Reviewers...RANT 2. Should reviewers be allowed here?

Having read what David Price had to say about on the Technics tt thread and his comments on valves amplification VS transistor amplification at the end of the thread, do we really need reviewers here? His opening comment on the Technics TT thread was enough for me. These guys behave like they are Gods and think their knowledge on the subject is 'it'. It's quite obvious that David Price has a bias like the rest of us BUT his words are not final but he seems to think so.

Dealers, reviewers and anyone in the trade behave and talk very differently to non industry based forum goers. At the end of the Technics TT thread, he split the valve and transistor argument in to 2 very neat paragraphs.... which were both so incorrect!

Unfortunately, there are folks here that will read what these guys have to say and take the words as gospel.

Do we really want them here?

 

Burn the witch!

Of course we do(well I do).
I don't believe a single thing they say, the reviewers language is a parody of itself these days, their opinion is as valid as mine or yours no more or less than that.

 

touche, why review an item of any manufaturer and gives them the given right to decide for all of us what to eat and what not!!!!!!!!????
nando.

 

What, people who take reviewers' words as gospel? Certainly not.

 

AGREE as i know most, i believe we are the judges of that, all the reviewers shoul do is to let us know what the product is capable of, and as to sound leave it to us to decide, not eveeryone hears the same, one can only guide towards a personal taste of sound, i remenber a very idiotic reviwer witch caused a tragic end to a very well stablished british manufacturer, quote "THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO TO THIS AMP IS TO SWITCH IT OFF"
nando.

 

Strikes me that it's rather good to have reviewers on here as we get the opportunity to do a bit of cross referencing to confirm just how much bs and hyperbole they spew out on a daily basis aswell as in onto toilet paper.

 

Why would anyone think a reviewers viewpoint is more valid than their own. Certainly several posters on here think they are fucking god, so why shouldn't reviewers be allowed on , it gives us someone to abuse.

 

All subjective comment be it on a forum or in print should be taken with a large pinch of salt. A forum is a very poor tool in assisting a buying decision on the basis of sound guality for a number of reasons, but primarily because you will often see a number of contrary views. Well that's good isn't is?
Sadly not for the buyer looking for advice because it simply muddies the waters even further.
Add in the fact that folk will often comment of kit they've never heard or have long standing bias for/against certain concepts, companies and individuals, well you can see what a mess you end up with.

Forums do well at the closed shop stuff.
General audio chat, mulling over ideas that are only of real interest to the tweakier audiophile - this is where they excel but some of that is of limited interest to many.
They are also good at the factual stuff, DIY and the reporting of events and shows, exemplified by Scott's recent threads and the current one from Joel. Mr Tibbs over on PFM is providing a brilliant example of the the DIY side at its best.
But never ask for opinion on sound ....... forget it!

Of course reviewers should be welcome and trade members also.
Readers and forum participants simply need to understand that a reviewer's subjective comment is just that, subjective and no more valid than any other.
Trade members sharing their experiences and thoughts are invaluable to a forum and get some great discussions going.

 

I have just received my Ultra Motor Kit from Origin Live I went for the top kit Larger motor and bigger transformer and i
mean big they also made me a special belt as i have my motor
in a stand of position it all works great .now the point is it sounds great to my old ears maybe to a top reviewers it would sound like a collection of subjective noise .Ibought it of my own
bat O.L.suggested belt length as long as i am happy really what does it matter what the rest of the world thinks no one
comes to listen they think i am mad anyway. Noel W.

 

What's wrong with that? The best thing that could happen to hi-fi is have a night of the long knives and lose 99% of the dross, the manufacturers that make the dross and the magazines that promote it.

Killing off one manufacturer is just cutting away the deadwood. It's a good start.

 

I welcome all reviewers, manufacturers and pretty much anyone.

Each and every one of them should expect heat from the kitchen though..

I also hate the 'idolisation' of the manufacturer, reviewer or whoever the hell else.... If I'm going to idolise someone it'll be Ray Charles or Aretha Franklin or Louis Armstrong - not some shed dweller stuffing a drive unit in a wooden box and talking hyperbole.

 

quote

that particular manufacturer was albarry,
nando

 

in the end, everybody has an opinion on all that is available to give a very personal view, and why not? comments however possitive or negative they are, i think that curiosity will always draw's you to find out for yourself and create your own opinion on that item, in the end you will make your choice, reviewres draw our attention to the matter,
i believe,
nando.

 

why no ban everyone ......who doesn't hold the same opinion ?

of course we should have reviews on board ...remember once upon a time this was an open church forum where everyone was welcome ...

why don't we try and get back to that excellent principle ?

 

quote

well said that man,
nando.

 

It still is an open church from where I'm sitting.
The only people on the banned list are there for persistent behavioural breaches of the AUP, or spammers - nobody is banned here for their opinions.

 

Nothing, if the comment was factual. But reviewers also have preferences/bias.

 

Beat me to it Rob. I thought we were normally accused of NOT banning people of certain opinions.

In answer to the OP, yes, reviewers should be and are welcome here, but their views should not always be taken as facts. I'd take them as a recommendation to listen to kit rather than a recommendation to buy. Final decision should be made by one's own ears and wallet.

 

i agree with you dev, we should have individual views and response to them as we feel,
nando.

 

Hi,

I'm happy for reviewers and people in the trade to post here. This can lead to interesting debate on some of their ideas and opinions.

Alan Sircom has posted on here and been challenged about Hifi + also David Price (Hifi World) has been on here and too been challenged about his posts.

Reviewers do need to challenged and questioned at times. Recently Paul Messenger wrote about getting rid of fuses in mains cables as a way forward. He didn't know why you have fuses in mains cable (to protect the cable) and the dangers of what could go wrong. He was taken to task, first on Hifi Wigwam then in the letters page of Hifi Choice.

Reviewers has the envious task of having plenty of hifi toys to play with. They also have their own preferences. There may be politics to deal with as well. So outcomes may vary.

People can have varying opinions but you must expect that these may be challenged.

SCIDB