[elrod-tom]

You know, it's funny.  I've been here since the beginning, and one constant has been people complaining about content and head-fi going downhill.  From almost day one it's been happening.
 
So...what does this mean?  Change is not always welcome.  People move in and out of a site, a hobby, and so on for a lot of reasons.  Maybe it's because they gain enough knowledge from actively participating on the site that they don't feel the need to keep coming here as much as they did.  Maybe they just plain get bored with it all.  Maybe they find that other areas of life are taking up time that they'd otherwise spend here.  Who knows....but one thing I'm certain of is that this site keeps getting better and more popular, and folks who liked things more intimate will find that not to their liking.
 
But that not withstanding, I think that we can all agree that it's not helpful that people feel compelled to offer opinions about gear they've not experienced themselves.  This has also been a problem since day one, but I will grant you that it's MORE of a problem as the site becomes more popular.

 

[Uncle Erik]

elrod-tom, I've been seeing the same complaint since I've been here, too.

My theory is that when noobs come here, they don't know how to separate the wheat from the chaff and everything looks like information to them. Then, once they've been through some gear, attended meets, etc., the signal to noise ratio starts becoming obvious. That's when the complaints start.

Though you're right about the increased userbase. That does turn up the noise. I'd like to be optimistic. Hopefully, a bigger userbase will result in a larger number of experienced members a few years on.

 

[Armaegis]

Which will only be drowned out by the mewling masses...
 
Oh sorry, what was that about being optimistic?...

 

[elrod-tom]

I guess you missed the "this has been going on since day one" blurb two posts ago, huh? 

 

[Armaegis]

Nope, I am well versed in forum-fu. It's basically the same complaints anywhere you go. Same poop, different pile.

 

[Prog Rock Man]

I have suggested (note not recommended, suggested) kit I have not heard if it will fit a specific need. For example a request for something to fit into a specific system or for a specific need (e.g, consider the Firestone Fubar for USB only DACs and PX200s for portable, closed backed headphones). 
 
I don't post sound quality recommendations any more. SQ is too subjective and too many tests have found SQ differences to minimal to non existent to be able to make meaningful comment.
 
I'll stick to recommending music to listen to and poking metaphorical sticks at outrageous audiophile claims made at the front of the bus.......

 

[wind016]

 
Quote:

Which will only be drowned out by the mewling masses...
 

Just post until you drown out the masses.
 

 

[Uncle Erik]

Which will only be drowned out by the mewling masses...
 
Oh sorry, what was that about being optimistic?...

Not necessarily. The more intelligent folks will look to how long a member has been around and the gear in their profile. It's not that hard to figure out who has an informed opinion.

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

 

Just post until you drown out the masses.
 

Could I flog them instead? It would be so much more satisfying.
 

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

Not necessarily. The more intelligent folks will look to how long a member has been around and the gear in their profile. It's not that hard to figure out who has an informed opinion.

x2

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

I guess you missed the "this has been going on since day one" blurb two posts ago, huh? 

 
Maybe you need to have new repliers with a single-line 'get x' post automatically redirected to every variation of this thread.
 
 
Love & Kisses,
One of the dudes who's been saying it since day... 500 or so?
(& my other pet hate being opinionated posts based on meets)
 
 
On a completely separate note, I've just realised I cracked the 10K mark a while back. Yay...?

 

[Prog Rock Man]

Congrats on the 10,000 mark bangraman.
 
When you say 'opinionated posts based on meets' do you mean giving out advice based on kit you have only auditioned as opposed to the stuff you own and really know? If so I partly agree. In my community profile I have separated what I own from what I have auditioned;
 
OWN -
AKG K702+ K340 (vintage)+ K280 Parabolic (vintage)+ K271 MkII+ K140 (vintage)+ K44
Grado SR80
Goldring NS1000
JVC HA-FX34-BE
Panasonic EAH 500 (vintage)
Pioneer SE 305 (vintage)
Quadraflex 40A (vintage)
Sennheiser mx500+ PX200
Sony DR 4C (vintage)+ DR 5A (vintage)

AUDITIONED --
Bose On Ear+ Around Ear+ QC15
B&O Form2
B&W P5
Denon AH D1001+ AH D501
HiFiMAN HE-6
Grado SR60
Monster Beats by Dr Dre
Radius HP-TWF11
Sennheiser HD201+ HD202+ HD595
 
What is wrong with much of the advice given on the forum is that it is not qualified. Advice should be differentiated between suggesting or recommending.
 
I can suggest a product I have not heard before if it I know from reading it matches a specific need. I cannot recommend it. For example, someone looking for leakless headphones. I can suggest AKG K271 MkII as I have read reviews and comparisons which show they leak less sound than other headphones.
 
I can suggest something I have auditioned as I now have some knowledge of the sound. For example, the Denon HD A1001 has strong bass out of an ipod, stronger than your average headphones. I know that from auditioning them at a listening post in John Lewis and how they compare to other headphones I have which I have used out of my ipod.
 
I can also make a very good suggestion based on what I have and what I have tried to recommend the Goldring NS1000 (owned) over the Bose QC15 (auditioned).
 
I can recommend something that I own, as I clearly know it well. But I have to be careful recommending it over products I have not heard.
 
My pet hate is not properly explaining why you are recommending/suggesting a product. I really hate posts which just say a headphones, for example 'Recommend me headphones for rock' and the reply comes 'Grado'. Usless.
 
 

 

[bangraman]

The problem is that audio is really subjective - so any degree of non-contro induces significant errors within even your range of perception. e.g. I'd rate your John Lewis experience as worthless in terms of having any meaningful degree of validity. I've done the subjective testing where I was influenced by the situation, by the novelty of gear, etc: the key is that I've learned what detrimental effect it has on your ability to judge in, once again, any really meaningful way.
 
 
From about '04 onwards, I'd re-buy 'control' headphones every time I wanted to write about a comparison, because I also realised that my audio memory is extremely unreliable (and that for anyone to claim otherwise is a fanciful flight of ego). Which is why to date I've ended up owning at least ten different pairs of HD650's down the years just for starters (as well as at least 6-8 pairs of MDR-V700DJ's to establish the 'low water mark'). I do also keep very detailed listening notes for phones I don't have, which have been written in a similar, if not identical listening environment along with use of (the aforementioned re-purchased) same 'control' phones. 
 
 
There is a potential flaw and advantage in the above way: Manufacturers tweak products from time to time so that phone a purchased in 2005 may be different from phone a purchased in 2010, while the flipside is that if you keep the same phone for years it degrades over time which affects the sound. I like to believe that the former has less effect on what I'm hearing, and I have occasionally compared my control phones by buying a new pair before I get rid of the old one.

 

[Prog Rock Man]

In that case we may as well hand over the forum to half a dozen people, who will then rule over all others as they cannot have any meaningful contribution to make.
 
 

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

In that case we may as well hand over the forum to half a dozen people, who will then rule over all others as they cannot have any meaningful contribution to make.
 
 

No. The problem is that we don't make enough distinction between a controlled result and a at best relatively unreliable individual perception at a certain point in time / feeling / location, because there's a sizeable amount of ego involved. We tend to get into flamewars defending the indefensible, and arguing the pointless.