I ask this respectfully as an academician with no purpose other than learning about your "deep background" in these areas. Do you have any degrees? Advanced degrees? Other relevant training?
Why does Wilson wire internally with Transparent cables? Should Wilson owners use Transparent also?
- Thread starter caesar
- Start date
I ask this respectfully as an academician with no purpose other than learning about your "deep background" in these areas. Do you have any degrees? Advanced degrees? Other relevant training?
I am into high end because I enjoy the luxury of good sound. Same reason that every one is into it, whether they can honestly state it or not. Look, like I said above, it is a dirty industry, but there are many principle centered guys like Dave Wilson and his wife in it, and I am sure many others.
What you and Metaphacts, being manufacturers, don't understand is what a huge pain in the a$$ it is for normal fans like me, who would rather watch their kids smile and listen to them laugh, than to audition "best" gear that is not to their taste, wasting precious time and money... That, of course, can easily be resolved by reviewers comparing experiences of different gear so fans can find the experience they are looking for... But as I mentioned above, the incentives of "audio journalists" and fans do not align....
I had the fortune of studying at a business school that has the most Nobel laureates in economics... so I see right through the crap going on in our subjective industry, and how guys use that subjectivity for their gains...
A reviewer doesn't find ideal matches, a dealer does (or should). Reviewers evaluate (or try to) a single component against others, and write about their impressions.
That's why brands like Wilson Audio rely on their dealers to do this "field work" for them.
You never once mention the help of a dealer, while all the time you seem to imply the reviewer must be providing all the help in your decisions. Seems to me like you're misplacing their roles in the whole chain...
Your presumptions are interesting.
BTW, who wouldn't rather watch their kids smile and listen to them laugh than waste time?
Not asking for ideal matches - just describe the experience and help me find the experience I want! Here's why:
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...Predictability&p=433756&viewfull=1#post433756
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...Predictability&p=433756&viewfull=1#post433756
My comment had nothing to do with reviewers but to your broad brush stroke that as a manufacturer one can have only the view/understanding that you ascribe to them.
Let me provide you with a couple of concrete examples of "screw the audio fan" culture created by guys like "worthless" robert harley, that may not be apparent to you as a manufacturer:
1. "Sterile" Jon Valin and "worthless" Robert Harley review magico q series and call it the "best". Yet they fail to identify the magico Q sonic signature as one of lacking bass energy while accentuating the upper midrange / lower treble. (Fremer actually gets most of it right in his review, but even he is politically correct.) They only recognize this sonic signature when magico q7 v2 comes out. At the same time they call wilson tweeter colored ("as you like it", using "sterile" Jon's lingo), as harly had wilson alexandria as his reference for a while. Seems like an ethically shady practice to me...
Yet as a result, people waste precious time and money to hear the magico q series, when all these guys needed to do were to compare the experiences and let fans decide what experience they are interested in.
(2) "worthless" robert haley reviews $125K dcs vivaldi and calls it the "best". 2 months later he reviews $15K berkeley reference dac and calls it the best. he never compares the 2, nor he compares it other brands in the same price cohort. Because even a blind pig finds an acorn once it a while, people try to hunt the berkeley ref, taking time to find dealers, audition it in their system, potentially banging up their gear while hooking up, taking back to the dealer. It turns out the the Berkeley reference dac is severely analytical. "worthless" harley admits that v1 of berkeley ref dac lacks liquidity in reviewing v2 of that model.
If "worthless" harley", in concern for the fans instead of his own taste and goals, had done his due diligence, guys like me would have more time to spend with their kids, watch them laugh, not get frustrated, not chance banging up their gear, and enjoy more music....
+1
I have learned nothing interesting in those threads. I would rather OP spent his time describing his audio experiences - that would be at least of value to some ppl.
Caesar,
Can you write about reviewers and audio journalists without insulting them? IMHO you are misrepresenting their reviews isolating small aspects that you perpetuate, but I refuse to debate in such hate ambient.
Caesar, You bring up some interesting points.
I just finished reading the 'Ode' to Rockport speakers and specifically the new Lyra- by our friend Harley in the latest episode of Absolute Sound. While I am sure the new Lyra is a good speaker...as it should very well be for its asking price of a paltry $169K!!
I VERY seriously doubt that the hyperbole that Harley attributes to it can be that accurate. Unless, that is, your aural requirements are NOT that defined, or your total determinants for excellence and/or total superiority are not that specific, or both. I think that to the neophyte, most all
high end sound probably sounds sublime, to the more experienced, it becomes a question of how much is in fact lacking. Harley strikes me as someone who either a) cannot really determine the total picture...or b) has an ulterior motive that he fails to disclose or c) truly believes that every great sounding speaker of the hour is now without flaws!!!
The unfortunate aspect of his reviewing style, IMHO, is that the guy off the street with little experience in listening for themselves, tends to pick up the magazine and read the hyperbole laden review and then goes out and probably suffers the consequence of plunking down their easily earned cash on a product that is flawed. Hopefully said flaw works into their realm of acceptance, LOL. If not, we typically see the item on A'gon within a short period of time..and at a major discount in price....Hmmm, maybe there's something to Harley's reviewing style after all!!!
I have more than an MBA from there. And if you dig, you can easily determine the school from the hint of intellectual heft there. Yet I'm not sure what this has to do with me. After all, remember the recent fight between "sterile" Jon valin and "Great " Peter breuninger? Each imagines his favorite turntable as sounding real, while assuming the other guy is crack pot. Thank God those guys didn't have knives or guns! What more can one say about the essence of this subjectiBe hobby?
I'm just a hard working guy, not an "audiophile", who is trying to find good sound. I happen to question a lot of dogma , as would be expected from someone who comes from western civilization, and explain the marketing and hidden order of this highly subjective hobby/ industry.
I'm just a hard working guy, not an "audiophile", who is trying to find good sound. I happen to question a lot of dogma , as would be expected from someone who comes from western civilization, and explain the marketing and hidden order of this highly subjective hobby/ industry.
Caesar, You bring up some interesting points.
I just finished reading the 'Ode' to Rockport speakers and specifically the new Lyra- by our friend Harley in the latest episode of Absolute Sound. While I am sure the new Lyra is a good speaker...as it should very well be for its asking price of a paltry $169K!!
I VERY seriously doubt that the hyperbole that Harley attributes to it can be that accurate. Unless, that is, your aural requirements are NOT that defined, or your total determinants for excellence and/or total superiority are not that specific, or both. I think that to the neophyte, most all
high end sound probably sounds sublime, to the more experienced, it becomes a question of how much is in fact lacking. Harley strikes me as someone who either a) cannot really determine the total picture...or b) has an ulterior motive that he fails to disclose or c) truly believes that every great sounding speaker of the hour is now without flaws!!!
The unfortunate aspect of his reviewing style, IMHO, is that the guy off the street with little experience in listening for themselves, tends to pick up the magazine and read the hyperbole laden review and then goes out and probably suffers the consequence of plunking down their easily earned cash on a product that is flawed. Hopefully said flaw works into their realm of acceptance, LOL. If not, we typically see the item on A'gon within a short period of time..and at a major discount in price....Hmmm, maybe there's something to Harley's reviewing style after all!!!
Davey, great points. Anyone who thinks Harley is writing for the fans must be living in an alternate reality.
Furthermore, the entire Magico q series was recently discontinued. What more can one say about the chasm in tastes of the elites vs. regular folks?
Microstrip,
Not sure what there is to debate. The tas guys, and many others, waste people's precious time and money. Hence I'm angry at these mother fuyers.
So stop reading their reviews.
It is all so simple. If I don't trust someone, I don't give them my time. As someone else posted, build a relationship with a dealer you do trust. Your audiophile journey will be better for it.
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Sage advice Bob
The name calling and derogatory terms said by Caesar IMO are appalling. I understand if you don't like the reviewer but for gosh sakes the epithets hurled at several are just mind boggling
Caesar stop worrying about reviewers motivation, they want to sell subscriptions to audiophiles and advertising space to manufacturers and dealers. They will rarely review a company that does not buy advertising, and a bad review is even more rare. I am personally more worried/irritated about the audiophiles that want to make this hobby a business, they sneak up on you !
Enjoyable travel stories and member system reviews that end up being pure informercials, those agendas are hidden much better !
Large discounts on equipment purchases are good motivators.
Similar threads
 | Steve Williams Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator |  | Ron Resnick Site Owner | Administrator |  | Julian (The Fixer) Website Build | Marketing Managersing |