The Insane World of High End Audio! Is it All a Scam?

The more one pays the fancier, bigger, heavier, etc things become but that does not always mean better. Some gear is ugly, some artwork, and some really like the artwork which is fine as long as open minded enough to know what you are actually paying for.

Some just like to buy it to stroke their egos as well, pretty obvious on this forum and elsewhere. I have meet meany very wealthy people and the only ones I actually liked where down to earth and did not own exotic things to show off, including a multi billionaire I went to dinner with. He was wearing jeans, a flannel shirt and probably $50 shoes.

But again, if one has the means and the desire, go for it, fine with me, I do not have the means nor desire even if I had the means. I like making things work on a DIY and tight budget then being better than most any system I have ever heard.

Rick

I like cheapaudioman and do not agree with everything he says, nor anybody else for that matter.

I just read in another thread a poster saying he know how to assemble a system without the need of reviewers opinion.

I had no problem with that but i suppose his method is not sniffing the gear but hearing a piece buying it and connecting it. Job done.

I am sorry but i called this consumers ignorance even if you had verified all measures done by an ASR "engineer" or Amir himself...Or reviewers ignorance...A piece of gear exist only playing in a specific system, in a specific room for specific ears/brain... Design techs numbers are there to validate good design process nothing else...

An audio system exist mechanically, electrically and acoustically in a room and psycho-acoustically for specific ears...Not in a showroom, in a showroom there is only piece of gear connected.

Why did Dr. Choueiri measures in a complex way the ears/head of his customers ?

he is an acoustician...

My AKG K340 why are they so good when properly optimized ?

They were designed by an acoustician physicist not a headphone tweaker, Dr. Gorike...

I forgot to say that i takes me many years to learn how to install a system to my convenience, among these 12 years of explorations and experiments, buying, toying reading reviewers and articles, but at the end i missed the target.

I succeeded only after 2 years during retirement reading about acoustics, doing experiments 7 day /7 all day... It was my past hobby : learning acoustics at home...

It is why i can measure my past ignorance when most cannot...

It is why i dont consider  that audio knowledge begin and end when  someone  tried about 400 amplifiers etc...

I doubt Dr. Choueiri or Dr Gorike had accumulated their knowledge by buying gear pieces... Thats my point...

Well said i agree with your common sense yes...

But my point in this thread as a motive, is that all reviewers, of high end gear or low cost one, minimize or put acoustics knowledge under the rug...

They must sell first, then they must inform about a piece of gear.....They are not there to spoke about acoustics...

"All" reviewers do this? Well, maybe.

I suppose you could be saying a couple of things about gear reviewers:

1. They *intentionally obscure* the larger factor of acoustics so they can more effectively sell or promote equipment. 

2. At least some gear reviewers are intentionally obscuring the larger factor but even if it is not intentional, it is the byproduct of this type of review.

I am not sure which one you believe.

I suppose my take on it is this:

3. Gear reviewers review gear. People who watch these videos may or may not be informed about the role of gear in acoustics, but their role is narrow and the responsibility for a wider perspective is on the viewer. This is not unlike many other things we read or watch.

@mahgister

Room acoustics.

Cutting to the chase after just reading your original post.

The first reply was crass and terribly personal towards you. I have not bothered to read further….the snobbery was unbelievable! 🛁 Rick and his logo impresses me not!

I do not normally get hot under the collar but l felt just cause to post this right back.

Yes you agree that you may not have the big bucks, but you extract and gain the maximum amount of enjoyment from the equipment you have by considering your listening space.

My conclusion to your post and the opinionated rubbish thrown your way is to say:-

Room acoustics do determine the limiting factors of your equipments potential. A really expensive piece of kit will never sound great in a bathroom no matter how good it is. I know that this is an extreme comparison (and rude comments should remain in the bathroom) but some peoples listening rooms with minimalist designs can be the most limiting factor…..arguably more than anything else.