AV123 thoughts/opinions?

[quadman]

I'm not certain I'm going to make very many friends with my very first post on your forum, but I feel a little balance and/or a deeper look is in order with regard to this....

Now in fairness and being completely open, many of you who know me through other forums (quadriverfalls on AVS and AV123 - don't ask, it was my daughter's fault ), know that I'm considered to be/have been a fairly avid AV123/Mark Schifter suporter. I have also spent a lot of time with him at various get togethers around the country and frankly, developed quite a good friendship with him.

Because of my participation in some of these gtg's (I was the chef ) several of which I flew in, rented a hotel and car.... all at my own expense.... he would gift me a pair of speakers for my efforts. I in turn have gifted all of those speakers to friends who needed or wanted new speakers. Not that keeping the speakers for myself or giving them away would have changed a thing in this equation, I just wanted everything out on the table.

So, many or most of you may feel that my position on Mark is skewed because of the friendship and/or the gifts. I understand, as well as, accept and respect that. And, while I am certainly NOT all warm and fuzzy with the turn of events and the way things have been going over at AV123 the past couple of years, I DO feel bashing Mark and AV123 has become somewhat of a blood sport. Some of it deserved most certainly. Some, not so much I think.

With all that being said, I like so many others, felt absolutely TERRIBLE when news of this raffle and it's outcome came to light. David, on a personal note.... you and your family were in the thoughts and prayers of more than you'll ever know, including mine. Losing a parent is never easy, but losing one the way you did, what you and your family went through.... just terrible. We ALL felt for you. Which made this accounting of the raffle all the more tragic because of it's perception.

However, in the interest of being completely fair.... when looking purely at the bottom line numbers:
http://www.tweakcityaudio.com/forum/...&postcount=893 I personally feel that a full accounting was made with regard to the Sloan-Kettering donation. Now, semantics could certainly be argued that the prices of the goods, paypal fees and/or shipping costs should not have been deducted at retail - or at all, and in the end.... honestly, I would probably agree with you. But, since there was no mention (that I can find anyway) that the prizes/fees/shipping would be donated all or in part, I feel the accounting would stand any legal scrutiny.

Again, I'm not totally happy with some of things that have happened at AV123 or with Mark. But, I also occassionally take issue when someone is continually taken behind the woodshed and pounded into oblivian when those doing the pounding may not know all of the facts.

Thanks for allowing me to vent a little and sorry for being so long winded on my first post. I'll go slip into my flame retardent jammies, pour myself an Old Bushmills on the rocks spin up a nice Mozart Piano Concerto (with Horowitz tickling the keys of course) and call it an evening.

And, FWIW.... I don't own any Rockets and have ALWAYS been a 340 fan. I simply love that speaker. Now, if I could JUST get Curtis to send me a pair of his Sierra's to try....