a child's playroom, which is going to be multipurpose.So all these questions you can ask and get answersand with those answers, then you can work out which way to go.

The state of technology

It happens both in AV, video and in audiothat you can't have everything.An example is, a loudspeaker manufacturer once said to me thata speaker is a disaster waiting to happen and he explained thatto me because he's the manufacturer of it, that it is converting electronic energyor digital energy back intoanalogue, into dynamic energy, which is for the ear to hear.And so that taking the signal from the amplifierelectronic – and converting it back into movement again.which is what a speaker is doing causes all sorts of problemswhich I can't even explain.But he says that is what we're doing when we make a loudspeaker.And the more you spend, the more we're able to deal with those problems.And in the same way a projectorcan either be super bright and suitablefor video presentations, or it can be rich and deep and darkand the images can be wonderful, but only works in dark roomsso it can't be like a television set. You spend a fortune, you can have both. The same applies to audio only when you get right to thethe very, very peak of it, you get something approaching...It delivers everything. It can play loud for the party. It can sound refined for listening to music, and the amount of timeswe get asked for systems that are going to sound great,Oh, and I'm spending a lot of money on this is it good for a party too, isn't it?And the answer is absolutely no. But to now specifically answer your questionI would say that in a small room you can get a great music systemHi-Fi system, whether it's can be vinyl or CDor music streaming for about £5,000.That is the starting point of a really good small system.You double it. The rules have always been the same. You get an improvement in sound, not necessarilya doubling of improvement of sound, but an improvement in sound.So you get a really fine Hi-Fi system which is for a large roomabout £20,000 – a good amplifierfloor-standing speakers, already refined small speakersand a high quality turntable or streaming And the ultimate Hi-Fi system?I installed one recently for just over a quarter million poundspurely the same thing, just a source, an amplifier and a pair of speakers.No difference. So there you go.

Desert island discs

Every time I meet a customer I try to guide themand to listen to what they're saying.To get them to a point where they can make a decision.And sowe all need to have options, but not too many options.And hopefully by doing what I've been doing for so longI now know how to guide people.And if somebody asked a question, I try and work out specifics like,Is living room?Do they want to have a dedicated movie room?They have ideas alreadyso they may say, "I want to have a large screen TV, I don't like projectors.I saw a projector ten years ago and it really wasn't very good."So these are things that I can help discuss and get to fine tune it.So what are the options?The options are a TV, a TV with a bit of better sound to make it enhance the soundA TV with home cinema or full blown home cinemawith a projection screen or projector screen and a TV.And I'll say there's reasons for that as well.A dedicated cinema room or room, which is going to be a family roomor a child's playroom, which is going to be multipurpose.So all these questions you can ask and get answersand with those answers, then you can work out which way to go.

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