At the end of my Germany assignment 14 years ago, I purchased the German-made active speakers B&M Sigma, so expensive shopping considering it as if I were jumping from a cliff. These speakers have a built-in multi-channel amplifier, ceramic inverted dome for mid-to-high, and an AFB woofer—a product of the ambitious 1980s. Naturally, I brought them back to Germany for this time, but recently, I’ve been hearing hum from the left channel, and the desire for an overhaul has arisen. Visiting the “Active Speaker and Spanish Wine Shop?” Johannes Krings http://www.johannes-krings.com/index.html, it appeared unchanged from 14 years ago, with the same storefront and the proprietor, a slightly heavier but still bearded man. He remembered our conversation from 14 years ago, which was heartening. However, the maintenance estimate was “If you send it to the manufacturer, it’ll be €1800; with us, it’s a bit cheaper.” Quite a hefty price. I couldn’t give an immediate response on the spot, so I said, “Hmm, I’ll take it back and consider it.” I wandered around the shop, where high-end speakers were still on display, and listened to a demo, further stimulating my material desires before leaving.
Edit: It turned out that Mr. Krings stopped his business some years later from this post, and I found recently he had past away in 2022. RIP.
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