PS Audio Talking Smack About Amirm

[watchnerd]

Is it also possible that far less of Paul's customers know about ASR? If so, mentioning ASR could mean more people paying attention to well measured gear (unfortunately not something PSA gear do well). That could result in a PSA exodus for Paul (ie. bad business).

It's a bit of a gamble, sure.

But decades of objectivist vs subjectivist dart throwing hasn't made the subjectivists disappear by any means.

It's a bet I would make, if I were him.

Graphs vs personality.

 

[watchnerd]

Fo sho it is a smart move. He has done an entire series of these videos during the COVID lockdown. He promotes his products, strengthens his brand and image, appeals to his customer base, and further establishes himself as an authority on audio.

The guy is a savvy businessman. No doubt about that.

He's got a YouTube presence.

That alone is a leg up on ASR.

 

[watchnerd]

Pure FUD. It makes him look unprofessional.

He didn't make the video for his objectivist haters.

He made it to strengthen the faith of his flock.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

I'm not sure it even matters, for commercial success.

Much tube gear has less than stellar measurements, but tubes have retained a fan base decades past when it should have died.

I see reviews in Stereophile of gear with relatively terrible performance but that costs a fortune. Models have snooty names like some fine wine that I could never appreciate or comprehend. Some of the chassis of this gear is hogged out of solid billet, which cost a bloody Fortune. But there are buyers for this and they probably get misled easily with BS marketing.

 

[Jdunk54nl]

You know who’s building their rep on specs. Purifi. They are hiding nothing. You know what measures well...purifi...you know what measures via 3rd party pretty similar to posted specs...purifi...

Seems when you are confident about your product...you just go ahead and publish everything and it works in your advantage.

When you aren’t confident, you just hide everything.

What I’ve learned in my years of science and data collection is if your are consistent, usually anything that is “technically” wrong in data collection ends up working its way out in the end. It seems Amir is consistent, which allows everything to be at least compared on his consistency.

 

[watchnerd]

I see reviews in Stereophile of gear with relatively terrible performance but that costs a fortune. Models have snooty names like some fine wine that I could never appreciate or comprehend. Some of the chassis of this gear is hogged out of solid billet, which cost a bloody Fortune. But there are buyers for this and they probably get misled easily with BS marketing.

*shrug*

It doesn't bother me if someone wants to pay for audio jewelry.

 

[cistercian]

One difference is the customer. Their customers likely understood all those specs, conditions etc. So the more detailed and honest they were the better.

In audio, many don't know the specs or think they do and don't notice the ways games are played with them. PS audio like many others didn't build their rep on specs, but on "how does it sound". Along with hints at what good practice was (some of it wrong by the way).

Since the customer was the US government not meeting the specs was not an option. I posted this anecdote to illustrate that if a manufacturer
has a problem with Amir's work they could simply tell him how they measure their equipment...as opposed to casting aspersions on
his competence.
Your observations on selling the house sound and "technique" are spot on.

Dubious products like the power cleaner only lower my opinion.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

*shrug*

It doesn't bother me if someone wants to pay for audio jewelry.

Oh I absolutely get that and see it first hand. Sometimes it's not easy to watch however.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

He's saying we should trust the vendor measurements (his measurements), vs a 3rd party (with no conflict of interest) who analyzes and publishes the measurements?

View attachment 80398

Yeah, but he does it the right way!

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Since the customer was the US government not meeting the specs was not an option. I posted this anecdote to illustrate that if a manufacturer
has a problem with Amir's work they could simply tell him how they measure their equipment...as opposed to casting aspersions on
his competence.
Your observations on selling the house sound and "technique" are spot on.

Dubious products like the power cleaner only lower my opinion.

And of course, the story of how it's made, the incredible components, blah, blah... All to justify their utterly absurd, carriage trade pricing.

 

[cistercian]

And of course, the story of how it's made, the incredible components, blah, blah... All to justify their utterly absurd, carriage trade pricing.

Indeed!

 

[watchnerd]

And of course, the story of how it's made, the incredible components, blah, blah... All to justify their utterly absurd, carriage trade pricing.

Indeed!

Maybe I'm just jaded.

But given this has been going on for decades, since at least the 1980s, my moral outrage about such things got burnt out long long ago.

Now I just roll my eyes and think:

"Well, it's not something I would buy and think it's stupid, but you're a big boy and if that's how you want to spend your fun money, it's less destructive than a cocaine habit."

 

[Phorize]

He didn't make the video for his objectivist haters.

He made it to strengthen the faith of his flock.

He can’t really lose, any noise arising from this will just leave hardcore subjectivists more convinced of their magic ears than ever. I don’t see the need to respond to it really, he isn’t inviting a reasoned discussion so there’s no reason to expect one. ASR members may wish to consider the case of Richard Dawkins, an undeniable genius with all of the facts on his side, yet I doubt he has ever convinced a single theist to change their mind.

 

[watchnerd]

He can’t really lose, any noise arising from this will just leave hardcore subjectivists more convinced of their magic ears than ever. I don’t see the need to respond to it really, he isn’t inviting a reasoned discussion so there’s no reason to expect one. ASR members may wish to consider the case of Richard Dawkins, an undeniable genius with all of the facts on his side, yet I doubt he has ever convinced a single theist to change their mind.

Right.

Good marketing and story telling (and religion is very, very good marketing and story telling) has a strong track record in resisting empiricism over...oh, I dunno...millennia.

 

[Doodski]

Paul is maybe hurt from negativity out there towards PS Audio. Maybe he really believes what he says and maybe he's just a smooth orator doing damage control. For him to mention ASR and @amirm is confirmation that he is feeling challenged. In his position that's not unreasonable. He has a duty to his brand and company. I suspect we will be seeing new peeps here at ASR that are here because of this video. We should try and welcome them and not alienate them while still maintaining the science based method. This is a opportunity not a upset event.

 

[Zensō]

He made it to strengthen the faith of his flock.

It begs the question as to why he’s feeling the need to do that now. Perhaps we’ll see a turnaround with PSA along the lines of what we’ve seen with other manufacturers who improved the objective performance of their products in response to the work Amir is doing.

 

[March Audio]

Quite possibly true, but a "moron" he is not.

It certainly doesnt show intelligence to say things that are easily demonstrably untrue, or WRT marketing. A whole bunch of people are now looking at PSA product measurements going "well thats nothing special". He has drawn attention to this fact.

 

[watchnerd]

It certainly doesnt show intelligence WRT marketing. A whole bunch of people are now looking at PSA product measurements going "well thats nothing special". He has drawn attention to this fact.

Nah.

He's trying to control the narrative -- standard PR tactic.

 

[March Audio]

Nah.

He's trying to control the narrative -- standard PR tactic.

What like Trump tries? Doesnt work does it

As I said at the beginning, its playing to the gallery and he is preaching to the converted, but not anyone who is objective.

 

[March Audio]

Paul is maybe hurt from negativity out there towards PS Audio. Maybe he really believes what he says and maybe he's just a smooth orator doing damage control. For him to mention ASR and @amirm is confirmation that he is feeling challenged. In his position that's not unreasonable. He has a duty to his brand and company. I suspect we will be seeing new peeps here at ASR that are here because of this video. We should try and welcome them and not alienate them while still maintaining the science based method. This is a opportunity not a upset event.

Absolutely, but arguing against objective facts wont get him very far in protecting the brand/company.