Audioholics goes off the reservation

[Spkrdctr]

Gene at Audioholics is starting to stretch towards audiophoolry land. I am not saying he is there yet at all, but the camel nose just snuck under the tent. They have a very large review/giant sales pitch of Gaia Isolators for speakers. First they are very expensive. Second, the long "review" is a huge sales pitch for Gaia. Third, no testing was done to show any audibility other than a sighted listening test. YOU GUESSED IT. The sighted test mirrored the subjectivists lexicon. I think they left out microdetail and quantum energies but hit quite a few others. I like Audioholics a lot and have never seen an advertisement disguised as a review before on their site. Needless to say I am shocked by this. I wanted to bring this up as it just misses the mark by a wide margin.

Now, missing the mark once in 10 years, is not a big deal. But it does mean that we need to really scrutinize for awhile what is happening at that great site. I leave you all to determine what you think of it. I of course have severe reactions and projectile vomiting whenever I get near subjectivism in audio.

 

[MattHooper]

I like Audioholics a lot and have never seen an advertisement disguised as a review before on their site.

I can understand being disappointed they didn't provide measurements, but that above seems a bit of a leap, without any other confirming evidence than being disappointed with the lack of measurements.

If you have found them generally fair minded for so long, why not the benefit of the doubt?

 

[Chrispy]

Was Theo's words/article rather than Gene's but we're pushing for something more there....

 

[Rick Sykora]

Originally bought into the proclaimed promise of AH, but has been a few years and have to agree it seems to falling shy of its original charter.

Recently went there to read a speaker review and was greeted by a popup of Gene selling audio consults. Pretty sure you will find better advice here for free!

 

[alex-z]

Speaker and floor coupling can be a valid problem, but you have to be playing life with an unplugged controller to pay $1000 for isolation mounts.



$80 gets you enough 2" Sorbothane bumpers for a pair of tower speakers, less than a tenth of the IsoAcoustics product.

 

[BoredErica]

Can we link the article in question at least?

 

[amirm]

I have heard these at shows. You have to be careful in testing them as they change the height of the speaker and hence, its frequency response. I always try to slouch lower in my seat to compensate for the height difference and in doing so, the difference vanishes.

 

[amper42]

Gene at Audioholics is starting to stretch towards audiophoolry land. I am not saying he is there yet at all, but the camel nose just snuck under the tent. They have a very large review/giant sales pitch of Gaia Isolators for speakers. First they are very expensive. Second, the long "review" is a huge sales pitch for Gaia. Third, no testing was done to show any audibility other than a sighted listening test. YOU GUESSED IT. The sighted test mirrored the subjectivists lexicon. I think they left out microdetail and quantum energies but hit quite a few others. I like Audioholics a lot and have never seen an advertisement disguised as a review before on their site. Needless to say I am shocked by this. I wanted to bring this up as it just misses the mark by a wide margin.

Now, missing the mark once in 10 years, is not a big deal. But it does mean that we need to really scrutinize for awhile what is happening at that great site. I leave you all to determine what you think of it. I of course have severe reactions and projectile vomiting whenever I get near subjectivism in audio.

I see more and more reviews on AH with absolutely no measurements. It takes money to pay for the AH automation home and it doesn't happen without money from advertisers. You should realize almost everything on the site is posted in an effort to increase revenue. That doesn't happen without some type of support from companies. The Gaia Isolators are a prime example how snake oil is welcome at AH. Once you recognize the revenue model you know what to expect and will not be surprised by PR pieces posted in the disguise of a review.

 

[warnerwh]

Gene is the one who posted the review . Here is a quote from his initial post: "I tried the GAIA isolators on both of my reference systems featuring Revel Salon 2s and RBH Sound SVTR speakers. What I heard was nothing short of marvelous."
I was shocked and lost a ton of respect for AH when I read that review. And as amper42 stated above I too have noticed that many reviews at AH aren't reviews but read like advertisements.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I have heard these at shows. You have to be careful in testing them as they change the height of the speaker and hence, its frequency response. I always try to slouch lower in my seat to compensate for the height difference and in doing so, the difference vanishes.

Wouldn't you need to sit taller? Not scrunch down.

 

[amirm]

Wouldn't you need to sit taller? Not scrunch down.

I meant when they removed it or rather, played the speaker without them.

 

[diddley]

Read this thread and you will learn who Gene really is: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-ad4-320-review-multichannel-amplifier.26939/

 

[abdo123]

$80 gets you enough 2" Sorbothane bumpers for a pair of tower speakers, less than a tenth of the IsoAcoustics product.

This is phenomenal! I didn’t know someone was making Sorobthane products like this. This should unquestionably the best way to absorb vibrations. Thank you for sharing!

As for Audioholics, well everyone has to eat i guess. We’re very privileged and lucky for having a 1%er hosting the website and paying for the ludicrously expensive proprietary testing gear.

The amount of reviews @amirm makes in a week is more than what they do in several months. Add in the fact that this is a dying hobby and suddenly you don’t have enough traffic to generate enough income.

A boutique company comes with a bag of cash and just asks you to act dumb about the whole thing and it’s suddenly very hard to say no.

Either-way, things vibrating in the room audibly should be very visible on an in-room REW distortion graph. It’s as simple as that.

 

[Frank Dernie]

I didn’t know someone was making Sorobthane products like this. This should unquestionably the best way to absorb vibrations. Thank you for sharing!

It depends what frequency range you wish to isolate. For higher frequencies Sorbothane works well but if you wish to decouple the speaker from the floor to prevent spurious radiation from the floor (or neigbour irritation) down to 20Hz this sort of thing isn't adequate.

 

[abdo123]

It depends what frequency range you wish to isolate. For higher frequencies Sorbothane works well but if you wish to decouple the speaker from the floor to prevent spurious radiation from the floor (or neigbour irritation) down to 20Hz this sort of thing isn't adequate.

Nothing is adequate for that. But sorbothane should stop the subwoofer from making noise as it is jumping up and down at least.

 

[Frank Dernie]

Nothing is adequate for that. But sorbothane should stop the subwoofer from jumping up and down at least.

You may not think so but those of us who ran noise and vibration research groups know how

 

[abdo123]

You may not think so but those of us who ran noise and vibration research groups know how

I think me and many others would love if you would open a thread discussing this topic. As the majority of us use washing machines anti-vibration mats and call it a day.

 

[Frank Dernie]

I think me and many others would love if you would open a thread discussing this topic. As the majority of us use washing machines anti-vibration mats and call it a day.

It has been discussed before several times.
People in the end don't want to do what is necessary or don't believe it for some reason so I gave up on thge subject years ago.

 

[JustJones]

Mesanovic makes a vibration device to fit under their speakers.

 

[Frank Dernie]

Mesanovic makes a vibration device to fit under their speakers.

That is the sort of thing which will probably work.
If I am honest the availability of this mount made me take this company, which I hadn't heard of before, more seriously.

Mind you the speakers are still more important than the mount so good speakers mounted simply will be better than mediocre speakers effectively isolated.