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.
Without the internet, we wouldn't be talking about him. He and his audience are a product of our times and I'm old school enough to recognize a Johnny Come Lately with an agenda. He's really no different than an audio reviewer who sized up the playing field and saw an unoccupied space to settle down in.
Heck, everyone's got to make a living. What upsets some is that he has his own belief system that contradicts most of ours.
That's not a knock but just calling it like I see it. He's just one of many opinions and like elbows, we all have them. How much credence you give him and let it affect you, is on you.
When I first heard some folks quote his site. I dug deep into reading review after review and was horrified at his approach and conclusions. Not for me, it is simple to see all the flaws. But for newcomers to the pursuit.
I think in the beginning most folks new to audio will start by looking at specs and think this is the way to evaluate sound quality (once they moved out of features and function counting as an evaluation tool). This could turn off so many folks new to audio by influencing them to buy dry, dead, terrible sounding equipment and never experiencing real high end. It is a real shame.
I could not care less for the opinions based on the measurements. Nor from anyone thats sticks their nose in the air toward anyone who doesn’t spend $5000-$20000 on cables.
Whether something sounds good, to my ears, my brain, in my room at the volume I want, at a price I am comfortable with, is all that matters to me.
“Golden ear” audiophools and sterile measurements crowd both be damned.
The Chord M-Scaler turns out to be a $5K box that does nothing audible! The golden-ear crowd will say it just needs a thousand dollar power cord and interconnects to reveal its subtle nuances! The measurements prove otherwise!
@hilde45: +1! Lot of Amir haters here on Agon! What I find interesting are the measurements that reveal how poorly designed some products are! Products that are highly praised by the golden-ear crowd - like the Chord M-Scaler and the Magnepan LRS speaker. Woe to the buyers of the LRS! The measurements and Amir's listening test show this speaker to be a real turkey and a coloration-generator far from neutral to the source!
Not that I am aware of. That’s not a swipe. I just really don’t get why people are so infatuated with him. I guess he gets people to talk about him so he is successful there. More power to him!
I have made decisions based on their gear measurements. Usually, eliminating gear I had some interest in.
I was about to buy the Okto DAC8 based on their favorable comments on it, instead I decided to get the worst measuring Schitt Yggi+ (Less is More) of the 3 Yggi+'s. Very happy with that move, though the Okto DAC8 had the better connectivity for my needs.
I take all opinions and feedback and marinade it in the brain and then execute some plan. Amir is another data point.
For me measurements are only 10% of what I use to evaluate a hi-fi purchase. It's the same as 0-60 times for evaluating an automobile purchase. The 0-60 times tell you nothing about how it gets those times. Is it a screaming small bore motor with very peaky power or a huge big block that just muscles it's way to the same time? Hearing and feeling is more important than a raw measurement. Guys like Amir have no room for the art of audio reproduction.
My point was: do you trust your ears or do you trust a measuring device? Not saying either is right or wrong. I’m an engineer and a musician (although the only thing I have played the last few decades is my stereo). So I do a mix of both myself. But this guy seems to think he can measure everything with an analyzer. Reminds me of someone with a hammer. To that person with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Making one’s writing perfectly clear is not an easy thing. Most people here are subjectivists - if it sounds good, it is good. I include myself firmly in that camp. But was there not a sliver of information at ASR you found valuable or at least interesting that made you question the way you view any aspect of audio? Maybe not.
It’s good to read ASR and the measurements. About changing opinions - I think he confirmed it. I stopped visiting that site once I saw that people who fell for his measurements, purchased the equipment, only to find them lifeless or unmusical
This is not an uncommon occurrence it seems. Some have been satisfied with the components they have rated high. Others not so much. The priority seems to be great test measurements and inexpensive product price. Actual listening evaluations from people posting there are often mocked and treated dismissively. If @chayro has found some meaningful value from the ASR site, good for him. Experiences with their approach/concept surely will vary.
Once. It was a mistake. Quickly returned back to my own testing and listening.
Sure, use it as basic guidelines to get ideas on early measurements. However, those measurements may not capture everything you are looking for.
At the end of the day, do your own listening too, with your ears, realizing you may hear differently. Why you may decide and enjoy most is not always reflected in graphs.
Has ASR actually changed your opinion on anything?
There are hundreds of posts there. This is like asking if the New York Times changed my opinion about anything.
He has measured many things and explained many things. What he infers from these facts sometimes hits and sometimes misses, for me.
Claims here that he is a "clown" or some kind of Svengali just betray dogmatism and intolerance. He is a serious person with a point of view. Deal with it.
It's good to read ASR and the measurements. About changing opinions - I think he confirmed it. I stopped visiting that site once I saw that people who fell for his measurements, purchased the equipment, only to find them lifeless or unmusical. So yes, measurements are good starting point. But they don't tell you everything - he confirmed my opinion on that.
To clarify- my question was whether Amir changed your opinion about anything at all. Not whether Amir is wrong or whatever. So from the above, I guess your answer is “No- Amir hasn’t changed my opinion about anything.” Fine. But maybe others feel differently.
ASR is clickbait. There is a lot of confirmation bias out there but ASR did not address that.
Too many people post the arguments their salesmen used to sell them an expensive peice of equipment like it is fact.
Bottom line is you need to learn to do your own listening and evaluation. For me it involves going back and forth after hours or days of listening in each pass.
Too many times "different" is interpreted as "better". "yes, I can hear a difference" but you need to go back and forth with lots of different music to figure out what the subtlties are and was different better or worse.
I think he’s doing a disservice to the finer art of audio by teaching that measurements are gospel. Basic measurements are a convenience and are a good starting point, but are not the entire answer. Machines simply can’t measure the same subtle nuances that human ears can hear. Listening a skill that can and should be learned and honed. Relying solely on measurements squelches listening skills, and it equates to a paint by numbers result.
Double blind testing has limited value too, because it can’t replace the benefit of long term listening sessions on your own system in your own space. Especially if the differences are subtle.
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