SIMPLE „in”, MEANS SO MUCH
Or the power of little things

⌈ It’s May 1st, the 67th day of the Russian invasion on Ukraine. ⌋

VERY NOW AND THEN IN YOUR E-MAILS I find questions regarding the tested products and why they had not received one of our "mid-year" awards - in December we publish a list of our Best of the Year - awards: RED Fingerprint or GOLD Fingerprint. Both are an expression of the reviewers' appreciation for the product and its designer and are to some extent subjective rewards, because they are subject to the mood or feeling of the moment.

⸜ The wall-mounted CD player designed by Japanese designer NAOTO FUKUSAWA, designed in 1999. It is still produced by the MUJI company. This device is on permanent display at the MOMA Museum in New York • photo NAOTOFUKASAWA.com

On the other hand, when granting them, we follow a strict rule: it must be a "finished project", that is, in its entirety well-thought-out and with all tiniest details worked out. This applies to both awards, but it is particularly important in the case of the GOLD Fingerprint, i.e. one awarded to top-shelf devices, model devices. And it is precisely these products that our Readers ask most often about. "Why is it so" - you ask - "that the description of the sound speaks of perfection, and ultimately (product X or Y) does not receive distinction?"

The answer lies in the subtitle of this editorial: it is about little things that add up to something bigger. About things that seem insignificant at first glance. About details that audiophiles focused solely on sound do not pay attention to and which they can forgive the manufacturers for. I can not. Not because I'm petty - and I don't think I am, not really - or because in this case it is "only" about appearance and finish. The thing is much more complex.

The "little things" that we are talking about result from deeper problems. They are a manifestation of a kind of lack of attention. And, this is my experience, if a company does not pay attention to every aspect of production, even the smallest one, it means that it is not a "complete" product. Believe me, everything begins and ends with small things. Between them there is an ocean of big things, great ideas, and solutions, that's clear. However, it is so that it is all built with small elements and not the other way around. And they all need to be properly refined.

What I am talking about is a universal principle, valid not only in audio world. It is the little things that build the big ones and they constitute the properties of the whole, not the other way around. The perception error consists in assigning the constituent elements the properties of a complete product, work, habits, and even a political situation. It is exactly the opposite. And it is best seen in language.

When a few years ago I mentioned in conversations with my friends that Ukrainians more and more often hint that "it would be nice" - this was an obvious euphemism - if we, Poles, said that Lviv is not "na" (it can’t be really translated to English as ‘in’ Ukraine is the only correct form) Ukraine, but "w" (in) Ukraine and that we are going "do/to" Ukraine, and not "na" (again - can’t really be translated to English) Ukraine, these friends shook their heads in amazement, not knowing what I was talking about. Some even accused me of exaggeration and humanistic mental unsteadiness. And my meaning was simple, to quote the classic: one goes "na" areas that are subordinate or dependent,, and "do/to" when one goes as a guest.

⸜ The 1979 Sony Walkman was one of the best designed devices of its time • photo press mat.

After all, we go 'to' Germany and 'to' France, right? Yet, we don’t have a problem with going „na” Lithuania and Estonia. It's not my goal to awaken the demons of history, but to point out a simple fact: language has tremendous power, even when we don't know it. Language can kill, both metaphorically and physically. And it is from these little things that both love and hate are born. Needless to say, the extermination of Jews before World War II began with words, and that every genocide is fueled with words.

I am not saying that it is easy to change the way we think, or our language habits. I will say more - it is not easy, even for professionals. This can be clearly seen in articles dealing with the war in Ukraine, such as the one in the Polish edition of Newsweek (my emphasis):

„…they repeated many times that sending NATO soldiers na Ukraine would mean their direct confrontation with the Russian army ... "
"Less than a week before the Russian attack na Ukraine in a radio interview ..."
"The war na Ukraine did not stop the process of Putinization."
"Both those from the six years of PiS rule, as well as those from the last days when the war was already na Ukraine."

⸜ CEZARY MICHALSKI, Dlaczego nie można ufać Kaczyńskiemu, „Newsweek” 12/2022, 21-27.03.2022, p. 14-15.

These are extracts from two pages of the same article. I am giving an example from "Newsweek" because it is a magazine that cares about the culture of the language, and not a random internet blog, whose texts are difficult to distinguish from gibberish. And even in this case, it's been hard to avoid mistakes, even though the text goes through several hands before publication. Therefore, I repeat, it is not about a change happening overnight, but rather about becoming aware of the problem - that's enough. Because changes, these really good changes, begin with seemingly small things, which are nevertheless their core, DNA.

That is why many products that we really liked in "High Fidelity" did not receive any awards. If the designers do not see a problem in the fact that this device is not truly refined, not really finished, there is a suspicion that the sound - although seemingly great - has a flaw, that with time some problems with operation or reliability will emerge. I see it as an internal crack in the material, invisible from the outside but leading to a catastrophe in the long run.

⸜ The JamesJenniferGeorgina book tells the story of the Butler family. It consists of postcards, conversation transcripts and photos. This 1,200-page book can be even read only thanks to the innovative three-part spine • photo JAMESJENNIFERGEORGINA.com

That is why many products that we really liked in "High Fidelity" did not receive any awards. If the designers do not see a problem in the fact that this device is not truly refined, not really finished, there is a suspicion that the sound - although seemingly great - has a flaw, that with time some problems with operation or reliability will emerge. I see it as an internal crack in the material, invisible from the outside but leading to a catastrophe in the long run.

So let's remember that every detail counts. I do not expect, it is important mind you, "perfection" or "super-precision". These often help, but may not be the goal as such. After all, real high-end, in all its manifestations of life, be it the production of salt, paper, bows, knives, silk or audio, is not focused on precision. Usually it accompanies it, but as a result, not a cause. It is a deeply spiritual, artistic fusion of the elements into a whole, which on the one hand is beautiful, and on the other, fulfills its role better than common things. Therefore, precision cannot be the basis of a good audio product, but at most one of its features.

It is different with small things - it's about the details the product is based on, not its appearance. Taking care of them proves that the designers control the product in its entirety, from the beginning to the end. If they have worked out the details, chances are that they have everything under control also when it come to the ‘big’ things. That's why a little "w/in" means so much and that's why it's worth fighting for. ■

WOJCIECH PACUŁA
Chief editor