First time on the recieving end of ProVari hate

[CountSmackula]

Would it be okay to put Hello Kitty stickers on my ProVari?
(I already have. j/k)

 

[MF DOOM]

I have some pretty serious stereo gear. I have speakers that retailed for more than my first two cars combined. I have amplifiers that you can arc-weld with, and retailed for more than a semester's tuition to some State Universities. My rig sounds AMAZING--it performs like nothing you've ever heard in a "big box" store. In fact, it sounds more "real" than most systems that most people have ever heard (unless you hang out with a lot of audiophiles).

Can I come over and play some Megadeth on your crazy gear?

 

[CountSmackula]

Or Black Flag?

 

[The Ocelot]

Oh pleeeze somebody make a mod out a douche bag!!!

 

[StereoDreamer]

I do not allow "metal" to be played on my rig.

Occasionally I do play some punk though. So, "no" to the Megadeath, but a "possible yes" on the Black Flag"...

And no, this is not "elitist" or "snarky". Some people wouldn't let you put Pluid in their favorite atty, and I don't put certain music through my rig. Some things just don't benefit from high-end gear, and some things leave a lasting, unpleasant taste that is hard to get rid of... ;-)

 

[StereoDreamer]

Would it be okay to put Hello Kitty stickers on my ProVari?
(I already have. j/k)

As an artist, I would say yes--it is perfectly acceptable to visually personalize your mod in ANY way that you see fit, and in any way that makes you happy... ;-)

 

[Horselady154]

As someone who has been into high-end audio for over 2 decades, and has been the target of "Krell-haters", "Martin Logan Haters", "Nordost Haters" and "Sumiko Haters", I can sympathize. But I can also offer a bit of insight into what is behind a lot of the hating on expensive high-end items like hand-made speaker cables, NASA-grade preamplifiers, and ProVaris....

Some of it is jealousy. We live in a society that often puts a premium on material success, regardless of how deserving the success may be. And many people who are not financially well-off are VERY hard-working and feel (rightly so) that many of the more "financially well-off" people in our society have gotten where they are by ripping hard-working people off, by stealing the products of their labor, screwing them with unfair wages, and generally being scum-bag 1%-ers.

Not all rich people are ......... sociopaths--just like not all poor people are inbred rednecks. But many are (in both cases...). And because of the weird love-hate relationship that our culture has with material success, people with nice things are often the target of misplaced frustration, indignation and hatred of people who are less successful. In other words, some people hate Provari's simply because of the fact that they are expensive, and represent a level of financial success that they may never attain, or because they represent a class of people who they perceive have succeeded by ripping them off.

But a LARGE part of the hate comes from the attitude of people who have these high-end devices. When we finally get our hands on these "state-of-the-art" toys, we realize that everything else out there is pretty much crap, and we feel the need to "preach the gospel" to the world about the joys of owning nice things. Some people can do this with grace, kindness and inclusiveness. But many people are just not that socially skilled and sensitive, and end up coming across as elitist, preachy douchebags. Nobody likes to be preached at, and people EXPECIALLY don't like being told that the gear they have is crap (especially if they LIKE what they have). So the "hating" begins.

I have some pretty serious stereo gear. I have speakers that retailed for more than my first two cars combined. I have amplifiers that you can arc-weld with, and retailed for more than a semester's tuition to some State Universities. My rig sounds AMAZING--it performs like nothing you've ever heard in a "big box" store. In fact, it sounds more "real" than most systems that most people have ever heard (unless you hang out with a lot of audiophiles).

And yes, I've been on the receiving end of plenty of hate for it, because people see it as an extravagance, or as being wasteful, or as being elitists, or whatever.

But when I tell them that I got all this FANTASTIC gear over a period of nearly 20 years, and bought almost all of it used at significant discounts, and that it probably costs less than their Sony or Bose or Onkyo rig, the attitude changes. When they see that I've dedicated a lot of time, research, and patience assembling this rig, and that I paid less for it than the mediocre crap they bought at Best Buys, it's an entirely different ballgame.

Many Provari owners make the mistake of letting their zeal get the better of their social skills. They are so proud of their high-end PVs, and are so amazed at the improved quality of the vape it provides that they just walk right over everyone else's sensibilities to "preach the gospel". They forget that not everyone has $200 to drop on a mod (and as much or more to spend on high-end tanks and RBAs). They forget that not everyone is as dedicated to pursuing the "perfect vape" as they are. And so they get preachy. They sound elitist. They say snarky things about other people's less-expensive mods.

And so the hate begins.

The moral of this story is that it's OK to own expensive toys. Some people become so obsessed with that "perfect experience" that they are willing to go to any length to achieve it, and that is OK.

Just don't let your excitement, your zeal, and your passion get the better of your social skills.

Don't be snarky. Don't belittle that guy with the 901 stick battery, or that girl with the eGo plastered with rhinestones and Hello Kitty stickers. Different people have different priorities. Different people have different tastes. And different people have different budgets.

Remember that it is the wonderful diversity of Vaping that makes it fun for everyone.

It's OK to to want to share the amazing performance of your Provari with others. Just don't be a condescending, snarky, elitist douchenozzle about it.

If more people understood this, the hating would drop off dramatically...

Sorry, but there is so much wrong with this, I don't know where to start.

One, just because someone worked their backside off in school and work and became successful, does not make them a bad person, as the "1%" designation assumes. It is the American dream. Many successful people have made a lot of choices in their lives that entailed putting their personal lives and immediate gratification that others hold so dear on hold to advance their long-term career goals. They didn't spend their money on every new thing that came on the market and saved/invested instead. Everyone makes choices and if there weren't any of these people that some seem to be so jealous of, many of the jobs that do exist, would not, as most jobs come from small-to-medium sized companies.

The only "scum bags" are those who got where they did by getting special favors from government by buying them off and this is rampant, unfortunately. These are the only people that should be looked down upon --- NOT those who became successful from their own merit.

And finally, if someone does not like their job, they should go elsewhere where they are more appreciated, or start their own company.

People should not have to justify the things they have earned. Whether it be a nice stereo or nice vaping equipment. The idea that they should have to go to any kind of length to explain to people how they acquired it, or that they somehow paid less for it, is extremely repugnant. Sorry. To me, this sounds like enabling/justifying simple jealousy. It's not like this is a new phenomenon.

A lot of people have a lot nicer equipment than I do. I am happy with what I have, because that is what I can afford. When I can afford better, maybe I will upgrade, or maybe I will choose to spend it on something else entirely, or maybe just save the money. But, never do I expect others to justify what they own.

 

[MF DOOM]

I do not allow "metal" to be played on my rig.

Occasionally I do play some punk though. So, "no" to the Megadeath, but a "possible yes" on the Black Flag"...

And no, this is not "elitist" or "snarky". Some people wouldn't let you put Pluid in their favorite atty, and I don't put certain music through my rig. Some things just don't benefit from high-end gear, and some things leave a lasting, unpleasant taste that is hard to get rid of... ;-)

Woah woah woah.
So the high-end playing AND engineering doesn't get a play, but throwing around powerchords cause we are mad and young gets a play?!?!?!

I was listening to Operation Ivy and NOFX since the late 80's so I am not un-aware, I still love it, but man...

What do you listen to Stereo?

 

[MF DOOM]

I do not allow "metal" to be played on my rig.

Occasionally I do play some punk though. So, "no" to the Megadeath, but a "possible yes" on the Black Flag"...

And no, this is not "elitist" or "snarky". Some people wouldn't let you put Pluid in their favorite atty, and I don't put certain music through my rig. Some things just don't benefit from high-end gear, and some things leave a lasting, unpleasant taste that is hard to get rid of... ;-)

And you spelled it wrong.
Sorry, it's an oath I took, have to call folk on it...
Hahha, JK.

 

[PLANofMAN]

I really don't understand the "it's expensive, I can't afford it" mentality that many people have. I'll throw a lowball estimate out there that people were paying $4 a pack, probably per day on their habit. That is over $2,000 per year. Personally, I was spending 10% of my paycheck on smokes. Compared to smoking, there isn't a kit out there that is "unaffordable" to the average ex-smoker. If they are willing to put aside what they used to spend on smokes, 95% could probably buy a ProVari in a month or less. ProVari's are not exclusive, they are always in stock, and compared to some mods out there, mechanicals and Hybrids in particular, the ProVari is a mid-priced model. Just my two cents.

 

[StereoDreamer]

Woah woah woah.
So the high-end playing AND engineering doesn't get a play, but throwing around powerchords cause we are mad and young gets a play?!?!?

I don't dig "metal". I don't dig "Pluid". I don't dig Hybrid cars, small, yappy dogs, or women who hav fewer curves than I do. So is life. ;-)

Dave Mustaine is, however, a freaking genius--I'll give you that. I just don't like most of his music--but some of his lyrics are pretty darn clever.

The closest thing to "metal" that I put through my rig is probably Clutch...

 

[MF DOOM]

Dave Mustaine is, however, a freaking genius--I'll give you that. I just don't like most of his music--but some of his lyrics are pretty darn clever.

Not that you care...but REDEEMED!

LAST DERAIL...what about headphones, I looked at the level some of those get into. 1500 for earbud monitors!!!!!
I'm a headphone guy. And I won't be swayed by the "Beats by Dre" fad. I know I can get some killers for those prices.

 

[PLANofMAN]

You should check out Stone Sour. Some of their early stuff is amazing.

 

[Baditude]

Anyone like Muse? I just saw their live show last night. They are freaking AMAZING live. Best live show I have EVER attended. Not only for the music, all three (four when in concert) are incredible musicians and a very tight band, but the stage/light show was as good if not better than any Pink Floyd show. Extremely high tech.

 

[PLANofMAN]

GWAR. Their music sucks but the live show is indescribable.

 

[The Ocelot]

And some us have other definitions of genius:

 

[StereoDreamer]

Sorry, but there is so much wrong with this, I don't know where to start.

Apparently, you should have just stopped right there--where you admitted that you don't even know where to start--because you TOTALLY missed the point I was making...

One, just because someone worked their backside off in school and work and became successful, does not make them a bad person, as the "1%" designation assumes.

You have no idea where I am coming from, or what my background is. I have an advanced degree. I graduated with honors (on an academic scholarship) from one of the best private colleges in my home state. I busted by .... for 15 years advancing through my career to a level where I was winning national awards for my work, only to become disillusioned by the total dedication to greed, power, and the sociopathic control-freak mentality that was rampant in Corporate America in the late 1990s, at which point, I walked away from it all, and became an "independent" for several years, before returning to graduate school.

Granted, my perception of corporate culture may be a little skewed. I worked in the DC area, where there is a higher-than-average concentration of corporate and bureaucratic sociopaths than in most of America. I worked for a company that did a lot fo work for the US DOJ, and therefore I worked directly with a lot of lawyers and government "officials" too--which probably was a MAJOR contributing factor to my perceptions of the endemic sociopathy in corporate and government culture.

But I also have worked in Academia, for small businesses, and done a LOT of freelance and "independent contracting" work--and most of that served only to reinforce my perceptions--across several states, and in areas ranging from VERY urban to VERY rural.

The point I was attempting to make was NOT that everyone who is successful might be a scumbag. I was trying to make the point that many people who are NOT rolling in dough feel disenfranchised, put upon and taken advantage of by the ones that ARE, and as we all know, nobody remembers the 1000 good people they meet, but EVERYBODY remembers the ONE person who screwed them in life.

And when you couple this perception of success with the snarky, elitist, and overzealous attitude that many people who own high-end gear have (PVs, cars, stereo gear, whatever), it serves to create an atmosphere that is adversarial from the get-go.

It's funny how you never hear these people saying they are sorry for being snarky, or you never hear them giving people pointers on how to "vape within their budget"--it's just "if you can't afford a Provari/iHybrid/Caravela/GG/whatever, then you are just a shuffling, mumbling, jealous slacker who hates people because they are successful".

Ever consider that those people are hated because they are insensitive, self-absorbed, money-worshiping sociopaths? People who consider a promotion more important than their kid's soccer championship? People who think that winning that next contract so they can have a 5-bedroom ugly mass-produced Mac-Mansion in the suburbs to be more important than spending time with their aging parents?

I'm not saying that everyone with a Provari is a sociopath.

I'm saying that there are SOME who ARE, and they give the rest of you a bad reputation, because they are snarky, elitist, inensitive, out-of-touch schmucks.

It is the American dream.

They call it the "American Dream" because you have to be asleep to believe in it...

The only "scum bags" are those who got where they did by getting special favors from government by buying them off and this is rampant, unfortunately. These are the only people that should be looked down upon --- NOT those who became successful from their own merit.

No, there are a lot of scumbags out there who are true sociopaths--and they are in ALL aspects of business, and I have worked with and for a LOT of them. People who would literally risk Federal Prosecution by lying on a resume to make themselves look better than they were. People who were so enamored of wealth and power that they would actively participate in open corruption just to get a "playing along bonus". People who would support programs that imprison innocent people, seize their property, and violate the Constitution, just because the dollar signs on the "winning side" were more important than the future of this Nation, or the integrity of their souls.

If the US was a meritocracy, Bill Gates would be in prison, and Nicola Tesla would have died a billionaire and his name would be on every device that plugged into a wall.

Please...

 

[MF DOOM]

GWAR. Their music sucks but the live show is indescribable.

Trolling before trolling was trolling.

 

[StereoDreamer]

LAST DERAIL...what about headphones, I looked at the level some of those get into. 1500 for earbud monitors!!!!!
I'm a headphone guy. And I won't be swayed by the "Beats by Dre" fad. I know I can get some killers for those prices.

AKG K-701's, driven by a Benchmark DAC1 Studio Processor. As close to electrostatic speakers as you can get for your head... ;-)

 

[The Ocelot]

...I'm not saying that everyone with a Provari is a sociopath.

I'm saying that there are SOME who ARE, and they give the rest of you a bad reputation, because they are snarky, elitist, inensitive, out-of-touch schmucks.

Thou art a nonbeliever?