Amir's reviews did influence one or two of my purchasing decisions. Had I not read them, I might have focused on other components based on a few glowing, but mostly subjective opinions, or on what was available in a local HiFi shop. ASR alerted me to alternatives that (a) were less expensive, and (b) tested better. Example 1: I bought the Matrix Audio Element X (streamer/DAC) instead of the more expensive PS Audio Direct Stream DAC. Example 2: I bought the Benchmark AHB2 instead of a locally-available power amp. Both the Element X and the AHB2 were sold with generous return policies, so I did get a chance to review features and "trust my ears" before making a final commitment. In any case, it wouldn't have been very practical (esp. since I live in a rural area) to personally compare dozens of alternatives, trusting only my ears, rather than winnowing down the choices by reading product reviews and test results. ASR isn't the only source I considered. I read product reviews and owner comments. Many of them seemed to be mutually reinforcing enough to make a try-out worthwhile. Before committing to the Element X, I did order one other DAC/streamer, which I returned.
Did Amir Change Your Mind About Anything?
It’s easy to make snide remarks like “yes- I do the opposite of what he says.” And in some respects I agree, but if you do that, this is just going to be taken down. So I’m asking a serious question. Has ASR actually changed your opinion on anything? For me, I would say 2 things. I am a conservatory-trained musician and I do trust my ears. But ASR has reminded me to double check my opinions on a piece of gear to make sure I’m not imagining improvements. Not to get into double blind testing, but just to keep in mind that the brain can be fooled and make doubly sure that I’m hearing what I think I’m hearing. The second is power conditioning. I went from an expensive box back to my wiremold and I really don’t think I can hear a difference. I think that now that I understand the engineering behind AC use in an audio component, I am not convinced that power conditioning affects the component output. I think.
So please resist the urge to pile on. I think this could be a worthwhile discussion if that’s possible anymore. I hope it is.