Weather or not this DAC measured badly, this guy’s review still sounds like pure nonsense. Who the hell sits and listens to square waves and believes they can sound beautiful etc? Lol
the obsession with DACs
Although I think it's good that the total amount of nonsense written about audio has reduced by a tiny amount, I find it quite implausible that ASR could have had anything to do with it. There have been science-based audio sites and blogs for ages and they don't seem to have had any great impact. Am I wrong, and the tide is finally turning against all the nonsense, which is not just ignorant of the science, but also ignorant of any logic or critical thinking? Are there any figures for membership of the various forums, and do they show any trend?Not sure how I feel about his "quitting" audio. I think it would be better if the information here convinced the hardcore subjectivists to take a more rational approach to the hobby.
But I'm glad he's not out there continuing to misguide others with his reviews.
Although I think it's good that the total amount of nonsense written about audio has reduced by a tiny amount, I find it quite implausible that ASR could have had anything to do with it. There have been science-based audio sites and blogs for ages and they don't seem to have had any great impact. Am I wrong, and the tide is finally turning against all the nonsense, which is not just ignorant of the science, but also ignorant of any logic or critical thinking? Are there any figures for membership of the various forums, and do they show any trend?
I would say sheepishly that we -- I and all of you -- may have created something that has not been done before. Forums are random chatter and have little collective effect. The combination of hardcore, focused and comparative objective reviews and feedback and spread of news by you all is creating an impact. I see it in audiophiles who are in the middle for example starting to believe the value of measurements.Although I think it's good that the total amount of nonsense written about audio has reduced by a tiny amount, I find it quite implausible that ASR could have had anything to do with it. There have been science-based audio sites and blogs for ages and they don't seem to have had any great impact. Am I wrong, and the tide is finally turning against all the nonsense, which is not just ignorant of the science, but also ignorant of any logic or critical thinking? Are there any figures for membership of the various forums, and do they show any trend?
Because overpriced crap is not in general bought by people who come here, or are influenced by measurements anyway? They live in a parallel universe where $thousands can, and indeed must, be spent on cables, including digital ones, and they are trying to tweak their digital playback to match the ultimate experience, vinyl.I think that ASR has a lot of impact on Topping sales (deserved). Why not the contrary for crap?
Let me say straight away how impressed I am by the sheer volume of reviews you do. Not only that but you also find the time to reply to individual posts in these forums. Do you have any minions helping you out?I would say sheepishly that we -- I and all of you -- may have created something that has not been done before. Forums are random chatter and have little collective effect. The combination of hardcore, focused and comparative objective reviews and feedback and spread of news by you all is creating an impact. I see it in audiophiles who are in the middle for example starting to believe the value of measurements.
Industry wide, the effect is quite mild but I see it in the way companies starting to want the type of coverage we bring.
In some sense it is a hopeful sense that logic, data and science does have value in audio. And that a lot of people and companies underestimated this in high-end audio.
Long way to go but we have started down the path.
As to Michael quitting having anything to do with us, I don't know. In person he seemed like a find individual in his videos. I go about my work here without emotion or prejudice. If he had adopted that, I don't know why he would want to quit what he was doing. Then again, getting critical mass with a new site is tough and he may have seen the reality of that and decided to quit.
I'm a long time reader of Archimago and also Dr Aix (Mark Waldrep). For anyone who does not know them, <http://archimago.blogspot.com> and <http://www.realhd-audio.com>. Mitch Barnett is also worth reading <https://audiophilestyle.com/profile/8172-mitchco/>.Archimago and NwAvGuy also did make some impact and exposed some stuff for what it is.
Nothing changed.
TotalDac is still in business and probably has had even more sales due to more exposure.
IMO the vast majority of audiophiles (audiophools) doesn't believe anything that is preached here anyway and rather believe the audiopress.
I don't mind. People are warned and perhaps some folks were detered and bought another wonderful (and very expensive) audiophool product.
Some may have bought cheap stuff and came away disillusioned.
Some have really saved money and went with well performing gear.
Those are the ones that are really happy with ASR.... the rest either disregard ASR or laugh at it because their ears know better.
I for one am glad ASR exists, just to have another voice contra the mains stream concensus (that ears are the only thing that matters)
I would say sheepishly that we -- I and all of you -- may have created something that has not been done before. Forums are random chatter and have little collective effect. The combination of hardcore, focused and comparative objective reviews and feedback and spread of news by you all is creating an impact.
Just so you know, in English these words would be said to be in italicsthe slanted words were not the original words ... I replaced them to be funny... replace the slanted words with 'music
Nothing changed.
Quite so, in the presence of flowery language and buzz word trendiness of subjective audio there is always temptation to believe the next, more expensive, item is much better whereas cold subjectivity shows that most electronics has been audibly transparent (IMO) for decades and the differences are features, styling. reliability and so forth, not sound (though there are plenty of popular components with sound effects built in).next one is so much “better” that is the madness of being subjective
I think our hobby is well defined: High Fidelity. Adding no garbage to a music signal and reproduce it faithfully.