Did Amir Change Your Mind About Anything?

"But Amir and (some of) his dedicated followers conveniently ignore all these objective facts and cast doubt on others so they can prop Amir up as the only person capable of providing honest and accurate reviews."

No one ignores such a thing.  Indeed, the opposite is true in the number of people on ASR who defend Erin, including the very thread you were talking about (his top 5 video).  Neither me, or them think Erin's videos are dishonest in any way.  

The difference simply comes from a concept that you don't want to accept: ASR is not meant to be used to help someone else monetize their content.  No forum allows this.  You will get banned immediately on any other forum if you post a video and immediately asked for donations.  

Yet, I allow Erin's videos to be posted. Other fora would just ban any such links and go about their business.

Bottom line, I love what Erin is doing as far as generating great objective data for speakers.  I didn't love it when he attempted to use ASR to grow his activities and pay off the cost of his gear.  I can't let him do this without the floodgates opening to everyone else wanting to do it.

I think the concept of a pure, non-commercial site like ASR is so foreign to people that they just assume there must be more going on.  Well, there isn't.  We have created a unique social experiment where members and some companies send gear to me, and I test and report on it.  I am fortunate enough to have had a long (and hard) career in tech as not need to make a living from it.  This gives me incredible freedom to do things that others can't.  I for example vote that 2/3 of the gear I test.  Only 1/3 gets my recommendation. 

No one can survive such stats, including Erin by the way.  But I am not here to make friends. I am here to provide transparency with respect to performance of audio gear.  You know, the thing you said you wanted but are working hard to cast aside.

Good news is that countless fellow audiophiles of yours are seeing the value and helping us grow by reading the content, spreading the good word and sending in more gear to be tested.  That upsets a few of you here.  Why?  Because your casual evaluation of audio is being proven wrong in objective testing.  So what to do?  You can start learning what audio is really about.  Or complain I guess....

@amir_asr Why then did you allow Erin’s video only to close the thread? People aren’t allowed to dissent? I was considering sending you some gear to review that would have filled a nice gap in your informational catalog. Not anymore after I’ve seen how you conduct yourself here.

Clearly you are not here to make friends. 😂

"@amir_asr You do ask for donations! Your blindspots are immense."

So is yours in not seeing the difference between me and others.  The donations are completely optional.  No one gets exclusive access for donating as every other youtuber is doing by putting content behind patreon, etc.  I detest that and am never going to force people to pay to get information.

The ask for the donation is also a one-linear at end of text reviews.  Nothing of the sort exists in any of the videos.

Donations help me feel better when I am sitting there packing boxes, taping and labeling and schlepping them to FedEx.  They also pay to buy gear that I have no personal interest in testing.

Unlike others, that is where it ends.  No one is subjected to ton of ads as they read ASR or watch my videos.  No monetized links as to cloud the real intent behind giving positive reviews.  No company sponsorships as to make me beholding to them.

And it is not like if I didn't ask for the donations you all become fans.  That is just another made up thing to complain about.

"@amir_asr Why then did you allow Erin’s video only to close the thread? People aren’t allowed to dissent? I was considering sending you some gear to review that would have filled a nice gap in your informational catalog. Not anymore after I’ve seen how you conduct yourself here.

Clearly you are not here to make friends. 😂"

I have no catalog to fill.  What do you think I run, a department store? 

Currently there are probably 30 to 60 items here for review and the backlog has stayed like that forever.  You should send me gear because *you* want to know how it performs and you think it would benefit your fellow audiophiles.  To the extent you have no desire to do either, you are no friend of mine either.

@amir_asr 

"Good news is that countless fellow audiophiles of yours are seeing the value and helping us grow by reading the content, spreading the good word and sending in more gear to be tested.  That upsets a few of you here.  Why?  Because your casual evaluation of audio is being proven wrong in objective testing.  So what to do?  You can start learning what audio is really about.  Or complain I guess...."

The lack of self-awareness, condescension and unbridled arrogance in that paragraph reminds me of every would be despot in history: inflated self worth and importance with no latitude for dissent... or facts.

Keep trying to prove a negative.  I'm out...