Thoughts about the "Cheapaudioman" on YouTube

He does seem to push a lot of Emotive,

He is getting a 1099 from Emotiva for 2022 so it's kind of his job to promote them. I think he sincerely likes their products as well, but obviously his channel pushes a few brands very hard. Same with Gishelli Labs.

He's getting on well with Schiit as well, I know Schiit is sending Darko a nice 1099 for last year. Those factory tour videos are paid for. 

He does seem to push a lot of Emotive, and cheap junk. His make believe commercials are annoying , and juvenile. It does seem like he is learning a little as he goes . Hey, to each his own. Jog on !

He seems to be an influencer getting his footing with his audience. Nice way to make a living.

Today his sponsor was Sith Audiophile coffee: While not made from real audiophiles, "It captures what it means to be an audiophile, old and bitter."

Heh.

Randy seems to be improving as he goes along. He readily admits his mistakes. I think he will be invaluable down the road to newbies. This translates to keeping this hobby alive. IMO.

@seanheis1 Randy puts in a bunch of time, and I’m sure wants that time to pay (I don’t hold that against him). I don’t give him money myself, but he’s entertaining to some and nothing wrong for a tip jar IMO.

Can’t say/feel that he’s sold out, but good damn does that man love Emotiva!

@dreas ... Well said!

He created a large enough YouTube following to allow him to quit his day job and play with audio equipment all day.  He is smarter than all of us. 

+1. whatever you think of his opinions or the gear he focuses on, this is really cool

He considers the Sony sscs5 speakers reference grade and uses them to evaluate products like Denafrips Ares 2....while using test tracks from Metallica and Korn...it's quite a show. ;-) 

@seanheis1 nearly ALL YouTubers ask for money, so they can keep the lights on and buy stuff to review and then either sell at a loss or give away to patreons of their channel. Nothing wrong with it. Even Steve Guttenberg asks for people to become patreons so he can keep doing what he does.

And someone said, "However, if he thinks a $300 loudspeaker sounds better than a $5000 loudspeaker, he’s not facing reality." Uh, I don’t think he’s ever gone THAT far, but he did say he liked one of the Klipsch RP series towers that were much cheaper than the Klipsch Heresy’s at $3200. I think it was the RP-6000Fs.

Then again, a $300 speaker in a well-treated room and dialed in just right CAN sound "better" than a $5000 speaker in a crappy, hastily setup, echoey hotel room at an audio show, so he was probably telling the truth.

The problem is it’s obvious he started his channel prior to obtaining any relevant points of reference. His experience with even “mid-fi” gear was limited. He has since gained some experience with higher end components, but it’s too late to adopt new philosophies after amassing that many subscribers. He’s boxed in now, but I doubt he cares, his followers are netting him money. 

He created a large enough YouTube following to allow him to quit his day job and play with audio equipment all day.  He is smarter than all of us. 

but i like his channel. i’d drink a beer with him

This I believe is his genius/gift. He has the rare ability to convince people that he is their good friend/drinking buddy. His new wrist watch channel will be popular for the same reason.

Personality he is 10/10. 

Skill as an audio reviewer 3/10 

i like him and i’m really stoked for him because very few normal working stiffs can parlay ’talking about gear online’ into an actual career. like i just want to root for him. it’s really cool what he’s done.

not sure whether i trust his judgment as much as some others because i don’t get how he can review so much equipment so quickly. the turnaround time was just insane awhile back - the guy is listening to 3, 5, 7 new pieces a week and drawing these quick conclusions...all i know is i couldn’t do that myself. i’m also more interested in equipment that he doesn’t cover these days (because it’s not cheap), but i like his channel. i'd drink a beer with him 

IMO calling him a sellout is completely unfair.
 

I mean he completely changed. What he used to make fun of he has become. Him refusing to pronounce Schiit out of fear of losing a few bucks is too cringey for me.

If he would have started his channel with his current sentiments of monetizing everything and begging for donations, I would not have called him a sellout. 

@langelo68 I watch Tarun more often than not when his videos come out. I’m not into everything he auditions, but I do like his calm, decaffeinated demeanor, lol. I like Thomas, too. Zero Fidelity reviewed what I consider to be a "Holy Grail" piece for me: The Classe Delta pre/amp. *Oooooh,,,,,,,Daddy likey!*

Randy usually looks like he’s hungover.

i've watched many of his reviews. some are definitely interesting... in the sense he's consuming lots of audio equipment...daily! but when he goes over and over and over again about the music examples he uses to determine if an amp, speakers or a dac is good...well... it's pretty lame! sorry, don't want to sound snob, but you have to include music that is less compressed and has way more dynamic range than 80's and 90's rock and pop! no jazz (except his perpetual use of miles davis 'so what'; which i'm sure he couldn't care less what's about) or classical music. you have to include and KNOW these genres in order to give a more substantial evaluation. it think sean of zero fidelity is way more reliable and tarun (british audiophile) is by far the most interesting and thorough reviewer. i would definitely trust most of tarun's reviews.

Cheapaudioman recommended the WiiM Mini Airplay 2.

I have this little streamer connected to my Denafrips Pontus 2 DAC via Toslink cable and the sound quality is amazing.

Compared to my previous set-up with my PC to the Denafrips Iris to the Pontus via I2S I'd say it's about the same, possibly even better.

But I have ordered a PI 2 Design Mercury which I believe should be even better.

He has helped Geshelli Labs immensely, and doesn't get a dime for it. Good equipment at a very reaonable price. IMO. Randy does try to be helpful. If anything he can give you a good laugh at the start of an otherwise boring day!

I’ve watched Randy from the beginning of his channel. I enjoy his irreverent and self deprecating sense of humor. IMO calling him a sellout is completely unfair. YouTube is his job now and he has to make an income. His lane in cheap audio and for the most part he sticks with it with the occasional foray into higher priced components. Frankly, whenever he does he gets hammered in his comments for doing so. He has opened the hobby up to thousands who bought what he suggested and are thrilled they did.

This is like asking is MQA good or not.

Re. @curtdr and @pedroeb comments... anyone who thinks Mr. Amir isn't  "... irrelevant opinionated egotistical jackass garbage." (and there's no need for this kind of commentary in the audiophile world imo), is self exposing. Amir is entitled to his pontificating and if you like him, great. 

1. Randy has a lane. While I fast forward his intros (annoying music and intro fodder) and only watch a some of his reviews. (I am not a Paetron of his. I am of a couple of others whose reviews fall more inline with my interests.) 

2. I had an application / location where I didn't want to spend a lot of money. Between Randy, Zeos, and others, I learned about Fosi amps and Jamo S 803 speakers. Pretty impressive for background music and I spent less than $350.00 and am very happy with them. Randy discussed the Fosi amps that got me looking. 

3. It's basically still a free country and you can choose what you watch, read, etc. 

4. I've only been nosing around these forums for the past 2 years. The outliers and know-it-all folks can be ignored.

5. Randy occasionally reviews some higher end equipment.

6. Re. YouTube reviewers, I appreciate Hans Beekhuyzen, "Z reviews" (mainly headphone gear), John Darko, Currawong, & Josh Valour to mention a few. All have their lane. 

As Han's always concludes his videos, "and whatever you do, enjoy the music!"

I like the coffee

His review of the sony ss-cs5 speakers was spot on.

I bought those and very quickly returned. They were very bright and thin…brittle sounding. They sounded to me like a cheap speaker with two tweeters. I paid $88 but felt they were worth $50 as they weren’t nearly as good as my sons Dayton Audio speakers.

There are so many people trying to get a foothold on a large enough audience on YouTube for income from ads, and partnerships and just asking all the time for money like Randy.  Helpful? He looks more like someone who just sees what's available on Amazon and doesn't spend much time outside that searching for what he assumes, thinks are the best deals.   He has an audience so obviously, people do connect with him.  And I guess respect him for that.

I watch a lot of these YouTube "reviewers" and I've been watching his channel for probably over 2 years now. I enjoy his content and he's come a long way. I would say before you completely dismiss him as garbage you should see what he's about and where he's coming from.

I think his attraction to most people is his regular guy approach and good humor. I don't think he ever really set out to be some huge YouTube guy but came up with this Cheapman channel after he bought his first high dollar piece of gear. I believe it was a well reviewed $5k integrated by SimAudio/Moon Audio. It turned out(to his ears) to sound no better or even worse than some cheaper components he had owned. He was pissed, and came up with the idea to find and talk about pieces of gear under that 1k mark or so that provided good performance and value. 

I personally don't feel he pushes any equipment, just gives his opinion on stuff. Once you figure out what type of sound he likes people should take that into account if they are interested in something he likes. For example, I think he likes a lot of treble, some of those speakers he likes are too hot for my taste. He's not a fan of measurements, so all of his opinions are off of his ears and what he likes, you can tell he's really not concerned about how others have rated or reviewed something. He definitely caters to people on a very low budget. Although there is only so much low budget gear that is even half decent so he's ventured out into more expensive products here and there. Since he's become more well know a lot of company's have sent him higher quality gear, although I don't think Buchardt were very happy with his assessment of them. He didn't drool all over them like some other reviewers lol.

I think he has a place in the audiophile landscape. As others in this chat have alluded to is that there are some great sounding pieces of gear for what I consider cheap prices. It has not always been like this. Its a good time to get into hifi if someone is young or doesn't have the big funds due to whatever in life. In the cheaper priced market is where one can really get ripped off and come across a lot of junk..and if you are new to this hobby or a first time buyer you don't even know what you are looking for. For this fact I think someone like Cheap Audio Man can really help. Just my opinion anyway. 

His review of the sony ss-cs5 speakers was spot on.  I find that he is more often right than wrong.

I like his reviews...like others, my equipment is not in his review price range, but he provides useful device, particuarly for secondary systems...just not my main system.  

Although it's kinda silly that he is not allowed to pronounce the name 'Schitt' as it should be. 
 

He is allowed to…but he is worried that the video will be de-monetized. He did the weird mispronunciation in front of Jason Stoddard on a live stream and Jason looked at him like he was crazy. He said, “you can say it it’s our name.”

Anyway, Randy has become a panhandler of sorts. Always asking people to donate money to him. I think technically he is not a reviewer, but an affiliate marketer. Anyway, I enjoyed him as a hobbyist before he sold out. 

FWIW, I just checked out his Cheap Watch Guy channel. LOL. JC, and I thought some of the stuff he reviewed on his audio channel was junk. Just...wow.

More power to you, Randy, but again, not for me. 

I like the Cheapaudio guy. When I first started to listen was using a pair of Pebbles speakers of my gaming computer and I have been tweaking and upgrading ever since. I have become addicted to HiFi gear and it will probally need a 12 step program to stop. Anyway Randy is fun to listen to and he will tell you he's not an expert audiophile guy, and probally doesn't have the wallet like most of the account holders here do and neither do I. It's alot of fun pursuing that next level of sound.

+1 @fstein "you would be shocked at how good "mid-fi" has gotten in the last 20 years"​​​​​​

Thanks to all who have responded to this thread. Great responses from all of you!

@johnah5 

Man…I wish I could come by and hear those! All the way down in Jax Fl, unfortunately. I remember checking those out via their affiliate company website - Role Audio - when ordering some plinths for some totem arrows I had a while back. 

Those model 100’s look amazing with some very high praise. Even at that low 5 digit price point, seem worth every penny. 
 

All the NSMT speaker offerings seem exceptional for the $. 

I am ok with him and appreciate his work.  Like any reviewer, one should take whatever he says with a grain of salt.  Much of what he does is for entertainment!  Although I have several components outside his normal price range (McIntosh, Focal, Klipsch La Scalas, etc.) from time to time I am looking for something special.  For example, I wanted an inexpensive open-back headphone to use for online music lessons.  (I already have some expensive headphones for music listening.). An internet search led me to his recommendation of Emotiva.  I then conducted independent research, which supported his recommendation.  I purchased the headphones and they have delivered exactly what I wanted.  His review is what led me to them.  So, thanks to him!

@riccitone 

I don't know how to PM you but offering invite to you and anyone who can make it to Indianapolis area come hear my NSMT's.  I have no affiliation just spreading the word

JH

I've watched him near the beginning of his channel's launch. He does a good job just evaluating gear based on what he hears. Most of it sub-$1000 stuff, but he occasionally does "better" items like the Wharfedale Linton, ELAC Uni-Fi, KLH Model 5, Klipsch Heresy, Denafrips Ares 2, Tekton Lore, source gear like iFi Zen stuff, Fluance turntables, cartridges in the $200 to $300 range, etc. 

He does cater to people starting out on this journey and that can be a good thing. Everyone has to start somewhere and many won't spend $5000 or more on a system for their first rodeo. 

My only complaint is that for a while he was hung up on cheap Chinese Class D amps suitable mainly for use on a desktop (if at all).

Do note that his own "real" system consists of vintage McIntosh, so there is that. 

 

@riccitone 

I have owned Klipsch Heresy and Forte's, Buchardt's, Focal, two Zu's and the NSMT 100's are end game no upgrade needed and justified unless you spend $20K and up to get better sound. I love playing with this stuff just saying my speaker search is over and holy toledo are they fracking amazing!  Now I just play with electronics.  

Best JH

As many have already mentioned, I think you need to consider his channel from the perspective of his target demographic... if you do, you'll be able to appreciate the value he brings to the hobby.

I disagree with the suggestions that he should spend time reviewing or listening to higher end/reference/end-game gear because it wouldn't provide any value to his followers... if anything it would be a disservice. Imagine if Edmunds only carried reviews for Rolls Royce, Bentley, Bugatti, and Maclaren, etc. The average Joe would have a hard time knowing if Ford, Toyota or Honda have any redeeming qualities ... all the while being constantly reminded of all the great features they are missing out on. The vast majority of us have a budget and there is probably gear that we would love to try but can't afford. Imagine if that unobtainable gear was the only gear being reviewed... it would be really frustrating. 

People like Randy help the average Joe understand how they can get the best performance out of their budget. Just like people are able to upgrade their car, scotch, wine, and food preferences as their budget increases, so it is with audio equipment. Randy is helping people traverse the lower end gear so they can be more informed and enjoy the hobby the best they can.

+1 @curtdr 

I too look for that certain value proposition in equipment that stretches far past the price point, and Randy has brought some very well designed components and speakers into mind’s eye. He also encourages the diy journey as a means to kits that challenge many makes that are double/triple the price. 
 

Personally, I’ve heard very expensive setups, in thoughtfully treated rooms that sound amazing. But then have taken the time to put together a comparatively modest system in a small room - with careful attention to positioning and treatment-that sounds so good to me, I could easily enjoy what I’ve got over those other systems. There are so many factors to a good system when considering synergy, voicing, music you prefer…it can be dizzying. But Randy is among those that takes many of those concerns into account to bring a great experience to anybody. 
 

All that said, my upgrade bug does still bite me, and my current setup goes above price from a lot of what her reviews! However, I’m still considering speaker kits thanks to his taking the time to demonstrate his experience with them 🙏🏼

I moved on from him and OCD Mikey very quickly. Both can be entertaining, but   Their schtick got old really fast.

In all honesty, Randy has surpassed 100,000 Subscribers in just over a year of being a YouTuber. Ron helped him out A LOT in the beginning and they are still friends. Ron’s helped my channel too when he was still here in AZ.

I don’t like how he pedals all that cheap Chi-Fi crap but sadly, there’s a huge untapped (until Randy’s channel happened) market out there for all that Shyte.

I do watch his channel for entertainment purposes only. But never take anything he says with a grain of salt. He works hard to promote his channel and the Video quality and the YT click bait preview gifs (which I hate on all YT channels BTW) obviously work for him.

My own YT channel has been up since May 2019 and will probably (hopefully) crack 1000 Subscribers by the years end. I don’t take my Channel seriously and make no money from it. But I have a following however small it is. I charge no money for “advice” and peed off the Deer Creek folk by giving away my miniDSP files for Series 1 & 2 Bose 901’s. Where they are charging serious money for an unadjustable miniDSP box. Not cool. People have bought stuff based off of my reviews which scares the crap out of me. But they are happy with their purchases while I make no money off of it.

I am a self proclaimed Schill for Orchard Audio and don’t hide that fact. I believe my system has finally reached “Reference” level and friends come over and enjoy it.

“Joey G’s Audio Channel”. I curse A LOT on it. So don’t say I didn’t warn ya ! 😂.

Cheers,

Joe

@musicpod 

That was more tongue-in-cheek on my part. I think the audio snobs out there believe he can't possibly have anything to offer the hifi enthusiasts or newbies with the caliber of equipment he chooses to review.

I think that could be considered a controversy. 

"This gentleman has stirred up some controversy..."

What is the controversy that he has stirred up?

There’s a reason he’s called the “cheap” audioman.  

I think most of the people on this site have never heard cheap audio. If you had, you would be shocked at how good "mid-fi" has gotten in the last 20 years

Randy is fun to watch, I like him as more audio tongue in cheek entertainment, and I do watch a good deal of his videos. He’s kind of like my "Scrubs" of audio review shows. He’s a guilty pleasure that I do find humorous value in, and I know has an honest and genuine love of HiFi.

He’s not the first source that I go to when seriously considering equipment. I have however recently purchased my first product that he has reviewed himself personally. More coincidence than anything else, but now I can at least say I own something that he has given his opinion on, and I for the most part disagreed with him on it (Schiit Aegir vs Vidar). Maybe because I went the mono route with the Aegir, but I digress...

Again I like Randy... He’s great for people on a <$500 budget and I’m most impressed by his wealth of product reviews and his near encyclopedic memory when it comes to specs and speakers and such.

Also love when his kids come in and mess up his videos.

I like Randy. I don't agree with everything he says, but if I did, I wouldn't have any reason to watch him. I like how most of the stuff he reviews is more affordable even though I may have more expensive stuff in some cases. Sometimes I am curious about lower priced stuff out of curiosity to see what is out there. I like other reviewers on YouTube also, but I can only handle so many reviews of items that I might not ever even be able to be in the same room with never mind purchase. One day, maybe, but with two kids at home right now, I gotta keep things reasonable.

@pedroeb "I consider Youtube reviews to be irrelevant opinionated egotistical jackass garbage."

Hm, but I guess your opinion here is stellar.

And, btw, Amir is all over YouTube as well... thus, so much for your theory.  lol.  

PS

I like Jay's Audio Lab but again not in the market for the gear he recommends!  Just find him entertaining and like to hear about hi end gear and low end gear

jh

jl1ny,

You are a perceptive fellow. Ron made some bad choices which continue

to haunt him. I won't go into details.

+1 @jeffseight 

I support Randy. He is honest and hard working. He may wind up reviewing higher end stuff as time passes.  I don't buy entry gear so his advice isn't stuff I would buy but he is HONEST.  I find that a great virtue these days. He is also entertaining.

Best

JH