Social Media and High End Audio

[Verastarr]

Use your real name, don’t hide behind a fake name.

LOL< MIKE POWELL ... its OLD news brother.... GOOGLE Me.....

 

[Verastarr]

I really get a kick out of you guys. You’re really car audio guys: huge amps, inefficient speakers, brute force, etc. Money doesn’t = good, that’s what you’ll never understand. It’s takes skill and dedication to curate a record collection; match cartridge, arm, table, and phono stage. It’s the most difficult thing in audio, most people give up. And I don’t blame you for failing, most do.

My issue with you is that you denigrate vinyl; don’t trash something you’ve failed to master. I suck at golf, but I don’t trash the sport. I just acknowledge that I’ve failed to master a difficult task. Just like you’ve failed to properly set up an analog system.

Wow, what an assumptive guy you are Jeff... Bad form... Ive got dual Reel to Reel decks.. and not a BS Technics or Pioneer. Studer A80 with upgraded Flux Magnetics heads and upgraded electronics with outboard Nick Doshi Tape head preamp.. I bought out a studio vault from Hollywood, CA and have the ORIGINAL 2 inch 24 track session reels and the 2 channel mixdown tapes... Can you beat that with your "Cart, Arm and Phono stage".. NO you cant... so I compare my digital with the Highest level of Analog... Come see for yourself.. For those that have not started Vinyl, its a waste of time and money... I know what goes into getting it perfect and its a pain in the royal ass and not cheap.. Not to mention collecting Vinyl at this point which is 30 to 50 and up to $300 per album for good pressings... Id be a complete asshole to recommend this to my burgeoning audiophiles.. BUT, I sure could make great money at selling them all the kit, couldnt I ?? YES. so Im killing my income by recommending against it because I put the best interest of my clients first... Its why Im TOP Global seller for Playback Designs (Whom MoFi has recently bought A to D and D to A to archive thier Master Tapes) So again, MoFi Chose the same brand I sell for digital and I can compare it hand to hand real time against a Studer A80 with Doshi Pre and FM Heads, and my digital is indistinguishable from Master Tape.... Much less the lossy vinyl remasters made from the tapes... So go ahead Jeff talk all you want , you have no clue who I am or my history in the industry NOR my ability to back my mouth up.... I walk the walk my friend...

 

[Lee]

I have not yet watched the video you posted. But I did see the video from AJ on the bad paint job from Rockport.

Youtube is not just a thing for high-end audio but for all types of hobbies. These people aren't called influencers for just any reason. They have a following of 10000's of people and those people pay close attention to what that youtuber has to say. Any company in an industry (High-end audio included) who has their head in the sand and thinks that these people don't matter are not going to last long. On the flip side those companies who will embrace it are much more likely to succeed. In a former post I was encouraging TAS to do youtube as I mentioned that back in the HP days if you wanted to communicate information to like minded people you published a magazine of sorts (e.g. TAS). Today that has changed to video.

On a side note, most of the individuals that I watch on youtube come across as personable, knowledgable and are entertaining to watch/listen to. It is clear why the TAS people are writers. (Because they can write) But when I watch the TAS videos these same writes come across as stilted with no video presence and are frankly hard to watch.

What rubs me the wrong way and I think a lot of people is the fact that high-end audio prices are on the luxury level and the service is on the big box store level. When something is not right with a $60K speaker upon delivery then the dealer/manufacturer needs to take care of the customer -- immediately! This lack of service is what drove the videos and controversy. If you don't want to get called out then step up and do the right thing.

There are a few dealers that do a good job of making sure the customer is happpy. e.g. flying out for the delivery and arranging professional setup. But this is pretty rare. There are some manufacturers who do a great job but many who don't. For example, I have had great experience with WIlson, YG, Pass and Vivid where something wasn't right and they took immediate action with little to no questioning.

The example of the $60K Rockport issues is instructive. Rockport's response in the Junkies original video comments section PROVE they did the right thing. They literally could not have done anything better.

I will also just assume you are not referencing me in the TAS videos given my charismatic on-camera performance.

 

[christoph]

Guys, take it down a notch.

 

[Bobvin]

I watched the video. I’m not a big “J.“ fan, but in this video he does appear to be trying to make some improvements, and as he says, grow a little. If he is sincere I give him kudos. It is an evolving medium and sadly “influencers” are jumping in claiming expertise with nothing but an iPhone and some lighting.

Somebody above mentioned some basic presentation skills that J. still needs to learn. For example, summarize what you’re going to tell, tell it, and then review what you told.

Many Youtubers could step up their game in a big way by adding these basic skills. Many ramble and waste time. I mentioned this on one of Jay’s videos, long back, and his reply was, this is just my style. Consequently, I seldom watch J. videos.

I am not yet convinced J knows all that much, but he may well have heard more gear, in his room, than I have in my room. Does that make him an expert?

 

[jeff1225]

Wow, what an assumptive guy you are Jeff... Bad form... Ive got dual Reel to Reel decks.. and not a BS Technics or Pioneer. Studer A80 with upgraded Flux Magnetics heads and upgraded electronics with outboard Nick Doshi Tape head preamp.. I bought out a studio vault from Hollywood, CA and have the ORIGINAL 2 inch 24 track session reels and the 2 channel mixdown tapes... Can you beat that with your "Cart, Arm and Phono stage".. NO you cant... so I compare my digital with the Highest level of Analog... Come see for yourself.. For those that have not started Vinyl, its a waste of time and money... I know what goes into getting it perfect and its a pain in the royal ass and not cheap.. Not to mention collecting Vinyl at this point which is 30 to 50 and up to $300 per album for good pressings... Id be a complete asshole to recommend this to my burgeoning audiophiles.. BUT, I sure could make great money at selling them all the kit, couldnt I ?? YES. so Im killing my income by recommending against it because I put the best interest of my clients first... Its why Im TOP Global seller for Playback Designs (Whom MoFi has recently bought A to D and D to A to archive thier Master Tapes) So again, MoFi Chose the same brand I sell for digital and I can compare it hand to hand real time against a Studer A80 with Doshi Pre and FM Heads, and my digital is indistinguishable from Master Tape.... Much less the lossy vinyl remasters made from the tapes... So go ahead Jeff talk all you want , you have no clue who I am or my history in the industry NOR my ability to back my mouth up.... I walk the walk my friend...

I’d research a thing called paragraphs, it might help you articulate an argument. I’m not going to read a OCD stream of consciousness rant.

Good luck to you.

 

[Audire]

Come to my place there Jeff and weep at how digital shreds the ass out of your beloved vinyl... I consistently get Vinyl guys over here that applaud my rig and say if they hadn't spent $100K on their TT and vinyl collection they would never do it over again... You simply have not heard digital done right .... ask Dr. Vinyl.... He said 2 things that stuck out. 1. You need to charge admission for these demos 2. This is the first time Ive heard that Orchestral piece where the system can reproduce 100% of the Orchestra.. bottom to top with complete balance..... Not my words, ask Jose...
Put your money where your mouth is toilet boy....

Jose set up my Vinyl System. He also heard my digital system, which is light years above anything you listen too.While our digital was close, it isn’t on the same level as our vinyl.

This said, I have a new front end digital system incoming - hopefully the next three weeks or so. But my whole goal in my digital reproduction is an analogue sound like my vinyl, tape, etc.

This said, Jose loves analogue sound. He won’t agree with you! Period!

 

[Verastarr]

The other issue I have with some influencers is the amount of conflict of interests I see. Two examples are:

1. OCD Mikey disparaging upper end DAC manufacturers like dCS and MSB. He sells Playback Designs DACs. Apparently that is okay although their pricing is not far from Rossini Apex pricing these days. Commenting as a YT reviewer while also being a dealer of product is a clear conflict of interest imho.

2. Jay sells Assoluto cables. That's a clear conflict of interest. I am also concerned that the charges material money for consulting on setup. Good setup is critical. However, he is using equilateral triangle placement in one of his videos. That's evidence of a lack of experience imho.

Hi Lee, good catching up today... Hope to see you soon. Hopefully after you listen to my rig you can comment if you miss "vinyl" while we are listening. Perhaps you can share with the gang here if I back my mouth up with performance or if Im just hot air... ;-)
So first off, Im NOT a reviewer of any sort. That would mean I have to review things I dont like or companies from unsavory characters just because they have a big company or are placing ads with me. My sole purpose for my YT channel is to have a sounding board for my opinions regarding the industry and to promote the brands I carry as being a better value than say MSB or DCS, which I think are hustling the pants off the unsuspecting buyers. I call Jay "Little Bro" because he's much newer at this but the guy does put his money where his mouth is and he gets ahold of some of the most expensive gear out there. My Playback Designs at 1/4th the cost of the MSB embarrassed the pants off that brand in my humble opinion. I assert that MSB is a "bullshit" company with their $100K Plus DAC's, and because Im beheld to nobody, I feel free to express my opinion. I have stated on several occasions that I feel the Playback Designs MPD-8 will beat ANY DAC in existence and I have offered an open challenge for anyone that can prove me wrong. UNLESS you prefer over analytical soul less ear candy that sounds embellished and unnatural. This is not a mean thing. Its in the spirit of competition and fun. Im teasing others with my big mouth waiting for someone to shut me up with thier DAC... Its fun for me and even if someone beat my DAC it would be absolute fun for me.... Id have to change DACs and do the walk of shame but at the same time Id be overjoyed I found something better. Then Id ask to represent it and have a shot at being their biggest global seller, (without discounting) which is also a fun challenge for me. This industry has become boring for me and this is how I derive fun, is the spirit of shootouts. More than that I get to do track time in GT2RS, etc, which Im sure you can appreciate... Helicopter trips, Scuba Diving, Deep Sea Fishing, International Travel, etc... My clients are just as outgoing as I am but with much better means ! So I like to have fun. Upsetting the henhouse does not bother me. I speak from experience. Im here and I back up my mouth. My story and stance remains the same over all the years. This is because I am speaking my truth. I am clearly on Youtube as a dealer selling my wares. every single video has 11stereo.com on it, my ecommerce site... I dont take sponsors or advertisers on my Youtube which would net me more money. I dont have a Patreon or ask for subscriber fees which would help me net more money. I dont put amazon products on my description which would help me net more money. I dont sell Turntables, Carts or Arms which would net me more money.. So clearly I have a motive here and its not cash cowing my social media...
so for the record, Im NOT a reviewer and I dont accept products for review.. I tout what I carry as being the best value in HiFi as I seek it out and carry what I feel is worthy of representation. I could collect all the popular advertised brands and sit back and take orders, but Im more than that ...any Bozo can do that, and many do... I am a consultant that sells what I use myself and I carry brands that dont give their brand away to any old dealer. so I promote these brands because they are insider brands. (Mo-Fi uses Playback designs to archive their tapes. Wonder why they didn't choose MSB or DCS... ) Anyways , see you next week !

 

[Verastarr]

I’d research a thing called paragraphs, it might help you articulate an argument. I’m not going to read a OCD stream of consciousness rant.

Good luck to you.

LOL, great reply Jeff.... you have no substance as a rebuttal, merely fluff..... Caught up in layout.. you a writer too ?? lol..

 

[Kingrex]

Was the intent of this thread to bash Social Reviewers. I guess we have had plenty of threads bashing print reviewers. Both have their place and their audience.

The Rockport incident is a bad example to dredge up. I know more about it than most. Let it lie unless you want to insult people who were not your intended target. Technically, Jay was just the messenger.

OCD Mike is the real deal. Maybe you don't like his style, but his heart and his passion to create informative material is honest. He has a good grasp of what accurate audio reproduction is. If you really look at the herd of online influencers, Mike is near the top for knowledge and content. Maybe others should see what its like to be a public face with no editorial team to rein in and help focus your content. Its hard to be even close to right every time. Especially when its a 9 to 5 job 7 days a week.

 

[Robh3606]

These are the "Professional Journalists" of which you speak...

Actually no. I wasn't speaking about reviewers in magazines. I mean real journalists who report on news as an example. The people who risk their lives and win Pulitzer Prizes. They don't write prose on luxury components. They are writers not journalists

Good for you having success on You Tube. Nothing personnel but like I said to much BS and many as bad as the "professional reviewer" you are describing. I have never taken reviews seriously and You Tube or not I won't now. Especially with people using videos for comparisons.

Dumbest thing I have ever seen.

Rob

 

[Kingrex]

While I am at it, if anyone wanted to know about DSP or the BACCH that is taking audio by storm, there is not more educated and helpful source of information than The Audiophile Junkie. Social Influencers have their place and we are lucky to have them. I don't see any reason to categorize them any different than a print reviewer. Many times the content can be better as you could contact one of these people and get a customized video response to clarify your questions. If you don't like their style, don't buy the "Magazine".

 

[sbnx]

I support Magnepan which I dont sell... in a big way I may add... I support Aesthetix which I dont sell. MSB, Boulder, D'Agostino, Focal, McIntosh are among the oversold brands that I think are no longer a value... and I cant share that ?? Why ??

You are free to share whatever you want. Youtube is an open platform. I am free not to watch it.

I used to watch your videos but at some point the whole vibe of the videos changed. Just providing feedback since you asked. You are free to ignore it.

 

[Pokey77]

Jay is a self-funded hobbyist - he was here on WBF for a short time before his account was locked out - I don't know the inside track on this and don't care to, but I think he'd be here now if not for this. He's been sharing his journey for some time now and often his videos are on point IMHO. As Kingrex noted above, "if you don't like their (his) style, don't buy the "Magazine"". It is good that we have more than a few points of view out there. We all have different desires and dreams. So we should be thankful for the number of options we have and hope that even more will come along. It will up everybody's game and it will benefit the hobby. Let's face it, many of us are starting to, or are already, aging out. We need new blood, not just to buy gear, but to design/build new gear and to create community in our hobby. I find it a whole lot more enjoyable to share my experience with a live person, but my audio buddy moved away a couple years ago and so now it'd be great to find others who are looking for the same. If we can stop the choosing sides/wars/etc., maybe we could also then have a more cordial hobby where the relationships built would have a positive effect on the whole hobby. Maybe that's just wishful thinking, but it'd be great if it were so.

 

[Solypsa]

..., MoFi Chose the same brand I sell for digital and I can compare it hand to hand real time against a Studer A80 with Doshi Pre and FM Heads, and my digital is indistinguishable from master tape

Well that's interesting. What ADC was used to make the transfer from your master tapes to your digital files?

 

[Rays]

Pokey77

I believe Jay was banned before making one post. Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Verastarr]

Well that's interesting. What ADC was used to make the transfer from your master tapes to your digital files?

Whats your best guess ??? Yes, Playback Designs.. converts to DSDx4 ..same ADC that MoFi chose as well...

 

[Verastarr]

Actually no. I wasn't speaking about reviewers in magazines. I mean real journalists who report on news as an example. The people who risk their lives and win Pulitzer Prizes. They don't write prose on luxury components. They are writers not journalists

Good for you having success on You Tube. Nothing personnel but like I said to much BS and many as bad as the "professional reviewer" you are describing. I have never taken reviews seriously and You Tube or not I won't now. Especially with people using videos for comparisons.

Dumbest thing I have ever seen.

Rob

In my third month a viewer spent $75K because due to my videos, he could assess my character... Never even met me.. I thought it was fraud... Its only gotten better since then... So one mans "dumb" is another mans fortune... Watches and Crypto anyone ??

 

[Verastarr]

While I am at it, if anyone wanted to know about DSP or the BACCH that is taking audio by storm, there is not more educated and helpful source of information than The Audiophile Junkie. Social Influencers have their place and we are lucky to have them. I don't see any reason to categorize them any different than a print reviewer. Many times the content can be better as you could contact one of these people and get a customized video response to clarify your questions. If you don't like their style, don't buy the "Magazine".

Ill second that...

 

[Verastarr]

You are free to share whatever you want. Youtube is an open platform. I am free not to watch it.

I used to watch your videos but at some point the whole vibe of the videos changed. Just providing feedback since you asked. You are free to ignore it.

Yes, that goes without saying.. Id love to consider your feedback though its too vague. Can you be more specific please ?