Steven Stone again

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Mr Peabody

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Oligarch Audio Is Not the Same as High-Performance Audio - Future Audiophile Magazine

What is your interpretation of this? Especially in light of the $40k DAC he sent back my take is he is saying that ultra expensive gear is just for status.

I have no industry affiliation but if my take is correct I strongly disagree. Sure, I can't afford whatever I might want but I'm not going to pan the gear I can't afford as just bragging rights, my system sounds as good if not better. He sounds like one of those cry baby guys on the audio forums claiming his budget system sounds as good as any $100k+ system and everyone who pays more then him is a fool. Not sorry if that describes you, LOL

Maybe he is trying to stir up controversy and pander to the type of reader I described.
 
Mr Peabody said:
Oligarch Audio Is Not the Same as High-Performance Audio - Future Audiophile Magazine

What is your interpretation of this? Especially in light of the $40k DAC he sent back my take is he is saying that ultra expensive gear is just for status.

I have no industry affiliation but if my take is correct I strongly disagree. Sure, I can't afford whatever I might want but I'm not going to pan the gear I can't afford as just bragging rights, my system sounds as good if not better. He sounds like one of those cry baby guys on the audio forums claiming his budget system sounds as good as any $100k+ system and everyone who pays more then him is a fool. Not sorry if that describes you, LOL

Maybe he is trying to stir up controversy and pander to the type of reader I described.
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Thanks for sharing.

I do laugh at people though who complain about prices of gear and how they have increased in price the last few years yet have no concept of how COGS work, expenses associated with running a business, inflationary pressures of the last two years. etc.

I REALLY laugh when they think guess at only the physical parts COGS and then somehow feel the price should only be double or triple that.

I know you are not saying that - I mean people in general who bitch about it.

It's like complaining about the cost of a Ferrari - don't whine about it. If you are whining about it you are clearly jealous and you're not their target market anyway.

There is more fantastic affordable gear then every before, but they still find a reason to complain. Who cares how others choose to spend their money???

Again - I know you are not saying that.
 
The same trolls who believe a Denon sounds acoustic transparant and everything above is a waste of money.

Ignore them and enjoy music with your own stuff that fits in your budget
 
Steven Stone's article is virtue signaling based on his inability to afford the products he mentioned in his article as unaffordable unless you are rich. This is also mixed in with a healthy amount of guilting people who can afford the most expensive audio gear on the market.

Last but not least, calling people oligarchs because they are wealthy isn't cool. That's a very pejorative term to label someone with.
 
mep said:
Steven Stone's article is virtue signaling based on his inability to afford the products he mentioned in his article as unaffordable unless you are rich. This is also mixed in with a healthy amount of guilting people who can afford the most expensive audio gear on the market.

Last but not least, calling people oligarchs because they are wealthy isn't cool. That's a very pejorative term to label someone with.
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Clickbait.
 
A Wadax DAC is legit! If you have ever heard one, you would know. Now, if they took their DAC and gold plated it and encrusted it in diamonds, that would be pointless. My 2 cents.
 
Stone must be trying to get attention for himself in whatever way he can. He posted on FB today complaining about Naim/Focal blasting their system at CEDIA while they had no walls. I'm sure this wasn't ideal but I didn't think it warranted a public calling out like that, I found the post negative although he did preface he "loves Focal".
 
I just wasted 2 minutes reading Mr. Stone’s article. If he’s trying to push a Marxist message, he’s addressing the wrong crowd. :P
 
Ritmo said:
I just wasted 2 minutes reading Mr. Stone’s article. If he’s trying to push a Marxist message, he’s addressing the wrong crowd. :P
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Unfortunately there are many jealous and envious people in this hobby who feel the need to attack those with nicer gear/systems than they have through a variety of ways. Aaaaannnnnd there are a lot of people who review gear and are frankly just deaf and giving poor advice that NAD/Technics/Pioneer etc is just as good as true audiophile gear.

One trend I've noticed recently is from "reviewers" with large followers claiming DAC's don't matter and they basically "all sound the same". They are perpetuating the false narrative that expensive gear doesn't hold any benefits and is just "snake oil".

There are many expensive pieces of gear I wish I could afford. Just because they are super expensive it doesn't mean they are not amazing and breath taking nor do I say the company is "wrong" to price as they do.

As has been said in this thread - Stone is a has-been who is trying to use political messaging in an attempt to rile people up against gear they can't afford. He clearly subscribes to the philosophy in life of "he wants something therefore it's the duty of the companies to give it to him at a price he wants it to be".
 
Was this the fool that trashed NAIM or was that someone else?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Mike said:
Was this the fool that trashed NAIM or was that someone else?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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Hey Mike - if you're referring to the guy who trashed NAIM in the review recently and said it was no better than Technics that was someone else. This other guy is the same one who said a no-name $600 DAC was as good as the $9K NAIM and every other name brand DAC he's ever tested as they all "basically sound the same".

I blame NAIM for even sending him the gear to review. If they had done 30 seconds of research they would have seen the guy is a low-fi mass-market reviewer that would never understand higher end gear.
 
MichaelsMinute said:
Hey Mike - if you're referring to the guy who trashed NAIM in the review recently and said it was no better than Technics that was someone else. This other guy is the same one who said a no-name $600 DAC was as good as the $9K NAIM and every other name brand DAC he's ever tested as they all "basically sound the same".

I blame NAIM for even sending him the gear to review. If they had done 30 seconds of research they would have seen the guy is a low-fi mass-market reviewer that would never understand higher end gear.
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Oh right. That was one of the two biggest fools on YouTube. So many of these fools trying to make a name for themselves by spouting nonsense and some of them love to spout lies. Heard the biggest fool the other day say “Vitus is bright….but I’ve never heard it…but that’s what I think it would sound like.” I laughed out loud. He makes up so much nonsense, yet some people believe it. Amazing.

Reminded me of the “discussion” I got in with Norman Varney and Roger Skoff, who both wrote articles and were suddenly now world experts on running an audio show, but neither has actually owned or run an audio show (minor details). But, none the less, they were the experts now and they were going to tell all those show owners how to do it! LOL.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
I meet Stone years ago in Boston. Even then he was a miserable, rude, arrogant, unhappy person. Portraying himself as an audio writer trying to be important. The kind of person who knew deep down they weren't going to be important.....today it shows more than ever in what and how he writes
 
A "former" high end reviewer recently tested “dozens of dac’s” and said they mostly sound really similar. And of course he got a huge number of new subscribers with that video and narrative.

I think we are seeing the higher end reviewers racing to the bottom to monetize and get a large number of low end audio people and tap into the false-narrative that more expensive gear doesn't sound better or that there is a "law of diminishing returns".

It's somehow considered cool among the deaf and uninformed to believe high end audio is a scam.
 
Its quite possible in his or most setups all would sound very similar, plenty SS Dacs do have similar traits and in a lower level system can sound very similar..!
 
My take, yes, the highest end of audio gear is usually better. Yes, some people can afford it and that is cool, however it really is a matter of perspective. Most people I know believe that my system is extremely expensive and super high end. We all know this is not true, but it does meet my needs and desires.

If I could afford the top end, I also assume I would be able to afford a custom room that would be worthy of that level of gear. I do question if my hearing would appreciate that level, but it probably would.

The bottom line is enjoy what you have, and don't be jealous of those that desire the highest end. Many times, I do read articles and wonder how these companies can stay in business. There are so many companies building gear for the top end, and I believe the market has to be somewhat limited. I am also sure that this plays into the prices being asked in that they understand the number of customers must be somewhat limited.

I do like the trend of really good gear being offered and much more affordable prices. Therefore, many more people can afford to enjoy our hobby, and this is a good thing!
 
Randy Myers said:
My take, yes, the highest end of audio gear is usually better. Yes, some people can afford it and that is cool, however it really is a matter of perspective. Most people I know believe that my system is extremely expensive and super high end. We all know this is not true, but it does meet my needs and desires.

If I could afford the top end, I also assume I would be able to afford a custom room that would be worthy of that level of gear. I do question if my hearing would appreciate that level, but it probably would.

The bottom line is enjoy what you have, and don't be jealous of those that desire the highest end. Many times, I do read articles and wonder how these companies can stay in business. There are so many companies building gear for the top end, and I believe the market has to be somewhat limited. I am also sure that this plays into the prices being asked in that they understand the number of customers must be somewhat limited.

I do like the trend of really good gear being offered and much more affordable prices. Therefore, many more people can afford to enjoy our hobby, and this is a good thing!
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Absolutely true. But not at the expense of saying higher end / more expensive gear is snake oil (I know you are not saying this but I mean in general as is the trend). That does a great disservice to trickle-down technologies to the benefit of ALL consumers.
 
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