Best Forum to hear experienced audiophiles exchange thoughts?

Thanks for your kindness noromance...

I am pleased to recognize your avatar...

My very best to you...

( it was a bad period but it is better)

mahgister I just noticed you're back. Great to see you, and wonderful that nothing sad or bad happened.

mahgister I just noticed you're back. Great to see you, and wonderful that nothing sad or bad happened. 

Thanks for your patience and kindness...

I am retired, 72 years old, without the friendship of the students, then i like all people here as friends and i like discussing about any matter...Audio and music is my passion...

I only tried to be useful with few simple advices like the importance of acoustic over marketing reviews... Etc...

I go often in the jazz and classical music section...

In the other thread i gave my informed or uninformed opinion hoping to discuss, in a soft or hard way but always more friendly than not... English is not my first language and i never learned it by speaking it... I read books in philosophy and science in English but not  many poets alas! Then my vocabulary is limited and my syntax not very fluid...

I wish i could write as the marvellous George Santayana who wrote English so well, i even forgot the thread of the ideas sometimes, amazed by each sentence, to be immersed in his musical rhetorical almost poetical argument weaving...But i never will be... I wish i could read the great William Blake easily in english, his rude hard wrought prose or rhymes or stances inspired me but without any hope for my English improving mastery ...

I studied linguistic but with no hope to be a gifted polyglot as the great Richard Burton was in mastering languages in 48 different one...

And unlike William Jame Sidis who learned hundred of them , beginning Latin under 4 years old and knowing French his favorite language already , and learning Greek alone at six in hiding to surprize his father for his birthday, i am not gifted at all... 😊

I am grateful for everyone patient understanding...

My very best to you...

@mahgister

I must say mahgister that you are not a man of few words. Good to see you back sir.

@mahgister 

I must say mahgister that you are not a man of few words. Good to see you back sir.

Thanks for everyone who contributed useful information.

I have tried to add pictures but am shut out by the system.

I have photo files but they are not in a URL. Too much nonsense

so I bagged out.

I have learned much from this forum and am grateful to those

who contribute.

You are so kind  to me. i must thank you and wish you the better... I miss you and many others...

Thanks

@mahgister  Great having you here! It's always a pleasure to read your posts.

@mahgister  Great having you here! It's always a pleasure to read your posts.

my best wishes for

@mahgister 

🤗😀😂🤪

@rooze WBF is actually a good example of a site that is run to enable all of the points that I stated in my prior post. One of the owners has consistently pushed products, that he happens to also represent, onto his members. You think their moderation policy is open and transparent, really?? IMO, the mods here are far more consistent and transparent than over there...YMMV.

Agree regarding WBF. Most folks there are knowledgeable and friendly without an agenda except some of the moderators. If a moderator posts there I just ignore that post.

The worst forum i ever encountered, and i tried three or four times on a 8 years time, arbitrary applications of rules, gang like behaviour, financial evident interest for some company, same few ego driven "star", guru/disciples relationship ... etc :)

Ignorance in acoustic and cult of brand name as in many audiophile circle for sure but with their prefered brandname to sell ...Annoying..

I dont go in forums so much to answer technical questions, most of the time i received answer talking wisely with any reasearch motor like Google ... Nobody explain me acoustic on any forum, i was in the obligation to read scientific articles more that reading threads...But in this forum for example a friend give me advice about springs for example to control vibrations and for sure this was helping.... But thats all , the research was mine to do the job...I prefer the friend who give me the information to the information itself for sure...

I come here to discuss music and sound with other friendly people... The human part matter way more than any peculiar specific information... At the end...

These audio forums are necessary to encounter some other humans for me with interest in sound and music and other matters too why not? ... The necessary audio Information i can look for it without any forums anyway ...I consider all people here as potential friends, even if we discussed "hard".... I dislike forums who pretend to be only and mainly informative, only "scientific" or only "subjective" i dont need them, save for a special peculiar question about a scientific fact in audio or about a brand i want to buy , one time or two in all my life...

i like people not information... I prefer books to forums for information...

Most people on any audio forum dont even know what "timbre" is and how to modify it in a room ...Why asking ? And it is impossible to explain because it is very complex to do and differ from one speakers/room to another one anyway... I dont need information at all i need friends to spoke with... Information which is given between two friends is only a + not the main part at all most of the times...

Anyway i am in sonic heaven more than ever and even any upgrade seems useless because of the price to do it (20,000 dollars) , i will never need any more information; :)

Then i come for friends i dont need information... I need the "name" of the friends i recognized and learned to know and discuss with , with time passing...Even if we disagree...

«When my wife inform me , i know the ends is near" -Groucho Marx 🤓

@rooze WBF is actually a good example of a site that is run to enable all of the points that I stated in my prior post. One of the owners has consistently pushed products, that he happens to also represent, onto his members. You think their moderation policy is open and transparent, really?? IMO, the mods here are far more consistent and transparent than over there...YMMV.

@daveyf I'm sure you are right. I don't spend much time at WBF, nor here for that matter. A classic case of people not being qualified to have an opinion, yet having one anyway, lol.

All is good with the world unless you look through the window.

@rooze WBF is actually a good example of a site that is run to enable all of the points that I stated in my prior post. One of the owners has consistently pushed products, that he happens to also represent, onto his members. You think their moderation policy is open and transparent, really?? IMO, the mods here are far more consistent and transparent than over there...YMMV.

Try Audio Asylum.

The absolute best.

Discussions by experts and regular audiophiles in all categories of equipment.

A wealth of knowledge, and great, friendly people to talk with.

Audio Asylum -- Audio Reviews, Audiophile Forums and Stereo Reviews

I think the differences are mostly down to ownership and moderation. WBF's owners are active participants and their moderation policy is open and transparent.

This place - who knows what/who the moderators are and when/where they will strike?

Well @daveyf from the amount of spam email I get since joining this site, from this site, the agenda here is clear. I can live with though. 

Very well said for me...

My best to daveyf

Having been on a number of different audio forums, one thing that is clearly a consistent, is that the forum owners usually have an agenda. ( and it has nothing to do with hobbyists talking about audio).Some want to make it a money making tool, others a soap box for which to spout their beliefs, others a way of advertising their online store etc.,

To that, we have a number that like to increase their on line exposure by having moderators that either do very little to control the site, or way too much…acting like little dictators and attempting to push their egos onto others.
Luckily, I believe this site is more moderate/even keeled, with the site owners seeming interested primarily in the commerce side of things.

@mahgister

So what are you driving these headphones with?

The problem of this headphone is the hybridation between the two cells dynamical and electroacoustical that ask for a steady amount of power on demand but also an amplifier with a very low noise floor : my Sansui alpha Au 607i fit the bill in a way my Sansui AU 7700 could not...This headphone is sensible to electrical noise more than all my 9 others one...

But the source must be the more clean possible, i used a battery dap as a FIXED dac and as a bank for my thousand of lossless musical files ...No more noisy computer bank because this headphone dont want noise at all... :)

And i needed equalization too , ( in my room i used mechanical equalization but here i must use an electronical equalizer... I dont play with it i used it and fine tuned it by ears for weeks of listenings experiments and after that thats all and all stay that forever) because it is necessary to optimize the two cells the dynamical in the bass register under 4000 hertz and the higher frequencies over to reach optimal S.Q. ...

The K340 is a true hybrid in a way the Dharma headphone for example is not, the second cell of the Dharma is a mere super tweeter addition working way over the 4000 hertz of the K340, in the 12,000 hertz if my memory is good, ... And there is NO TUNED RESONATORS GRID inside the shell of the Dharma to create a dual acoustic chamber as in the K340 case...Then one of the only hybrid contender to the K340 is no match at all even if i never listened to it , i dont need to anyway... The array of tuned resonators is the KEY to the S.Q. of the K340 not only the specific modality of the hybrid cells which work equally together and in a specialized way from half the way of the frequencies scale with a cross over transformer inside...

The shell dual chamber need the right pads with the right thickness ( i tried 5 different ) because with the wrong pad the VOLUME of the dual acoustic internal chamber is not optimal...And without punctuated pads the soundfield is not balanced...

All my headphones were damped and i used two different materials inside to control resonance : sorbothane duro 70 and FoQ Ta 102 tape....The plastic grid inside the K340 must be cut off because AKG put it there only for protection of their product not at all for acoustic reason...

I used my "golden plate" ( shungite+copper tape) to filter the RMI and EMI from the amplifier... With many crystals as quartz and tourmaline etc ( here you can laugh i dont mind)

I even use Schumann generators and ionizer but the effect is there but way less spectacular than in my acoustic room ...

It takes all that to reach the potential of this vintage headphone, i paid 100 bucks, and which put any headphone i ever listen to, dynamical, -planar or electroacoustic to shame... They create an holographical soundfield which is completely out of the head natural and speaker like completely... It is a miracle who cured me for the lost of my room...

The only way to upgrade my actual system, will cost me around 20,000 bucks....

I will buy the Choueri BACCH filters dac to improve over my actual basic but very good dac ( dac technology is mature now and good dac may cost peanuts) ... As Dr. Gorike the acoustician physicist who created the K340, Dr. Choeri is a physicist of -plasma working acoustic as a hobby and being a genius he created the ULTIMATE acoustic dac... I will not described why here... And to replace the Top Sansui alpha only the Berning ZOTL tube amplifier will be better and i dont even need to listen to any of these two upgrade before buying them... Dr. Berrning is also a physicist not an engineer who design am,plifier tubes with a complete new technology as a hobby... As you see i trust physicists in Audio they are not there to sell but to invent something new... ...

But i dont need these upgrades; so much happy i am with what i own right now, which total cost is 600 US dollars for the best audiophile system i listened to in my life ... I can die now... But if you had 20 000 Us dollars as a gift for me  i will upgrade because i am curious to add Dr. Choueri invention and Dr. Berning  genius design to Dr. Gorike K340 unique genius  headphone technology... :)

«Truth is a science today who battle for his survival tomorrow» - Groucho Marx 🤓

@mahgister 

So what are you driving these headphones with?

By the way, i tried and did go on many forums. but the best ever is audiogon, for the human dimension...In some forums "tweakers" are not welcome, in some others they are bent to sell products mainly and dont like too much criticism about some products even in an indirect way ... In many forums the human discussion is not as free and interesting as here , it is one of the best...

Thanks for your kind thoughts about me...

I was not well but now it is very good... I sold my house and the ordeal was very hard on me... No acoustic room.... but a benediction in disguise, now i regret not my research around the AKG k340 headphone, one of the more complex and best designed headphone ever on the ratio Price/sound quality...

I did not even see your thread because i lost my password here and being ill and in a turmoil with no audio room i was not motivated at all to try to reenter here ...And even now i am not sure i will be able to reenter with my password when i will close the computer... my computer did not close for the last 24 hours...It is the reason why i am here... I must ask for my password each time i come and i dont know why...

Now i wanted to come back because it is different my health is good and my system is even better than in the past with my room because the headphone goes under 30 hertz and go beyond the higher frequencies of my past Mission Cyrus speakers and no acoustic control can replace that....Thanks to Dr. Gorike patent for the K340...Becauase of his acoustic tuned resonators the soundfield is speaker like and out of the head...But i needed to figure out how to modify them , anti- vibrations two different products and cutting off the internal obstructive grid... I even go beyond my beloved Sansui AU 7700 for an improved more powerful and cleaness Sansui AU 607i... The K340 are the hardest headphone to drive and not only because they are hungry ...

The difficulty to create a working hybrid is so great and costly, i spoke to Kennerton headphone in Russia and they candidly said to me that they tried to create a hibryd headphone for years but it is too complex to do right et too costly... AKG for these reason never improved the K340 and did not enter in a new hibryd race ever even if this K340 was their flagship for some years and trust me it is a good headphone ... It is an unrecognized marvel...

I am in heaven ... But it takes me 6 months to figure out how to drive them... :) I do not recommend this headphone to the average beginners at all... All negative reviews on the net comes from reviewer who put them out of the bag and connect them and listen to them few hours... I experimented all their negative first impressions in the beginning  but i figured out why their impressions was not a true description of the real K340 potential at all but reflected their complete non- understanding of what is a true hybrid headphone and how to improve the dual  shell/chamber  where the tuned resonators acted the same way the Helmholtz resonators i used worked in my room...  Most reviewers are most of the times useless...They sell products one after the other... Acoustic is more  helpful... For me at least...

My enthusiasm for audio and music is then there again more than ever...Even with no acoustic room... ( it takes me 2 years to tune my room by the way then i was sad when i closed it definitively because my big house must be sold  )

I am vey glad to speak to you again and i hope you had been healthy and will be...

My best to you my friend...

Hi @mahgister , and welcome back! It was me who started a thread in your absence, asking if anyone knew what had happened to you. I missed your contributions, and I’m really glad to see you back with us.

 

Hi @mahgister , and welcome back! It was me who started a thread in your absence, asking if anyone knew what had happened to you. I missed your contributions, and I'm really glad to see you back with us.

You are absolutely right.... I missed everyone here in the last 10 months... These forums are not only there for clinical information but for discussion in general... We can only appreciate people with which we discuss...Anyway my system is good enough now, and i dont plan to upgrade at all...The advice i can give or receive are only cherries on the cake of socialization with friends...By the way i loved EVERYONE especially those with whom i disagree in the past...But being imperfect i never stop if i can object ... :)

My best to you edcyn

The way I see it, an initial post is more a conversation starter than a demand for a precise response. After all weren’t these websites once commonly referred to as "chat rooms?" I see threads as social gatherings. Not as visits to the doctor.

The way I see it, an initial post is more a conversation starter than a demand for a precise response. After all weren't these websites once commonly referred to as "chat rooms?" I see threads as social gatherings. Not as visits to the doctor.

@danager don’t forget about the improvements an audiophile router can make with this confounded site we are on currently as well eh? 😉

This site can be improved by over 20% by dumping your wifi connection and directly connecting using CAT9 ethernet cable.  The answers are clearer and it cuts down on all the background noise.

Positioning your monitor for optimal  viewing is critical for optimizing the knowledge  contained withing the posts.

Nobody has mentioned it but the Decware forum is very civil and while a lot of the posts are brand specific they are very kind to those who really want to learn about HIFI.

I had been on audiocircle.com for awhile but it is mostly advertising for the few companies that have forums there. So I guess that is one to avoid....

This site is fantastic. 

Some people are just no good.

It’s simply very difficult to gauge where someone is on their journey, or to explain in objective terms what you’re subjectively hearing...I suspect that’s one of the reasons people lean on measurements, which brings us back to the many variables and perspective involved in audio.

@knotscott -- very much appreciated your survey of the variety of psychological factors at work. It’s so tricky for folks to engage a subject matter that is physical on one hand (electricity, acoustics, etc.) and psychological on the other (description, interpretation, evaluation).

One thing this hobby lacks is a well-known and standardized vocabulary for sensory experience. Without that, we have no "Rosetta stone" to communicate about what we are experiencing with this or that component. Even if we had a standard vocabulary, we might still disagree about what sounds "better" or "worse,"
but without some way to designate an experience which is significantly similar, we often wind up miscommunicating.

The audio "language barrier" has been a point of some confusion for as long as I can remember, and likely for long before I ever got into audio. (probably true of most hobbies) I’ve seen a few attempts by folks to capture the dialogue and provide definitions, but there’s certainly no standard.

One thing this hobby lacks is a well-known and standardized vocabulary for sensory experience. Without that, we have no "Rosetta stone" to communicate about what we are experiencing with this or that component. Even if we had a standard vocabulary, we might still disagree about what sounds "better" or "worse,"
but without some way to designate an experience which is significantly similar, we often wind up miscommunicating.

The "rosetta stone" for the audio vocabulary is in acoustic concepts and listening acoustic experiments... It is there i discovered it for myself...Not at all reading audiophile reviews but more in acoustic books... For example :

AudioGon: Very smart, and often humorous, people here.

I don't mind when things go off topic.  Getting to know people a little better is not a bad thing.  Some people have "smarts" that extend well beyond their knowledge of music and equipment.  Learning is learning.  And, is often helpful.  Or, highly entertaining.

Thanks for your kindness Hilde 45....

I missed your very bright rationality....

Myself i am only a tinkerer of listening experiments... Which i love to partake...

@mahgister Thank you for your kind words. Nice to see you back. You have a unique perspective and voice, and you have done experiments which most people have not even dreamed of! Imagination is such an important component to this hobby, and you have a cornucopia of imagination!

As some others have suggested, Audio Aficionado is a very good forum. There is a lot less drama and some very friendly and knowledgeable folks there. 

It’s simply very difficult to gauge where someone is on their journey, or to explain in objective terms what you’re subjectively hearing...I suspect that’s one of the reasons people lean on measurements, which brings us back to the many variables and perspective involved in audio.

@knotscott -- very much appreciated your survey of the variety of psychological factors at work. It's so tricky for folks to engage a subject matter that is physical on one hand (electricity, acoustics, etc.) and psychological on the other (description, interpretation, evaluation). 

One thing this hobby lacks is a well-known and standardized vocabulary for sensory experience. Without that, we have no "Rosetta stone" to communicate about what we are experiencing with this or that component. Even if we had a standard vocabulary, we might still disagree about what sounds "better" or "worse,"
but without some way to designate an experience which is significantly similar, we often wind up miscommunicating.

The OP has made the two following statements,

"Exchange Thoughts?",

"Thanks to all who responded. No one mentioned the AGon Private

membership (paid) option.  Anyone tried it?

Now Let me change the question slightly.

What do you subscribe to in terms of magazines?

Which YouTubers do you subscribe to?

Which shows do you attend?

Which retailer do you find to always give good counsel?

Where else do you go to learn what is new?"

_____________________________________________________________

It does seem this is generally a method to discover and individuals commentary on a piece of 'equipment', as well as discover a demo' of 'equipment' which will be a very very low quality audio experience.

The only real benefit of using these methods to acquire information about 'equipment', is that a well honed presentation is seen to suit the Marketing for the product, the aesthetic of the product will be seen with a manipulation to create a allure.

As a method, it is not offering experiencing through demonstration, and allowing for the making of ones own evaluation. The sonic produced is needing to be listened to, other's description will vary and be without consistency, unless 'Power On' is being assessed, I would hope all shared views would be unanimous.

It is from using a recognised audio system, or at the least a audio system that has recognised attractions, that is set up in a dedicated space, that will enable the listener to make valued assessment. This can't be attained through a forum or media portal, making a presumptive evaluation about a sonic, using this method will only create a fantastical chain of thought.

Visiting a Dealership or a Exhibition at a show, is an improved method to learn where a piece of 'equipment' can present as being perceived as an attraction/repellant, and if the former is being perceived, the assessment can extend to deciding if the 'equipment' being demo'd is suited to assist in meeting ones own unique preferences for experiencing audio. 

Many years past, I used the media to gather information on products, (rave reviews) and a selection of products were sought out and demo'd (back in the days of many local retailers). I recollect cutting demo's short because of the impression being made not being an attractor in any way. 

I learnt to discover retailers that had equipment that was very attractive to my tastes, and used Exhibitions to have a high turnover of demo's, making discoveries  that were leading to get to the place I felt I really wanted a system to produced around.

It was at this time, after meeting quite few of the Cottage Industry Companies presenting at exhibitions, and the communications that had been had with these Companies, that influenced and eventually changed my overall thought process.

At the time, I believed I was making a big decision, which resulted in my turning my back on the mainstream media and the suppliers of audio equipment that is found through visiting these portals.

I commenced on the journey of meeting very adept EE's that specialised in audio equipment. This is when I started to have the designs for equipment I was intending to use commission built for myself. I have never looked back, the only 'Off the Shelf' audio device/ancillaries with a Brand Name in my system is a Perfect Wave Transport and Cables, anything else is a designed from scratch model or a Branded Model that has a vintage status, that is heavily modified and only aesthetically resembling the original model. 

"Audio topics are especially subjective, and very personal"

If I were a speaker maker, it would be. But as a user, buyer, I don't find it personal. If I had A speaker and B and someone said here that they suck, I couldn't care less. I care about what I hear. But I see the tribes here I just don't get it. Maybe they are selling stuff and it hurts their marketing. 

100% agree with you about what others think.  I meant that our tastes are personal... not as in "I'm offended" personal.  😄  The sound we prefer, the music style, the look of the gear, tonal balance, etc.....all personal choices.  Some people want their systems to sound like a dance club, others want a concert hall, yet others want a rock concert.  All different objectives, with a different reference, so very likely will have different systems with different strengths.  

Relative to the OP's reference to experienced high end listeners, I suspect more of them lean toward concert hall than dance club, or at least in many cases they want  the system to reveal whatever took place during the recording session, whatever that may be.

I like Audiogon especially because of some of the regulars who are knowledgeable, helpful, and offer their expertise to the rest of us graciously. I also appreciate the site moderators who have done a good job clearing out trolls over the past year or so. If you look back a couple years and read some of the content posted, a lot of it was pretty hostile No so much today where Audiogon is for the most part very pleasant and enjoyable.

I’ll have to give Audio Aficionado a look see. I enjoy Steve Hoffman which is relatively a more "blue collar" audio site so to speak. I like this site to hear about what the more well heeled (not me) can afford and occasional recording specialists and audio engineers offerings. I also like there are a lot of old guys on this site, having joined their ranks over the past few years..

Mike

my deep salutation to hilde45 who did not  loose the habit to be spot on...

Agree with you 100%. Many just either can’t or don’t want to go to the trouble of dealing with room acoustics. A bad room is in direct collision with what good sound actually requires. The result is that many are forced into bad faith -- in other words, they insist that this or that factor (or component) makes a big difference, when in fact they have excluded the room and just become more emphatic to compensate.

Back in the day, before the Internet, we used to do listening sessions among friends. Some were associated with audio clubs --not so easy to find unless you are near a large metro area--and some were entirely informal--just a hang at someone's house, spending time listening, chatting, maybe a meal. Different hosts had different systems and occasionally (more often with the formal audio clubs) equipment was brought in for evaluation. That's one way to scratch the itch.

I also like to do a lot of primary research. For example, if you are a member of the AES, you should be able to get access to their archive, which is extensive. There's lots of good info, particularly on vinyl LP manufacture, which is informative. There are also secondary sources that can lead you deeper into historical and antiquarian designs- e.g. Lansing Heritage. Some have user fora. Others, like Hi-Fi Heroin, explore antiquarian equipment but do not to my knowledge have a forum function. The London Jazz Collector is a good site for a self-explanatory topic.

Is there one user generated content site that has it all? Not to my knowledge. One of the reasons a general topic audio board like this one seems chaotic is that it covers a lot of ground. But if there are specific brands or areas of interest, you may find some depth, e.g. Klangfilm. There are, as mentioned upthread, some Facebook (I know) pages dedicated to topics like horn speakers. 

One thing to consider is starting your own blog to address the things that interest you. It may attract others. NB- I did this starting in 2015, mainly to talk about LPs and record care-- it does take time and effort but scratched an itch for me and in the process I learned a lot from others. 

Good luck,

Bill Hart

I loved everybody here , even those with whom i disagree...

I love to discuss, even when we are not on the same page...

Life is short, arguing without insults is fun and we learn...

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. It does not sound like it was good.

Isn't it interesting how we're sometimes able to have such a nice silver lining when we face a hardship. So glad you're still able to enjoy the healing power of music.

I'm so glad you're back. And that you're OK now.

People sort of came out of the woodwork, saying kind things about you. How cool is that?

Yeah, there were a couple of people who made digs on your esoteric setup ... but as you probably know already, they were some of the usual suspects. And who cares.

@mahgister Did you get to read that thread before it was taken down?

I just remember how to make quote.. :) you use the mark » above...

I have no idea what you spoke about ... I just came back today ... And i lost my password here 10 months ago,i loose even my mail adress for a while, and anyway i was ill,not in the mood to discuss here, and in the process of preparing my move to another house, very complicated business , then without my speakers/room to add to my sadness ...

It was anyway a benediction in disguise, because i discovered probably the best designed headphone ever made... Now i enjoy a minimalistic system which give me the best sound quality i ever heard, speakers or headphones... Then i am in sonic heaven and no more sad for the lost of my speakers/room...

And to answer those who will say why did you claim that this AKG K 340 was  one of the best design ever made, i discuss with a Russian headphone designer, and they say that they did not succeed to create a hibryd headphone as the K340, too hard and too costlyv to design it right... That speak volume...

@mahgister Did you get to read that thread before it was taken down?

Sorry, I don't know either. 

In case anyone can tell us the steps, I would also love to upload a picture of my system.

My apologies in advance for my ineptitude.

Welcome back, my friend. : ) Not sure if you read that thread someone started about you ... that some dip***t wound up getting deleted ... hopefully you did, because I think it made it abundantly clear that you were pretty dearly missed.

It seems i dont remember how to import a quote here... :) How did you import a quote?

Thanks for your kind words....

@knotscott 

Audio topics are especially subjective, and very personal

If I were a speaker maker, it would be. But as a user, buyer, I don't find it personal. If I had A speaker and B and someone said here that they suck, I couldn't care less. I care about what I hear. But I see the tribes here I just don't get it. Maybe they are selling stuff and it hurts their marketing. 

Welcome back, my friend.     : )

Not sure if you read that thread someone started about you ... that some dip***t wound up getting deleted ... hopefully you did, because I think it made it abundantly clear that you were pretty dearly missed.

YAAAAAAAAAYYYY !!!