Of course I listen to opinions here, otherwise I would not waste my time.
(1) I have found a bunch of equipment from companies I was not familiar with, that I may not have know about otherwise, and then it is up to me to do my research and listen to that gear before I form an opinion.
(2) I place a good amount of credence on those who share their experience with equipment they have actually owned, demo'd, or or hear is systems they know well.....like friends. Whether I agree with them is not important, someone took the time to put up an honest opinion.
(3) I despise posts that knock gear that they have never heard, nor had the time to listen intently
(4) There are some posters on A'gon that I really like and find their posts informative and helpful, there are some posters that I don't find helpful and find their posts useless. They tend to be similar people frequently
Yes, the collective knowledge and experiences of the folks here do carry weight with me. I learn something from just about every thread. I find value in hearing the “why” behind an opinion, reading technical explanations that describe how things function, and seeing posted systems which, to me, help provide context.
Cranky dude. 😝 if I may paraphrase an old country song that the Byrds resurrected on Sweetheart of the Rodeo: you don’t miss your whatever ‘til the well runs dry.
As for your question, I look for specific answers for specific questions. I don’t waste people’s time with window-shopping or kick-the-tires kind of questions. At least, I try not to.
I'm learning who's who to some degree and therefore who's the real deal and who's just bloviating. It takes time to see the patterns and contributions. Overall I've learned alot and enjoy the threads. Almost all...
I've been here since 1998, and I've learned from individuals here as well as cementing a few buying decisions based on the recommendations of a number of members who all liked the same specific component.
It's been fun mostly, but there have been some nasty dust-ups which I'm not proud to say I have sometimes been a part of, but that's part of maturing I guess. You learn from mistakes.
Been observing here in silence for over a year and will say there are a few folks that have imparted some really good information and others that just run their keyboard or mouth and offer nothing of real value.
Do you see the details it can give referring even to my opinions in another forum about the synergy of these pieces of gear and reference from others reviews ? It is astounding..
I am here to learn from "friends" in a human way...
I can learn anything alone and i had done it for audio because we learn from our experiment not so much from others opinions...
But i cannot have human discussion with a machine or a book...
Some of those who complain about "old dudes" with nothing to do who come here are young ignorants about life...
By the way to give my comment about GROK analysis to my question about the Sansui alpha specs and the AKG K340 hybrid:
Electrostatic Driver Demands: The K340’s electrostatic driver requires clean, high-voltage amplification. The AU-α607i’s balanced circuit should provide this, but a specialized headphone amp (e.g., tube OTL) might extract slightly better detail from the electrostatic driver.
GROK is right here.But 1 year ago i bought a tube microzotl to drive my K340 and the noise floor was lower and the details were more audible, but all the rest, natural timbre, spatial holographic characteristics, out of the head impression, etc were not there because this model headphone amplifier was not able to drive the K340 with enough power.
If someone says cables don’t matter or if they say usb cables are just 1’s and 0’s that’s a red flag to me. I don’t respect or listen to their opinions. Just being honest.
With A.I. anybody can have all the specs numbers, recommendations and opinions summed up in one place...
I just asked GROK to explain to me how to use optimally the sextett K240 headphone with my new incoming dac with my headphone amplifier for my secondary system...( i already knew how and why but i was curious and GROK explained to me all the equations at play and why )
What no one will have just reading GROK is the fun experiments we must do with acoustics... Ask GROK what it is then trust your ears and have the best fun of your life (Helmholtz resonators,absorption-diffusion-reflective devices balance,ASW/LV ratio parameters, comb filters,cross-feed,cross-talk use etc)
Or with unusual "tweaks" which can improve low cost system...(Schumann generators,ionization,minerals use etc)
i am here to talk with people and i read and participate in the jazz and classical questions and other threads indirectly linked to audio, i even created some myself, not for just to gain mere information for an upgrade i may & must learn elsewhere anyway by myself... Those newcomers who search for a specific information can ask here but they must know that there is many people here who know each other for many years...
I learned how to do room/system installation for myself with acoustics..
I advice people to read about acoustics before upgrading if their system is already synergical and minimally good...
Purchasing race is a plague ... Learning is a cure...
@goofyfoot You have to understand that most of the subscribers here have nothing else to do. There are countless available sources online that are more accurate without the lore and conjecture if people want to seek it out. All you need is a keyword but for many this is the only companionship they have. Hence the redundancy and this kind of banter.
When I started posting on here, there weren’t a lot of us and the amount of activity was significantly less. However, I was a bit more curious than I am now. DAC’s were relatively new back then and streamers were still unheard of. SACD/CD players and iPods were what most folks used for digital playback. So Audiogon was like a new frontier in many respects. Even mono cartridges were an arcane topic back then. Anyway, its not that Audiogon members are now less knowledgeable or interesting but much of what gets discussed here seems to be recycled material. Its the same old stuff, just worded differently. Hopefully someone will invent a new type of digital component or a new tweak and then we’ll all have something new to learn about.
There are a few who have responded to this post that I enjoy reading what they have to say and many others who I never see on here any more. I am not highly technical and I enjoy learning about the nuances of this hobby. I’ve used some advice from this forum and improved my system by doing so. That is what keeps me coming back.
Another who had chosen to insult me beginning in the discussion with Amir about "timbre" and acoustics perception few months ago..
He did not understood the arguments it seems and chose to insult me...
Since then times to times he do it on repeat...
And i am the one supposed to be nut...
This is what i discussed with articles in science quotation when discussing with Amir and you begun to insult me as an idiot hurted by something you dont understand i must say :
This was the context of the discussion :
Do you understand how human brain can beat the Gabor limit and create "meaning" in his own time domain ? if you do, you then can understand why Amir evaluation of "sound qualia" with gear specs only is deceptive use of technology...
You then insulted me in the midst of my discussion with him with no arguments...
Another occasion few days ago you insulted me surprised that i can tune by ears a mechanical device... It seems if someone is able to understand an acoustic concept and using his ears it appear as a " miracle" or a "lies"...
Who is nut insulting others on repetition because they discussed ideas and concepts ?
I will let others be judge here ...
And now you seems so nervously affected by cognitive decline you suppose i need document or help to remember logical arguments in acoustics or in other matters :
It’s possible that the nuthouse clown maintains word documents of his typed up crap.
I argue with articles in science and arguments. I dont insult people Amir or anyone...
I can make a point with reason not insults...
You had made no rational argument with me ever... Save insults like a child ...
But it is me who wrote...( i could use an A.I. easily and ask it to wrote all my posts in Santayana prose though)
Thanks for your kind understanding of my handicap...
I never spoke English in all my life nor even wrote it before coming here.
I had read English in science and philosophy books, generally very poorly written with no concrete vocabulary...It is why my style is "square" to say the least...
Some philosopher though wrote a supreme beautiful English, as Santayana, whom i read once and lost even the thread of his reasonings because not only i was struggling behind his intelligence but i was in ecstasy reading his style...
I cannot wrote well...
I apologise...
One of the elephants in the room is that English isn’t @mahgister’s native language. But that doesn’t stop me from finding value in some of his posts. Yes, some.
I remember all my conversation for example with Amir and some other engineer from ASR about sounds and timbre..
I dont forget rational discussion...
I did not claim to be the arbiter of what is rational, i claim that i can remember any discussion i posted here with rational arguments which is more than one or two lines...
I dont entertain grudges and i am sorry if you entertain them...
Anyway i will try to not bother you again...
I am not perfect and i apologize sincerely if i had caused you any discomfort of any kind...
Of course you choose not to remember. If I posted 13,000 times in nine years I could not remember either.
No sir, friends don’t act like that, and I am certainly not your friend. But fair enough, and thank you for your candor. And certainly, you, of all people, will never be the arbiter of what arguments are "rational."
You are certainly an idiot or a hating empty head for repeating this without end even in threads were i developed complex arguments about sounds with quotes from serious science article, and you do this for more than a year, even sending me like this shit-post, insults or sarcasms in my private box...
Anybody can read you...No arguments...
And to add a cherry on your cake, you invite people to not welcoming someone only because he come from ASR forum...
No, your defect is you bore the crap out of everyone by posting diatribes of meaningless verbiage.
Boring is when everybody looks the same and says the same thing.
One of the elephants in the room is that English isn’t @mahgister’s native language. But that doesn’t stop me from finding value in some of his posts. Yes, some.
At the end of the day, it’s an internet forum, it’s easy enough to ignore people.
I dont remember that you ever harassed me at all. We discussed perhaps.
I remember only indesirable behaviour...
I dont entertain grudges then i forgot many thing useless, which imply that i cannot promise not to gave my opinion in your future threads and i invite you to agree or disagree in mine if you have rational arguments ... We are all "friends" here ...
If i caused you any disagreement be sure i am very sorry for that...
Apologies if it came off as gang stalking or harrassment. That was not the intent.
Perhaps we can agree that I will not post into threads that you start, or address you directly, and you will do the same. Problem solved, no bad feelings either way.
Most don’t but there are a few. If I get to know them and I think they are making sense yes. But if they try to tell me certain things don’t make a difference etc. I let them be.
mahgister, you asked for opinions in one of your threads and when I answered, and you did not like my answer, you just argued with me until I left the thread. Completely disingenuous.
If you are frustrated by my passion with arguments i apologize.
But i do not take rational opposition as insults... It is just i like to discuss...
By the way i never dismiss others opinion as such... I gave arguments for my points...
If you felt rejected because you did not had any arguments it is not my fault...
I dont recall this specific discussion... I apologize for that too ...
By the way i always say what i think directly to the person and did not entertain grudges... But i must admit i react badly to gang-stalking or harassment toward anybody including me.
I did not name anyone because I did not want to embarrass anyone- however you just did a good job of embarrassing yourself. I find it amusing that you recognise yourself as making bloviated, meaningless, nonsensical posts.
it was easy to recognize myself in your stupid post, you harassed me saying the same thing for almost 2 years. Harassing me even in private mail.
I would have not answered if you did not attacked in the most irrational way ASR members coming here...
But it was too much for me to stay silent in this thread where we must insist on politeness for everyone...
ASR members or not, all are welcome, save those tailored as you, using sarcasms and insults, as a coward with insinuations,because unable to argue directly and rationally... ...
My blind to-go audiogoner was "almarg". Still miss him.
But there are others here who I know (from being here and reading their posts) who are genuinely adding value and providing support. Most of these are folks who have been here for a while and at some point had their system posted. There are some newer folks, who have system posted and discuss only those equipment that they own.
I do not trust the following people and completely ignore them:
1. Who have no system posted
2. Seem to know every single equipment
3. User who have joined recently and talk negative
4. Users who shrill for a product day in and day out (once a while is alright). Such posters seem to get angry when you question the product.
5. Users who show as "joined before 2003", but started posting tons of messages only recently. These seem like hacked accounts.
In one way or another this forum has had an influence on my rig. I first learned about my phono pre from reading threads on this forum.
After speaking with Keith Herron on and off over a couple of years he called me and asked if I still wanted him to build me a phono pre? This was after he retired from Herron Audio. He said he found enough parts to build a couple more. Of course I said yes! He unofficially called mine a VTPH-2ae. E for enhanced. It’s been in the rig for over three years. I’ve had a 6k solid state phono pre in the rig to compare but switched back to the Herron.
The crazy thing about this hobby is that I’m sure I could find a solid state or another tube phono pre that would sound better but at what cost? I need money for more albums.
I don't think there is reason to PM anybody (unless the two of you are engaging in a private liaison). If you've got something to say, do it in public and don't be a coward.
I did not name anyone because I did not want to embarrass anyone- however you just did a good job of embarrassing yourself. I find it amusing that you recognise yourself as making bloviated, meaningless, nonsensical posts.
There is dude, laoman, also who send mail of insults and harassed me in private mail...
He just wrote an hypocrital post above without the courage to name me...
If we analyse my post text information content with many referential articles versus the idiot sending insulting email in my private box the matter will be settled easily...
Sorry but i defend myself when someone attack with falsities and even with just insinuation ...
By the way i learned a lot when i discussed rationally with some ASR member here...But laoman is unable to learn from someone with whom he disagree it seems...
I welcome everyone ... Amir included ... If they dont imitate laoman with harassment and no arguments save insults...
There are a number of posters who know what they are talking about and whose opinions I value.
On the other hand there is one in particular who makes lengthy posts which are full of rubbish, off track and who has no understanding of what a PM is. And there are some who would be better off on ASR.
I am empathetic with everyone naturally, at least i try, i try to stay positive and nice but i like to discuss even uncomfortable truth sometimes, i admit this point, in my own passionate way (as acoustics basics being the root of our hobby not purchasing upgrades) once this is said,
i think as Nassim Nicholas Taleb, that :
«if you want to be at once rational and ethical, you must have the courage to accept that being nice to an ass...e is equivalent to being an ass...e to someone nice»
I think Taleb is right but we must begin by being nice ourselves to everybody, if not it will be impossible to distinguish between nice people and not so nice one.
mapman said it well in one sentence :
There is no single solution that is best for all.
This is true.None of us had the same goal, budget, gear, room, and wife...
But for example , acoustics science is the basis of audio, not the inevitable upgrades race and it is not a debatable question...
Then i cannot go back on this point just to be nice...
Once this is said i value the opinions of everyone here even if i disagree or even if will not take it in account for purchasing or to fine tune my system/room, i value others opinion as different valuable human expressions which add something unique to aspects of society and humanity...
I tend to discount posts by some that show little or no empathy for others.
Posting for me is largely about helping others. That requires empathy. How can anyone advise others on what may be best for them without empathy?
Just because something works for me does not mean it will work for anyone else and vice versa.
I believe it’s important to understand that and provide feedback to others that considers their unique scenario and preferences, which may or may not resemble mine.
Each case is different. There is no single solution that is best for all.
People that lack empathy have difficulty understanding that reality. Rather they expect that what works for themselves works for all.
It’s the source of a lot of conflict in the world. Good sound may be a relatively trivial topic in the grand scale of things, but the same rules apply.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
