I posted a video of my impressions of the Thunderpants. That is all. Gizmodo (to my surprise) ran the video on their site--given that Gizmodo is one of my favorite websites, I thought that was very cool to see them take interest in something having to do with what we talk about here.
Some love the Thunderpants, some don't. My opinion is mine, and I never try to tell anyone otherwise--and even rather constantly remind everyone who's reading what I'm typing, or watching one of my videos, that it's
"in my opinion," and
"to my ears."
I see in that outside thread that dragoonv linked to that I was being accused of saying the Aviator sounds good to me to attract a new sponsor. And, as I've said before, why on earth would I pick a headphone that almost anyone on Head-Fi can hear at a Best Buy or an Apple Store (which, for most on here, is within easy reach) to lie about? Others have also since posted that they have found the Aviator (and now also the Mix Master Mike) to be surprisingly good (considering Head-Fi'ers hadn't really ever given thought to trying Skullcandy headphones). Again, will we all agree? No.
I see in that thread that one of the guys didn't like the PX 200-II (which I do), and that somehow suggests that my opinion of it (and, thus, anything else I might say) might generally be invalid. A lot of other people also enjoy the PX 200-II, and hear it as a substantial improvement on the first version of the PX 200. I guess their opinions are similarly invalid and/or sinister?
I see in that thread that one of the guys didn't like the DT 1350. Again, this was stated in a manner that seemed to me to suggest a questioning of my opinion. Again, a lot of other people find the DT 1350 to be one of the top portable over-ear headphones on the market. I stand by my opinion--it's
my opinion, and time has shown I'm certainly not alone. But will everyone agree? No.
I then buy a Thunderpants, and post a video about it--a headphone made by one guy (a fellow Head-Fi'er) that I bought--a guy who'll probably
never be a sponsor on Head-Fi. Politics of some sort is suggested. What politics? Again,
I'm obviously not alone in enjoying the Thunderpants by Smeggy. Does everyone who's heard it agree? No.
So if I like a headphone made by a sponsor, these guys see me as a shill. If I like a headphone made by a non-sponsor, these guys essentially accuse me of lying to attract a new sponsor (about a headphone that just about
anyone reading Head-Fi is within a 30-minute trip of hearing for himself). And if I like a headphone made by a Head-Fi'er who'll almost certainly never sponsor the site, these guys will find a reason to assert I'm up to no-good there, too. I can't win with guys like that, so I don't try to.
Here's what it is, plain and simple, and it happens all the time, on every forum, on every topic: Sometimes we agree. Sometimes we disagree. I'm just one guy, and have never promoted myself as the arbiter of all you should like and not like. Sometimes you'll agree with me. Sometimes you won't.
Some will find, for reasons having nothing to do with agenda, politics, sinister intentions, etc., that their sonic preferences simply aren't consistent with mine. If you can find how we consistently disagree, then perhaps my impressions may still have value to you (or not).
So is it FOTM backlash? I don't know, and I don't much care. I generally tend to post about what I like, and that's not likely to change; and some guys on this or any other forum who're going to bust extra chops because it happens to turn into what they view as flavor-of-the-month isn't going to change how it sounds to me.
Like I said, I posted a video on YouTube and iTunes that expressed my opinion of the Thunderpants. That's it.
