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Talk but not walk?

Hi Guys

This isn't meant to start a fight, but it is important to on lookers. As a qualifier, I have my own audio forum where we report on audio issues as we empirically test them. It helps us short cut on theories and developing methods of listening. We have a wide range of systems and they are all over the world adding their experiences to the mix. Some are engineers, some are artist and others are audiophiles both new and old. One question I am almost always asked while I am visiting other forums, from some of my members and also members of the forum I am visiting is, why do so many HEA hobbyist talk theory without any, or very limited, empirical testing or experience?

I have been around empirical testing labs since I was a kid, and one thing that is certain is, you can always tell if someone is talking without walking. Right now on this forum there are easily 20 threads going on where folks are talking theory and there is absolutely no doubt to any of us who have actually done the testing needed, that the guy talking has never done the actual empirical testing themselves. I've seen this happen with HEA reviewers and designers and a ton of hobbyist. My question is this, why?

You would think that this hobby would be about listening and experience, so why are there so many myths created and why, in this hobby in particular, do people claim they know something without ever experimenting or being part of a team of empirical science folks. It's not that hard to setup a real empirical testing ground, so why don't we see this happen?

I'm not asking for peoples credentials, and I'm not asking to be trolled, I'm simply asking why talk and not walk? In many ways HEA is on pause while the rest of audio innovation is moving forward. I'm also not asking you guys to defend HEA, we've all heard it been there done it. What I'm asking is a very simple question in a hobby that is suppose to be based on "doing", why fake it?

thanks, be polite

Michael Green

www.michaelgreenaudio.net


128x128michaelgreenaudio
freediver
1,222 posts
 
Tuning taste nothing like bacon.It has more of an Albacore taste..
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
We want Tuning that tastes good, not Tuning with good taste. 
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
Everybody knows tuning tastes like 🐔
glupson
7,842 posts
 
geoffkait,

Your question

“Help me out, I can’t figure out, are they mildly retarded or are they just very conservative?”
is just that. A very simple request to help you decide between two choices you thought you had. It is not a rhetorical question, by any means. I understand you might have not thought of any other option so, just as with your question about ice-cold cups, I reminded you of deficiencies in your question that deemed it unanswerable. I offered one more option for answer and someone else might have thought of a few more I am not aware of.

It is very possible that you are an audio insider and nobody should dispute that. Most of the people here are. Of course, definition of an audio insider could be as broad as we decide to make it.

Most of us know many people, some top notch people, too. Welcome to the club. It does not matter, but it is unclear if those acquaintances of yours are designers of top notch high end amps or they are top notch designers of high end amps.

Maybe you haven’t been paying very close attention. The ones who don’t hold audiophile tweaks and concepts dear are by and large the ones who never try them, who are just having a hoot going after audiophiles who do hold them dear.

Just because some audiophiles, whatever that word even means, do not want to try what they feel would be a waste of time and resources for them does not substantiate the claim that "audiophiles hold those tweaks dear". Surely, some of the audiophiles do hold them dear, but some, for their own reasons, do not. It is easy to imagine that some not-so-shabby manufacturer decides to cater to the group that you do not seem to belong to. It does not necessarily make them incompetent nor does it make your picks superior with any certainty.

More importantly, the way some of your posts are written (choice of words, mainly) is at least odd. They do not come across as anything any of us should be subjected to. I am not talking about your messages to me, but to some other members here. This forum does not have a moderator to take unacceptable posts down so we should, at least, attempt to keep it constructive rather than destructive and personally insulting.

I have been tangentially reading these posts about metal casings of amplifiers. Not to go into details of influence on the sound of current designs that seem to be unacceptable to you, is there any particular material that you would suggest be used instead? I can only guess that it would need to be heat-resistant and have no knowledge what else would be needed.
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
More importantly, the way some of your posts are written (choice of words, mainly) is at least odd. They do not come across as anything any of us should be subjected to. I am not talking about your messages to me, but to some other members here. This forum does not have a moderator to take unacceptable posts down so we should, at least, attempt to keep it constructive rather than destructive and personally insulting.


??
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