Why do so many members seem afraid of making an audio decision?

Peer pressure can be an onerous thing to deal with. Learn to trust your ears. Seek out advice on what you’re unfamiliar with as to system/gear matching to avoid failure but not, ultimately, for listening pleasure. Keep separate the wheat from the chaff.

And even when auditioning, bear in mind that it will not end up sounding the same in your system when you get it home. By now you should be familiar with your system so be aware of that.

And finally, welcome advice but steer clear of someone else’s approval. Those that seek to impose themselves as the final arbiters of what is best for you are to be avoided. There’s something wrong with them.

All the best,
Nonoise

I started as consumer. Played a musical instrument in the marching band and wanted to be up on the music scene. Would stack up a bunch of records and blast away. At one point I even moved the stereo into a walk in closet in my dorm room and would see how loud I could stand it while studying.

After college I became a salesman for a large electronics chain. As a salesman the goal is to sell what makes you the most money. A spiff is a cash bonus for selling one piece of gear over another. I was also an enthusiast and would constantly be evaluating for my own listening pleasure but also looking for ways to upsell to the more profitable products. I eventually moved to selling computers and finally got out of sales and joined the IT world.

What the heck does this have to do with the topic? I suspect everything. When a piece of wire costs more than my whole system, when people discuss measurements as the end all decision maker, when freezing something to near zero, springs, power conditioners that simply plug into some socket, digital converters, $1000s of dollars worth of network updates etc. I remember working at a shop that I could barely make rent and the lengths I would god to just to be able to eat.

Every manufacture, stereo shop, or advertiser wants to be able to pay the rent and eat. Every salesperson you meet makes something off the sale either directly or indirectly. Unless your mom owns the store you are a source of revenue so everything being said should be looked upon thru that lens. I do fear being bamboozled with every purchase. I personally look to minimize risk by exploring the budget end of the market instead of the boutique and probably am missing out on some options that could increase my enjoyment but then again one of my greatest pleasures in this hobby is is finding the hidden gem that actually makes a difference.

I think the hobby as a whole would be a lot better if we could start a co-op that would allow you to try gear out. Have it be run as a non profit supported by members who are enthusiasts. Everyone could just donate all that gear and accessories that’s stacked to side and if it ended up actually being claimed compensation would be awarded.

In my opinion not enough fear is being generated in this hobby and we the enthusiasts suffer.

My first thought was money....and more money.....and.....

@danager

I understand where you are coming from. But remember that is low fi to mid-fi.

Companies like Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, Cardas… virtually all high end companies were not started as primarily money making enterprises… quite on the contrary, they were started by engineers absolutely passionate about sound reproduction. They hoped to make a living some day. Most nearly did not survive. I recommend reading about the history of ARC. The founder and his wife working from their house nearly lost everything when a vendor provided capacitors that exploded… he informed every single owner and fixed them (paying for shipping… everything) out of his own pocket. Mealy bankruping them… it was more important that his reputation remained untarnished and his customers trusted him than making money.

I worked with very closely the founder of a high tech company, Tom Brown… from Burr-Brown corporation for nearly 20 years. Literally working from his garage in the ‘50s created one of the most respected companies manufacturing Digital to Analog converters for the high end audio industry. A more humble and genial human you will never meet. The company always struggled with profitability… because he cared first about the products and his customers and employees.

Your stories are certainly true, but generally confined of low to mid-level stuff. I am sure a bunch of folks have tried to enter the cable market because low material cost to price. But, most get weeded out because in the long run companies like Transparent, Cardas, Audio Quest put so much money into Research and development they provide real value and more sophisticated sound.

As others have said here, we are hesitant because of the money involved and the cost of mistakes.  This is supposed to be enjoyable, not a worry.  You're supposed to love what you're doing, not agonize over the reality that perfection is unattainable.

What I suggest is that you go DIY as much as you can.   You'll learn a lot more, and being "hands on" gives a vastly deeper sense of involvement.   Instead of taking opinions of others, you get to make your own choices.   You get to make it exactly the way you want it.  You get to learn from your failures.  

DIY is so much more fun I can't begin to tell you.  And it's a ****LOT**** cheaper!  How much do you lust after the Big Ticket loudspeakers at $50k or more?   I see people agonize thinking that they HAVE to spend at least $30k, but are wincing every time they put gas in their car.

The Linkwitz LX521 is one of the very finest loudspeaker systems on the planet.  And it's a system, not just a loudspeaker.  That's because it has an active crossover.  You can either go with analog or digital crossovers.   It's a multi-amplified system, so you can build your own from class D modules, or choose from many multi-channel amps out there.  The cabinet is not hard to build.  And one of the most rewarding aspects is that it is something we mere mortals can afford!  The most expensive element is the amplifier choice.   For less than the cost of a used 2013 Nissan Leaf, you could have a truly hi-end loudspeaker system equal to or better than loudspeakers costing more than a new, top-end Tesla Model S.  And the satisfaction you get with DIY cannot be matched by any purchase in a dealer showroom.

Even building a Bob Latino amp kit brings endless satisfaction.

Go DIY as much as you can and you will know happiness.