Jude, while I'm not an active member here, and have no intention of becoming one, I have to commend you on the many interesting and fun video reviews, especially of the recent Shure models, earlier with Audeze, and the subject OPPO cans. I know that many on this post will disagree with you over your assessments. I don't. You are correct in saying that many cans and in-ears are boosted (and I say, because of that are preferred by those with hearing issues.) The problem with reviewing any kind of hi fi is the lack of context. Not a lack of recordings or variety in recordings. Not for lack of opinions - as in everyone has a belly button. The context is familiarity with live sound and the real sound of instruments and voices in various rooms.
Without touting my horns, I go back with headphones a long way, even to having had dinners with the then head of Sennheiser in the late sixties, Horst Ankermann; having built several tube ESL headphone amps with Julius Futterman in his lab on West 72nd Street in NY City in the eighties, and having worked as a pro in several areas of the industry, as well as 15 years as a TAS reviewer. I attend live concerts as a guest of an unnamed-here world class music school regularly.
As for the comment from one of your posters to which this is a reply, I'm afraid I have to agree with his overall assessment quoted below; and lightening up about it is fine if one needed to continue a narrative that is not constructive. Unfortunately, continuing the narrative is not the solution. HeadFi, instead of having become a well of wisdom, progress, useful knowledge and integrity, has become a dick-measuring contest for half deaf teens whose eardrums have been blown out by years of high volume, distorted treble and bass boosted listening. Yet they bloviate about everything that is not so and get insulted by everything that is....especially knowledge.
Your reader wrote what is so: "This whole forum has become a cesspool of misinformation and speculation with practically no real news or technical discussion to be found.
So time consuming to dig through all the garbage to find any worthwhile information on upcoming products."
You know what I say Jude? Your critic is half wrong. There is news here. Otherwise he is on target.
If a person tells you you're drunk, just ignore him. If a second person tells you you're drunk, maybe, just maybe, pay some attention. And if a third person tells you you're drunk, maybe it's time to lay down...or at least lay low. The reader who made the comment above has something useful to say and maybe, just maybe, it's worthy of a listen and even more worthy of website reform.
Again, thanks for all the good work you're doing and perhaps you can encourage your readers to think ahead of the box wrapped around their heads.
I had made a copy of this post just in case it doesn't reach you. I'll get it to you directly.
