Even the casual lurker like me knows when someone asks for a 'table recommendation, Tom will suggest Teres. We can all count on that like the sun rising. Those of us who are not considering buying one in the near future take that en passant.
It really doesn't strike me as selling anymore than when other satisfied owners raise their hands for the equipment they own too. But the most meaningful endorsement comes when the endorser has made active comparisons to validate observations. Tom has done that, a/b'ing against other first-tier rigs.
I find myself 'filtering' out unqualified recommendations which don't note comparisons that support their conclusions. And I've never been in a position to compare my lowly VPI HW19 with other similar-tier 'tables, so any product recommendation I might make would be less than useful.
But what carries the most weight for me is that someone with that much experience with different 'tables, and who has helped me personally with so much analog instruction on so many different aspects, feels so strongly about a product that he doesn't sell. Whenever I think of upgrading, I'll seriously consider Teres, which I would never have heard of if Tom didn't consistenly stick his hand up.
Rives has also provided a lot of education for me with regard to his products. I'm better equipped for it, and I haven't bought any of his stuff yet either.
IMHO, if it wasn't for guys like Tom and Rives, there are countless aspects of audio I would still be ignorant about.
Tim
It really doesn't strike me as selling anymore than when other satisfied owners raise their hands for the equipment they own too. But the most meaningful endorsement comes when the endorser has made active comparisons to validate observations. Tom has done that, a/b'ing against other first-tier rigs.
I find myself 'filtering' out unqualified recommendations which don't note comparisons that support their conclusions. And I've never been in a position to compare my lowly VPI HW19 with other similar-tier 'tables, so any product recommendation I might make would be less than useful.
But what carries the most weight for me is that someone with that much experience with different 'tables, and who has helped me personally with so much analog instruction on so many different aspects, feels so strongly about a product that he doesn't sell. Whenever I think of upgrading, I'll seriously consider Teres, which I would never have heard of if Tom didn't consistenly stick his hand up.
Rives has also provided a lot of education for me with regard to his products. I'm better equipped for it, and I haven't bought any of his stuff yet either.
IMHO, if it wasn't for guys like Tom and Rives, there are countless aspects of audio I would still be ignorant about.
Tim