What you re saying is just so mundane. 'No I don’t need any salt on my potatoes, I think they’re just fine plainly boiled as they were meant to be.' All I can say is Bon appetite!
Shrives, seven pages and you haven’t heard actually read or comprehended a word I said. Re-read the post and pay attention this time. Oh my now my head is going to explode!
BTW: I’ve driven cars where function follows necessity and its not any fun. I have also driven cars where form follows function where necessity is meaningless. Do you want me to list them? Or do you get the point?
I don't eat white potatos, they're really bad for you.
So what was I missing? You chose AVA because of function, but aren't happy because of form.
I was simply pointing out that, unlike engineering principles, appreciation of form is totally subjective.
So, I like the way AVA gear looks, and that's every bit as valid a viewpoint as yours - and I don't care whether you're an artist or not.
I like it. Full stop. End of story. Game over. You lose.
Ok, that was hyperbole, but I hope I made my point. Frank, as an engineer, has to concentrate on function, and the art of the possible. If the end result is still pleasing to the eye, that's wonderful. But I wouldn't want function to play second fiddle to form, since I actually have to use the stuff. If I want artwork, I'll buy another Ansel Adams print.
(Note that Frank has talked about the "I like it" stuff in terms of function, and "I like it" isn't really good enough there.)
I do hope you take up Frank's challenge and come up with a new design for AVA gear. I might very well like it better than the current scheme (or not), as long as it's still cost-effective. I don't wish to pay more for the "massive" look, of which Rowland is a good example, and I'm not even sure I would prefer gear that's built to look like a golden bridge abutment.
The current look is utilitarian. Some would consider that to be aesthetically pleasing. I tend to appreciate a rather minimalist look (think Japanese rock garden) rather than a rococco or other overdone (IMO) look.
The new design has to be legible. I prefer fairly dim lighting while relaxing and listening, so the new look should feature high contrast. I also don't like really tiny lettering (especially as my eyes get older), even if it were possible to do.
There was a lot of older Carver gear that was a perfect example of how form can screw up function. It was kind of a bronze with beige lettering. Contrast was extremely low. It looked great sitting on the dealer's shelf, especially since the local dealer had a brown theme to his store.
But... it was impossible to actually use in other than harsh, direct lighting. Even then you had to move your head around to make out what some of the labels said.
As I've said a few times, I actually prefer the old Dynaco look, with brushed aluminum and black lettering. The champagne look was good too. I actually chose the silver faceplate for my T2 preamp over a black one. But so few customers evidently chose silver that they stopped offering that option.
Since it's going to have to be the black look, the current theme is fine since it's legible. It works better than some black equipment I've seen. And, overall, it looks good sitting on my shelves, which are black also, so it disappears to some extent with a bit of distance.
So, given the constraints Frank has delineated, I look forward to your making AVA gear more pleasing to the eye while still retaining all the functionality. Go to it!
