Steve Guttenberg - Audiophiliac

[MattHooper]

They are dishonest and have no integrity, they will write anything for the money and add absolutely nothing.
I would prefer the manufacturers just release a spec sheet and list of features.
If any publication accepts advertising then integrity disappears.
Keith

That's a pretty dire view, of the type one finds in conspiracy theorists.

All I can say is I must have been extremely lucky in somehow not meeting these terrible types that you see lurking in every corner of the reviewing industry.

 

[Purité Audio]

They are either paid to write crap or they genuinely ‘believe’, I am not sure which is more sad.
Keith

 

[SIY]

The wine and hifi worlds have a lot in common. Either don't respond well to DBT

Au contraire, to qualify as a wine competition judge, I was put through a variety of DBTs. Likewise, anyone who wants a Master Sommelier, WSET, MW, or other certification must go through a rigorous program of tasting/evaluation, and DBTs are part of the exams.

Davis and Bordeaux are serious wine schools that do evidence-based research.

 

[SIY]

Personally I wouldn’t trust a ‘reviewer’ as far as I could throw them, with literally only a handful of exceptions.
Keith

Ahem.

 

[MattHooper]

They are either paid to write crap or they genuinely ‘believe’, I am not sure which is more sad.
Keith

Hookay. That's certainly a point of view...

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Personally I wouldn’t trust a ‘reviewer’ as far as I could throw them, with literally only a handful of exceptions.

I guess one can say that also about dealers.

 

[MattHooper]

I guess one can say that also about dealers.

Indeed. I dunno about reviewers...but let me tell you about some of my experiences with dealers....
They all wanna sell you something and will push you towards whatever gives them the biggest margins ;-)

 

[KeithPhantom]

Personally I wouldn’t trust a ‘reviewer’ as far as I could throw them, with literally only a handful of exceptions.

My question is, what are we referring to when talking of reviews? Reviews of transducers can give us a rough idea of how it sounds when there are no measurements present for that specific transducer. But I agree with you, there's no way you can replicate a specific reviewer's ears.

 

[zelig]

Aren’t “reviews” paid-for advertisements cloaked as a review?

i can’t recall the last time I heard a reviewer say “this amplifier is shit and is a rip off ”

How can you say that on this site of all places?!

 

[raistlin65]

What do you guys make of Steve?

He's far better than Zeos. Of course, that's not saying much.

But more seriously. I have not looked at any of his reviews in recent years. But in the past, Steve tended to review products that were, at least, not awful. So while I didn't pay much attention to the substance of his reviews, I generally considered a review from Steve meant a product was worth taking a look.

Not sure if I would feel the same now that he does video reviews. I can skim a written review from someone like Steve in a minute. Not willing to take the time to watch one of his full reviews. So I don't watch them. For someone to demand my time for a video review, they have to very credible.

 

[dmac6419]

Everybody got's a hustle, I don't hate the reviewer they gotta eat too,I just have enough sense not to fall for the BS.enjoy the music.

 

[audiopile]

For me - it comes down to track record. Guys like Hans Fantel and especially J. Gordon Holt continue to impress me -years after they are only publishing somewhere past the pearly gates. Not sure who today's equivalents are ?

 

[hardisj]

Aren’t “reviews” paid-for advertisements cloaked as a review?

i can’t recall the last time I heard a reviewer say “this amplifier is shit and is a rip off ”

I am waiting on my cease and desist order from Jamo for this review I posted a couple weeks ago.

 

[hardisj]

I do wonder how many fire something up, listen and then simply send the device back, never speaking of again.

Skip to 2:40. It bothered me enough that I replied to him noting that it is disingenuous to have his viewers ask him to review a product, him get the product from Adorama (his sponsor) and then doesn’t review it if he doesn’t like it. And he stood by it in a reply to me.

 

[zelig]

I met Steve once. I didn't like his "goodie two shoes" demeaner so I kicked him in the nuts and punched him on the nose. He the stood upright (after a very long pause) and said "That was a genuinely nice intro to a beating. I'd be grateful if you could skip the rest of the program and just jump to the end". I obliged by just walking away. Such a nice guy!

 

[Purité Audio]

I guess one can say that also about dealers.

Probably worse if that is possible.
Keith

 

[peanuts]

thomas & stereo commented to me that frequency response of a speaker (Zu) was a matter of taste

 

[hardisj]

thomas & stereo commented to me that frequency response of a speaker (Zu) was a matter of taste

Or lack thereof.

 

[tomtoo]

thomas & stereo commented to me that frequency response of a speaker (Zu) was a matter of taste

Shur is the FR of a speaker a matter of taste. I mean some people like there Burger with a lot of cinnamon. Why not?

 

[typericey]

Steve and Zero Fidelity are entertainment. The kind I watch when I've nothing better to do. I watch them, but it doesn't mean I believe them.

My preferred YouTube entertainment is Darko, no shame in saying that.

That said, there are some YouTube audiophile influencers I just personally hate, like Andrew Robinson.