Why do many discussions about sonic performance disintegrate into technical discusions?

I think that audiotroy is talking about two separate topics here:

1) Threads that go off the rail, off topic what the OP is asking about.

2) Whether technical jargon should be discussed in the forums.

Forgive me if I misread you, as I'm not exactly sure which thread you are referring to, but that is what it looks like to me.

As for 1, I do agree that I have seen many threads go off the rails, and it is rather disappointing to witness. Some threads have done this so badly, that I've deleted all of my posts in that thread, just so that it won't appear in my feed anymore. I've lost interest in the derailed thread.

For the second question, I don't like to totally focus on technical aspects, but I am very interested in some technical details. What kind of transistors or tubes an amp uses, MM, MI, or MC phono cartridge, metal dome or soft dome tweeter, dynamic, electrostatic, or planar speaker, can all be helpful information when trying to contemplate a reply.

These details, and many more, about a product I think can be useful information in these forums. Sure, some folks can go too far, with too much information. However, others can not provide enough information to get any helpful responses as well.

I think following topic number 1, if the OP clearly states that he is only interested in sound, and not technical aspects, that his request should be honored, and if someone wants to go into technical details about that topic, they should start their own thread.
However, if the OP does not rule out technical questions, the forum should be open to ask them.

Why do you continue to post here?

DeKay

Without technical reasons as well as subjective reasons for X vs Y, then the BS will flow unquestioned, and then that would be a voodoo forum. 

When posters ask for advise for a problem or choice on something, I think it only helpful to give them not just recommendations, but a technical reason why those recommendations are given, otherwise you could be talking through your hat.

Too many times I've seen advice given on say what to amp to buy, without them first knowing what speaker that amp is going to have to drive, or visa versa.
  
Or on the danger side of things, suggestions of some to owners play to around with different value mains fuses, by those that should clearly not be suggesting anything in this area. 

Cheers George 

It's the technology that makes the sound.

  Capisce?  

I enjoy talking tech, but I am happy to leave discussions that stick to subjective impressions as well.

Neither is perfect.

Lots of "subjective" opinions don't match up to what I hear at all, or seem overly effusive in ways that seem more tied to price tags than actual performance.

On the other hand, lots of "technical" discussions I see are naive, or ascribe subjective results to a particular type of tech. A really good example of this is fans of a particular brand of DAC chipset used in a DAC as being responsible for all of the sound.

My point, I think, I hope, is that we can have both. I think there is something to be said about focusing more on the results, especially when armchair geeks start attacking designs for x or y flaw which isn't actually in the product.

Like wine, some want to talk taste, some price, and some fermentation. Let's enjoy the journey and discoveries together.


Best,


E