My feels about this forum

[christoph]

But we love recommending our preferred equipment!

Because we prefer it for a reason

 

[christoph]

I often refer to this forum as the ‘What’s most expensive.” forum.

Or how a dear friend of mine likes to call it:
The Wallet Burst Forum

 

[microstrip]

I think it was thoughtful and introspective audiophiles being intellectually honest enough to examine their pre-existing assumptions and re-evaluate with an open mind their existing cables and tweaks.

IMHO it is just another audiophile fashion. They could do the same with their amplifiers, speakers and DACs, but cables are easier to change.

Remember that IMHO a really thoughtful and introspective audiophile will first understand the fundamentals of stereo, the fundamentals of psycho-acoustics and the fundamentals of instrumentation and then decide that an hobby is ruled by a special code that bypasses many logical rules.

 

[XCop5089]

@Tim F - Welcome to WBF!

I am a fellow UK-based member and also a long-time (since 2005) contributor to HiFiWigwam, Art of Sound, TAS (The Audio Standard) and PFM (Pink Fish Media) forums.

Since I joined WBF, I have learnt a lot from other members here, particularly on the Computer Audio group, as my interest grew in this particular aspect of our hobby!

The willingness to embrace system improvements, through various tweaks, both expensive and inexpensive, just does not exist on many UK hifi forums IMHO, which is why, I now only visit the Wam, TAS and occasionally AOS!

I am based near Winchester, Hampshire and have attended Wam gatherings in Hampshire and West Sussex as well as hosting bake-offs at my home. As a result, I have made many new friends!

WBF is a 'broad church' and on the whole, interactions are polite and very knowledgeable (unless you wander into fuse comparison territory!)

I'm sure you will find much to enjoy here!

As a matter of interest, what are your system components and whereabouts in the UK do you live?

 

[Al M.]

Gosh I hate that word "fora". Granted forum is derived from Latin but so are thousands of what are now English words. Forum is no exception to the general rule that the plural simply adds an "s" at the end. Lots of exceptions such as sheep,, but never drop a character to make plural, even though the Romans may have done so 2000 years ago!

The Oxford English Dictionary does accept that either forums or fora can be used, but surely fora looks just wrong and too much like flora?

Grumpy Old Man

Sorry to disagree. I find the use of "fora" elegant and erudite. If that makes me a snobbish elitist -- so be it! Proud of it.

 

[Al M.]

There is a 'value tone' in some fora with a skepticism for expensive items based on the belief that money does not equate with quality, or at least a small fraction of the cost will give you near best quality, if not equally best quality.

[...]

As I see it money spent is a choice. Caveat emptor applies and people should choose according to their beliefs (see above) and their budgets. As I see it "What's Best" is inherently subjective but for me there is usually a clear correlation with price and what is "best". This applies to houses or audio gear and most material things. The correlation and concordance is not 100% and yes, there is the law of diminishing returns.

I'd say it's both, and I am not dogmatic about it either way.

As I said in #12, I have an in audiophile terms cheap DAC ($ 2,400) that I, some friends who have it too in their expensive systems, and some reviewers consider a "giant killer". On the other hand I have also spent big money where I saw fit to get the sound that I want: my preamp cost $ 15,000. I'll flexibly choose whatever gives me the best result for the money I want to spend.

 

[rbbert]

I think the prevailing attitude here is there are a lot of other forums focused on Mid-Fi, and this shall not be one of them.

What those Mid-Fi forums usually lack in my opinion is an understanding of making the best of what they have via proper setup, room layout and room acoustics (all the same?).

I often feel I have little to contribute until someone asks about top Mid-Fi or lower spectrum to the Hi-End.

I also often feel I have little to contribute because my equipment is +25 years old, vintage some would call it.

Accept the forum for what it is, and it is NOT one size fits all.

What is "Mid-Fi" and what is "Hi-End"?

a few learnings that I can pass on:

4) put acoustic treatments between and behind the speakers and on both sidewalls at a minimum, diffusers between and absorbers on the sidewalls

Unless your speakers' radiation pattern is only horizontal, ceiling and floor are also reflecting surfaces

 

[Steve Williams]

and maybe a bit, how much you wish to disappear down the rabbit hole of tweaking

IMO , herein lies much of the entire issue

Someone posted here a few days ago that most people use their gear to listen to the music whereas others use the music to listen to their gear"

The rabbit hole can become very deep

 

[Steve Williams]

Sorry to disagree. I find the use of "fora" elegant and erudite. If that makes me a snobbish elitist -- so be it! Proud of it.

I also agree

Simply put the plural of forum is fora

 

[Empirical Audio]

IMO , herein lies much of the entire issue

Someone posted here a few days ago that most people use their gear to listen to the music whereas others use the music to listen to their gear"

The rabbit hole can become very deep

In my case, it was hard to get past the latter until my system was highly resolving with no fatigue. Once I achieved these, it was easy.

 

[Steve Williams]

In my case, it was hard to get past the latter until my system was highly resolving with no fatigue. Once I achieved these, it was easy.

It has always been a revelation to me that when one strips out all of the tweaks and listens to their system that all too often the sound is better without. The reality is exactly what howiebrou said a few days ago "that once you go down the rabbit hole it is difficult to remember what sound you used to have". To me that means "all bets are off"

I always treat as suspect when I'm at someones house and want to hear what something sounds like with and without the tweak or modification and they refuse for a variety of reasons. I was one of those people myself until ddk convinced me to listen to my system before and after removing tweaks I had added. Not only was it shocking but it was a revelation as those rabbit holes do become deep

 

[Bobvin]

I also agree

Simply put the plural of forum is fora

Simply put, it took me a moment to figure out what the hell the original poster was speaking of when I saw the term "fora"... had he simply wrote "forums" I'd have understood immediately. Vocabulary is a funny thing... what might be correct can also be confusing if not common (assuming the more common is also correct.)

But speaking of rabbit holes... maybe 'fora' was short for foramen... isn't that the hole a nerve passes through? Maybe something happens when we spend big $$ and the nerve gets numbed so we don't feel the pain!

 

[bonzo75]

I also agree

Simply put the plural of forum is fora

The plural of @Golum is Gola

 

[bonzo75]

I also agree

Simply put the plural of forum is fora

On fora, audiophiles can be like fauna

 

[Al M.]

On fora, audiophiles can be like fauna

LOL

 

[Steve Williams]

I guess it's because I took Latin for 4 years in school

 

[bonzo75]

Or how a dear friend of mine likes to call it:
The Wallet Burst Forum

On audio asylum it gets referred to as wallet big forum

 

[the sound of Tao]

On fora, audiophiles can be like fauna

That had me lol-ing on the floora.

 

[the sound of Tao]

Or how a dear friend of mine likes to call it:
The Wallet Burst Forum

or What Budget Ffs... must admit we all suffer a bit from that.

 

[Hear Here]

I guess it's because I took Latin for 4 years in school

Me too, but I also took English. Sorry I couldn't resist that one!