The Exogal saga continued....

I certainly wouldn't compare my extremely limited knowledge to yours in anything that pertains to audio. It appears from your statements that you see room for subjectivity when it comes to measurements, and plenty of people do. I can tell you categorically that after living with the Exogal/Comet duo for an extended period of time I feel that the Purifi/RME (and/or Topping) combo kills them in performance at a fraction of the price as well has having many useful features like a readable screen. Topping isn't the greatest DAC but for south of $1,000 it is awfully good. That is my personal experience based on listening to this combo. I am a consumer like most other people here and don't have the luxury of someone in your princely position of switching dozens of components around and I have to make an informed decision of what I buy.  

But what surprises--and disappoints-- me about you is the way you continue to prop up a dead horse--namely Exogal. On various videos you praised the late lamented apps and noted that was the crux of the system. You might consider it useful to think of the consumer who does not have the advantages of being a reviewer and actually pays hard earned money for stuff. I believe that Exogal is one of the many audio outfits that releases products that aren't fully thought out and then find themselves in a bad position. That is an industry phenomenon with which you are doubtless quite familiar. I also think to review a pretty cruddy remote that is a rotten substitute for apps made by a company that probably didn't sell more that 1,000 units is odd. I bet the people who paid 7k for those nice aluminum cases didn't envision having one of those! Anyhow, my beef isn't with you and I actually enjoy your reviews so excuse me if I was rude. But my antipathy for Exogal will not abate. This Eastern Electric Minimax Tube DAC Supreme looks very interesting and I'll check it out. 

rotrchia, you answered with more restraint and consideration, so I will continue discussion. :)

More than once you have referred to, "various videos," as if I have made it a particular point to promote Exogal, or in some fashion do videos to help defend the company. If my memory serves me correctly, I have done precisely ONE video related to audio/reviewing in 14 years, and it happened to be the one interview of Jeff and Ken regarding the Vortex. I have noted that occurred prior to my awareness of any incompatibility. Yet, you keep referring to "videos" and me defending the company. It’s an interesting phenomenon to have work done prior to the appearance of an issue with a product be described as "defending" the company.

Evidence please! Let’s see the links to the videos. I would find that a curiosity, considering I have done no other videos. I am asking you to provide links to these "videos" in which I, "continue to prop up a dead horse," by "praising the late lamented apps." Considering that my one video focusing on the Vortex was done prior to all of the issues with the software remote control, I find it disappointing that you continue to characterize it as defending Exogal. I call that manipulation of the facts. If I wish to be more charitable, I would say it is a loose memory at work.

I will tell you what you will discover. You find no other videos. You will - if you are even remotely objective - find that I was merely asking questions and Jeff and Jim were answering them in the one video I did. You have been wrong about the majority of what you have written here in regards to me.

Further, you have not simply acknowledged that you had horrid methods in your fictional, non-assessment of the Exogal products to any others you have used. The poor methods involved not only Exogal, but Topping and the amp. You defend your fictitious comparisons by appealing to our different status in the community, rather than simply acknowledging you have no clue how they would compare in a proper assessment.

Perhaps you do not know that I have spent decades working my way up from used, budget gear which would rate as Low Fi, to Mid-Fi, to HiFi. I presume you are unaware that I have also build dozens of budget systems in my years as an audiophile. I perfectly understand the intense desire for extreme performance for a buck. But, that does not allow someone to simply make up results. One can pretend, but that’s a far cry from actually building superior audio systems. I must admit that back when I was a budget audiophile, I too made up all sorts of scenarios by which my gear had to sound better. I think it’s an audiophile defense mechanism employed for various reasons. I had to learn over time that it’s not productive to simply guess at what an outcome will be in regards to any combo of gear. :)

Modesty is apparently not one of your personality attributes.

In any case, I'll do better than fishing up your videos and go straight to the written word. In your Dagogo review if the Comet (October 2015) you start your self stated "accolades" by noting that the Comet is "well-planned and executed." You continue to state that the front display is "nearly non existent" and describe how it is basically unreadable. Then you say that isn't a "mistake but intentional [that word italicized for emphasis!] as Exogal does not wish for the owner to actually use the display." Then you continue to describe at length the apps by which the Comet was intended to be controlled. Your review even quotes Jeff saying  "the emphasis on device apps won't go away. That approach simply allows us too many features and control options." Well, it certainly has gone away.

So very plainly according to both you and old Jeff the Comet was designed to be used with apps that are now no longer available. Yet when I complained about this total failure on this thread you chimed in and defended Exogal. Then you  later wrote a review of this crappy remote that is not what purchasers wanted, in fact not even what the "Fabulous Four" Exogal owner/founders initially wanted. That's how we came to this impasse--I criticized Exogal as an irresponsible failure and you defended them despite your past statements in print and otherwise. So yes, you are propping up a dead horse.

In your original review, consistent with your methodology, you included no graphs and technical measurements such as what one routinely finds on Audio Science Review. You did have a lot of subjective impressions such as saying the component if "as cute as a button." Is that sort of expression a substitute for technical testing and data? I think not. Subjective rhapsodizing isn't a substitute for science. 

So I have to wonder how and why a reviewer defends (as per your past contributions to this thread) a totally flawed and ill-conceived component that no longer functions in the manner you so approvingly described in your review. Your communications here are redolent of an attitude of superiority--"Trust me I know better because I am a big whiz with lots of knowledge and experience." Sorry, I'm not jumping on that bandwagon. 

Incidentally, I checked out your Eastern Electric thing and plenty of very knowledgeable people think it is less than ideal. 

Other than informing the community, it was a waste of time to talk to you. I am finished with this conversation. 

Of course you are finished—you are throughly refuted. I hope that readers here will start reading Audio Science Review and draw their own conclusions. Companies like Nord, Topping, VTV, RME, Gustard, etc. make wonderful sounding components that are a fraction of the cost of some boutique things like Exogal. There is even a little Australian company that offers great components in beautifully crafted aluminum cases. Your choice is a 7k system that is highly problematic versus a 2.5k system that sounds considerably better. Moreover the reviews of these products are based on science and electrical engineering, not fanciful subjective hooey. Exogal will never be able to compete with new products because of their pricing, and on top of that they have promised a “generous” trade in for the Comet/Ion fiasco. Anyhow, do check out ASR—I would never buy anything that didn’t qualify for their recommended list.