Membership Increase

[Wombat]

I was fed-up with audio forums and was ready to walk away from them when I happened across this one. I observed from a distance and one day I found myself signing-in. Happy day.

Since then I have noticed an increased rise in new membership in more recent times. I put it down to Amir's methodical testing of products, something that has been and still is lacking in this 'hobby'.

Something for mfrs with nothing to hide to take heed of.

 

[Sal1950]

Something for mfrs with nothing to hide to take heed of.

Run, but you can't hide!

 

[Purité Audio]

ASR is a haven from the general idiocy that surrounds so much of this hobby, long may it continue.
Keith

 

[Sal1950]

ASR is a haven from the general idiocy that surrounds so much of this hobby, long may it continue.
Keith

AMEN to that. No more of the crap like.

"my wife asked "honey what did you change" from the kitchen, when I installed these new cable lifters. Getting the $1500 a foot speaker cables off the carpet made a day/night difference. Lifting a thousand veils and generally adding a warm glow to the notes as they flowed out of the midrange."

without people asking PROVE IT.

 

[astr0b0y]

I do have the same issues with many other audio fora, can’t spend more than a few minutes without the urge to troll overcoming me. Amen to ASR.

 

[Jakob1863]

In a broader sense there is an unfortunate tendency to isolate against ideas that contradicts ones own beliefs/worldviews.
There is often reason to criticize "golden ears" approach in exaggeration and generalization but otoh there is often equally reason to criticize "non golden ears" approach in dismissing everything they don´t like to be existent.

There is a difference between denial and scientific reasoning......

 

[astr0b0y]

There seems to also be an increased desire to "find" new tweaks that perform miracles based on lay understanding of technology. Every visit to Computer Audiophile, for example, shows a new topic of discussion on the horrors of untreated USB connections, powers supplies that cost twice as much as the component their connected too, sound quality differences between different operating systems. Absolutely anything subjective and nothing objective. And never ever and acceptance that listening and enjoyment of a system is a subjective experience.

 

[Purité Audio]

Over recent years that does appear to have been a change in attitude between not caring how something works to positive aggression and denial, to anyone who does know how something works.
I read just today of a chap who is waiting for the completion of a 300 hour audiophile fuse ‘burn-in’ !
You couldn’t make it up.
Keith

 

[amirm]

What a wonderful thread and sentiments within to wake up to. I stand on shoulders of all of you to create such a community.

But yes, a major driver of new members are my reviews of products that are getting mentions in other much more popular forums. It took a while for us to get name recognition as opposed to "this dude has some graphs on his site." Now folks pay attention and don't question their accuracy.

Without the robust discussions and added information from you all though it still would not have worked. Much appreciate everyone's support.

 

[DonH56]

Most audio sites are pretty polarized against objectivists, and sadly some of the more objective sites are swamped with such anti-subjectivist bias and/or so filled with such deep theoretical discussions (with the corollary of trying to out-theory your antagonist) that it's hard to find a middle ground. ASR seems to have a fairly nice balance, with a lot of deep discussions (which I tend to miss, too deep for me) and some opening (albeit often narrow) and tolerance for a more subjective viewpoint when appropriate. As has been said, it is all too easy to fall into a groupthink mentality that ignores and suppresses the opposing viewpoint; that is not always a good thing.

IMO! - Don

 

[Thomas savage]

I keep my CD’s as high as possible in my listening room so they are close as can be to..., amir .

 

[stunta]

AMEN to that. No more of the crap like.

"my wife asked "honey what did you change" from the kitchen, when I installed these new cable lifters. Getting the $1500 a foot speaker cables off the carpet made a day/night difference. Lifting a thousand veils and generally adding a warm glow to the notes as they flowed out of the midrange."

without people asking PROVE IT.

Are you suggesting the wife is not proof enough. How dare you?

I’ve been a lot of hifi forums and there is usually a small minority of members who look at measurements to corroborate their subjective listening. The subjectivists always argue the human ear picks up things that the measurements can’t. At that point, it’s best to grab the proverbial coat and be on your way.

 

[SPFC]

Wombat, I feel the same as you. Had given up on audio forums. This is a great place. Nothing like it.

 

[CuteStudio]

It's a great site to avoid people whose beliefs trump mere facts, physics and measurements
Also - and this is important - here you can actually discover some decent value for money kit like DACs and there's a useful music section too.

Plus there's a desperate vendors section so I can shill SeeDeClip4 there without getting banned, many forums treat people who have the temerity to actually create stuff as unclean and cast them out. Unless they are a giant multinational tax avoiding corporation.
In fact I edited HydrogenAudios rather incomplete Wiki section on music servers to add Groovebasin (not mine) and SeeDeClip4 (mine) to receive an instant lifetime ban on editing or discussing it, and on CA I suggested someone try it as they asked for ideas to be told the next time I mentioned it I'd be banned. At least they told me - so they are well ahead of HA I guess.

So I think the site will grow, and do add your suggestions to the music section to help people find/listen to interesting stuff as HiFi should I feel be less about wax filled cryro-treated fuses and more about the music - otherwise what's the point?.. if I want to thrill about the ultimate quality of the sound of (for instance) a guitar string I'll go and buy a guitar for that 100% fidelity that no fancy USB/Speaker/Mains/Vince cable could match

 

[Brad]

I think this forum is really about pragmatic hifi.
Most other fora are actually psychology experiments to demonstrate cognitive biases.