I take the more optimistic view of this site’s impact. Upon joining ASR, I was able to parrot the gold standard industry marketing claptrap I had been indoctrinated into on other “audiophile” forums for maybe five posts max. The first couple of responses (not from @amirm) were a bit harsh and intimidating, likely from the most newbie-jaded denizens on here (or perhaps more likely, from the ones most recently deprogrammed and peacocking their new-found enlightenment).
But the vast majority of replies were very polite, well-meaning and encouraging, offering me more sensible guidance and a dignifying, open invitation for me to listen a bit more—and to ultimately reach the very satisfying, logical conclusions from the evidence being offered here that arose from my own reasoning skills and agency. I’ve actually seen a few folks petulantly storm off this site only to paradoxically raise objections to Wattsspeak or McGowanese on the other place. And even if folks don’t fully embrace the principles here, I can’t imagine that they could look at their wallets the same way after spending any amount of time reading Amir’s reviews and the discussions that follow.
The membership on here is comprised of fellow music and audio enthusiasts, no different than the audio Stockholm Syndrome victims, and on every other audio forum or YouTube video I commonly visit of late I’m seeing an increasing number of ASR footprints. Some are subtle and some are over the top, but there’s no denying where these novel positions came from. There are undoubtedly some of these arguments being offered from folks who don’t even visit here, but who have been introduced to critical thinking by one or more ASR members. That phenomenon of propagating ideas via a network of emissaries throughout the web is how dogma is challenged and tides turn.
And even in circumstances where these evidence-based principles are derided or met with hostility, that doesn’t take into account the larger quorum of silent visitors who care about their wallets as much as their gear, and who after hearing some sensible arguments might be curious enough to become more informed consumers, regardless of how viciously measurements are attacked.
I think the uneasy feeling you get when you’ve just dropped a fortune on some glitzy, slick component and you’re desperately trying to hear those dollars through your headphones is universal to everyone, and I can at least speak for myself that this site has radically changed one mind. I think ASR’s impact has been quite extraordinary, especially given how relatively new it is to an industry that has been held hostage by classist Stereophile tastemakers for eons.
Perhaps it’s easy to get cynical about the persistent bilge that spews forth from the other site day after day because the ones who are the most officious or stricken with unconscious buyer’s remorse are making the most noise. But I think there’s a much more reasonable majority of folks out there who prefer listening to music.
