[fjhuerta]

Thanks! Most of this I can agree with, although obviously I disagree with the first one (I have reviewed several IEM cables)

DBT?
Did you measure for any difference?
Were you able to reliably detect any difference while blind testing?

If you did, call Randi and ask him to take the million dollar challenge.

Otherwise, it's just your opinion / bias. And that's exactly the problem I'm talking about. You are part of a group of people that make other people buy stuff that simply doesn't work. I'm not saying you do so with malice, or with bad intent. And I'm not trying to say you are lying, I'm absolutely sure you do believe there are differences between wire. Sadly, it's just your beliefs. And if it's not, again, you are an extraodinary human being - someone who is more precise and exact than professional measuring equipment, and anyway, your experiences won't be obvious to 99.9999% of the rest of the world.

Sorry to be so rude and harsh, but it's true. I was just like you . I thought cables made a difference. I really believed in interconnects, heavy speaker wire, silver solder, the works. That is, until someone taught me to do a DBT. Then, I realized I had been conned.

 

[SilverEars]

Some reviewers I don't trust here, and you can tell when you read them. I ignore their reviews, no matter how flowery their language are. The reviews are biased due to the samples are being sent to them. Another bias happens when they pay a significant amount for the item, and need for rationalization despite not performing up to par. For the most part, I'd be wary of review sample reviews, especially those that gotten for free. You got to consider what the motivations are? Isn't it obvious?

Anyway, no matter how much you bull-schiit, I can figure it out. So, cut the crap!

 

[SilverEars]

These days, reviews are getting more and more useless. I'd rather hear out the products. If the products are too expensive and they don't provide demo, I'd pass than trust a reviewer.

These reviewers think it's a joke with such expensive items. They don't care about you at all. I pretty much lost interest in certain areas here due to fake reviews.

Another problem is, there are easily gullible people as well. There are people depends on hype, and have tendency not to see things impartially.

I could care less about review looking professional or whatnot, it's the substance that counts. I'm not a really a shallow person.

Everybody are capable of writing an honest review. Only way they will earn respect from me is through honesty.

 

[bigshot]

I think the problem is that people are finding that they can't put faith in a reviewer to make their minds up for them... and they shouldn't! The purpose of a review is to pass along information to help a consumer decide whether a product will work well for them or not. It's not to convince them that if they buy it they are making the best decision of their life. Good reviews are packed with useful information, not opinions. It doesn't matter if they paid for the product, found it in a trash can or got it for Christmas. What matters is if the person writing the review can organize the pertinent information well and compare it to similar products to see what it does better and what it doesn't do as well.

If you are reading reviews to get validation that you made the right buying decision, you're doing it wrong!

 

[aamefford]

The thing I don't understand is why people churn their equipment. I make an informed decision and use it until it dies. Great sound is great sound today and it will be the same great sound tomorrow. If your definition of great sound keeps changing, the problem is with you, not the recommendations.

I liked and quoted your post, and I tend to be or at least used to be a gear churner. Now swaps are more for fun, and much less frequent. My gear has also gotten better, and this correlates with my greatly reduced churning.

As to reviews, head-fi is now essentially a shill fest and home of confirmation reviews. I can no longer trust it for reasonable gear reviews or opinions. Sadly, I was in the past part of the problem.

 

[artpiggo]

So from a handful of descriptive discussion, Can anyone provide some examples of good review based on what we are discussing so far. I think I understand the main idea but want to see a rigid material for reference. (for improving myself also of course)

 

[fjhuerta]

So from a handful of descriptive discussion, Can anyone provide some examples of good review based on what we are discussing so far. I think I understand the main idea but want to see a rigid material for reference. (for improving myself also of course)

InnerFidelity.

 

[SilverEars]

Here's another issue here, you got sponsors that are biased to selling products that cannot critique products they are selling IN THE THREADS. Who wouldn't see that coming? I'm uncomfortable with that.

 

[artpiggo]

InnerFidelity.

thanks. Another question, Is stereophile considered as decent honest review too?

 

[SilverEars]

There's got to be a better forum that stuff like this is more controlled rather than other unnecessary things being controlled? Also without a forum leader acting like a dictator, banning anybody disagree with him(I'm not referring to this one, guess which one I'm referring to).

 

[Killcomic]

Amazing. It's almost as if people agree that they prefer it when reviews match their preferences and expectations.
In other news, the moon orbits the earth.

 

[bigshot]

I liked and quoted your post, and I tend to be or at least used to be a gear churner. Now swaps are more for fun, and much less frequent. My gear has also gotten better, and this correlates with my greatly reduced churning.

Maybe you can answer a question for me. Why didn't you just save up and buy the perfect solution to your need from the outset? I still have my first turntable and feel no need to upgrade. My first iPod works as good as the day I bought it. The only reason I've replaced anything is because it burned out when it wore out.

 

[Wyville]

Have you considered the possibility that "what you would like to understand" is not what you actually need to be understanding? (In order for me and possibly others like me to be interested in your reviews).

I have no illusions about making my reviews interesting for most of the people here. Different strokes for different folks, and that is fine. What I don't understand is the anger. I would love to explore the science of sound and am capable of making significant contributions to that, but that is simply not possible in this type of atmosphere. For me personally that is a real shame because I started my audiophile journey specifically to explore music and audio for therapeutic purposes, but I can't find anyone to discuss it with.

 

[Killcomic]

I have no illusions about making my reviews interesting for most of the people here. Different strokes for different folks, and that is fine. What I don't understand is the anger. I would love to explore the science of sound and am capable of making significant contributions to that, but that is simply not possible in this type of atmosphere. For me personally that is a real shame because I started my audiophile journey specifically to explore music and audio for therapeutic purposes, but I can't find anyone to discuss it with.

Indeed. This "community", along with all others devoted to specific interests, are filled with torchbearers that see themselves as guardians of the objective truth. Quite often these individuals can get quite aggressive because they cannot fathom how peple can be so blind as to not see the light of enlightenment that they proudly shine upon the unwashed masses.
This is why I believe interests are best enjoyed alone.

Of course, this is all my subjective opinion.

 

[Wyville]

Indeed. This "community", along with all others devoted to specific interests, are filled with torchbearers that see themselves as guardians of the objective truth. Quite often these individuals can get quite aggressive because they cannot fathom how peple can be so blind as to not see the light of enlightenment that they proudly shine upon the unwashed masses.
This is why I believe interests are best enjoyed alone.

Of course, this is all my subjective opinion.

It is a real shame because I think a forum where people could have constructive intellectual discussions would be great, but [edit] (never mind, it will just provoke more vitriol)