• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

What items have you NOT purchased as a result of ASR?

Feyire

Active Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2019
Messages
272
Likes
314
Location
Netherlands
Schiit Vidar
 

Jimbob54

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 25, 2019
Messages
11,066
Likes
14,700
Won't be buying a new DAC anytime soon.

I suppose ASR has re-enforced for me that there is nothing less exciting than a New DAC. :)

Apart from a new digital cable
 

Jimbob54

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 25, 2019
Messages
11,066
Likes
14,700
Beer , @amirm said our secret sponsorship from topping and Harman was at stake and I must stop drinking on the job else he will have to go out and earn a honest living , not something he's done since 1992.

Penny not dropped that it's not a job yet? I think the word is lackey. Or possibly manservant. Or slave
 

Robert394

Member
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
66
Likes
18
I couldn't afford it anyway but was appalled at the measurements of the PS Audio Directstream given the price.
 

Hipper

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jun 16, 2019
Messages
753
Likes
625
Location
Herts., England
Probably the best thing reading ASR over the last year has done for me is make me satisfied with what I've got.

I had already learnt over the previously ten years or so the value of in-room measurements, room treatment and DSP/EQ. That's another thing readers might pick up on although there are other sites that discuss this too.

The other change for me is not bothering to read other audio forums. I used to check three or four others until then.

I don't regret the equipment I bought but I suspect much of it was more to do with the usual hype then actual performance. It's still good gear though and I have no plans to replace anything unless things go wrong.

Until reading on hear I always had respect for PS Audio. They seemed innovative and the owner Paul McGowan seemed to present himself well. However of the four items reviewed on here three have measured poorly. I have one of his power plants and thought it made a small difference but nothing that would justify its cost!
 

Darvis

Active Member
Joined
May 20, 2020
Messages
142
Likes
164
Location
Belgium
Maybe read between the lines of some reviews.
.

I've done that for years as well. It's a bit sad that every review is so invariably laudatory that we only can try to dissect it, hoping to find hints of unchecked honesty.
 

Beershaun

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 3, 2019
Messages
1,864
Likes
1,910
I have held off on buying any atmos capable avr for double duty on home theater and 2ch music due to their poor measurements.
 

Matias

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 1, 2019
Messages
5,031
Likes
10,804
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
I have also lost interest in upgrading my AVR since no mid priced model has remotely decent performance. What is the point of upgrading then? New acronyms compliance and tons of channels I will not use?
The search continues...
 

lashto

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 8, 2019
Messages
1,045
Likes
535
..another useful thread that I did not know, thank you all.

My did-not-buy-anything "confession" on the sister thread felt pretty misplaced. Like many others, don't really need to buy anything. A new AVR would be welcome though.

Very grateful to ASR that I did not buy another Denon/Marantz. Seriously considered the x3600 but after another look I think that even "the best one" looks quite bad and nowhere close to worth the money.

Actually, for any AVR/AVP tested here I would have serious buyer-doubts even at 50% of the list price. Ok, maybe I am exaggerating a bit and the Monoprice is worth 50%.
Mostly just because they had a normal reaction to the measurements and moved really fast with the bug fixes. Did not expect that kind of normal response to be so rare in the audio/AVR industry, I thought it would be, well, the normal. The "new normal" seems pretty awful but still good to know. And another thing I learned on ASR.

That should be enough NOT-s for a single post. To finish on a not-negative note, my current AVR is very thankful that ASR allowed it to have a new life.

P.S.
@Matias I'm struggling with very similar AVR dilemmas. The googlephonics might help.
 
Last edited:

Matias

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 1, 2019
Messages
5,031
Likes
10,804
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
I will never buy anything from
PMC speakers
Klipsch speakers
Shiit
PS Audio

On my own I have decided to never by anything from
AudioNote
Bower&Wilkins
Zu
PMC
Schiit even after their new Modius and Heresy?
 

balletboy

Active Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2020
Messages
212
Likes
190
I use audio websites to get ideas of what to buy, not what not to buy. Thanks to ASR I bought a Zorloo DAC thing for $79 and am very happy with it. I'd never heard of the brand before. It only took 6 weeks to arrive on the back of a snail from somewhere in China.

The main components of my system are from manufacturers that members of ASR love to hate, but my family and I have enjoyed them all for 5 years or more. No changes are planned.

I've bought three components in the last month - a Rega P3 for one son, a Naim MuSo Qb Mk2 for the other son and an EAR Phonobox MC for me. I don't suppose such things will ever cross ASR's path.
 

Astrozombie

Senior Member
Forum Donor
Joined
May 7, 2020
Messages
388
Likes
144
Location
Los Angeles
Yamaha Stereo Receiver, so I went with the Integrated instead.
I have also lost interest in upgrading my AVR since no mid priced model has remotely decent performance. What is the point of upgrading then? New acronyms compliance and tons of channels I will not use?
The search continues...
The graph someone posted after running Audyssey XT 32 on youtube were pretty suspect as well, which is the main reason for me to upgrade. I have Klipsch speakers there so it's not really important. You're better off with a Mini-DSP for your subwoofers.
 

lashto

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 8, 2019
Messages
1,045
Likes
535
Schiit even after their new Modius and Heresy?
fool me once...

For now, that might just be the best/safest attitude for everyone. Even for someone like me who never bought any schiit. ( many extra levels of wishful thinking in there, I know :) )
 
Last edited:

Southall-1998

Active Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2019
Messages
122
Likes
92
Location
Neath, Wales.
I will never buy anything from
PMC speakers
Klipsch speakers
Shiit
PS Audio

On my own I have decided to never by anything from
AudioNote
Bower&Wilkins
Zu
PMC

Good move.

Audio Note is very overpriced.

Their amps are not reliable. My father used to own a Meishu Integrated. That big lump kept blowing it's fuse when you switch on.

S.
 

balletboy

Active Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2020
Messages
212
Likes
190
Good move.

Audio Note is very overpriced.

Their amps are not reliable. My father used to own a Meishu Integrated. That big lump kept blowing it's fuse when you switch on.

S.

There is a very specific market for Audio Note. It is about as far as possibly distant to what people at ASR are interested in. I heard two AN systems one day, a large one that I hated and a small one that I really enjoyed listening to.

You father's alleged experience (how did he ever use it if it blew every time?) does not say anything about the thousands of amplifiers they have made and last decades faultlessly.

They are not overpriced as they do not have a price list. There are financially successful company. Their gross margin is about 35%, which is quite low for a small manufacturer, so they are probably fairly priced. Whether you think the price is too much is another matter.

I can see why many people like Audio Note, but it is not for me.
 

Southall-1998

Active Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2019
Messages
122
Likes
92
Location
Neath, Wales.
There is a very specific market for Audio Note. It is about as far as possibly distant to what people at ASR are interested in. I heard two AN systems one day, a large one that I hated and a small one that I really enjoyed listening to.

You father's alleged experience (how did he ever use it if it blew every time?) does not say anything about the thousands of amplifiers they have made and last decades faultlessly.

They are not overpriced as they do not have a price list. There are financially successful company. Their gross margin is about 35%, which is quite low for a small manufacturer, so they are probably fairly priced. Whether you think the price is too much is another matter.

I can see why many people like Audio Note, but it is not for me.

That is because Audio Note are great at advertising and marketing. Their glossy advertising is seen as a halo effect to the buyers.

S.
 
Top Bottom