The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to a good analogue reproduction.

[treitz3]

Good evening, fellow members of the What's Best Forum. Before you go getting all bent out of shape, this is a quote. Not from me.....but it is located in my signature.

Please allow me to digress a bit. I have been online for maybe 20 years, talking about audio. I have been in the hobby ever since I was 8 years old and I grew up on vinyl, as many of us did. CD's weren't even introduced to these ears until 1982 and it was....well, it wasn't pleasant. I'll just leave it at that.

The quote above, "The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to a good analogue reproduction." has been part of my signature on many forums over the years....for probably 15 or so years. Maybe more. It was a quote from a Mr. Kenneth Swagger. This cat's vinyl rigs foundation starts a level below where the TT resides, if this gives you an indication of his dedication to vinyl. He mentioned this statement on a post 15 or so years ago and I took to it like white on rice. I just so happened to agree with the man.....so I added it to my signature and it has stayed ever since.

It's just an opinion. One I happen to agree with. Whether it be analogue tape or vinyl.

Right up until about a year or two ago, no one had ever complained or mentioned (other than praise) that this was an issue. I had a member of this forum privately state that I was out of line with my sig. Without getting into details of that exchange, I would just like to ask the forum if my signature is inappropriate on this forum, as a moderator.

Mark my words, if the poll states that I am out of line just because of a position/opinion I hold, I will delete it. That said, I will not simply remove a quote from someone I highly respect and just so happen to agree with, given my own opinion.....without at least putting up a fight.

What say you? This poll is not public and no one will be able to see your vote in said poll, FWIW.

Tom

 

[adamaley]

I'm all digital, but couldn't care less. If we come after signatures, what's next? Usernames?

 

[treitz3]

Personally? If one would enjoy MP3's or 8 tracks? I could care less. If that's their gig, then I embrace it. Some folks like optical. Some folks don't like Wi-Fi. Some folks hate cables as an EQ, while others swear by it. Some like decoupling, while others swear by coupling and some folks just flat out love diffusers, while some love absorption panels. Some like a mixture of both. Some like a concrete slab while others swear on a wood substrate.

At the end of the day? There are too many things in this hobby to get caught up on and hold a stance where it becomes....well, ridiculous. If I were a proponent of a Helmholtz resonator and someone was "offended"....should I withhold said opinion or stance on that?

IMO, (and I could be incorrect in this assumption) an opinion is just that. No matter what position a person holds, they still should have the right to express said opinion. Whether or not it creates controversy or offends anyone, regardless of a "title" or responsibility.

Tom

 

[bonzo75]

Right up until about a year or two ago, no one had ever complained or mentioned (other than praise) that this was an issue. I had a member of this forum privately state that I was out of line with my sig.

Lmao, is it a regular poster? digital only guy?

 

[bonzo75]

I'm all digital, but couldn't care less. If we come after signatures, what's next? Usernames?

Your username is fine, first two letters stand for analog digital, in the correct order.

 

[Al M.]

While I enjoy vinyl in friends' systems, at home I am digital only because I see no compelling reason otherwise.

I find your signature, Tom, annoying and arrogant, and frankly, silly at the same time. But please, by all means, keep it!

It highlights the arrogant silliness of your and a good number of your fellow analog lovers' stance, so often found in discussions on WBF, and does it no favors in any way. If I would not already like vinyl and tape, I would be turned off.

Be my guest. Also, as adamaley suggests, censorship is around the corner if offensive, provocative and/or stupid statements are not permitted. It's a free world, folks, or at least it should be. That is also why I am not afraid attacking your stance even though you are a super moderator. But yeah, keep the signature.

 

[bonzo75]

While I enjoy vinyl in friends' systems, at home I am digital only because I see no compelling reason otherwise.

I find your signature, Tom, annoying and arrogant, and frankly, silly at the same time. But please, by all means, keep it!

It highlights the arrogant silliness of your and a good number of your fellow analog lovers' stance, so often found in discussions on WBF, and does it no favors in any way. If I would not already like vinyl and tape, I would be turned off.

Be my guest. Also, as adamaley suggests, censorship is around the corner if offensive, provocative and/or stupid statements are not permitted. It's a free world, folks, or at least it should be. That is also why I am not afraid attacking your stance even though you are a super moderator. But yeah, keep the signature.

Wow - I knew you were passionate about your debates, but not this way - you seriously think that signature is arrogant annoying and silly offensive provocative. It is a perfectly non-noticeable, normal audio banter statement.

 

[Al M.]

Wow - I knew you were passionate about your debates, but not this way - you seriously think that signature is arrogant annoying and silly offensive provocative. It is a perfectly non-noticeable, normal audio banter statement.

Does your comment surprise me? No, not coming from you.

 

[bonzo75]

Does your comment surprise me? No, not coming from you.

Thanks for certifying me as normal.

 

[facten]

@treitz3 Tom, I read your posts but the quote in your signature never caught my eye. As an all digital guy it won't stop me from continuing to read your posts, nor do I think that as a moderator you shouldn't be allowed to include your preference in your signature. I haven't found you to address anyone's contrary preference/position comments with a moderator's hammer.

 

[Al M.]

Thanks for certifying me as normal.

Not surprised that you think of yourself that way.

 

[PeterA]

The dealer who sold me my first digital back in 1993 told me the exact same thing about enjoying digital by never listening to analog. This was a common sentiment back then. No big deal and kind of funny. Things have changed since then. But why would a Super Moderator have to ask others for advice and approval of his signature? Weird.

 

[bonzo75]

The dealer who sold me my first digital back in 1993 told me the exact same thing about enjoying digital by never listening to analog.

Don't tell Al, he might hunt him down.

 

[facten]

The dealer who sold me my first digital back in 1993 told me the exact same thing about enjoying digital by never listening to analog

Flip side. Back in 2022 when I went to Gestalt Audio to audition a DAC Colin 1st played me a couple of tracks on the analogue rig he had set up not to try to convince me to forget about the DAC and buy analogue, rather to hear how close the Tron/Aurrender combo and the Neodio CD player came to it

 

[Al M.]

But why would a Super Moderator have to ask others for advice and approval of his signature? Weird.

There's a lot of stuff weird these days.

 

[Al M.]

Don't tell Al, he might hunt him down.

There's a lot of stuff weird these days, such as this comment.

 

[MarkusBarkus]

...I think the vote is dopey. Who cares what the moderator has for a signature? What color should I paint my guest bedroom?

 

[Ron Resnick]

why would a Super Moderator have to ask others for advice and approval of his signature?

Have to? He doesn't have to.

I don't see the point of your mischaracterization.

 

[Al M.]

Have to? He doesn't have to.

I don't see the point of your mischaracterization.

Ron, I think your policing of phrasing goes a bit too far here. I read "have to" as an innocuous figure of speech, nothing nefarious, conspirational or something that could be viewed as "mischaracterization".

 

[Ron Resnick]

Given Tom's unique position and role at WBF as Super Moderator I think it is thoughtful and sensitive of Tom to think about this issue. Each moderator's role and responsibility is to enforce the forum's Terms of Service in as unbiased a manner as is humanly possible. It is not unreasonable for a digital-only member to wonder whether the sentence under examination suggests a bias which might affect Tom's analysis of posts about digital topics.

When one operates essentially as a judge in a sensitive role, evaluating members' statements against the provisions of the Terms of Service, it is not "weird" to want to be viewed by the membership as unbiased.