Audio Science Review = "The better the measurement, the better the sound" philosophy


"Audiophiles are Snobs"  Youtube features an idiot!  He states, with no equivocation,  that $5,000 and $10,000 speakers sound equally good and a $500 and $5,000 integrated amp sound equally good.  He is either deaf or a liar or both! 

There is a site filled with posters like him called Audio Science Review.  If a reasonable person posts, they immediately tear him down, using selected words and/or sentences from the reasonable poster as100% proof that the audiophile is dumb and stupid with his money. They also occasionally state that the high end audio equipment/cable/tweak sellers are criminals who commit fraud on the public.  They often state that if something scientifically measures better, then it sounds better.   They give no credence to unmeasurable sound factors like PRAT and Ambiance.   Some of the posters music choices range from rap to hip hop and anything pop oriented created in the past from 1995.  

Have any of audiogon (or any other reasonable audio forum site) posters encountered this horrible group of miscreants?  

fleschler

Try quora for a site where there are some quality control checks in place to help make for more useful answers to questions.

Firstly, I think Darko is right, there are a lot of synods in the audiophile hobby. However, take any hobby and you will find snobbery somewhere, it’s just humanity I guess.

As for ASR, the things I can’t stand are:

1. Even when Amir is wrong, he’s not wrong. Arguing with him and many others on the site is like arguing with a wall, so it’s best to not do it. You will never win.

2. The sycophantic relationship of a lot of his posters. Every time he posts anything, there are several “oh my god, you are the best and brightest in all the land…” type posts. Especially when he is bashing another reviewer or forum. It’s comical how they fawn over him like he’s the king of some kingdom.

3. I think he (and many on the forum) think they have “golden ears” when they listen to speakers and headphones. At his age and as loud as he evidently listens, there is no way he doesn’t have hearing loss. (In my head I think of him as Tin Ear Amir, but never on ASR, I’m sure that would awaken the ban hammer and ire of his sycophants)

4. the incredible arrogance displayed on there when it comes to reviews. I really think they believe that their reviews, and only their reviews, are worth anything. On one thread they implied that whatever was recommended by Amir is all that is needed. I said he hasn’t tested that much, so maybe they should allow for things Amir hasn’t tested. Of course it went over like a lead balloon.

It it his site, so he can pretty much do what he wants though. I still check it out for cheap recommends.

Any website that tries to tell me what they insist I cannot be hearing given my 51 years of being a musician and audiophile has no credibility to me. Measurements, as said earlier in this discussion, are useful in determining why you hear what you hear, but never a reason to tell someone they cannot possibly be hearing what they know they hear...

@thyname Similar situation with me and people with TDS and an intelligent conversation about social and political issues.  My father in law is an 88 year old conservative and never talks politics with his 89 year old girlfriend who only watches CNN for news.  During Covid/2020, they broke up half a dozen times.  He avoids the subject.  So do I.  Funny, half my audiophile friends are conservative and the other half are "liberal" Democrats (but not leftists).  

@orgillian197 Same here as I noted.  Between the ASR posters preferred music choices, state of their hearing and immutable belief in cheap, good measuring equipment, our hearing is quite different.