DCS Sending Legal Notice To Reviewer (Golden Sound) Over an Old Review of Their Bartok DAC


I saw this You Tube video which was posted by Headphones.com which at the beginning talked about the site taking the side of Golden Sound (GS) & then GS himself going through the details of what happened (his side of the story).

https://youtu.be/R7NxRFT6FiI

While I am not taking any sides until DCS comes out with their story publicly. While we all are aware that many times companies force reviewers to remove the criticism of their products by employing different ways. But what should be the way forward about the reviews for reviewers and companies?

Can we as the end consumers and as a community come-up with the framework around reviews?

 

Regards,

Audio_phool

128x128audio_phool

Step a)

Don’t buy dCS junk.

 

Step b)

Might as well put that doughboy Goldensound (low IQ) on ignore too.

 

audio_phool

dCS MD David Steven has responded on the dCS forum. Here is the link.
https://dcs.community/t/a-response-to-recent-claims-regarding-dcs/6722

Thanks for sharing, @audio_phool. As a matter of public relations, this looks like one of "shared blame" and that the goldensound and headphone.com people are milking it for all of the drama and excitement that they can. After all, it's good for clicks.

@cleeds 

There is much, much more to the First Amendment than that. It actually has five major pillars.

 True, my comment was worded poorly, but the point is that it only applies to government restrictions not private parties.  And in this case we’re specifically talking about speech not religion, the press, assembly or redress of grievances.

... the point is that it only applies to government restrictions not private parties ...

That is simply not true. The government cannot make any law that impinges on freedom of speech. For example, it can’t pass a law that says you can’t criticize Audiogon. That would be restricting your First Amendment rights.

(Strictly speaking, the government could pass a law saying you can’t criticize Audiogon. But such a law would be unconstitutional and would not withstand scrutiny in the courts.)

And in this case we’re specifically talking about speech not religion, the press, assembly or redress of grievances.

A YouTuber opining on the Internet is, functionally, the press. He’s protected under the First Amendment. But even if it were your post - a random, one-time post - you’d still be protected.

Of course this doesn't apply outside the US. As Americans, the First Amendment is a precious gift.

@cleeds not sure what the disconnect here is.  I’ve stated that the first amendment only applies to government restrictions not private parties.  What you responded with seems to agree with that statement. 
 

The government cannot make any law that impinges on freedom of speech. For example, it can’t pass a law that says you can’t criticize Audiogon. That would be restricting your First Amendment rights.

this is exactly what I stated.  It does not apply to private parties, e.g. Audiogon can remove any post it wants and there is no legal redress or violation of first amendment rights.

i vehemently disagree that any YouTuber should be, by default, considered press just because they have content.  Creating content and being press is not remotely the same thing.

But even if it were your post - a random, one-time post - you’d still be protected.

only against government restrictions.  YouTube can remove anything it wants for any reason.