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Why no financial disclosure requirements on Head-Fi?

post #1 of 43
5/2/10 at 3:15pm
Thread Starter 
When TV commentators speak about a certain stock as a good buy, they must tell you if they own any of that stock, right? To disclose if they might stand to profit from you relying on their advice. Well I think Head-Fi needs the same policy. I mean it’s pretty obvious that some of you are making money off us poorly informed people like me.

One of our members must be getting a dollar or something everytime the words German Maestro are used. Heck, I didn’t even know those were headphones. I thought German Maestros were guys like Beethoven and Wagner. He’s surely getting a kickback from their marketing department. This isn’t fair, is it?

When a thread starts with what’s the best headphone for xxx genre, there’s a certain member that always says K701. I don’t care if it’s midget ambio-technic dance psychedelia, it’s K701. Know what I mean? Wonder how much he’s worth now.

And there’s that guy from (I guess I better not out him, but I think the capitol is Manila) who must get some cash everytime he posts the words Grado SR60.

And that guy who’s gotta have a huge stash of DT48’s that he probably offers for sale on our f/s forum or the bay right after he posts a thread telling me they are the most accurate headphones ever made even though they’re older than my grandpa. I feel I’m being manipulated, and it’s not fair.

And lets not forget that rich asian-newzelander who no doubt is getting some deutschmarks everytime she gets one of us to upgrade our perfectly good DT880s for those ones with the 600 ohms. Jeez, they could actually be only 450 ohms for all I know. They likely had to cut back on those ohms things to pay her a commission, you know?

Do you think this is fair? Have any of you noticed this type of activity going on here on Head-Fi? Anyone else I should be aware of? Wait a minute… you guys are probably in on it too
.
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post #2 of 43
5/2/10 at 3:32pm
I wonder if you've heard any of these headphones.

I participated in the GMB loaner program and they're very good. Everyone who participated like them and a number of people bought them. When someone discovers a low profile headphone and talks them up, it's a good thing IMO.

I haven't heard the DT48, but I'd like to. Multiple people have talked them up. Sure one person talks them up more than anyone else, but again, it's a low profile headphone that probably deserved promotion.

Many people promote the 600 ohm Beyers over the 250 ohm versions. I doubt they're getting kick backs.
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post #3 of 43
5/2/10 at 3:33pm
I certainly hope it never comes to that. Your complaints are why vBulletin was kind enough to include an "ignore" feature. I seldom use it on any board that I visit, but there are a couple people here that I've ignored simply because I know it will save me some frustration. This is still a public message board and in my opinion, you should be able to post anything you want. If I had my way, the vendors wouldn't show up as "members of the trade" and we'd see full vendor-on-vendor war, thus benefiting the consumer, me.

And by the way, the DT880 600 ohm and DT880 250 ohm have two different drivers, and they do sound different as a result. I realize you probably think people are out to get you on this one, but they're not. Sometimes taking a step back and searching for a while (although painful with that damn one-minute limit) can be very helpful. I can't tell you how many times I've had to dig up an old thread to make a point, but the information is here.
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post #4 of 43
5/2/10 at 3:55pm
I've noticed what you're talking about, OP. I just chalked it up to them really liking those particular headphones. I agree it can be ridiculous though, especially when it seems like they're suggesting them without reading what the other member is looking for and they are the only proponent for that particular set in the thread.

Oh well, it's not that big of a deal to me. Like MD1032 said, you can ignore them if it's really bothering you.
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post #5 of 43
5/2/10 at 4:06pm
Thread Starter 
Actually, I'm just kidding. I'm not suggesting anyone on Head-Fi is dishonest. It is refreshing to me to see what many here call "fanboyism". It tells me that the headphone for me is out there. I know it's not possible for the same exact headphone to be nirvana and unlistenable at the same time. It does allow me to buy great used phones for cheap when someone upgrades to the FOTM. It's all good =^)
.
P.S. Now I just need the HD801 to come out, someone to tell us it's the only headphone you'll ever need, and the HD800 to drop to about $499 . . .
.
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post #6 of 43
5/2/10 at 4:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin Uthadude View Post
When TV commentators speak about a certain stock as a good buy, they must tell you if they own any of that stock, right? To disclose if they might stand to profit from you relying on their advice. Well I think Head-Fi needs the same policy. I mean it’s pretty obvious that some of you are making money off us poorly informed people like me.

One of our members must be getting a dollar or something everytime the words German Maestro are used. Heck, I didn’t even know those were headphones. I thought German Maestros were guys like Beethoven and Wagner. He’s surely getting a kickback from their marketing department. This isn’t fair, is it?

When a thread starts with what’s the best headphone for xxx genre, there’s a certain member that always says K701. I don’t care if it’s midget ambio-technic dance psychedelia, it’s K701. Know what I mean? Wonder how much he’s worth now.

And there’s that guy from (I guess I better not out him, but I think the capitol is Manila) who must get some cash everytime he posts the words Grado SR60.

And that guy who’s gotta have a huge stash of DT48’s that he probably offers for sale on our f/s forum or the bay right after he posts a thread telling me they are the most accurate headphones ever made even though they’re older than my grandpa. I feel I’m being manipulated, and it’s not fair.

And lets not forget that rich asian-newzelander who no doubt is getting some deutschmarks everytime she gets one of us to upgrade our perfectly good DT880s for those ones with the 600 ohms. Jeez, they could actually be only 450 ohms for all I know. They likely had to cut back on those ohms things to pay her a commission, you know?

Do you think this is fair? Have any of you noticed this type of activity going on here on Head-Fi? Anyone else I should be aware of? Wait a minute… you guys are probably in on it too
.
Are you so naive to think I'm buying DT48's to hype them up & sell them for a profit?? I sold 2 DT48's.. Prices were 120 & 150...Oh, I must try harder to hype up the DT48.. I sold them for almost the price I paid for them. Almost meaning, adding an extra 20.00 for shipping & PP fees.. & Beyers calls them accurate, & I agree. I NEVER said they are the most accurate headphone ever made.. If you think I'm a Beyer shill, I'm still waiting for my check.. Yeah, Beyer hired me to hype a headphone that the majority will most likely dislike.. I'm actually a plant. Personally I hate headphones & music in general. My plan was to get a DT48 in the hands of everyone. You got me.
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post #7 of 43
5/2/10 at 4:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin Uthadude View Post
Actually, I'm just kidding. I'm not suggesting anyone on Head-Fi is dishonest. It is refreshing to me to see what many here call "fanboyism". It tells me that the headphone for me is out there. I know it's not possible for the same exact headphone to be nirvana and unlistenable at the same time. It does allow me to buy great used phones for cheap when someone upgrades to the FOTM. It's all good =^)
.
P.S. Now I just need the HD801 to come out, someone to tell us it's the only headphone you'll ever need, and the HD800 to drop to about $499 . . .
.
Questioning my integrity & intent is not kidding to me.
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post #8 of 43
5/2/10 at 4:34pm
if ya wanna look for shills, head on over to the portable amps section.

It is blatant over there.
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post #9 of 43
5/2/10 at 4:35pm
I predict this will be the next locked thread.
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post #10 of 43
5/2/10 at 4:45pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kool bubba ice View Post
Questioning my integrity & intent is not kidding to me.
Kool Bubba Ice-
I was not questioning your integrity or intent. If you felt so, I apologize. Actually, I was kidding Uncle Erik, who trumpets them. His praise of the K501s and DT880s also has motivated me to purchase them, and I am happy for it. I would consider getting some DT48s too, but they seem hard to come by.
.
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post #11 of 43
5/2/10 at 4:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin Uthadude View Post
Kool Bubba Ice-
I was not questioning your integrity or intent. If you felt so, I apologize. Actually, I was kidding Uncle Erik, who trumpets them.
.
My first thought was Kool, but I never felt they were a shill for Beyer, just someone who found a headphone they loved, and while I agree some people like ***x can be annoying at times, I don't think anyone here is on the dole. When you get into a hobby that can be as polarizing as this one, allegiances will happen. Same thing happens with console fanboys, like me, even though I know PS3 does something better, I will ALWAYS recommend Xbox 360 because I have one.
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post #12 of 43
5/2/10 at 4:59pm
I think it would be good if we had some kind of requirement but it'll never happen. I take every single positive or negative review about a headphone with a giant grain of salt, as I have found out over the years that many aspects and characteristics are exaggerated (I won't give examples for obvious reasons). But I'm not gonna lie, that one dude *cough* peter pinna *cough*that raved on and on about Ultrasones (I think 750s) was beyond annoying and had to have been paid.
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post #13 of 43
5/2/10 at 5:16pm
Shilling is a problem in every popular audio forum. Talking about them is usually a fast-track to get a thread locked.
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post #14 of 43
5/2/10 at 5:34pm
There may be some shilling here, but at the end of the day you either like or dislike whatever you were "convinced" to buy. If you don't like it, you can simply resell it, same as any piece of gear that isn't to your taste. It would take a considerable amount of shilling to inflate and sustain a good reputation around a bad product. In any case, anyone is free to avoid new products in favor of the tried and tested, sometimes at a better value. I'm not sure it's even possible to shill something like the DT48, and I doubt AKG has much interest in compensating a tiny little forum member for recommending the K701.
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post #15 of 43
5/2/10 at 5:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Superpredator View Post
There may be some shilling here, but at the end of the day you either like or dislike whatever you were "convinced" to buy. If you don't like it, you can simply resell it, same as any piece of gear that isn't to your taste. It would take a considerable amount of shilling to inflate and sustain a good reputation around a bad product. In any case, anyone is free to avoid new products in favor of the tried and tested, sometimes at a better value. I'm not sure it's even possible to shill something like the DT48, and I doubt AKG has much interest in compensating a tiny little forum member for recommending the K701.
I thought my thread was so ludicrous as to be innocuous. I was wrong. I feel like I just asked a heavyset girl when the baby was due. I am sorry. The funny part is, due to "enthusiastic recommendations" I have bought an AKG, a Senn, and a beyer to evaluate the excitement and to sell the ones I didn't like. I don't want to sell any of them now. They're all awesome in their own way.
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