Thread: MSB Reference DAC

Originally Posted by Kingsrule

And you bought from this guy?
It's so subjective it's basically meaningless....

Dealers who know the unit say its crazy good for under $10,000. 3 professional reviews in the big mags and one reviewer said something along the lines of - I never say something is the best, but this is the best. - so yes, I bought it. Emmanuel came to my house, inserted it into my setup and I bought it on the spot. Just wiped the floor on my Airtight and Mcintosh preamps. No contest at all.

But really, you have to ask yourself at times. Are you listening to listen to equipment or music. I crave that emotional connection to what I am listening too. I don't want my gear grabbing my attention. I want the music to fill me with life. Life is not best well described with the usual adjectives ascribed to equipment reviews. If someone told me they sat in front of a system and were completely overwhelmed and tears came to their eyes. That is the gear I want to hear. I have cried twice now at a private listening session. Once in front of the Live Sound Design horns by Howard and the other in front of the Lanche Audio Plasma tweeter speakers. Other places have made me sit up and be attentive, but only those 2 have emotionally rocked me. That to me is music.

Originally Posted by Kingrex

I just watched rhe AVS video recap of Axpona. One reviewer said the Gryphon audio systems moved him and for that exact reason he was taking it home for review,

PeterB? Lol. These videos are laughably bad and everything that is wrong with the industry summed up in one.

Originally Posted by Kingrex

I don't get it. I don't see how the video differs from any article in TAS, stereophile or any raving on a forum. How do you see it as laughably bad. What do you consider good?

See what other hobbies are doing- here is horology for one:

https://www.hodinkee.com/videos

At least these are semi-professionally produced. There aren't any handshakes or group "thumbs up" (LOL) like on AVShowrooms, which really is just a bunch of old audiophiles who guffaw at each other and don't help expand the hobby to younger audiophiles. I mean, I'm 42 now and die laughing as do most audiophiles locally I know.

Don't get me wrong- I believe PeterB wants to do the right thing, but just doesn't bridge the divide to add excitement to this hobby.

To Rex’s question, these clips differ in three ways from TAS, Stereophile etc. reviews: a) They lack a critical perspective (what is good/ what not so much, and why), b) they lack a frame of reference (compared to what), c) they omit how the point of view was established (under what conditions was the view established, which observations led to a particular conclusion).

To Keith’s point, as we know Peter-the-Backpatter wanders around US audio shows taking home video -level cuts of demo rooms, frequently with whispered or otherwise comical narratives of the places he appears to stumble into. In a follow-up, he hands out self-made ‘thank you for being here because otherwise I would have no purpose’ -notes to his mostly elderly buddies. And sometimes he even undertakes an effort to have video-taped sit downs with some of his friends, pretending to be reviewers.

Generally speaking, while this videotaping hobby of his should be considered harmless, it just displays an occasional lack of professionalism in the audio business. Therefore, it should not be confused with critical discussion of the products in question.

Use of the term ‘review’ typically involves a critical discourse, at least when used as a methodology description in academic context. As there however is no critical discussion of the subject matter, these video clips are usually a bit lean on actual content. And let’s keep in mind, people do not become reviewers just because they want to. That would require actual subject-matter expertise, industry credentials and a technical ability to assess the products in question.


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