Trite as it may seem to start much of anything with a quotation, I'll make an exception for John Ruskin any day. Ruskin arguably understood the concept of quality better than most anyone who preceded him. And I believe it's quite fitting that his passion for the arts walked hand in hand with his discerning sense of quality.

Exceptional sound or picture quality is not the result of chance. Products which deliver standout performance are the result of thoughtful engineering, and a conscious decision not to compromise on quality in favor of other interests. In today's world of mass market consumer electronics, quality has all too often fallen by the wayside. The industry's focus has shifted from creating an object of lasting beauty and value to simply churning out the most feature-laden, gimmicky, inexpensive product possible. Alas, the emphasis on bells and whistles has caused many consumers to forget what is most important: the original art form itself, whether music or film. Shouldn't the quality of sound or picture be of foremost concern?

Thankfully there are those who still hold true to such a philsophy. Tacit in Ruskin's assertion is the notion that intelligent effort often leads to creative thinking and innovation. In fact, I believe that innovation is one of the chief determinants of quality. Products which simply aim to borrow from an existing design, and market themselves in a different manner are not representative of a quality conscious philosophy. But those individuals who step back and question pre-conceived notions and assumptions, take nothing for granted, and seek to surpass our expectations - those are the individuals who redefine our very standards of quality.

Consider, for example, the case of Wilson Benesch. Never before had a loudspeaker manufacturer used carbon-fibre to fabricate loudspeaker cabinets. In fact, the vast majority of loudspeakers - even today - are constructed of MDF which is really nothing more than a high grade of particleboard. Even speakers costing tens of thousands of dollars are still manufactured from this cheap, convenient material. Wilson Benesch was also the first company to experiment with rare Earth magnets, and developed their own unique woven compound for use in their proprietary Tactic driver. As in the construction of loudspeaker cabinets, most manufacturers simply use "off the shelf" drivers. Is it any wonder that Benesch speakers sound so marvelous?

I could go on, of course - Rick Cox of Rix Rax creates a unique work of art in each and every rack, and perhaps nowhere is a craftman's personal commitment to quality more clear. But in truth, you'll find that all of the products at Symphony Sound embody Ruskin's philsophy concerning quality. If you share this philosophy, I encourage you to pay us a visit.

Evan Trent
Owner/Founder