Good audio reviewers and ones to stay far far away from

Off-Topic
920

My response to this video after it was posted at Head-fi, copied here:

I’m glad Lachlan’s not quitting and only changing the direction of his channel. I enjoy his content.

And the dude has a point: SOOOOO many reviewers and audiophiles have completely forgotten the meaning of “subjective.” They think audio is a hobby rooted solely in truth.

Sure, there are certain truths in audiophila. Style of headphone. Driver types. Impedance. Sensitivity. Etc.

But our perception of that sound is 1 MILLION percent subjective, regardless of what some f*cking frequency curve shows us. How often have you purchased an IEM or headphone that has a very similar frequency curve to another unit you’ve tried or owned, yet it sounds considerably different? We all have, or you’re not very experienced in this hobby or lying to yourself.

That’s why EVERYONE in this wonderful space needs to take a horse-sized chill pill and not freak the f*ck out when a reviewer perceives the sonic qualities of a unit differently than yours. Some people react as if their manhood was challenged because of a different perception of sonics.

You’re right; I’m right. Guess what? Nobody is truly right in this hobby. NOBODY. And I think that’s Lachlan’s point.

9 Likes
921

Do y´all think it is just the reaction of some viewers that brings him to this decission?
The whole industry does not want overly critical reviewers, what they really want are salesmen.
If you want to make money with your youtube channel you depend on sample units, if you want sample units most of your reviews should be positive.
Zeos understood it long ago and therefore focused more on the pleassure and enjoyment of music instead of being all too critical.
I find it somehow ironic that some years ago we avoided watching tv commercials but no we spend every evening sitting in front of youtube watching another commercial because that´s what it is in the end.

10 Likes
922

@pk500 et.al. Yup. EVERY comment needs imo assumed! :wink:

923

I think that it was probably people’s comments and abuse that mainly cause him to do this. I do think that the final process of fandom in audio is to realize that your enjoyment is all that matters in the end, though. A logical endpoint to the journey, as it were. To summarize it another way:

You either die an Objectivist hero or live long enough to become Steve Guttenberg or Tyll Herstens

5 Likes
924

I have nothing against showmen like Z. They’re entertaining and transparent about their commercial ties and ambition. EVERY SINGLE ONE of them aims for collab fame and income like HBB, Timmy and Crin.

It’s people who say, “I wasn’t told or influenced by Brand X in this review” yet accepted free gear from that company and also shill that gear with affiliate links in their video descriptions that drive me batshit crazy.

It’s no different than idiots who put a disclaimer in their social media profiles that says, “Words are only mine, not of my employer,” then make dipshit comments or share objectionable content and are shocked when their employer is pissed. You cannot separate yourself from your employer, especially if your BS social profile disclaimer is preceded by a description or tag of your workplace.

I don’t list my employer in my social profiles. But I have worked for the same company for 25 years and interact with many people in the industry online. People in my industry know who I am because I’ve been around forever.

There’s NO way I could absolve myself of trouble with the company if I shared or posted something insulting by pointing to a simple “This is me, not my company” disclaimer. It doesn’t work that way, at least not in America.

It’s the same with reviews. A reviewer cannot say they weren’t influenced by the company, yet they accepted free gear and have affiliate links. Total disingenuous horsesh*t. Josh Valour is one of the biggest violators of this to me.

3 Likes
925

I don’t watch a lot of reviews much, and I usually just glance over written ones. I keep track of fellow users whos tastes align with mine, and if they come out strongly in favor of some new shiny, then I’ll do a deep dive into this prospect and buy it if I feel I can afford it.

It took a lot of time and presence in the hobby for me to get to my way of doing things. Newcomers basically have to wade into the shark-infested waters of reviewers and get bitten a few times before they find safe water. It’s hard to see a way around that if you have to rely on the Internet alone. That’s why Head-Fi’s CamJams and other shows are good for newcomers. Nothing can replace your own ears when it comes to finding what you like.

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926

Amen. Well said!

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927

I think it’s only natural theres going to be some backlash over promoting $500 usb cables :thinking:

4 Likes
928

This, so much of this.

In the end most of the YouTube I do watch, gets me to spend money. It might be IEMs with HBB, or video games with Splattercat, but the net effect is that I watching ads. The real question is how many uniformed purchases would I make without them, or would I just spend less money overall?

3 Likes
929

While I have never used affiliate links, I have received free gear, regularly, and I maintain that I have not been influenced by any company. Consciously at least.

I say consciously because no matter how unbiased we try to be, there are always biases that we may not even be aware of. Something as simple as having a good relation with a company can mean that we will want to like something and automatically search for the good points where possible. This can even be the case with something as trivial as a colour. If we are huge fans of pink but hate blue, then something that is pink is going to automatically start off on a better foot than something that is blue.

What I do try to make clear is that anything I say or write in my reviews is just a personal opinion. No one should be basing any purchases (or avoiding purchases) based on what I say in a review. When it is not possible to try something out (which is the case for many many people, especially in the lower budgets), then all that is left is to gather as much information from as many people as possible and make your own guess. Because that is all it is, a guess.

I review for fun and, to be totally honest, most of the time it costs me money to do so. When I receive stuff, even if it has been sent free, I end up paying for import a lot of the time. I also pay for a website, for shipping in many cases and other things along the way.

Yes, I get free gear. Most of which gets used for a week and then gets stored along with other gear that only ever comes out again if it is to be compared to something else. Even the items that I do like and enjoy, I don’t get to use them that much because I am usually trying out whatever is sitting on my desk.

This is by no means a complaint, I do it because I enjoy trying out new gear, I am not obliged to do it and I am lucky (most of the time :wink:) to get my ears on a lot of stuff that I would never end up hearing otherwise. However, I certainly do not do this for profit and I sure do not want to influence anyone into using their hard earned money to buy something that I am not being 100% honest about.

I have a terms and conditions document that I send to any brand or store that contacts me and I ask them to read it and agree to it before sending me anything. It basically says I will give my own honest opinion and disclose the origin and any requests. I make it clear that if they don’t want that, don’t send me anything. I like to be clear with those who send me stuff, be clear with those who read/watch my stuff and, above all, clear with myself.

Basically this overly long post is to say that there are all kinds of reviewers out there and it is impossible to know which is which. Yes, you can get an idea but you will never know for certain.

I would never recommend anyone to put their trust blindly in a reviewer and I include myself as you don’t know me and those who do, don’t need to watch my reviews.

10 Likes
930

Appreciate this detailed, thoughtful response. I agree with your points and applaud your terms and conditions to gear suppliers.

Add all that, and it’s why you and Acho Reviews are one of my trusted sources for good information and opinions about this hobby we all love. :clap:

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931

My wallet is safe since I watch videos of expensive cars on youtube that I can’t afford.

3 Likes
932

I´m pretty sure we would spend less money overall because watching commercials is what get us hyped about products and then fomo and curiosity are kicking in aswell.

Some days i watch a lot of reviews of IEMs instead of listening to music with the IEMs I already own and love…its crazy and we are addicted, but its also fun :see_no_evil:

2 Likes
933

I won’t stick my nose into the topic at hand but I can give some advice. The same I have been giving for years.

STOP WATCHING REVIEWS once you are happy with your setup. Burnout is real and I’d rather have someone come back online after 2 years of bliss, quiet, and completely free of FOMO rather than someone who racks their brain watching every review that comes out.

My favorite comments are the ones who tell me I helped them in like 2018 to get their setup going and then then only found me again recently. Means I did my job and they are ready to experience something new.

Also, if you find yourself never happy with anything you have. There may be a deeper issue and it may be time to find a hobby that costs less to obsess over and or get help. Nobody should be eating instant ramen for months so they can buy a $600 headphones they can’t afford and don’t need. Make sure you have a few backup hobbies to keep yourself sane.

That is all, enjoy the forums and good evening.

33 Likes
934

Man looks like I have missed a lot of shit when it comes to this particular topic but here’s what I have learned or know so far. To me audio reviewers serve as the guide or an idea where to start to discover your exact taste in music and sound signature, for I know they are not exactly the end all be all for your decision making when it comes to getting IEMs, for it is a risky venture for there will be those times when people will say this IEM is great, while at that moment you are one of the minority who isn’t a fan of that particular IEM set.

To me always follow what sound signature and taste that you genuinely like, and not be falter by a reviewer or someone else’s verdict on it just because they didn’t like it while you are having the time of your life enjoying your library and just let it rain on you, like a pleasant rain that drops on your skin that makes you alive and well. Also in all of my life, I never thought that there will be that moment that I would like a Harman-curve or a V-shaped IEM like the Simgot EM6L or the Simgot EA1000, for I have always been a neutral or balanced sound focused listener; and there are times that I thought it was neutral turns out to be an entirely different sound signature, but in the end I have liked it.

So yeah I think it’s just good to have an open mind and try any other sound signatures to explore your horizons in my opinion. But you know what reviewers I hate? Reviewers that seem to be cannot be pleased on anything, especially when the majority of the people have praises for it, yet there is this certain dude who just wants to be a jackass about it, and why you should use his preference instead of the sounds that right now you’re enjoying wholeheartedly. I am not saying his name, but when he appears on the videos when you search for audio/iem stuff? you know who that is and I hate it.

5 Likes
935

oh thought you meant Aminus (on HF) lol.

1 Like
936

I tore into so-and-so yesterday in the comments of his video claiming only losers use IEMs, and his response was equally hilarious and pathetic. He said I missed the point of his video. LOL.

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937

1 thing I’ve come to dislike about some reviewers is their balance purist attitude. As soon as something is off it’s not good enough anymore. While reality is that many watchers are looking for a good headphone that doesn’t need to be perfectly balanced. I certainly am not looking for a purist headphone.

So I tend to pay more attention to reviewers that put more effort into describing what a headphone is really like without having already slapped a failed label on it.

I follow Resolv, Zeos, DMS, Cheapaudioman, and Soundnews.

1 Like
938

I think it might be a blessing not knowing who that is by mentioning his or her name to me, but I am talking about someone else and I am sure you’re familiar with him. His recent video particularly about the SuperMix 4? The dude cannot seem to be pleased on anything! I mean for real though, there are IEMs in terms of tuning you’re not gonna be a fan of but you can at least recognize the great qualities about it and not being a condescending prick about it just because most people are not trying your preferred tuning.

3 Likes
939

I figured out who this reviewer is. Oh well, I guess that I am a loser since I love IEMs.

1 Like