TNT-Audio has been publishing interviews with famous HiFi designers since its early days. Few HiFi mags do that on a regular basis like we do.
And everytime I have a look at the Interviews section, I wonder IF these are useful or not. Let me explain.
From time to time I read the old interviews again, like any regular TNT-Audio reader does. And I find myself wondering...yes, because sometimes (very often???) this "free space" is exploited as a means for free advertising on our pages, despite the disclaimer clearly states this is forbidden.
So it is not rare to read phrases like "our components are the best around", "Our approach is the only one that makes sense" etc. Sometimes we can even find a complete and tedious description of the Company's catalogue or brochure. Gosh!
Now, there are two possibilities: either these guys think audiophiles are completely idiot, ready to take for granted anything a designer says... or they don't even know the first thing about promoting themselves.
A regular TNT-audio reader isn't just a "common" audiophile. He is someone tired of advertising and voodoo-science, mumbo-jumbo credo's etc. He is someone who has had enough of luxurious HiFi mags with glossy ads & reviews (little difference between the former and the latter, though).
So when he finally finds a HiFi magazine that tells the things like they really are, avoiding ads like the plague, I guess he'd expect to find the same approach into the Interviews section. And, what a pity, a so useful possibility that could be used to tell the customers the reasons behind a certain HiFi component or sound philosophy, is exploited to make free advertising.
So one question arises immediately: why doesn't the Editor (i.e. me) EDIT the text he receives so to avoid plain advertising? The reason is simple: I let the interviewed fellows do their personal show. If clever, they'll try to respect our policy, if smart (?) they'll try to advertise their stuff here, the second choice being the worst ever possible, since our readers know how to react to a behaviour like this.
So I prefer to leave a complete freedom of speech, within the prescribed borders of our mag and I left the others to respect them or not.
Also, let me tell you something else. It happens very often that the designer/CEO/owner of a certain Company agrees on being interviewed by TNT-Audio. So we write down a set of various questions, send 'em by e-mail and...wait for a reply.
You might be surprised to know that not always the reply arrives into our mailbox, despite the promises.
Can you spell p-r-o-f-e-s-s-i-o-n-a-l? These guys don't even know what "working professionally" means. They like to waste our time, thinking we're here to serve them. And how wrong are they.
I'm thinking to publish a list of designers who had promised an interview (or even ASKED FOR IT!!!!) and never sent it back with answers filled in. But, on the other hand, it would be another waste of time and free "exposition", so I prefer not to mention them.
Of course, you won't be surprised to know that the same happens with products to review: promises, promises...are fine and cost nothing ;-)
But let me save this "topic" for a next editorial.
Finally, let me warmly THANK all the (other) designers who, during these years, have contributed to make our Interviews section a valuable collection of ideas, hints and secrets on how-to make good sounding HiFi stuff.
Thanks God, they are a vast majority and we owe them so much for their collaboration, patience and continuous support.
As for you, dear readers: whenever you'll find an interview you dislike, let us know...or, even better, let the designer know.
Hope is he'll understand there's much more in Audio than mere (unpaid!) advertising: can you spell P-a-s-s-i-o-n?
© Copyright 2000 Lucio Cadeddu