I'm leaving high end audio...

[ggdudeabides]

Michael. Thank you again for your honesty and insight. Takes courage to be an outsider and expose the truth. Given my experience, have no reason to doubt your answer.

I left WBF because, for me, it was toxic. Steve, one of the owners, was certainly one shining exception. Please ban me for what I said on this thread. Furthermore, I would have been banned had I tried to post my previous comments on that site. No desire to ever return. Truth, at times, is not one of its primary forum priorities. Best. Gordon

 

[Mr Peabody]

High end audio does not equal WBF. It appears you are dragging an entire industry, community into your beef with WBF. I have no dog in this hunt and you and I have learned to get along, I'm trying to be objective.

My perception in the beginning of "high end" audio there were sincere enthusiasts like Paul Klipsch, Saul Marantz, etc. Somewhere along the line there were probably companies that pushed the integrity of good marketing. Today I do feel many brands are too expensive, overpriced. With that being said we can't deny in general as you go up in price you also go up in quality. There's always exceptions to the rule. Any of us who have been in the hobby and started with modest gear and worked up can't deny some brands are better than others. If not, why didn't we keep what we had.

"Audiophiles" are not a monolith. Some of us, buy based on listening, others may foolishly buy based on reviews or just buying based on price or "just give me something good", buying the name. Audiophiles are one of the most stereotyped communities out there.

I agree there should be transparency. We also can't deny the influence of those online or YouTube who claim a brand is the latest greatest thing. Conversely those influences that also say there's no difference in cables and all tweaks are Placebo.

The law says "buyer beware" and bottomline we all have to make our own way. I've quit trying to argue I state my experience and encourage to try themselves. I've seen some eventually upgrading cables, moving up from Wiim, there's hope. The ones I feel sorry for are those who naysay everything and they, think I'm crazy, LOL

I'm in the camp you can have your cake and eat it too. we can have a great system and still listen to our music on it.

I realize you have a situation going on and hope the best for you and the truth coming out. Maybe keep your targets in line and don't confuse what's going on, with the entire industry.

 

[Michaels HiFi]

High end audio does not equal WBF. It appears you are dragging an entire industry, community into your beef with WBF. I have no dog in this hunt and you and I have learned to get along, I'm trying to be objective.

My perception in the beginning of "high end" audio there were sincere enthusiasts like Paul Klipsch, Saul Marantz, etc. Somewhere along the line there were probably companies that pushed the integrity of good marketing. Today I do feel many brands are too expensive, overpriced. With that being said we can't deny in general as you go up in price you also go up in quality. There's always exceptions to the rule. Any of us who have been in the hobby and started with modest gear and worked up can't deny some brands are better than others. If not, why didn't we keep what we had.

"Audiophiles" are not a monolith. Some of us, buy based on listening, others may foolishly buy based on reviews or just buying based on price or "just give me something good", buying the name. Audiophiles are one of the most stereotyped communities out there.

I agree there should be transparency. We also can't deny the influence of those online or YouTube who claim a brand is the latest greatest thing. Conversely those influences that also say there's no difference in cables and all tweaks are Placebo.

The law says "buyer beware" and bottomline we all have to make our own way. I've quit trying to argue I state my experience and encourage to try themselves. I've seen some eventually upgrading cables, moving up from Wiim, there's hope. The ones I feel sorry for are those who naysay everything and they, think I'm crazy, LOL

I'm in the camp you can have your cake and eat it too. we can have a great system and still listen to our music on it.

I realize you have a situation going on and hope the best for you and the truth coming out. Maybe keep your targets in line and don't confuse what's going on, with the entire industry.

Hi Mr. Peabody - I appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

I agree you and I have no issues and I have no issue with your post.

For me more of the shaking-my-head is actually aimed at the legacy media calling up companies to try and sabotage non-magazine people (yes I have names of who made the calls and who they called but I will not say it publicly).

I did make sure to say in my article there are exception for sure. But generally speaking I personally feel the industry is in the shadow of crazies.

WBF to me is such a circus-show I just can't waste energy on them.

Hearing the same first-hand account from multiple people over the last 6 months about certain people in the legacy media has really made me feel this hobby has totally lost its way.

They need to spend less time trying to torpedo others and more time trying to be relevant again for the first time in 10 years.