Fellow Audio Circle Members,
I am VERY pleased to announce that Solar Hifi's virtual doors are open for business, and our first product is available for sale, the
Solar 1.0 speaker.[/url] This is the first of many products, with more speakers in the works, as well as an innovative line of digital amplifiers. There will also be products aimed at improving the audio experience for people who have solar powered homes (and other kinds of renewable energy power sources).
I would like to formally request the creation of a Manufacturer's Circle called "Solar Hifi". I do not expect to have trouble maintaining an active circle, as I have been long-time contributing member to AC and HD before I decided to start an audio business. Since I am also a dealer for other lines of equipment (see below for why), please link the forum to
www.solarhifi.com/solarSpeakers.php, which for now is the homepage of my in-house developed products.
By way of introduction, my goals for starting this business are the following:
1. To develop a new generation of audiophiles. It really bugs me how consumers are shortchanged by the mass-market stereo-in-a-box equipment that you see at the Big Retailers. Most people think that is the ultimate listening experience, but we at AC know better.
So I am developing products that I think will be most likely to blow potential new audiophiles away with the wonderful sound, and then make them think twice about how to get it. The Solar 1.0 speaker is the first such product. Having no crossover and other design, it has such a realistic sound that other similarly priced speakers may sound veiled and muddy.
2. To provide excellent customer support. How else will "new" audiophiles get the most out of their newly purchased system. We all know how tough it is to get a decent setup of the myriad components. So I am developing a lineup of the complete package of audio equipment that has "synergy" together. I will also be readily available to help customers setup, debug, and improve their system. I will never sell something that I don't think will result in a good value improvement in sound quality. I just don't believe in doing that.
3. To provide sustainably produced products with minimal environmental impact. I know this is going to be controversial, but I am man with convictions, and I want to change how business and consumers view the environmental impacts of their consumption. So I will be providing the complete lifecycle environmental impact analysis for every product that I sell. It will take some time to get all this research done, as it has not been done in audio as far as I know. My products will also come with offsets against the lifecycle impact. Initially, the CO2 emitted during the shipping of the products I sell will be 100% offset through the purchase of gallons of biodiesel fuel from
GoBioDiesel Co-op in Portland, Oregon. Biodiesel emits much less greenhouse gases than other fuels. As I develop other metrics, offsets will be retroactively applied to all products I have ever sold. I am keeping a database, that customers can log into and see the offsets their purchases have accrued over time (am I nutz or what?
)
Well there's lots more to say about what I'm doing, but introductions are supposed to be short and sweet. If/when I get a Circle, I'll tell all.
Sincerely,
Kevin Whilden
