Thanks for sharing this insight into the behind-the-scenes aspects of the audiophile review industry. It’s refreshing to hear someone address the transparency issues so openly. I appreciate your commitment to honesty and the way you distinguish your channel from others by explaining your approach and expenses. That said, I think you spent a lot of time discussing the inner workings of your own channel. While I understand the value in explaining your transparency and philosophy, it feels like it took up a significant part of the video. Since the title suggests a broader look at “SECRETS Behind Audiophile Reviews” and “HiFi Dishonesty,” I was expecting more examples or specific insights into industry practices overall. For example, delving more into the specifics of how certain industry players or platforms operate, or perhaps sharing detailed cases of how some review processes might be influenced, could have provided a broader perspective. Don’t get me wrong-I value the transparency you’re bringing to your content. It would just be great to see future videos that dive deeper into the industry as a whole, with more examples or comparisons, since that would really help viewers grasp the broader landscape of audiophile review practices.
Thanks for your comment. I do appreciate it. OK here goes: Some of the "big" hifi reviewers get sent free gear from mfg's to promote. They then usually turn around and sell that gear immediately for profit. They also don't just "happen" to cover rooms or gear you seen them cover in shows. Where as I cover gear and brands I actually LIKE, they will only cover brands who pay. One of them won't even walk into the room for less than $1,500, and another one won't send any of their people into a room unless you pay a minimum of $600. So in order for these guys to talk about the gear you think is random, they are demanding payment from the brands to cover them. In many instances if you don't pay, they won't talk about you....ever. I have specifics of who charges what as it's an open secret and they openly talk about their charges to companies at the shows, but they seem to forget to mention that it's paid coverage in their videos. And there are others still who if your DON'T pay them their price, will say on their videos that the room sounded poor. Yes I have specifics about people who do this and have verified this through numerous different people who have their own similar stores with the same people. No I won't publicly say names. They will implode at some point on their own. I'm not worried about them. I'm too focused on doing my own thing.
@@dallasmorrison6983 Why do you need to trust anyone? Why would you EVER take someone else's opinion on something so subjective as sound? Why do you need someone else to tell you what to buy?
@@GreekAudioGeekwell said! That’s why I always tell people that the only thing which matters is how an audio gear (whatever it might be) sounds to them; everyone has opinions. The other thing we’ve all noticed that is missing from most audiophile reviews is technical/ scientific data. To your point, sound is subjective, if the listener is the subject, their hearing and perception of the sound they hear is all that matters. The reality is that we have an information overload today; too many reviews out there (not to mention the issues that your video touches up on very well - thank you for your honesty and the courage) and most people/ viewers take the word of the reviewers. Some people will understand this in the long run but the majority of people will go by the reviews out there.
I gave a negative review on an amp a viewer sent me and data to back up my review. I was contacted by the manufacturer asking me to take it down. When I said no, they openly offered to GIVE me several of their multi thousand dollar amps to take it down. When I said no and explained what was wrong with their product, they asked if they fixed the product, would I re-review it. I said "Sure", they fixed the main problems, I gave it a nice review. Then they threatened legal action for pointing out they fixed the problems the earlier version had and openly denied that they made any production changes, when I have a video SHOWING the changes they made. Bizarre! Oh and this Amp was awarded "Amp of the year" by multiple other influencers.
The biggest ( sickest ) joke about being an audiophile is that by the time you can afford high end gear ( your late 40s & 50s ) your hearing has degraded to the point that buying the expensive gear doesn't matter...😂
Absolutely true, by the time I was able to afford a lower High End Stereo I was in my mid 30s, and I'm sure my ears weren't as good as when I was a teenager, who first discovered his undying love for music!
I stopped reading Stereophile and Home Theater Review over a decade ago because it was obvious they were FOS. Most of the mega-buck gear that F***er and R***y recommended I ended up sending back because it just didn't sound good in my system. Yes, it floated on a fluid bed and was drenched in a fluid bath filled by monks in the Himalayan mountains over 100 years ago...but it didn't sound good! I have no doubt the anointed reviewers are VERY well compensated both on top of and under the table for their reviews. Try it in your system and see if you like it. I only do business with companies that allow a trial period on products. If they don't, I won't do business with them because without hearing it in your system, it's a very, very expensive crap shot.
I totally agree with you that trying in your system is the MOST important thing. That's why I say in all my other videos to NOT take my advice, and go listen for yourself. Thanks for watching.
@@GreekAudioGeek like the glossy supplements to the Sunday NYT, WSJ, and FT - it’s paid for by advertiser. The fact that there is an occasional informative piece (or a “test disc”) doesn’t change its essence as a commercial endeavor.
thanks for your honesty... you confirm what i've been thinking for a while: most audio reviewers are just sophisticated salesmen... some are better than others, but in the end, it comes down to what you're saying... and i agree with you about sixmoons... which is also the only magazine i read regularly...
What a wonderful Accuphase amplifier! I live just a 5-minute walk from Accuphase's headquarters. My own Accuphase is a model from over 30 years ago, though.
You are spot on when it comes to full time politicians. A drain on taxpayers. A waste of money and time. They spend most of their time making money for themselves instead of passing legislation. Part time like Texas is the way to go. Hi-fi is the least of our worries. Thanks for your video. Rock on!
Appreciate you. I'm well aware of the time involved in running a channel 😏 I just found your channel and and its refreshing to see an un objective HIFI channel. 👍 I have a Timbernation stand as well! I just took your advice and ordered some of the Stack Audio Isolators. Keep up the good work! Subscribed!
Thank you! I like my Timber Nation shelf but have found I need a different design/set up so I've outgrown it. I need to figure out what I'm going to do at some point. Stack Audio is fantastic stuff and the in home trial makes sure you like what you buy.
I'm an audio engineer from a recording/mixing standpoint and most of the clowns out there are chart readers and cannot hear the differences they are describing. Not saying there aren't exceptions but most of these channels cannot hear jack crap it is mostly hype.
Yes, most of them have no knowledge or real knowledge of sonics, or how the equipment they are praising actually works. Its actually embarrassing, as you'd think they know what they are writing and talking about. My visits to High End shops were always disappointing, because those sale reps would always try to push certain brands on to you, since that's where they made their most commissions on. You could tell, because if you mentioned some equipment that they didn't sell they'd try to disparage about it in some way, or they'd simply claim that other companies (that they sold in their store) were the better ones.
In my opinion I stick with lower mid fi..... To me my $800 Arcam int amp with Wharfedale Dentons and ML Sub is all that ill ever need. For me, there is certainly a point of good enough.
The high end audio companies need reviewers to hype their gear as”the best ever” or made such an improvement that they now can’t live without it; otherwise they would go out of business. They need to convince the audiophiles with more money than common sense to first overspend for components because they’re so wonderful and then convince them that they need this or that accessory (power regenerator/conditioners, turntable speed control, DDC, power/speaker cables, isolation pucks, cable risers) to actually make their system sound good, because obviously the high priced goods they bought weren’t actually built well enough to eliminate the most basic (and common) issues.
You say " more money than common sense". Why do people always play the jealous class-warfare angle? There are an awful lot of poor people who are stupid to. But someone buys something you don't agree with and you are smarter than they are? smh
Pretty much. Some of the print reviewers receive the 'payments' directly to them in the form of demanding the keep the gear for free to promote a positive review, plus being taken out to a very particular expensive restaurant plus always ordering the same $300 bottle of wine at those dinners. The RUclipsrs are different as they accept both $$ and demand free fear as a precursor to even agreeing to do a review. Other online outlets give the impression of having done a review or simply posting info but in fact charge the manufacturers $$ to even talk about their gear and lets the mfg write or guide much of what is said. Like I've said repeatedly - EVERYONE DESERVES TO BE PAID FOR THEIR TIME AND EFFORT. However they need to simply be open and transparent to the viewers/readers about the process. If they have nothing to hide, why won't they do that? Again, there are no secrets in the high end audio world and everyone talks.
Same goes for all so said "rewiers" you can find on RUclips, look at that guy Steve huff, in one week thé guy is going to pretend listenting thé BEST amp ever hahahah
I always suspected this. Back in the day, in the early 2000s I was deeply into High End Stereo equipment, and obviously I was totally into the big Names in High End equipment. I used to read 3 separate stereo magazines (real ones not online, as online was limited in that regard back then). When I finally got all my High End gear I thought I had it all. It's only a few years ago when I had an awakening, as I realized, no longer having that High End stereo, when I bought JBL BT Speakers (JBL Partybox 1000s) that I couldn't believe just how good they sounded even though they are clearly not High End. That's when I found out, just how much better audio/stereo equipment has gotten technologically speaking. I am still amazed when I think how little if at all I miss that High End stereo; now I just have BT speakers, and its great because I no longer need a big amp and pre-amp I used to have, no longer need my 34 band equalizer, no longer need those big floor standing speakers, and I don't even need a CD player anymore (although I still have a good one), and can still enjoy my music in excellent quality, paying very little in comparison to what I used to pay for High End equipment. However, having almost 3000 CDs means that I still want to have very good sound quality to hear them, with BT technology that has gotten so much easier: my stereo rack, back in the day, was huge, it had 3 separate CD players alone (a regular one, an SACD one, and a twin CD recorder, all from big name firms), a amp & pre-amp, and a big equalizer; no longer need those big floor standing speakers; it was ridiculous in terms of size. Now its so easy and convenient to listen to my music, all I need is either my smartphone or dedicated DAP put on BT and play them via my active BT speakers. I rarely take out CDs anymore to play, as they primarily serve the purpose of back up for me.
Thank you Sir, I'm sick and tired of the bull, the fact they don't highlight issues with products really ****** me off, the fact they don't follow up what they recommend is wrong .. Every item reviewed seems better than the last, then we have favourite companies so it's better .. Not all reviewers do this but most do .
Agreed. They should just be one more data point people take in and then use their own brains to make the decision that is best for them. No one is a "victim" of sales people or reviewers like some seem to position themselves. No one is ever forced to buy anything. Thanks for commenting!
You mean like Jays audio lab, buying at a HUGE discount then promoting the hell out of it and reselling for an insane profit. There's a difference in being a for profit business and just taking advantage of people.
He is pretty transparent about the fact that he does this. I could care less. I see him more as a hype guy. If I could buy the gear he has at the same prices I would jump on those opportunities. Yes he also charges to do videos at shops or do features. This is also not unique to hifi most reviewers get to keep the product after they review it or are compensated in some form.
@@klewja If your ok with such an unfair under the table advantage from manufactures or dealers he's in bed with then keep lining his pockets. it's all good.
My whole life I've listening to HiFi audio equipment. I read all the magazines and went to the audio shows. Why is it that with each new piece of equipment, music reproduction inches closer and closer to "real sound" but... it never arrives?
Hi David - certainly some new gear is better than others. But I've also found over the years that much of the new gear - to my ear - only sounds more analytical and less like real music. As always never take the work of any video, reviewer or posting of a forum and listen for yourself.
You have fallen victim to an illusion. High End can give you, let's say 70%, just to have a number, of the real thing. You never march on straight to the 80% level, you are only moving left and right along the border Line, perceiving a little more of this and then a little more of that, you are fooled by different angles of perception.
It's all about integrity or the lack of it! In certain cases I thought it was illegal for people to do reviews and not disclose that they are being paid or being given free product? A friend of mine, once told me the story of a distributor who was bringing into the country a German power amplifier. They approached What hi-fi for a review and was told that dependant on the how much advertising they were prepared to pay for in the magazine would greatly affect how favourable the review would be. I never bought the magazine again after that!
The marketing and PR hype has always been a part of the Hi-Fi business since day one. That's why reputable dealers and manufacturers have a generous return policy if the product doesn't work in your system, or more importantly---your room acoustics. And yes, YT is unfortunately notorious for reviewers in it for the freebies.
I am a proud audiophile. I read audio mags like Stereophile and TAS to get information about products I may never get to audition. That said, I sometimes chuckle at the outrageous prices and the correlation to an “excellent review” lol. I have outstanding gear, all of which I auditioned. In more than a few cases, I wouldn’t consider a piece of gear unless the company offered a “buy back/return”. In addition, I put great energy and $$ into my room. That was the difference. I am not a bit angry at Stereophile and TAS for what they do. I will continue to subscribe to those mags but really enjoy your perspective .
You got a new subscriber, I love your honesty and what you stand for. What you said is what I feel about many of these so-called "audiophiles" who pretend to be just normal and non-bias
I used to analyze and tweak 100's of peoples audio systems. I will never forget when I worked on a magazine music reviewers system and he had a blown tweeter and had no idea about it. Most reviewers are better with words than they are with knowing what creates the best sound. A buddy of mine was an editor for a major AV magazine decades ago. He quit after they told him to hype advertiser's products irrespective of the products quality. There is nothing new here. Advertisers convince most people that what they are selling is better than it really is. Popular brands are generally worse than people have any idea.
The funny thing is Michael Fremer posted on this video - and thenI think he delted it when I challenge him (I still have the screen shot) saying it was all lies and that reviewers are honest people. Funny he must be OK with how JV gets paid off to do his reviews.
@@GreekAudioGeek It is difficult to figure out who is worth listening to and who is not. I found the measurements in Stereophile matched mine, but the articles themselves were not worth reading. People have no idea how much they are being influenced by these people. I could demonstrate to many customers how flawed their gear was and the more they spent for it the more they would defend it. There are some great products out there at many price points, but finding the gems can be tricky.
How in the world can someone not notice that they have a blown tweeter? The sound coming out of one of those is just horrible. I had it happen to my High End stereo, when a drunk friend cranked it up too loud; thankfully the speaker company sent their repair man and he replaced it free of charge, as those speakers had a 10 year warranty on them.
The main problem is that many audiophile don't open The product they get to review or don't know much about electronic, so besides audiophile jargon, you don't learn anything of value. Subjective stuff have little value to me. I want a circuit description, components description, mesured data. Otherwise, it's pointless to do a review.
Exactly, they basically just tell you: "Oh, it sounds so excellent" and then give you a brief description of the sound, like: "It sounds crystal clear, so dynamic and open". But that doesn't tell you anything technical or what material is used in the components. It is really like saying "Oh, the sky is so azure blue today", which is great if you want to go for a walk, but not when you are asking yourself if you should spend several thousand Dollars or Euros on new equipment.
Thank you for you honest views. Most of us who do our home work before making our purchasing decisions, and through many years of experiences, we are aware of the dishonesty and snake oil. Kind regards again From the UK
I'm old enough to remember when there was no such thing as the internet, let alone RUclips. I had to visit stores to test out stereo equipment for myself. Guess what? The dishonesty back then was probably even more rampant than it is now. Sales people and even entire stores would collude to mislead and rip off the general public by doing things like setting up in-store listening environments in order to tell you that you're listening to one brand/model when you're actually listening to something else. That was widespread and many people were taken advantage of. They would sell people inferior equipment after letting them "test drive" premium equipment. And they would charge the customer premium prices. It was the wild west back then. When you're talking about commission-based transactions totalling thousands of dollars, no matter what the industry is, there's simply no way to know who to trust.
I find it difficult to even listen to products I’m considering. I walk in and say I want to hear two amplifiers that I’m considering and the salesman says they want to know my needs and budget and perhaps it would be better to build an entire system rather than just picking something I like. Thirty minutes later I get to listen to a totally different product and have to schedule follow up appointments to listen to something similar but still not the exact product. Today I just wanted to hear two amplifiers that the particular store carries and took my wife along in case a I loved what I heard and never did get to listen. And of course I’ll need a much better streamer and speaker cables and on and on. After all the rigamarole, I feel like I wasted an afternoon and tempted to just buy online. Has happened multiple times at different high end stores. Can’t any just let me hear what I want to hear without explaining my life story, room dimensions, budget (which is flexible to some extent depending on how good it sounds) and without scheduling follow-up appointments? And you right, I have no idea if they are putting their fingers on the scale in someway to favor a product they want to sale.
Monster Cables! But, they were the only game in town for a higher end cable that was readily available to the general public. I do miss their power supplies, I still use one in one of my systems.
@@williamhicks2763 Myself and my friend audition quite a bit of gear in our homes. We use our credit cards or outfits like Affirm or Klarna to finance purchases we may be iffy on. We want to audition but have questions, just as you do. I would say we send more gear back then we keep. In many cases the only out of pocket expense to audition for 30 to 90 days is the cost to ship the items back, including amplifiers, preamps, speakers, etc... Just because it sounds good in the shop, does not mean it will sound good in your room. Just be gentle with the packaging, do not open the accessories if you can help it. Have your own cables and power cords and use those, it makes returns much easier. We hate to do it, but if it does not sound as promised, or expected, it goes back.
@@GreekAudioGeek Thanks. Yesterday I wanted to hear the McIntosh MA12000 and the MAC7200 because I’d like to know if the price difference is worth it to me and I’ve never heard a tube pre-amp stage. So, I really just wanted to hear that difference and the power difference and see if I felt like it might be worth it. At the very end I was informed that they didn’t have an MA12000 but I could come back next week to hear the separates version and that would be similar to the MA12000. The main thing I can’t do without is a HT bypass but other than that I’m open. I really wanted to hear Audio Research as well and compare similar priced products in their lineup. So, this store was the only one that I could find that carried both brands. I do have another option to perhaps compare the McIntosh products so I’m going to call them tomorrow to see if it would be possible to compare those two units and possibly the separates side by side. As far as the Acoustic Research, I think that was the only dealer within 200 miles. We ended up listening to a Luxman 507z which was nice I’m sure but with speakers I was unfamiliar with and a very expensive streamer I had a hard time judging how it might stack up. I definitely didn’t come away feeling like it was my endgame. I’ve also been interested in Music Fidelity for a long time but haven’t found anyone that carries them. May be worth a road trip. I sort of have a similar interest with Music Fidelity in that I’d love to hear the M6xi or M8xi compared to the Nu-Vista 800.2 to know if the price difference is worth it to me and how they compare to others.
I don’t know if that helps, but despite the fact I may never be able to reasonably justify the purchase the level of gear you review, im subscribing because I do love the transparency you are providing. I appreciate the grounded approach you seem to have in every way. Yes folks should be able to make money to cover the absorbing costs of all this and the time you dedicate to it! Even those being paid flat out large dollars for reviews, are Cheetos my entitled, we just need to know how big that grain of salt is we should be taking with the review. It doesn’t make it any less valuable.
@@GreekAudioGeekwell now I’m going down a rabbit hole in your videos 😂 Now I want to go see if I can find a place to listen to an Aries Cerat! I want to hear hauntingly beautiful the rest of my life ❤❤
@@GreekAudioGeek I’m located in Minnesota, so opposite ends of the country unfortunately. No way I can drop $30k on one, plus all the ancillary equipment and cabling to go with it make sure it performs at its peak… so hoping to find a place local I can hear one 😍
I've been an Audiophile for over 30 years. I got sucked into the Audiophile BS in the Early 90's. I spent Thousands + on Stereophile Recommend Components. My Living Room became a Revolving Door. Almost every item that I saved for, and purchased, were sold on Audiomart almost Instantly! I was an independent Consultant ( after I found out the Truth!) for room, and system setup. I then followed my Ears, instead of the BS hype.
I agree! I went through the same journey. And now the forums aren't much better. Your ear and your preferences should ALWAYS be the guiding light. It's amazing how many idiots post saying not to trust your own ears and instead only buy based on measurements. I have no time for stupid sheeple like them.
I gained a reputation for being able to accurately mix the Level's, Tonality, Limiters, Expanders, for contracted Musical Venues in Clubs in Cleveland. I became very familiar with Pro Audio stuff, as well as High End Home Components. I've always Loved them Both! ( Some better than others). In the Beginning, all there was were Big Horn speakers, andlow powered Vacuum Tube Amps. Until AR, KLH, designed Acoustic Suspension Speakers that were smaller, put out good bass, and was something the wife would be willing to tolerate,Ha! So,the Schism began separating what became The Pro vs High End Audio Polarization.( Kind of like American politics now,huh?) Funny, Some Audiophiles spend more money on their home systems than the Studio That produced the recordings spent on all of their equipment! Crazy!
I went through the same journey, although mine was thankfully not 30 years long. When I lived in Germany, I saved up my money to be able to buy a High End system, by the time I was in my mid 30s. But once I did have my system (it took around 2 years to buy), I didn't want to buy more gear. But I know that there's always temptation to go down that road. What change my view completely and made me into an ex-audiophile was when I bought my floor standing JBL Partyboxes 1000s; they just sound so excellent that I know I won't need expensive and overpriced High End equipment anymore. Also its great to have movable speakers like that (they have wheels) and to be able to play them via a smartphone or dedicated DAP. Back in the day, I had a ridiculous big rig that took up a lot of space in my listening room. Technology has really improved vastly in terms of giving customers great sounding BT speakers, while lowering the prices, when compared to High End. I also discovered that a lot of audiophiles were either snobs who looks down on those that in their opinion had inferior audio gear or they seemed to be just wanting to show off, by letting others know that they have an amp that costs 10 or 20 thousand dollars, and a turn table that costs similar amounts. To me that was never the reason I wanted expensive equipment; it was always to enjoy my music collection of some 3000 CDs in the best possible sound quality.
I know I have sent back more gear than I have kept. What sounds good to one person is not always going to sound good in my setting. My buddy has done the same, we each bounce gear off of each other, which is a big help. Our systems are darn near identical at this point, and now fine tuning until the next great must have comes along. ;-)
Wait, you mean youre telling me that Michael Fremer isn't really buying $150,000.00 turntables on his salary from a niche audiophile magazine!?!? Im SHOCKED, SHOCKED I SAY!!
Not to necessarily dispute your point, but Fremer did make a point of saying that he bought his high priced turntable with profits from his DVD sales, but no doubt these people get massive discounts when buying gear for themselves.
@@homerjones3291 There is SOOOOO much more behind the scenes with reviewers than the public know about. Some of them literally demand free product and or advertising dollars and they will guarantee a good review. The new guard of reviewers has learned a lot from the old guard....
Isn’t it amazing how we see huge reductions on tvs, headphones, hifi and yet they are still making money with the discount. So is there a cartel in the hifi industry?
That makes no sense whatsoever. I have found most people who comment on how profit and loss works have no real world experience on knowledge about what they heck they are talking about. They are simply "parrots" who repeat talking points from others who have no idea what they are talking about.
I rebuilt a pair of 22 year old, budget Radio Shack speakers, with all new drivers, Crossovers, Wiring and bracing. Are they Audiophile grade? Heck I don't know, but they sound quite respectable now, with a Marantz feeding them. All for less than $500.00.
@@GreekAudioGeek I love your comment: "If you like the way they sound - or anything sounds - that is all that matters. Price, brand name, etc. mean nothing." Because listening to someone else trying to tell you what equipment you should buy because allegedly it has better sound, is like listening to someone tell you what color your new car should be. It just makes no Sense!
I upgraded for years. Cyrus,NAD, NAD, Onkyo, ARCAM,REGA....NAD again..... etc and finally settled for Yamaha. I never believed any reviews and only when I had a local reseller in order to check it out in the shop. Here's the problem and cannot be ignorded: SHOPS ARE CLOSING!!!!!!!!! We have lost three HiFi dealers in my city. It's really sad. Anyway, Yamaha Integrated with streaming and works very well. A pro-Ject turntable, second hand transmission line JM Reynaud (wiked french brand) Cantibile loudspeakers. Sound is scrumptous! I use Qobuz and it sucks. It's falling out quite often. I want to upgrade my tuntable......look forward to the next review...
Michael you are very much appreciated. I’m sure many like me migrated to this channel from others tired of their bs and glorified infomercials. Hard to hear half a critique ever . They are all so worried about repercussions that they rather omit less than positive comments. I would suggest to create a Patreon page to support your work.
I started paying closer attention to the logistics of it, something like 30 years ago. As a luxury market, they’ll spend the bucks it takes to get that wow-factor performance they know folks will pay for, but with 79, to 91% mark-up, they maintain limited runs to keep the really well made, choicest pieces for the clique! (I’m referring to the ultra-rich niche design houses) Heck! I would love a JeffRowland Design Daemon Integrated Amp sitting proudly in my listening room! I’ll keep naming names: Solution, Goldmund, Boulder, Vitus, Plinius, Bri’Labo, Tidal, Verity, Wilson Benesch, TAD! Imagine the costs of all THAT engineering and tooling!
I write for Sony. They just let me keep their stuff. A few thousand euros each year. Cameras, tv's, hifi, etc. Only written reviews. I don't like being filmed. I'm 100% free to write whatever I want. No pressure at all. I was invited to join their team after I reviewed a headphone that I bought myself. They like my style. For me It's just a hobby.
@@GreekAudioGeek Same is true in Metal Music Magazines; I used to write for one; if a big record company wants effective advertisement for one of their bands that just released an album; they will go to authors of the big magazines and tell them: "We will give you 10 000 Euros if you write a great review for this album". It's too enticing for all most all to pass up on; I mean that much cash for writing 3 paragraphs, lol.
@GreekAudioGeek It should be. What is in it for you? RUclips views? I can pick whatever I like to review. I have to say that Sony always mentions it; they stick to European laws.
@ It's OK to get paid and make money. No one should work for free. People just need to disclose that so the viewers can make an informed decision on whether to trust them or not.
Yassu Greek Audiogeek! HiFi is a "mastered technology" since the 80's - 90's! Even non highend gear is able to reproduce more than adequate fidelity The "problem" is that there is no money in that! That explains it all! OPA!!!
$3k on a headphone setup will get you the best sound you're gonna get; no need for a HE-1. Go even cheaper if you want; there's a reason the Sony MDR 7506 is still in production after 40-odd years.
When i was buying my first budget hifi, what hifi were pushing the nad3020,listened to it,asked if i could listen to something else, the superfi employee was there's nothing to match the Nad, set up a pioneer a400 that had just come in,the sound and power blew the Nad out of the water,bought it,a few months later What Hifi did a review on it,and through clenched teeth had to admit that it was a special beast, never ever listened to a 50wpc amp that had so much power(in a good way)The moral of the story is,buy what sounds good to you,don't listen to all the hifi bullshit .
It's funny that I had the opposite reaction long ago when I thought I wanted a Yamaha receiver so the salesman set it up for me. It sounded OK but nothing special. He then suggested I try the new NAD 3020 and It blew the Yamaha away. I guess I should have tried the A400 if it was available way back then!
I need some advice. I have an old Marantz 2220 B that still works and sounds really good. I just bought a pair of Elac D3. I’m considering buying a used Cambridge AXR85 because it has more power and it’s newer and has bluetooth connectivity. Would you recommend I stick to the Marantz? And buy a bluetooth receiver? Or get the Cambridge AXR85? It fits my budget. Thanks for any advice.
It's always best to see if you can try something new first. Since you love the sound of the Marantz, and the Cambridge will sound VERY different, I would suggest you keep the Marantz and add a BT receiver.
My system since 2008/2009 is a Cayin A50T Integrated Amp, Yamaha CD-S2000 SACD player, and Triangle Comete ES Speakers. It cost me $2700 brand new for the lot in 2008/2009. I thought about upgrading but after a few trips to Hi-Fi stores recently realised the industry is just a flex fest of status seeking individuals with absolutely no idea or true love of music. So, I guess I'm probably going to be playing my system for a few more years yet.
Thanks for taking the high road. Full disclosure should be required for posting product reviews anywhere, in any medium. Now that I’m old enough to afford high end gear, after years of watching from the sidelines, I’ve really wondered if my old ears can appreciate the subtleties between these products. The law of diminishing returns certainly applies with audio gear, and this invites disreputable practices. Sometimes the emperor has no clothes! I’ll return to your channel based on your transparency. Keep it up!
I use only 1990's stuff. After 2005 or so everything started going into the direction of garbage. We have arrived there by now. I just discovered this Rega Mira Clamshell from 1997. What a wonderful sounding amplifier!💕💞. Just wanna be home and listen to music all the time because of this marvel. That's how it's supposed to be, right?😉✌️
I still buy new-old Sony earphones for a daily because their price to performance back then (mid 2000's, still in their glory days) was near unmatchable, and now that the prices are more than 50% less than what they were it's a no-brainer. Of course they're not the best you'll ever get but they do reveal detail difference quite easily in different bitrate audio, even with a cheap but good Fiio KA1 DAC. For reference, I'm using Sony MDRXB 75AP that I got new for less than $30. Sony don't have a full range of consumer earphones now and there's little else with a driver over 10mm at an affordable price (the 75AP is 13.6mm). I listen to Psytrance a bit so the driver size increase makes an appreciable difference.
I buy gear based on a few key things: a good manufacturer, high quality, design and appearance, and connectivity. Lately I like Yamaha and Cambridge…I assume that good gear will sound good. I don’t need to optimize, i just want to enjoy what I have. That’s why I use Apple Music on Apple TV. I know it’s not really “audiophile”, but it’s convenient and sounds good, and I like the design and how it combines with my TV for a nice experience with music. Apple TV + Cambridge DAC + Yamaha amp = good enough for me.
The bottom line will always be this: listening to someone else trying to tell you what equipment you should buy, because allegedly it has better sound, is like listening to someone tell you what color your new car should be. It just makes no Sense!
That’s the thing right, putting trust into people and hoping they are giving honest reviews and opinions and not reading from a corporate script and selling out himself and their audience for a dollar.
Thanks a lot, to give us a sight into the costs of making the content,your goals why you are making it. Yes, do agree, you must be honest, if you get gear from the industry, or use own sources for the gear to review
of course they are getting compensation in some way.. Nobody works for free.. the problem will forever be the integrity of the reviewer.. i know one here on youtube that directly in emails say he will only give a good review if the company buy's ad spots on his webpage.. :)
Yup - then they get offended when anyone calls out the integrity of reviewers pretending they are somehow saints. I thought some of the older print media reviewers where bad, but some of these online/RUclips ones are vicious in how they operate.
@@GreekAudioGeek indeed. After I read the emails from this reviewer(and he has a decent size channel with 100k+ following) i was truly baffled. I got the correspondence from the owner of the company that was wondering if they wanted to review his amps. "I will only give you a fair and good review in a decent timeframe if you pay for ads.. if not I can not guarantee either. You risk not seeing your amp for 1-2years"... Baffled
@@BeyondResolution Insane. The one that gets me is the one who attacks brands and claims expensive gear is a scam and states to be "looking out for his viewers" while he turns around and sells equally expensive stuff as a dealer.
@GreekAudioGeek hehe, yeah the two faced kind is fun... love the ones that knocks on cables as bullshit and snakeoil.. and in the next video they are putting together a system and using expensive cables instead of the generic 🤣
Some of the "famous" reviewers from the most famous US hifi mags would go up to brands at shows and literally say "this is how it works - you give me the gear for free so I can sell it, and I will promise a positive review". The stories brands and distributors have shared frankly would be enough to make me never want to start a hifi company having to deal sith corrupt people like that who the viewers/readers think are "good".
A lot of reviews you have to read between the lines with a product. Most of the good big reviewers will state if they bought it or it was sent to them. Take ALL reviewers with a grain of salt. It’s always best to listen in person.
Hello Greek guy. I am also a Greek guy and I saw all the reviews before buying the Hifi Rose RS130. Every review said that it's a great streamer with no or little bugs. Nobody said about the software. The software is a mess. Bugs and bad behavior of the streamer to the basics. Nobody. And I came to the same conclusion. Paided reviews. There is no other explenation.
Hello! I'm sorry to hear that. I had the first streamer they had and it was very good for what it was but I also experienced some bugs. The good news is Rose seems to work continually on improving and seem committed to that (from what I have seen personally), so hopefully it gets sorted quickly.
I have the RS130 and it sounds incredible. The phone app is def lacking, but they’re looking to improve it with AI and a lot of new functions. I think the surrounding gear is just as critical to enjoying it.
@@nordthernlights6559please expand on just how they sound different or improved. I have never done an A/B comparison with cables because I don't expect to hear one.
I think Philip McKnight does that. He does this for guitars and he has a standard set of criteria he uses which is objective and he's simply applies it to any guitar that they pay him to.
All the Reviewers I watch talk about whether the equipment is free to them or they bought it, and most of them aren't the Big Dogs , use common sense when picking the Reviews to BELIEVE!!
I did buy my own gear, I was never given anything. I sold one pair of speaker and lost $1,200.00 on them. I stopped doing it as I like my system, I don't plan on buying anything else
The main fact is simply knowing, and believing YOUR OWN EARS. Not theirs! And personally, my ears enjoy biamplification with tube mids, and highs and transistor bass, and Sub-bass, along with hybrid pre amplification, be it fourth, third, or second tier from flag.🌹
I never quite understood why people fall for those fake reviews; I mean it is like asking someone what should the color of the car that I want to buy be? Just because some may like the color pink so much doesn't mean that I need to buy a car in that color, lol. And yes, this isn't comparing apples with oranges, because sound is as individual as is the preference for color, due to the fact that we all hear differently: some like more bass than others, while some like more treble than others. You just can't argue with those facts of life.
I used to be in the publishing business - before and during the internet takeover. In my businesses there was a strict church/state division. The business side stayed separate from the content side. I know that the editorial staff did not like to write reviews that were overly critical, but not because they were getting free stuff or gifts. I can’t say there wasn’t subtle influence but the editorial staff also took a lot of pride in being objective. With the internet everyone can be a publisher. You no longer have to have the infrastructure to publish a magazine. This has led to disintermediation where the intermediaries served as a buffer. Consequently the restraints in the form of ethical standards and Chinese walls have been removed. In the past reviews from professional publishers were a little more reliable but reviews are always flawed. There are always biases in reviews. Reviewers are human. And each reviewer brings different knowledge and experience. Reviews can be helpful in getting an idea of competing products and features. But they are always flawed. Transparency is helpful but it still doesn’t obviate your personal biases, misconceptions or lack of knowledge.
Well said and I agree. Bias is OK - it's human. With transparency simply comes having the effect of minimizing perceived paid bias. At the end of the day even posters on forums all have biases - so people need to simply take in lots of data points from all sources and make a decision for themselves. Too many want to be told what to buy and are lazy.
Hey Dr - respectfully youdon't know about how he acquires gear (sometimes for free), resells it and makes money off manufacturers? Also, do you think he just "happens" to walk into certain rooms at shows out of mere curiosity? How do you think he makes money as this is his full time job now?
I'm not going to speak ill of him and I wish him continued success. He certainly puts a lot of time and effort into his channel. He simply chooses to make money in ways I would not do myself. In NO WAY am I suggesting anything is illegal.
There is nothing wrong with making $$$ our of this endeavor but full transparency for the sake of understanding one's motivations is the right way to go.
The majority of "audiophile" demos are not music; instead stupid sounds of solo drums, or wispy strings, or solo vocals. I'm immediately turned off. Rarely do you find multiple instruments playing a rhythm and melody and noticing the separation and clarity of each instrument all in a pleasing way. I've been obsessed with MUSIC first, played through great gear, since the late 60's. I find most "audiophiles to be equipment eggheads, but they couldn't tell you the personnel who played and recorded which album throughout the decades. Thanks!
I agree, majority of HiFi RUclips reviewers are just plain liars, they are just monetizing their channels. That’s all they’re interested in. The art is who is the best at conning people. disgusting.
This reminds me of a youtuber out there that praises almost everything he has, and its ridiculous; in his attic alone he must have at least 30-40 different BT Speakers, and he even admitted in one chat that he get's to keep the things he reviews.
Another u toob hifi reviewer basically said he either gets or negotiates dealer cost or below, hypes up the gear on here and then sells it for a profit. It got so bad at one print hifi publication that they only reviewed brands that bought advertising and then for one of their 12 issues they published per year, gave a round up of the best gear of the year and it was the same stuff all over again.
Hello - the "big" youtuber charges $1,500 to a company to make it look like he just happened to walk into a companies room at a show. He also gets stuff sent to him for free in exchange for positive coverage. No pay = no show coverage. Another FB and YT online publication that often goes by 3 letters is the same way - if you don't pay them they will completely refuse to even mention you in their show coverage. As I said, it's totally OK to make money. Just be honest about it.
@@GreekAudioGeek Its been the same way with music reviews in Metal. I should know, I once wrote for a Metal magazine. They'll tell the reviewers: "If you give this new album a glowing review (from our label), then you'll get 10 000 Euro in your account". It's obviously hard to resist such temptation, as you'll probably never make easier cash then writing a 3 paragraph review for some album that turns into an adulation. Anyways, that's how it was back in the day, when the internet wasn't that big. Nowadays, I guess that RUclips has put plenty of dishonest reviewers out of business, as people can just listen to whatever they want to there. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of the Audio Industry.
Thanks so much! I hope you'll subscribe. You can get them through here - call them and tell them you saw my video and they will really help out! axissaudio.com/brands/nihon-onkyo-engineering/
Didn't see this video until today .. I posted something similar about being transparent and how to evaluate the people telling us the details. Transparency is needed.
I like the approach. In the world of marketing, todays viewers/consumers of RUclips channels/reviews are the actual rope in the tug of war between egotistical class envy sales style and the militant measuring nazi's. I'm punching way above my pay grade for the system I have. Because of that I am considered an Audiofool from the chifi crowd and trailer trash by the ultra high end Gucci crowd. I just love listing to great sound. If that has to be in someone else's house so be it.
I've discovered if the fools on FB and forums have a problem with what you are doing, that usually means you are doing something right. Most of those idiots are sheeple who still haven't left their mothers basement and only own a pair of apple earpods yet they attack everyone else.
It's really obvious when you think about it.The hi-fi manufacturers are paying many dollars go promote their stuff.The least they expect is a review.Preferably favourable and then they can buy some more advertising.
I also blame any consumer that buys something simply because someone says so. We ALL hear differently - we all all need to listen to gear before we buy something. Buying something barbecue a reviewer - or someone on a forum said it's great is lazy and foolish. It's not the businesses fault for trying to sell their product. No one is forced to buy anything.
Seriously, take a Pixel phone, use DaVinci its free, shoot 1080p, a blue yeti and I guess you get there 94% - but I do understand it's more fun with better gear 😂😊
To me the problem is people (viewers) are taking these reviews as gospel on what gear to buy! Reviews are peoples opinions and tailored to their tastes not yours or mine. Reviews are or should be an insight to learning more about the gear that is available. We as listeners need to use our own ears and likes to choose the gear that is right for us. I was caught up in buying and finding the best. Then realized it is a bottomless pit and is all to ones tastes not actually better or worse. Now there is bad gear lol. Measurements are another downward spiral people get caught up in/with. Some things measure not so good yet sound wonderful to me. Good video and nice to see honesty. I will stop my rant now lol. I have many Kenwood recievers, Crown M600 monoblocks labled Picker international, Crown XLI 3500, Crown XLS 2502, PS Audio, RME, Sublime Acoustic, Sansui, Denon and Sound Performance Labs (SPL) gear. All are different and all have a place where I like them. It is just what I have and like and am not for or against other brands. Once again reviewers should be a way to see other gear we are not familiar with. Then we have to listen ourselves and decide.
I’m not an expert but I can’t tell the difference between my Pro-ject colourful audio system and a technics £40K full super duper set up. Both sound amazing to my untrained novice ears 🤷🏼♂️
A lot of review sites may not push audiophile level bologna, but they certainly do not want "bad mouth" ANY products either. Losing advertisers kills magazines. It's always been a bad situation. Some things are also very subjective and a room can make or break many products, especially speakers. You used to be able to try before you buy at some retailers, but the internet has killed a lot of hi-fi shops. There's virtually nothing local to me anymore.
Well I have a tendency to take things with a grain of salt in general. All my " Professional review" as well as reviews by content creators is always subsidized by actual people who have actually bought the gear themselves. This has worked well for me and all the gear that I have has proven to be what it was said to be.. The point however is still well taken .
Robinson, cheapaudioman, audiophiliac, Darko, steve huff, joshua valor, and every othef 'reviewers' that quit a real job to become a full time RUclipsr should be avoided.
I don't care what they say....All I know is my system sounds amazing....I have a Dared I30 amp hooked up to a pair of JBL L880's with Kimber Kable speaker wires...
Thanks for sharing this insight into the behind-the-scenes aspects of the audiophile review industry. It’s refreshing to hear someone address the transparency issues so openly. I appreciate your commitment to honesty and the way you distinguish your channel from others by explaining your approach and expenses.
That said, I think you spent a lot of time discussing the inner workings of your own channel. While I understand the value in explaining your transparency and philosophy, it feels like it took up a significant part of the video. Since the title suggests a broader look at “SECRETS Behind Audiophile Reviews” and “HiFi Dishonesty,” I was expecting more examples or specific insights into industry practices overall. For example, delving more into the specifics of how certain industry players or platforms operate, or perhaps sharing detailed cases of how some review processes might be influenced, could have provided a broader perspective.
Don’t get me wrong-I value the transparency you’re bringing to your content. It would just be great to see future videos that dive deeper into the industry as a whole, with more examples or comparisons, since that would really help viewers grasp the broader landscape of audiophile review practices.
Thanks for your comment. I do appreciate it.
OK here goes:
Some of the "big" hifi reviewers get sent free gear from mfg's to promote. They then usually turn around and sell that gear immediately for profit.
They also don't just "happen" to cover rooms or gear you seen them cover in shows. Where as I cover gear and brands I actually LIKE, they will only cover brands who pay. One of them won't even walk into the room for less than $1,500, and another one won't send any of their people into a room unless you pay a minimum of $600.
So in order for these guys to talk about the gear you think is random, they are demanding payment from the brands to cover them. In many instances if you don't pay, they won't talk about you....ever.
I have specifics of who charges what as it's an open secret and they openly talk about their charges to companies at the shows, but they seem to forget to mention that it's paid coverage in their videos.
And there are others still who if your DON'T pay them their price, will say on their videos that the room sounded poor.
Yes I have specifics about people who do this and have verified this through numerous different people who have their own similar stores with the same people. No I won't publicly say names.
They will implode at some point on their own. I'm not worried about them. I'm too focused on doing my own thing.
@@GreekAudioGeekI realize you can't name who they are. But if we don't know who they are, whose reviews can we trust? It's frustrating.
@@dallasmorrison6983 Why do you need to trust anyone? Why would you EVER take someone else's opinion on something so subjective as sound? Why do you need someone else to tell you what to buy?
@@GreekAudioGeekwell said! That’s why I always tell people that the only thing which matters is how an audio gear (whatever it might be) sounds to them; everyone has opinions.
The other thing we’ve all noticed that is missing from most audiophile reviews is technical/ scientific data. To your point, sound is subjective, if the listener is the subject, their hearing and perception of the sound they hear is all that matters.
The reality is that we have an information overload today; too many reviews out there (not to mention the issues that your video touches up on very well - thank you for your honesty and the courage) and most people/ viewers take the word of the reviewers. Some people will understand this in the long run but the majority of people will go by the reviews out there.
I gave a negative review on an amp a viewer sent me and data to back up my review. I was contacted by the manufacturer asking me to take it down. When I said no, they openly offered to GIVE me several of their multi thousand dollar amps to take it down. When I said no and explained what was wrong with their product, they asked if they fixed the product, would I re-review it. I said "Sure", they fixed the main problems, I gave it a nice review. Then they threatened legal action for pointing out they fixed the problems the earlier version had and openly denied that they made any production changes, when I have a video SHOWING the changes they made. Bizarre! Oh and this Amp was awarded "Amp of the year" by multiple other influencers.
That's crazy but not surprising from what I've seen.
Keep up the good work and stand by your good ethics!
I read an article where a reviewer was sued.
I don't remember the details.
@@Zenos174yeah it's a secret. Wtf
@@Zenos174I think it was the Wilsenton R8
That had to be the willsenton r8.
The biggest ( sickest ) joke about being an audiophile is that by the time you can afford high end gear ( your late 40s & 50s ) your hearing has degraded to the point that buying the expensive gear doesn't matter...😂
I didn’t mean to repeat you, but I missed your comment until after I wrote mine! Well said.
Good joke, luckily my ears are still fine. I do not wanna speak about my eyes. They suck.
That's actually arguably when you need the gear the most
Absolutely true, by the time I was able to afford a lower High End Stereo I was in my mid 30s, and I'm sure my ears weren't as good as when I was a teenager, who first discovered his undying love for music!
The cheap audio man should listen to this.✅💵
I trust the cheapaudioman as far as I can throw him.
He belongs in the audio reviewer's hall of shame.
@CompetentSalesUSA that man's channel is trash. I feel dumb admitting that I had followed his channel for a while
America is ONE BIG COMMERCIAL, in a nut shell. Great video.
I stopped reading Stereophile and Home Theater Review over a decade ago because it was obvious they were FOS. Most of the mega-buck gear that F***er and R***y recommended I ended up sending back because it just didn't sound good in my system. Yes, it floated on a fluid bed and was drenched in a fluid bath filled by monks in the Himalayan mountains over 100 years ago...but it didn't sound good! I have no doubt the anointed reviewers are VERY well compensated both on top of and under the table for their reviews. Try it in your system and see if you like it. I only do business with companies that allow a trial period on products. If they don't, I won't do business with them because without hearing it in your system, it's a very, very expensive crap shot.
I totally agree with you that trying in your system is the MOST important thing. That's why I say in all my other videos to NOT take my advice, and go listen for yourself. Thanks for watching.
Stereophile is the men’s equivalent of a fashion magazine read by women advertising $15,000 handbags.
@@sciagurrato1831 I can't believe it still in publication. I haven't opened a Stereophile in over 10 years.
@@GreekAudioGeek like the glossy supplements to the Sunday NYT, WSJ, and FT - it’s paid for by advertiser. The fact that there is an occasional informative piece (or a “test disc”) doesn’t change its essence as a commercial endeavor.
@@sciagurrato1831 Its openly talked about the prices of some of their former staff.
thanks for your honesty... you confirm what i've been thinking for a while: most audio reviewers are just sophisticated salesmen... some are better than others, but in the end, it comes down to what you're saying... and i agree with you about sixmoons... which is also the only magazine i read regularly...
What a wonderful Accuphase amplifier! I live just a 5-minute walk from Accuphase's headquarters. My own Accuphase is a model from over 30 years ago, though.
You are spot on when it comes to full time politicians. A drain on taxpayers. A waste of money and time. They spend most of their time making money for themselves instead of passing legislation. Part time like Texas is the way to go. Hi-fi is the least of our worries. Thanks for your video. Rock on!
Thanks Bobby. I enjoy hifi as it helps me escape from the problems in the real world sometimes.
Appreciate you. I'm well aware of the time involved in running a channel 😏 I just found your channel and and its refreshing to see an un objective HIFI channel. 👍 I have a Timbernation stand as well! I just took your advice and ordered some of the Stack Audio Isolators. Keep up the good work! Subscribed!
Thank you!
I like my Timber Nation shelf but have found I need a different design/set up so I've outgrown it. I need to figure out what I'm going to do at some point.
Stack Audio is fantastic stuff and the in home trial makes sure you like what you buy.
I have also noticed that forums like Head Fi are FULL of shills or at least hardcore fanboys that cannot allow any criticism to stand.
Agreed. There are in fact paid shills on ALL the forums who pretend to be normal people.
Great video! Being honest is a luxury in hi-fi reviews.
I appreciate that!
I'm an audio engineer from a recording/mixing standpoint and most of the clowns out there are chart readers and cannot hear the differences they are describing. Not saying there aren't exceptions but most of these channels cannot hear jack crap it is mostly hype.
1000% true.
Also an audio/mixing engineer, and agree 1000%.
Yes, most of them have no knowledge or real knowledge of sonics, or how the equipment they are praising actually works. Its actually embarrassing, as you'd think they know what they are writing and talking about.
My visits to High End shops were always disappointing, because those sale reps would always try to push certain brands on to you, since that's where they made their most commissions on. You could tell, because if you mentioned some equipment that they didn't sell they'd try to disparage about it in some way, or they'd simply claim that other companies (that they sold in their store) were the better ones.
In my opinion I stick with lower mid fi..... To me my $800 Arcam int amp with Wharfedale Dentons and ML Sub is all that ill ever need. For me, there is certainly a point of good enough.
And there is nothing wrong with that! So long as you are happy that is all that matter.
After all, the goal is to go from point A to point B within your means (budget, tastes, etc.) We all have varied tastes, etc.
The high end audio companies need reviewers to hype their gear as”the best ever” or made such an improvement that they now can’t live without it; otherwise they would go out of business. They need to convince the audiophiles with more money than common sense to first overspend for components because they’re so wonderful and then convince them that they need this or that accessory (power regenerator/conditioners, turntable speed control, DDC, power/speaker cables, isolation pucks, cable risers) to actually make their system sound good, because obviously the high priced goods they bought weren’t actually built well enough to eliminate the most basic (and common) issues.
You say " more money than common sense". Why do people always play the jealous class-warfare angle? There are an awful lot of poor people who are stupid to. But someone buys something you don't agree with and you are smarter than they are? smh
the more expensive the ad space they buy ,the better the magazine reviews.
Pretty much.
Some of the print reviewers receive the 'payments' directly to them in the form of demanding the keep the gear for free to promote a positive review, plus being taken out to a very particular expensive restaurant plus always ordering the same $300 bottle of wine at those dinners.
The RUclipsrs are different as they accept both $$ and demand free fear as a precursor to even agreeing to do a review.
Other online outlets give the impression of having done a review or simply posting info but in fact charge the manufacturers $$ to even talk about their gear and lets the mfg write or guide much of what is said.
Like I've said repeatedly - EVERYONE DESERVES TO BE PAID FOR THEIR TIME AND EFFORT. However they need to simply be open and transparent to the viewers/readers about the process. If they have nothing to hide, why won't they do that?
Again, there are no secrets in the high end audio world and everyone talks.
Same goes for all so said "rewiers" you can find on RUclips, look at that guy Steve huff, in one week thé guy is going to pretend listenting thé BEST amp ever hahahah
@@Spicycomment1 LOL. You mean ANOTHER best amp ever?
@@JohnLee-db9zt he's manipulator, youtube keywords huff paranormal... You will Witness by yourself...
I always suspected this. Back in the day, in the early 2000s I was deeply into High End Stereo equipment, and obviously I was totally into the big Names in High End equipment. I used to read 3 separate stereo magazines (real ones not online, as online was limited in that regard back then). When I finally got all my High End gear I thought I had it all.
It's only a few years ago when I had an awakening, as I realized, no longer having that High End stereo, when I bought JBL BT Speakers (JBL Partybox 1000s) that I couldn't believe just how good they sounded even though they are clearly not High End. That's when I found out, just how much better audio/stereo equipment has gotten technologically speaking. I am still amazed when I think how little if at all I miss that High End stereo; now I just have BT speakers, and its great because I no longer need a big amp and pre-amp I used to have, no longer need my 34 band equalizer, no longer need those big floor standing speakers, and I don't even need a CD player anymore (although I still have a good one), and can still enjoy my music in excellent quality, paying very little in comparison to what I used to pay for High End equipment.
However, having almost 3000 CDs means that I still want to have very good sound quality to hear them, with BT technology that has gotten so much easier: my stereo rack, back in the day, was huge, it had 3 separate CD players alone (a regular one, an SACD one, and a twin CD recorder, all from big name firms), a amp & pre-amp, and a big equalizer; no longer need those big floor standing speakers; it was ridiculous in terms of size. Now its so easy and convenient to listen to my music, all I need is either my smartphone or dedicated DAP put on BT and play them via my active BT speakers. I rarely take out CDs anymore to play, as they primarily serve the purpose of back up for me.
Thank you Sir, I'm sick and tired of the bull, the fact they don't highlight issues with products really ****** me off, the fact they don't follow up what they recommend is wrong .. Every item reviewed seems better than the last, then we have favourite companies so it's better ..
Not all reviewers do this but most do .
I always view reviewers and salesmen the same way. It always surprises me when other people don't
Agreed. They should just be one more data point people take in and then use their own brains to make the decision that is best for them. No one is a "victim" of sales people or reviewers like some seem to position themselves. No one is ever forced to buy anything. Thanks for commenting!
You mean like Jays audio lab, buying at a HUGE discount then promoting the hell out of it and reselling for an insane profit. There's a difference in being a for profit business and just taking advantage of people.
OCD Mike is doing the same thing, even offering good brands because they don’t move enough or there margins are lower
jay doesn’t hide he is honest about what he does. he buys everything at least 50% below retail makes videos and flips it.
He is pretty transparent about the fact that he does this. I could care less. I see him more as a hype guy. If I could buy the gear he has at the same prices I would jump on those opportunities.
Yes he also charges to do videos at shops or do features. This is also not unique to hifi most reviewers get to keep the product after they review it or are compensated in some form.
@@klewja If your ok with such an unfair under the table advantage from manufactures or dealers he's in bed with then keep lining his pockets. it's all good.
My whole life I've listening to HiFi audio equipment. I read all the magazines and went to the audio shows. Why is it that with each new piece of equipment, music reproduction inches closer and closer to "real sound" but... it never arrives?
Hi David - certainly some new gear is better than others. But I've also found over the years that much of the new gear - to my ear - only sounds more analytical and less like real music. As always never take the work of any video, reviewer or posting of a forum and listen for yourself.
You have fallen victim to an illusion. High End can give you, let's say 70%, just to have a number, of the real thing. You never march on straight to the 80% level, you are only moving left and right along the border Line, perceiving a little more of this and then a little more of that, you are fooled by different angles of perception.
It's all about integrity or the lack of it!
In certain cases I thought it was illegal for people to do reviews and not disclose that they are being paid or being given free product?
A friend of mine, once told me the story of a distributor who was bringing into the country a German power amplifier.
They approached What hi-fi for a review and was told that dependant on the how much advertising they were prepared to pay for in the magazine would greatly affect how favourable the review would be.
I never bought the magazine again after that!
Every magazine does this but Twhat Hifi is probably the worse.
You are freaking awesome dude! First time viewer and now lifetime subsriber. Glad I happenestanced ur channel!!🙂
Awesome! Thank you!
I admire your honesty and wishing you luck as you move forward.
Thank you very much Rick. I do appreciate it.
The marketing and PR hype has always been a part of the Hi-Fi business since day one. That's why reputable dealers and manufacturers have a generous return policy if the product doesn't work in your system, or more importantly---your room acoustics. And yes, YT is unfortunately notorious for reviewers in it for the freebies.
Thanks for your honesty! I've never watched your channel before, but have just subscribed.
Me too.
I am a proud audiophile. I read audio mags like Stereophile and TAS to get information about products I may never get to audition. That said, I sometimes chuckle at the outrageous prices and the correlation to an “excellent review” lol. I have outstanding gear, all of which I auditioned. In more than a few cases, I wouldn’t consider a piece of gear unless the company offered a “buy back/return”. In addition, I put great energy and $$ into my room. That was the difference. I am not a bit angry at Stereophile and TAS for what they do. I will continue to subscribe to those mags but really enjoy your perspective .
Well said Greg and thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree 100% with you.
I take reviews as only someone's opinion and to get an idea of what is out there. The goal is to go from point A to point B within your means.
You got a new subscriber, I love your honesty and what you stand for. What you said is what I feel about many of these so-called "audiophiles" who pretend to be just normal and non-bias
Thank you so much, Benny!
An excellent video subject, I can’t wait to see more like this. Very humorous, entertaining, and informative. Keep it up!
I talk unscripted and sometimes it takes longer than others. :)
@@ZERO-CAPACITANCE Wow - you could see this as an opportunity to see that with snarky comments you sometimes get snarky responses. :)
@@GreekAudioGeek OK, I will change my original comment. Didn’t mean for it to come off like that.
@@ZERO-CAPACITANCE Fair enough. Thank you kindly.
I used to analyze and tweak 100's of peoples audio systems. I will never forget when I worked on a magazine music reviewers system and he had a blown tweeter and had no idea about it. Most reviewers are better with words than they are with knowing what creates the best sound.
A buddy of mine was an editor for a major AV magazine decades ago. He quit after they told him to hype advertiser's products irrespective of the products quality. There is nothing new here.
Advertisers convince most people that what they are selling is better than it really is. Popular brands are generally worse than people have any idea.
The funny thing is Michael Fremer posted on this video - and thenI think he delted it when I challenge him (I still have the screen shot) saying it was all lies and that reviewers are honest people. Funny he must be OK with how JV gets paid off to do his reviews.
@@GreekAudioGeek It is difficult to figure out who is worth listening to and who is not. I found the measurements in Stereophile matched mine, but the articles themselves were not worth reading.
People have no idea how much they are being influenced by these people. I could demonstrate to many customers how flawed their gear was and the more they spent for it the more they would defend it.
There are some great products out there at many price points, but finding the gems can be tricky.
How in the world can someone not notice that they have a blown tweeter? The sound coming out of one of those is just horrible. I had it happen to my High End stereo, when a drunk friend cranked it up too loud; thankfully the speaker company sent their repair man and he replaced it free of charge, as those speakers had a 10 year warranty on them.
@@mansurkhan2764 No idea, but it shows how worthless "professional" reviews can be.
The main problem is that many audiophile don't open The product they get to review or don't know much about electronic, so besides audiophile jargon, you don't learn anything of value. Subjective stuff have little value to me. I want a circuit description, components description, mesured data. Otherwise, it's pointless to do a review.
If you care how it measures you don't care how it sounds. There are plenty of sites that play the "listen with your eyes and not your ears" game.
Exactly, they basically just tell you: "Oh, it sounds so excellent" and then give you a brief description of the sound, like: "It sounds crystal clear, so dynamic and open". But that doesn't tell you anything technical or what material is used in the components. It is really like saying "Oh, the sky is so azure blue today", which is great if you want to go for a walk, but not when you are asking yourself if you should spend several thousand Dollars or Euros on new equipment.
Thank you for you honest views. Most of us who do our home work before making our purchasing decisions, and through many years of experiences, we are aware of the dishonesty and snake oil.
Kind regards again
From the UK
I'm old enough to remember when there was no such thing as the internet, let alone RUclips. I had to visit stores to test out stereo equipment for myself.
Guess what? The dishonesty back then was probably even more rampant than it is now.
Sales people and even entire stores would collude to mislead and rip off the general public by doing things like setting up in-store listening environments in order to tell you that you're listening to one brand/model when you're actually listening to something else. That was widespread and many people were taken advantage of.
They would sell people inferior equipment after letting them "test drive" premium equipment. And they would charge the customer premium prices. It was the wild west back then.
When you're talking about commission-based transactions totalling thousands of dollars, no matter what the industry is, there's simply no way to know who to trust.
I find it difficult to even listen to products I’m considering. I walk in and say I want to hear two amplifiers that I’m considering and the salesman says they want to know my needs and budget and perhaps it would be better to build an entire system rather than just picking something I like. Thirty minutes later I get to listen to a totally different product and have to schedule follow up appointments to listen to something similar but still not the exact product. Today I just wanted to hear two amplifiers that the particular store carries and took my wife along in case a I loved what I heard and never did get to listen. And of course I’ll need a much better streamer and speaker cables and on and on. After all the rigamarole, I feel like I wasted an afternoon and tempted to just buy online. Has happened multiple times at different high end stores. Can’t any just let me hear what I want to hear without explaining my life story, room dimensions, budget (which is flexible to some extent depending on how good it sounds) and without scheduling follow-up appointments? And you right, I have no idea if they are putting their fingers on the scale in someway to favor a product they want to sale.
Monster Cables! But, they were the only game in town for a higher end cable that was readily available to the general public. I do miss their power supplies, I still use one in one of my systems.
@william - That's unfortunate. What brands are you looking at? I may be able to recommend a dealer for them I've had a good buying experience with.
@@williamhicks2763 Myself and my friend audition quite a bit of gear in our homes. We use our credit cards or outfits like Affirm or Klarna to finance purchases we may be iffy on. We want to audition but have questions, just as you do. I would say we send more gear back then we keep. In many cases the only out of pocket expense to audition for 30 to 90 days is the cost to ship the items back, including amplifiers, preamps, speakers, etc... Just because it sounds good in the shop, does not mean it will sound good in your room. Just be gentle with the packaging, do not open the accessories if you can help it. Have your own cables and power cords and use those, it makes returns much easier. We hate to do it, but if it does not sound as promised, or expected, it goes back.
@@GreekAudioGeek Thanks. Yesterday I wanted to hear the McIntosh MA12000 and the MAC7200 because I’d like to know if the price difference is worth it to me and I’ve never heard a tube pre-amp stage. So, I really just wanted to hear that difference and the power difference and see if I felt like it might be worth it. At the very end I was informed that they didn’t have an MA12000 but I could come back next week to hear the separates version and that would be similar to the MA12000. The main thing I can’t do without is a HT bypass but other than that I’m open. I really wanted to hear Audio Research as well and compare similar priced products in their lineup. So, this store was the only one that I could find that carried both brands. I do have another option to perhaps compare the McIntosh products so I’m going to call them tomorrow to see if it would be possible to compare those two units and possibly the separates side by side. As far as the Acoustic Research, I think that was the only dealer within 200 miles. We ended up listening to a Luxman 507z which was nice I’m sure but with speakers I was unfamiliar with and a very expensive streamer I had a hard time judging how it might stack up. I definitely didn’t come away feeling like it was my endgame.
I’ve also been interested in Music Fidelity for a long time but haven’t found anyone that carries them. May be worth a road trip. I sort of have a similar interest with Music Fidelity in that I’d love to hear the M6xi or M8xi compared to the Nu-Vista 800.2 to know if the price difference is worth it to me and how they compare to others.
I don’t know if that helps, but despite the fact I may never be able to reasonably justify the purchase the level of gear you review, im subscribing because I do love the transparency you are providing. I appreciate the grounded approach you seem to have in every way. Yes folks should be able to make money to cover the absorbing costs of all this and the time you dedicate to it! Even those being paid flat out large dollars for reviews, are Cheetos my entitled, we just need to know how big that grain of salt is we should be taking with the review. It doesn’t make it any less valuable.
Thank you so much Thomas. I really do appreciate it.
@@GreekAudioGeekwell now I’m going down a rabbit hole in your videos 😂 Now I want to go see if I can find a place to listen to an Aries Cerat! I want to hear hauntingly beautiful the rest of my life ❤❤
I dealt with the dealer in Texas - Believe High Fidelity. What state are you in? He services the entire USA and so far has been awesome to deal with.
@@GreekAudioGeek I’m located in Minnesota, so opposite ends of the country unfortunately. No way I can drop $30k on one, plus all the ancillary equipment and cabling to go with it make sure it performs at its peak… so hoping to find a place local I can hear one 😍
I've been an Audiophile for over 30 years. I got sucked into the Audiophile BS in the Early 90's. I spent Thousands + on Stereophile Recommend Components. My Living Room became a Revolving Door. Almost every item that I saved for, and purchased, were sold on Audiomart almost Instantly! I was an independent Consultant ( after I found out the Truth!) for room, and system setup. I then followed my Ears, instead of the BS hype.
I agree! I went through the same journey. And now the forums aren't much better.
Your ear and your preferences should ALWAYS be the guiding light.
It's amazing how many idiots post saying not to trust your own ears and instead only buy based on measurements. I have no time for stupid sheeple like them.
I gained a reputation for being able to accurately mix the Level's, Tonality, Limiters, Expanders, for contracted Musical Venues in Clubs in Cleveland. I became very familiar with Pro Audio stuff, as well as High End Home Components. I've always Loved them Both! ( Some better than others). In the Beginning, all there was were Big Horn speakers, andlow powered Vacuum Tube Amps. Until AR, KLH, designed Acoustic Suspension Speakers that were smaller, put out good bass, and was something the wife would be willing to tolerate,Ha! So,the Schism began separating what became The Pro vs High End Audio Polarization.( Kind of like American politics now,huh?) Funny, Some Audiophiles spend more money on their home systems than the Studio That produced the recordings spent on all of their equipment! Crazy!
I went through the same journey, although mine was thankfully not 30 years long. When I lived in Germany, I saved up my money to be able to buy a High End system, by the time I was in my mid 30s. But once I did have my system (it took around 2 years to buy), I didn't want to buy more gear. But I know that there's always temptation to go down that road.
What change my view completely and made me into an ex-audiophile was when I bought my floor standing JBL Partyboxes 1000s; they just sound so excellent that I know I won't need expensive and overpriced High End equipment anymore.
Also its great to have movable speakers like that (they have wheels) and to be able to play them via a smartphone or dedicated DAP. Back in the day, I had a ridiculous big rig that took up a lot of space in my listening room. Technology has really improved vastly in terms of giving customers great sounding BT speakers, while lowering the prices, when compared to High End.
I also discovered that a lot of audiophiles were either snobs who looks down on those that in their opinion had inferior audio gear or they seemed to be just wanting to show off, by letting others know that they have an amp that costs 10 or 20 thousand dollars, and a turn table that costs similar amounts. To me that was never the reason I wanted expensive equipment; it was always to enjoy my music collection of some 3000 CDs in the best possible sound quality.
I know I have sent back more gear than I have kept. What sounds good to one person is not always going to sound good in my setting. My buddy has done the same, we each bounce gear off of each other, which is a big help. Our systems are darn near identical at this point, and now fine tuning until the next great must have comes along. ;-)
Listening and personal preference is key!
Wait, you mean youre telling me that Michael Fremer isn't really buying $150,000.00 turntables on his salary from a niche audiophile magazine!?!? Im SHOCKED, SHOCKED I SAY!!
You'd be surprised how many people have messaged me to tell me what I said is not true. They live in a bubble. LOL
Not to necessarily dispute your point, but Fremer did make a point of saying that he bought his high priced turntable with profits from his DVD sales, but no doubt these people get massive discounts when buying gear for themselves.
@@homerjones3291 There is SOOOOO much more behind the scenes with reviewers than the public know about. Some of them literally demand free product and or advertising dollars and they will guarantee a good review. The new guard of reviewers has learned a lot from the old guard....
Can I share this comment? Amd repost it?@@GreekAudioGeek
Isn’t it amazing how we see huge reductions on tvs, headphones, hifi and yet they are still making money with the discount. So is there a cartel in the hifi industry?
That makes no sense whatsoever. I have found most people who comment on how profit and loss works have no real world experience on knowledge about what they heck they are talking about. They are simply "parrots" who repeat talking points from others who have no idea what they are talking about.
I rebuilt a pair of 22 year old, budget Radio Shack speakers, with all new drivers, Crossovers, Wiring and bracing.
Are they Audiophile grade?
Heck I don't know, but they sound quite respectable now, with a Marantz feeding them.
All for less than $500.00.
If you like the way they sound - or anything sounds - that is all that matters. Price, brand name, etc mean nothing.
@@GreekAudioGeek
Yes Sir
@@GreekAudioGeek I love your comment: "If you like the way they sound - or anything sounds - that is all that matters. Price, brand name, etc. mean nothing." Because listening to someone else trying to tell you what equipment you should buy because allegedly it has better sound, is like listening to someone tell you what color your new car should be. It just makes no Sense!
Authenticity is a rare commodity these days and a mark of distinction in the audioflies swarm. Stay true and keep on keeping on. Subscription +1
I upgraded for years. Cyrus,NAD, NAD, Onkyo, ARCAM,REGA....NAD again..... etc and finally settled for Yamaha. I never believed any reviews and only when I had a local reseller in order to check it out in the shop. Here's the problem and cannot be ignorded: SHOPS ARE CLOSING!!!!!!!!! We have lost three HiFi dealers in my city. It's really sad. Anyway, Yamaha Integrated with streaming and works very well. A pro-Ject turntable, second hand transmission line JM Reynaud (wiked french brand) Cantibile loudspeakers. Sound is scrumptous! I use Qobuz and it sucks. It's falling out quite often. I want to upgrade my tuntable......look forward to the next review...
We need to support our local dealers.
These speakers DESTROY one’s costing 10x as much! Sure.
Michael you are very much appreciated. I’m sure many like me migrated to this channel from others tired of their bs and glorified infomercials.
Hard to hear half a critique ever . They are all so worried about repercussions that they rather omit less than positive comments.
I would suggest to create a Patreon page to support your work.
I started paying closer attention to the logistics of it, something like 30 years ago. As a luxury market, they’ll spend the bucks it takes to get that wow-factor performance they know folks will pay for, but with 79, to 91% mark-up, they maintain limited runs to keep the really well made, choicest pieces for the clique! (I’m referring to the ultra-rich niche design houses) Heck! I would love a JeffRowland Design Daemon Integrated Amp sitting proudly in my listening room! I’ll keep naming names: Solution, Goldmund, Boulder, Vitus, Plinius, Bri’Labo, Tidal, Verity, Wilson Benesch, TAD!
Imagine the costs of all THAT engineering and tooling!
I write for Sony. They just let me keep their stuff. A few thousand euros each year. Cameras, tv's, hifi, etc. Only written reviews. I don't like being filmed. I'm 100% free to write whatever I want. No pressure at all. I was invited to join their team after I reviewed a headphone that I bought myself. They like my style. For me It's just a hobby.
That sounds like a nice set up. That's not how it works in high end audio though.
@@GreekAudioGeek Same is true in Metal Music Magazines; I used to write for one; if a big record company wants effective advertisement for one of their bands that just released an album; they will go to authors of the big magazines and tell them: "We will give you 10 000 Euros if you write a great review for this album". It's too enticing for all most all to pass up on; I mean that much cash for writing 3 paragraphs, lol.
@GreekAudioGeek It should be. What is in it for you? RUclips views? I can pick whatever I like to review. I have to say that Sony always mentions it; they stick to European laws.
@ I've explained it repeatedly in my videos what's in it for me.
@ It's OK to get paid and make money. No one should work for free. People just need to disclose that so the viewers can make an informed decision on whether to trust them or not.
Yassu Greek Audiogeek!
HiFi is a "mastered technology" since the 80's - 90's! Even non highend gear is able to reproduce more than adequate fidelity
The "problem" is that there is no money in that! That explains it all! OPA!!!
Καλημέρα! Thank you for sharing your comment!
$3k on a headphone setup will get you the best sound you're gonna get; no need for a HE-1.
Go even cheaper if you want; there's a reason the Sony MDR 7506 is still in production after 40-odd years.
When i was buying my first budget hifi, what hifi were pushing the nad3020,listened to it,asked if i could listen to something else, the superfi employee was there's nothing to match the Nad, set up a pioneer a400 that had just come in,the sound and power blew the Nad out of the water,bought it,a few months later What Hifi did a review on it,and through clenched teeth had to admit that it was a special beast, never ever listened to a 50wpc amp that had so much power(in a good way)The moral of the story is,buy what sounds good to you,don't listen to all the hifi bullshit .
Bingo - it ONLY matters what you like. Not what anyone else says.
It sounds as if they reviewed the Pioneer at a later date. They couldn't say how good it was at the time they reviewed the NAD.
It's funny that I had the opposite reaction long ago when I thought I wanted a Yamaha receiver so the salesman set it up for me. It sounded OK but nothing special. He then suggested I try the new NAD 3020 and It blew the Yamaha away. I guess I should have tried the A400 if it was available way back then!
I need some advice. I have an old Marantz 2220 B that still works and sounds really good. I just bought a pair of Elac D3. I’m considering buying a used Cambridge AXR85 because it has more power and it’s newer and has bluetooth connectivity. Would you recommend I stick to the Marantz? And buy a bluetooth receiver? Or get the Cambridge AXR85? It fits my budget. Thanks for any advice.
It's always best to see if you can try something new first. Since you love the sound of the Marantz, and the Cambridge will sound VERY different, I would suggest you keep the Marantz and add a BT receiver.
@@GreekAudioGeek . Thank you so much. You just saved me some $$$$
I was a reviewer and this commentary is true
Thank you for watching and commenting.
Same here. SS! back in the late 90s-early 00s.
My system since 2008/2009 is a Cayin A50T Integrated Amp, Yamaha CD-S2000 SACD player, and Triangle Comete ES Speakers. It cost me $2700 brand new for the lot in 2008/2009.
I thought about upgrading but after a few trips to Hi-Fi stores recently realised the industry is just a flex fest of status seeking individuals with absolutely no idea or true love of music.
So, I guess I'm probably going to be playing my system for a few more years yet.
Stick with what you got. Looks like a great sounding setup.
Good points, and like you I've had a nice system for years and my money goes towards music purchases, not status gear.
Thanks for taking the high road. Full disclosure should be required for posting product reviews anywhere, in any medium. Now that I’m old enough to afford high end gear, after years of watching from the sidelines, I’ve really wondered if my old ears can appreciate the subtleties between these products. The law of diminishing returns certainly applies with audio gear, and this invites disreputable practices. Sometimes the emperor has no clothes! I’ll return to your channel based on your transparency. Keep it up!
Thank you for the comment and watching!
I use only 1990's stuff. After 2005 or so everything started going into the direction of garbage. We have arrived there by now. I just discovered this Rega Mira Clamshell from 1997. What a wonderful sounding amplifier!💕💞. Just wanna be home and listen to music all the time because of this marvel. That's how it's supposed to be, right?😉✌️
Exactly! It's all about enjoying the music - regardless of what gear you have.
I still buy new-old Sony earphones for a daily because their price to performance back then (mid 2000's, still in their glory days) was near unmatchable, and now that the prices are more than 50% less than what they were it's a no-brainer. Of course they're not the best you'll ever get but they do reveal detail difference quite easily in different bitrate audio, even with a cheap but good Fiio KA1 DAC.
For reference, I'm using Sony MDRXB 75AP that I got new for less than $30. Sony don't have a full range of consumer earphones now and there's little else with a driver over 10mm at an affordable price (the 75AP is 13.6mm). I listen to Psytrance a bit so the driver size increase makes an appreciable difference.
I buy gear based on a few key things: a good manufacturer, high quality, design and appearance, and connectivity. Lately I like Yamaha and Cambridge…I assume that good gear will sound good. I don’t need to optimize, i just want to enjoy what I have. That’s why I use Apple Music on Apple TV. I know it’s not really “audiophile”, but it’s convenient and sounds good, and I like the design and how it combines with my TV for a nice experience with music. Apple TV + Cambridge DAC + Yamaha amp = good enough for me.
Nothing wrong with that. So long as you enjoy the music, that's all that matters. Happy listening!
reviewer reviews and the vendor says "links down below"
The bottom line will always be this: listening to someone else trying to tell you what equipment you should buy, because allegedly it has better sound, is like listening to someone tell you what color your new car should be. It just makes no Sense!
I totally agree!
That’s the thing right, putting trust into people and hoping they are giving honest reviews and opinions and not reading from a corporate script and selling out himself and their audience for a dollar.
Thanks a lot, to give us a sight into the costs of making the content,your goals why you are making it. Yes, do agree, you must be honest, if you get gear from the industry, or use own sources for the gear to review
Can a non-transparent reviewer describe transparent speakers?
Don't worry about spending tons on video; you'll find that most people are listening in the background anyway.
I do it for my enjoyment of making videos. Otherwise it would be boring for me.
The real question is, is who is the Diddy of the audiophile industry 😅
of course they are getting compensation in some way.. Nobody works for free.. the problem will forever be the integrity of the reviewer.. i know one here on youtube that directly in emails say he will only give a good review if the company buy's ad spots on his webpage.. :)
Yup - then they get offended when anyone calls out the integrity of reviewers pretending they are somehow saints.
I thought some of the older print media reviewers where bad, but some of these online/RUclips ones are vicious in how they operate.
@@GreekAudioGeek indeed. After I read the emails from this reviewer(and he has a decent size channel with 100k+ following) i was truly baffled. I got the correspondence from the owner of the company that was wondering if they wanted to review his amps.
"I will only give you a fair and good review in a decent timeframe if you pay for ads.. if not I can not guarantee either. You risk not seeing your amp for 1-2years"...
Baffled
@@BeyondResolution Insane. The one that gets me is the one who attacks brands and claims expensive gear is a scam and states to be "looking out for his viewers" while he turns around and sells equally expensive stuff as a dealer.
@GreekAudioGeek hehe, yeah the two faced kind is fun... love the ones that knocks on cables as bullshit and snakeoil.. and in the next video they are putting together a system and using expensive cables instead of the generic 🤣
What hifi in UK used to have a female editor who worked for Sony UK as an editor at same time. No conflict of course
Some of the "famous" reviewers from the most famous US hifi mags would go up to brands at shows and literally say "this is how it works - you give me the gear for free so I can sell it, and I will promise a positive review".
The stories brands and distributors have shared frankly would be enough to make me never want to start a hifi company having to deal sith corrupt people like that who the viewers/readers think are "good".
She has nice boat though.
@@Zenos174
Don't remember.
He appeared to be a younger guy.
A lot of reviews you have to read between the lines with a product. Most of the good big reviewers will state if they bought it or it was sent to them. Take ALL reviewers with a grain of salt. It’s always best to listen in person.
Hello Greek guy. I am also a Greek guy and I saw all the reviews before buying the Hifi Rose RS130. Every review said that it's a great streamer with no or little bugs. Nobody said about the software. The software is a mess. Bugs and bad behavior of the streamer to the basics. Nobody. And I came to the same conclusion. Paided reviews. There is no other explenation.
Hello! I'm sorry to hear that. I had the first streamer they had and it was very good for what it was but I also experienced some bugs.
The good news is Rose seems to work continually on improving and seem committed to that (from what I have seen personally), so hopefully it gets sorted quickly.
I have the RS130 and it sounds incredible. The phone app is def lacking, but they’re looking to improve it with AI and a lot of new functions. I think the surrounding gear is just as critical to enjoying it.
@@StanThePigeon Agreed - the surrounding gear is VITAL.
No issues with my RS130, knocking on wood. Wanting to hear their new DAC.
@@sentinalneo There are many people who love their Rose products for sure. They make a heck of a unit at a great price.
Especially with cables and what they say they can sound like
Cables (especially loudspeaker cables) sound different. Digital or ethernet cables ,not really.
@@nordthernlights6559please expand on just how they sound different or improved. I have never done an A/B comparison with cables because I don't expect to hear one.
@@rotaxtwinho😊
I think Philip McKnight does that. He does this for guitars and he has a standard set of criteria he uses which is objective and he's simply applies it to any guitar that they pay him to.
I’ve got your accuphase back there. What an integrated!
All the Reviewers I watch talk about whether the equipment is free to them or they bought it, and most of them aren't the Big Dogs , use common sense when picking the Reviews to BELIEVE!!
And it even goes beyond whom to believe - we ALL hear things differently. You should be trying any gear before you decide to buy it.
I did buy my own gear, I was never given anything. I sold one pair of speaker and lost $1,200.00 on them. I stopped doing it as I like my system, I don't plan on buying anything else
If you like your system then it is the best system for you.
No one can tell you otherwise.
Φίλε μου χαίρομαι που είσαι Έλληνας και έχεις την Ελληνική σημαία πάνω σου. Με έκανες περήφανο. Χαίρομαι που είσαι αληθινός. Φιλιά από την Θεσσαλονίκη
Γεια σου φίλε μου!
Ναι - η οικογένειά μου είναι από την Καλαμάτα.
The main fact is simply knowing, and believing YOUR OWN EARS. Not theirs!
And personally, my ears enjoy biamplification with tube mids, and highs and transistor bass, and Sub-bass, along with hybrid pre amplification, be it fourth, third, or second tier from flag.🌹
Exactly. It only matters what your own ears tell you.
I never quite understood why people fall for those fake reviews; I mean it is like asking someone what should the color of the car that I want to buy be? Just because some may like the color pink so much doesn't mean that I need to buy a car in that color, lol. And yes, this isn't comparing apples with oranges, because sound is as individual as is the preference for color, due to the fact that we all hear differently: some like more bass than others, while some like more treble than others. You just can't argue with those facts of life.
I used to be in the publishing business - before and during the internet takeover. In my businesses there was a strict church/state division. The business side stayed separate from the content side. I know that the editorial staff did not like to write reviews that were overly critical, but not because they were getting free stuff or gifts. I can’t say there wasn’t subtle influence but the editorial staff also took a lot of pride in being objective. With the internet everyone can be a publisher. You no longer have to have the infrastructure to publish a magazine. This has led to disintermediation where the intermediaries served as a buffer. Consequently the restraints in the form of ethical standards and Chinese walls have been removed. In the past reviews from professional publishers were a little more reliable but reviews are always flawed.
There are always biases in reviews. Reviewers are human. And each reviewer brings different knowledge and experience. Reviews can be helpful in getting an idea of competing products and features. But they are always flawed. Transparency is helpful but it still doesn’t obviate your personal biases, misconceptions or lack of knowledge.
Well said and I agree. Bias is OK - it's human. With transparency simply comes having the effect of minimizing perceived paid bias.
At the end of the day even posters on forums all have biases - so people need to simply take in lots of data points from all sources and make a decision for themselves. Too many want to be told what to buy and are lazy.
I follow Jay's Audio Lab.....and I cannot understand how he has acquired a $1 million system...anyone know his secret ?
Hey Dr - respectfully youdon't know about how he acquires gear (sometimes for free), resells it and makes money off manufacturers? Also, do you think he just "happens" to walk into certain rooms at shows out of mere curiosity? How do you think he makes money as this is his full time job now?
@@GreekAudioGeek he has $250,000 Gryphon Apex amps with $200,000 Sonus Faber SE17....something ordinary person could not acquire ?
I'm not going to speak ill of him and I wish him continued success. He certainly puts a lot of time and effort into his channel.
He simply chooses to make money in ways I would not do myself. In NO WAY am I suggesting anything is illegal.
@@DrBroncanuus The problem is that when a reviewer has that type of gear, it's irrelevant to me.
I no longer look for reviews after I bought a 3000 euro streamer influenced by a certain review. Since then I visit the showrooms regularly.
Perfect. Going to showrooms is the BEST WAY to find one you like.
Καλησπέρα από Ελλάδα (Αθήνα)! Μόλις έκανα εγγραφή στο κανάλι! Πολύ σωστά τα λες! Συμφωνώ με την οπτική σου!
Thank you and hello from Texas!
There is nothing wrong with making $$$ our of this endeavor but full transparency for the sake of understanding one's motivations is the right way to go.
Exactly right!
The majority of "audiophile" demos are not music; instead stupid sounds of solo drums, or wispy strings, or solo vocals. I'm immediately turned off.
Rarely do you find multiple instruments playing a rhythm and melody and noticing the separation and clarity of each instrument all in a pleasing way.
I've been obsessed with MUSIC first, played through great gear, since the late 60's.
I find most "audiophiles to be equipment eggheads, but they couldn't tell you the personnel who played and recorded which album throughout the decades.
Thanks!
And I assume these demonstrations are just as useful for someone who wants a home theater for 3 people.
wrong, if your content is good we'd watch it if it was shot with a potato.
Agreed. Exactly like CAM was at first. He lost all his differentiation when it wasn’t on his shaky folding table doing speaker shootouts
Glados became a patato
I agree, majority of HiFi RUclips reviewers are just plain liars, they are just monetizing their channels. That’s all they’re interested in. The art is who is the best at conning people. disgusting.
Always be wary of the youtubers who profess to be "looking out for you".
This reminds me of a youtuber out there that praises almost everything he has, and its ridiculous; in his attic alone he must have at least 30-40 different BT Speakers, and he even admitted in one chat that he get's to keep the things he reviews.
@@GreekAudioGeek ... when they are really looking out for their pockets, lol.
Another u toob hifi reviewer basically said he either gets or negotiates dealer cost or below, hypes up the gear on here and then sells it for a profit. It got so bad at one print hifi publication that they only reviewed brands that bought advertising and then for one of their 12 issues they published per year, gave a round up of the best gear of the year and it was the same stuff all over again.
Hello - the "big" youtuber charges $1,500 to a company to make it look like he just happened to walk into a companies room at a show. He also gets stuff sent to him for free in exchange for positive coverage. No pay = no show coverage.
Another FB and YT online publication that often goes by 3 letters is the same way - if you don't pay them they will completely refuse to even mention you in their show coverage.
As I said, it's totally OK to make money. Just be honest about it.
@@GreekAudioGeek Its been the same way with music reviews in Metal. I should know, I once wrote for a Metal magazine. They'll tell the reviewers: "If you give this new album a glowing review (from our label), then you'll get 10 000 Euro in your account". It's obviously hard to resist such temptation, as you'll probably never make easier cash then writing a 3 paragraph review for some album that turns into an adulation. Anyways, that's how it was back in the day, when the internet wasn't that big. Nowadays, I guess that RUclips has put plenty of dishonest reviewers out of business, as people can just listen to whatever they want to there. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of the Audio Industry.
I appreciate your philosophy, I follow several reviewers but, never hit like or do patreon subscription. You got my first like 👍
Awesome! Thank you!
I love where you going with your channel. Btw where can buy those floor diffusers?
Thanks so much! I hope you'll subscribe.
You can get them through here - call them and tell them you saw my video and they will really help out!
axissaudio.com/brands/nihon-onkyo-engineering/
Didn't see this video until today .. I posted something similar about being transparent and how to evaluate the people telling us the details.
Transparency is needed.
I like the approach. In the world of marketing, todays viewers/consumers of RUclips channels/reviews are the actual rope in the tug of war between egotistical class envy sales style and the militant measuring nazi's. I'm punching way above my pay grade for the system I have. Because of that I am considered an Audiofool from the chifi crowd and trailer trash by the ultra high end Gucci crowd.
I just love listing to great sound. If that has to be in someone else's house so be it.
I've discovered if the fools on FB and forums have a problem with what you are doing, that usually means you are doing something right.
Most of those idiots are sheeple who still haven't left their mothers basement and only own a pair of apple earpods yet they attack everyone else.
It's really obvious when you think about it.The hi-fi manufacturers are paying many dollars go promote their stuff.The least they expect is a review.Preferably favourable and then they can buy some more advertising.
Reviewers should make money but they've to be honest in their reviews. Or else they'll be behaving like the US politicians.
I believe you. Business is making money.
I also blame any consumer that buys something simply because someone says so. We ALL hear differently - we all all need to listen to gear before we buy something.
Buying something barbecue a reviewer - or someone on a forum said it's great is lazy and foolish.
It's not the businesses fault for trying to sell their product. No one is forced to buy anything.
Seriously, take a Pixel phone, use DaVinci its free, shoot 1080p, a blue yeti and I guess you get there 94% - but I do understand it's more fun with better gear 😂😊
Agreed but that's boring for me. LOL
To me the problem is people (viewers) are taking these reviews as gospel on what gear to buy! Reviews are peoples opinions and tailored to their tastes not yours or mine.
Reviews are or should be an insight to learning more about the gear that is available.
We as listeners need to use our own ears and likes to choose the gear that is right for us.
I was caught up in buying and finding the best. Then realized it is a bottomless pit and is all to ones tastes not actually better or worse. Now there is bad gear lol.
Measurements are another downward spiral people get caught up in/with. Some things measure not so good yet sound wonderful to me.
Good video and nice to see honesty. I will stop my rant now lol.
I have many Kenwood recievers, Crown M600 monoblocks labled Picker international, Crown XLI 3500, Crown XLS 2502, PS Audio, RME, Sublime Acoustic, Sansui, Denon and Sound Performance Labs (SPL) gear. All are different and all have a place where I like them. It is just what I have and like and am not for or against other brands.
Once again reviewers should be a way to see other gear we are not familiar with. Then we have to listen ourselves and decide.
10000% true and well said. It ONLY matters what you hear and if you like it. Nobody else can do that for you.
I’m not an expert but I can’t tell the difference between my Pro-ject colourful audio system and a technics £40K full super duper set up. Both sound amazing to my untrained novice ears 🤷🏼♂️
Well, that means that you are a lucky boy 😂
I gave you a thumbs up.
Thank you Danny!
A lot of review sites may not push audiophile level bologna, but they certainly do not want "bad mouth" ANY products either. Losing advertisers kills magazines. It's always been a bad situation. Some things are also very subjective and a room can make or break many products, especially speakers. You used to be able to try before you buy at some retailers, but the internet has killed a lot of hi-fi shops. There's virtually nothing local to me anymore.
Excellent video Greece is watching 👍🇬🇷
Thank you so much!
I always say; You know 10 years in advanced, which brands are going to be the 5 Star winners with these reviewers.
Greetings from Türkiye sir.+1 subscriber you just got :) respect
Hello from Texas!
Well I have a tendency to take things with a grain of salt in general. All my " Professional review" as well as reviews by content creators is always subsidized by actual people who have actually bought the gear themselves. This has worked well for me and all the gear that I have has proven to be what it was said to be.. The point however is still well taken .
Thank you for watching and commenting!
Andrew Robinson.... cough cough
Literally everything he says sounds like a paid script
Robinson, cheapaudioman, audiophiliac, Darko, steve huff, joshua valor, and every othef 'reviewers' that quit a real job to become a full time RUclipsr should be avoided.
i can't stand that guy
I don't care what they say....All I know is my system sounds amazing....I have a Dared I30 amp hooked up to a pair of JBL L880's with Kimber Kable speaker wires...
And that's all that matters! If you like your system than it is a fantastic system.
It is pretty obvious who is doing what and for what reasons. I just use it as free entertainment personally. You need to get your expenses down.
Of course it's all a con. They know it. They don't have any conscience.
The reviewers are almost as bad.