I don't rely in one specific site to make equipment decisions. It takes me hours if not days of researching the internet to get enough various opinions before I can pull the trigger. I don't usually rely on anyone specific, any specific review or any specific store or manufacturer to make a decision. However I went to the Lone Star Audio Fest today and I was impressed by a few systems. But it's not enough to convince me to buy. The best part was meeting Peter and Vlad in person. Peter personally built my PBN Montana XPS speakers and Vlad my Audio Mirror Tubadour V dac. Super nice guys who took the time to show interest in how I incorporated their equipment in my house of stereo. It was awesome. There is nothing like dealing with small audio manufacturers. The customer service is usually impeccable.
100%. I’ve only been on for a few years. I have selected my system around the comments and feedback from those group. I have listened when possible and also trusted.
I'll keep it simple. I have been a member for over 20 years. Do I recall there being a more active era of members with enhanced knowledge and great personalities? Yes. Thing have changed a great deal. But I still learn so much from the regulars on this forum that offer solid and constructive critiques and insights. People on here know who they are. The forum is not dead. It's changing. As life does every day.
Specific members carry weight nope. But as a collective community there are helpful responses.
I was gone for a while and can say I miss carbonmiller’s musings.
Yes, there are several members here whose opinions have value.
Since you, as the OP of this thread, have stated that the opinions of most don't hold any weight with you, I don't understand why you post so many questions asking for the opinions of others.
Yes. Posters that spend enough time to present their evidence, preferences and post their systems so it is easy for you to determine "where they are coming from".
No. Short one liners, vitriolic, dogmatic, deniers... etc.
You need to simply observe for a while, get a sense who is who, then, like me, ask for advice. (other research of course). Search old discussions, the expertise is deep.
I joined just prior to Covid in 2019, and ended up completely reworking 3 systems, each benefitted from advice here.
I am eternally grateful that the primary result is this TT with 3 tonearms
I met a member here, made a trade, and ended up with a very cool Vertical TT in my office
I use social media pretty much as a survey, long term general consensus on certain things hold weight and/or become more in realm of objective truths. Individual opinions are subjective truths, how relevant that is to me is highly variable.
I make my decisions based solely on equipment performance listening to familiar recordings played on known equipment.
Some members that I know personally may provide positive impressions on gear that suggest I might want to listen, but that doesn’t mean we always agree on whether performance merits a purchase.
I don't trust the opinion of professional reviewers, especially some of the MOST RESPECTED in the industry. I have seen and heard too much for too many years to believe that they are unbiased.
I have relied quite heavily on member reviews and comments of products and found them to be very helpful. Of course, you have to weed through who is saying what and triangulate with other users' experiences with the same equipment. Agon and WBF have been good points of information outside the suspiciously over-the-top magazine reviews.
If I didn’t find others’ opinions of value, I wouldn’t hang out here but, like everyone else, there are certain forum members with whom I feel more commonality than others.
Inna I think your thread iis relevant , yes there are some like I like to read their post like MikeLavigne, very humble and knowledgeable. True He has a very good system. That is not the reason why I admire his post. Waltersalas is onother good one but he rarely post here.Davidten also is a good one. Very few good ones left but rarely post. The negative ones I treat them with quietness, for in quietness there is power.
If there is a point to this thread, perhaps it is a barometer of the current state of this forum.
Sadly, since I have been a member, things have paralleled society as a whole and deteriorated. The true gems on this site are becoming a rare find indeed and have been replaced by an increasing population of haters that serve to make this a heck of a lot less fun than it used to be.
Part of the answer to your question (for me) is connected to whether the question is well put.
Is it sensible and grammatical?
Has the author reread their question before posting it, maybe even edited it? In other words, did they take a little extra time to show respect for their readers?
Is it trying to solve a problem, drawing on others’ expertise?
Or is it fishing for opinions which are necessarily related to variables that cannot possibly be controlled for?
Too often, the problem is baked into the question. (Not that people don’t like to chest-beat or just flood the forum with their pet theories or long-winded opinions, too.)
Of course, there is a lot of great experience in this group. Depending on the post there can be a bit of chaff in the responses, but always some wisdom in the mix. I am not sure why one would participate here if they don’t find any value in it.
If many people agree on something, then maybe but rarely do I take advice from a single individual. There are few absolutes in the hobby, and we all have different rooms, associated equipment, music tastes, ears and listening environments. Obviously, some people have much more experience than others and that's always a factor for me.
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