* * * Thank you to David Blumenstein for reaching out. I want to be clear he was an stand up guy and owned his comment to me and also clarified he was not involved with having me blocked from the cable group. He was a gentleman on the phone and I accept him at his word (I do believe him). I wanted to be sure to be transparent on this.
Monster Cable vs Blue Jeans Cable told me all I needed to know about how thin-skinned some of these companies are. Still, the US is a litigious society and few individuals can afford lawyers, so the threats do carry some weight.
I’m 100% with you Michael, that’s the attitude experienced first hand with some manufacturer, let alone the total lack of professionalism and it stinks considering that often times their products cost more than a nice car. For example not too long on What’s Best Forum the owner of a famous DAC brand reprimanded a customer because he dared to complain publicly that the transformer of his 50K DAC (which I also happen to own) went up in smoke leaving for days a horrible smell of burn rubber in the living room. What about apologizing instead? The sense of entitlement and arrogance is off the chart…. let alone the Hi-fi mafia you mention. The unwritten rule is no review unless positive.
Great video. And it’s so true. It’s like politicians. If you want to have a debate,you have to ask the question they allow you to ask and nothing else😅
What is up with companies called "DCS" suing youtube reviewers? Deep Cycle Systems in Australia is suing a youtuber for demonstrating that their lithium automotive starter batteries are junk, and it looks like the backlash could tank the company.
Great video. I read a review of an amp 2 years ago and shortly after, saw the review unit for sale on the TRM website, same aftermarket feet and fuse on the amp. Shady game getting the unit gifted for the review or severely discounted, glowing review and then posted for sale to make a quick buck.
Yup - there is one reviewer in particular famous for doing that. We call it the ole "pump and dump". Get the unit for free or a discounted price, pump it up with a flowing review, then dump it for sale. Thanks for watching!
You are right on track. It’s especially appalling when you realize the vast majority of these reviewers ypu refer to as a "mafia" have little idea how the products work and really don't know much about music, either. What they do is sales is the guise of art.
My opinion, and it’s only that, is that the apology from DCS was more about damage limitation than being a sincerely apology. It’s quite sad that we have a situation where the integrity of reviews is questioned, both online and in print, particularly as people have to increasingly rely on reviews given the shrinking number of physical stores where equipment can be auditioned.
They're a defense contractor that got into making high end studio and home gear. They're probably best known for inventing up-sampling and working with Arcam (ring dacs) and Sony (DSD/SACD).
Interesting perspective. Very much share the same feeling as you about dcs management (or lack thereof). It's a shame. I do support forums that remove posts based on extreme language or disrespect. Other than that (basic civility!), we should feel free to share our opinions and experiences anywhere we want. As for that "mafia-like set of behaviors", I wonder to what extent it is the case. For sure, high end hi-fi is a small world so I can completely imagine some of those folks talking about common issues, potentially discussing the possibility to ban certain reviewers because they can't deal with inconvenient truths... Having said all this, I don't want to fall into the conspiracy trap. My guess is that it is a minority of cases. I sure hope so! Thanks for your video. Just subscribed to your channel!
Thanks for watching and sharing your larger thoughts. While I don't think it's a conspiracy per se, I do think we are seeing a shift towards a common group-think and "acceptable" way these people who control the hifi info we digest act together in concert. It's been very eye-opening for me as I became deeper in this industry to learn just how inter-connected these people are and what really goes on behind the scenes to pay reviewers - some of whom are the biggest ones on YT claiming they are "looking out for us" while selling products and services.
The idea of a " Hi Fi Mafia " is worrying .. these companies are surely big enough to accept views other than their own .. other views will probably be the opposite.. they should accept all views with good grace as most views are subjective . I look forward to hearing any company acknowledging a less than glowing viewpoint and being gracious enough to respect it. Your thoughts are well put . Everyone in this hobby should be respectful in their contributions to the conversation. DC
@@Mark-rw3kw You sure are awfully testy about this AND seem to refuse to admit about legal abuses and how people use the system to intimidate. I find it hard to believe any non-involved party would be as upset as you. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your perspective. And again Goldensound claims there were not factual errors and was dCS trying to intimidate. dCS's unprofessional and embarrassing communications are shared in his video's for all to see for themselves and make up their own minds. If their case was sound they lost all high ground in the way they handled this. dCS needs to be embarrassed and fire the CEO with the way he either was involved with this or allowed it to play out. Just my opinion that you seem to be very uptight about. I won't even address your lame attempt at deflection with the "there are probably lawyers that would represent him" crap you posted. To your point of them being poor companies - 30% of nothing is nothing. You need to let it go and move on with your life.
Whilst I lament the fact that content of this nature is necessary, I enjoyed this video and the very interesting issues you highlight. To all but lthe most naive amongst us, it must surely come as no surprise that, Sadly, the hi-fi industry is no different from any other when it comes to the big sell. However, I reserve my personal ire for those data eschewing, self appointed, spewers of nebulous prose who - posing as hi-fi gurus - seek to bamboozle the unwary with their quasi religious obfuscations. I applaud and support your willingness to stick your head above this particular parapet. Subscribed.
Thank you for the kind words and subscribing. I make sure to repeatedly state I am not a hifi-guru and instead just a guy sharing his love for hifi and highlighting my personal audio adventures. I never want to be nor pretend to be a reviewer, influencer or any of that that self-aggrandizing stuff.
Being a professional reviewer for... wait... close to 30 years now, I can tell you that there's no "Mafia" nehind all this. Yes, there's people who can't cope with reviews that aren't right on track, but those are rare. The smaller the company is, the bigger the danger that someone there lacks the necessary self-confidence for dealing with a different opinion. This isn't new, it has always been the case. There were always companies trying to prohibit somewhat mixed reviews. What we experience right now is typical internet hysteria. Don't become too worried about it.
Thanks for your comment. Not worried at all, that why I ended my video happy and smiling. I just enjoy exploring different topics to discuss. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Much appreciated.
Yes, but some of the reviewers are also corrupt and get paid by the manufacturers to promise a good review of the gear. It's an open secret in the industry.
Last review for them, other companies are joyful to scrap competition so would gladly give their product if they know it's good, if they know it's bad, they won't give it for review! Win-win situation here, mate!
You are respectfully wrong. They will offer a reviewer MULTIPLE pieces of the same unit for a favorable review. One to do the review and the others for the reviewer to make money to sell. Why do you think you suddenly see all the reviewers having the same item to review at the exact same time? It's a coordinated PR push. When you see a unit appear in multiple places around the same time, you should be suspicious. Trust me - most of the stuff most reviewers "review" is crap and everyone knows it.
Regarding Mono&Stereo I cannot comment on the removed comment and you being blocked, however, I can say with almost certainty that the monetisation of the website is solely from the adds on the website and not paid reviews. Is the page quite bloated with adds? Yes, but the posts are more often than not a copied version of official releases or posts from other manufacturers.
First people didn't wanted to be called influencers (yet everyone making statements in public is an influencer). Why is it that you don't want to be seen as a reviewer? And please don't get me wrong, this is a sincere question. Since you have videos literally saying "review". I myself don't care about those terms if the person seems legit and honest. Which you seem to be.
Great question - I use the word review in the screen captures so people have an idea what it is generally about. I'm not here to give a proper review per se with technical measurements and such. I think of Stereophile as an example of a proper review with its extensive technical measurements. Also reviewers - such as most other channels and magazines - make money on their content AND generally speaking will do reviews on stuff regardless of their interest in the gear as a matter of business. I on the other hand only talk about gear that I am personally interested in, say no to most gear that manufacturers ask me to review, and instead share my personal and completely subjective opinions on it. I am open and honest that it's just me talking about my journey trying new gear. Does that help explain the difference as I see it?
There is literally a show called that .. They called themselves Mafia .. but don't think it was meant to reflect their activity to attitude... just something " cool " to use as a phrase. ..... I did a video about " UA-camrs " and their lack of accountability because the rules on UA-cam are not the same as traditional journalists. Anyone putting an opinion our that relates to specific company details - that MIGHT be incorrect.. Needs to be accountable for that. BUT .... Yes, companies need to take a reality check and accept that some people will not like or speak in favour of their products. HiFi .. seems to be a really nasty business because it's small ..and everyone is insecure about doing their best business. You don't see really successful giant brands in any other industry really doing this kind of thing .... do we?
I think Elon Musk filed suit yesterday against a global advertising alliance and several major companies, including Mars and CVS Health, accusing them of unlawfully conspiring to boycott the site and causing it to lose revenue. From the AP: "The lawsuit said, opens new tab advertisers, acting through a World Federation of Advertisers initiative called Global Alliance for Responsible Media, collectively withheld “billions of dollars in advertising revenue” They would target any media they did not agree with politically to crush them. That's pretty scary.
@GreekAudioGeek ..... I believe it. Media agencies did the same to silence anyone speaking against their narrative during covid. Its not a fair playing field... yet here we are using Google.. and hoping to reach anyone. 1 wrong step.. they delete your channel.
If you are going to play you gotta pay. All of reviews are subjective, and judgement is judgement , whether it arrives as praise or as criticism. IMO there is no reason for negative campaigning, even if you have the right to do it. Honesty can be a double edged sword, as well.
@melanie BINGO. People only see the high selling price and aren't intelligent enough to understand the costs that go into that. They simply like to be a victim.
@@melaniezette886 you’re purchasing printed circuit boards encased in machined steel. The margin on this product is huge. Now what they spend on advertising and shows takes out of that.
@Miketube: Don't forget the cost of R&D, taxes, payroll, rent roll, inventory, shipping, tech infrastructure, paying absurd "living wages crap" cash reserves, and pre-payment of next years taxes to the government. At least by honest WHY the prices are what they are - it's to pay off the cost of doing business which is insanely high and prohibitive in the US as purposely made that way with the "feel good" laws that are extremely destructive. You need to point the finger at the people making it so expensive, not the people who need to make it expensive to survive.
I have a £7000 speaker and a £1000 active speaker, the active speaker is not as good or built as the £7000 passive speaker, however it’s not far behind in sound and enjoyment. I prefer listening to the £1000 active speaker.
Companies like dcs are extremely short-sited threatening litigation for someone’s opinion. After a bad review they could invite said reviewer to their factory and listening rooms - maybe the item would sound different/better under alternative conditions. Anyways, they could agree to disagree, parts as audio friends and win support.
@DaveJ6515 Apologies Dave - I thought you were trying to minimize what dCS did. There are a few of their sheeple running around accosting anyone who dares bring up what happened.
How about reviewers being paid for good reviews. I won't mention names but I can think of 3 popular reviewers who are very suspect one of who always makes a big deal about not being paid but looks away from the camera when he says it ;) - it seems everything he tests is better than everything hr tested before. How can that be?
I've been told by manufacturers that the magazines demand payment for reviews. Think of the biggest magazine in audio. They require $6,000 for a review and $16,000 for a positive review with cover photo. The famous guy that does vinyl reviews wont talk to you until you give him $6,000. These prices have likely gone up. Look back at old editions of these magazines. Do you think it's strange that certain brands where very popular a few years ago and now you wouldn't even know they were still in business?
Some also demand to be "paid" by receiving product they can turn around and immediately sell to make money. So while technically not getting "paid" via money being sent, they get "paid" via being able to immediately after review being able to sell the product for profit.
Hi ☕️ The drama surrounding Golden Sound and DCS is in my option ..complete BS. So ,DCS isn’t adored by everyone (especially in regards to their considerable price) and 2:04 as you said it’s years ago . DCS just announced the new Varese upgrade…so move on.
Or, we can talk about what we want to and you can ignore and move on yourself. You just proved my point in my video - people trying to tell other people what they can and can't talk about. You have a right to your opinion, which I respect, and I have a right to mine and to talk about mine.
@@GreekAudioGeek You’re RIGHT, exactly ..dcs as a top shelf audio manufacturer should expect reviewers to put their gear through their paces and have questions as to performance specifications. In my opinion Cameron did nothing wrong period. I listened to his LCDX headphone review and it was extremely fair and tho the tuning was not his cup of tea 🫖 AUDEZE didn’t argue that his review was unfair. My final point is that if you’re going to play in the high end audio game ..you have to prove yourself EVERY TIME. να έχεις μια όμορφη μέρα
So I hope DCS has asked permission for using the Edgard Vares's name from his family.... Oh I wonder if they're paying the Bella Bartok ancestry their share as well... Bunch of money munching hypocrites....
People who want great sound and want to support a modern, ethical work force while not supporting the child labor and concentration camps in china. Oh, and there is also that little thing of China's IP theft. How about that for a reason?
@@tarquineousIf a company sends money to a manufacturer in China to make the most profit, I have zero empathy if China turns around and sells the design. They want integrity they have to compete with that, or having people buy the clone from eBay.
@John - while certainly true to a degree, don't forget in MANY instances the US gov't has FORCED these companies to go to China with the insane amount of taxes and destructive over-regulation that makes it prohibitively - and absolutely needlessly expensive to make anything in the US. And then don't forget about the destructive unions. Plus all that new Green New Deal fake crap is only going to drive MORE production to China as China is exempt from any of these destructive and phony regulations. So let's at least be honest as to WHY China is so attractive - our policies make it that way. Anyone who thinks there is not an extreme cost and consequence with all these bogus "feel good" laws and regulation imposed is lying to themselves, or just stupid.
@John - goodbye. I am talking simple factual economics as someone who studied economics and been in the corporate world working with balance sheets. Clearly you have no concept of real world business and live in never-never land. If you think basic factual economics is "right wing", then keep your head in the sand like an ostrich. See ya!
Hi a few weeks ago I watched a British hifi reviewers video of a new bunch of products one of which included a very exspencive interconnect that supposedly differentiate between the audio signa into the different strands of the cable.... So I said has the said cable got signs pointing the way to help the the minutes signals find the correct wire.... 😂😂😂😂 He replied to my comment.... DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER ETC... the high end hi fi world is too full of bullshit...... And it's self promoting to keep em in money......
Be honest with yourself - the world is full of B.S. Don't just pick out the hifi world. Don't act like a victim because other people like stuff you don't and you'll be fine.
@@GreekAudioGeek Audio only in small part is controllable in tech/scientific way. It raminds medicine - we carry for sterillising things but will it cure patient? - Each room , speakers, conditions, furniture positioning, humans listening mood , recorded track engineering, noise , gear, cables, damping are individual and all have not defined impacts which mix each with other to deliver final impression. I am afraid that some consider quarreling about it as goal and who could it be? Who put lot of care that people quarrel about all other ideas?
@@Mikexception Totally agree - and I state repeatedly in my videos - that room set up, gear synergy, ro0m acoustics, and personal preference are huge factors and we should simply respect what others like and don't like.
@@GreekAudioGeek Yes, personal experience counts a lot. People actualy compare what they hear to memorised best performance which they ever before heard. , But such experiences are just individual Revievers compare to many other systems which they heard before which is also far from objective. Objective would be compare to perfect one which may be they never even saw and imagine and openly doubt if it exist. So they judge what they like more by comparison. But all are no perfect. At end 99% conclusion is "you get what you paid for" and all goes to the price. Final is that audiophile buy new and states that he "could'nt afford for better one". Most audiophiles would judge sound by gear fancy look and instantly proving it by price . But some unusual systems are capable to fool having lack of fancy look, small power and size , low cost - all that not coherent to created sound. There are lot of secrets which play role which are not noticeable by eyes and fool perception about possible reasons , They may be technicaly defined but too complex to measure and controll. I think I know what I am telling - I sacrificed most of my free life time for research in my private electroacoustic. and it proven to me that all I know is still far from enough to tell. I was reserching tens years for solving sound of one 20 cm widereange speaker set - I made much bigger consisting of 5 drivers from 3 countries in three different acoustic systems : sealed, open and horn which replicated it but I can't explain how it happened.
Great video and sad to see how litigious some companies are. I would have handled an unfavorable review differently, but -alas- to each their own. BTW, Greece is one of my favorite countries, even though I haven’t been there in a loooong time. A trip is way overdue. Kalinikta and keep serving the good cold pressed 🫒 oil.
* * * Thank you to David Blumenstein for reaching out. I want to be clear he was an stand up guy and owned his comment to me and also clarified he was not involved with having me blocked from the cable group. He was a gentleman on the phone and I accept him at his word (I do believe him). I wanted to be sure to be transparent on this.
Hahahah....You caught the attention of Blumenstuff. That's funny... I like you even more now😅😅😅.
@@kwelch77 Yup. The audio world is a small world indeed. :)
Monster Cable vs Blue Jeans Cable told me all I needed to know about how thin-skinned some of these companies are. Still, the US is a litigious society and few individuals can afford lawyers, so the threats do carry some weight.
I’m 100% with you Michael, that’s the attitude experienced first hand with some manufacturer, let alone the total lack of professionalism and it stinks considering that often times their products cost more than a nice car.
For example not too long on What’s Best Forum the owner of a famous DAC brand reprimanded a customer because he dared to complain publicly that the transformer of his 50K DAC (which I also happen to own) went up in smoke leaving for days a horrible smell of burn rubber in the living room. What about apologizing instead?
The sense of entitlement and arrogance is off the chart…. let alone the Hi-fi mafia you mention.
The unwritten rule is no review unless positive.
Thank you!! Always appreciated.
NEVER ever will I even consider looking at any products from said companies
Great video. And it’s so true. It’s like politicians. If you want to have a debate,you have to ask the question they allow you to ask and nothing else😅
I like of attitude 👍🏻
If DCS do this to reviews and everyone that have a different opinion imagine what they can do to the clients?!
Exactly.
What is up with companies called "DCS" suing youtube reviewers? Deep Cycle Systems in Australia is suing a youtuber for demonstrating that their lithium automotive starter batteries are junk, and it looks like the backlash could tank the company.
Thanks for sharing. I hadn't heard about that in Australia.
Great video. I read a review of an amp 2 years ago and shortly after, saw the review unit for sale on the TRM website, same aftermarket feet and fuse on the amp. Shady game getting the unit gifted for the review or severely discounted, glowing review and then posted for sale to make a quick buck.
Yup - there is one reviewer in particular famous for doing that. We call it the ole "pump and dump". Get the unit for free or a discounted price, pump it up with a flowing review, then dump it for sale. Thanks for watching!
@@GreekAudioGeek you mean Steve Huff? lol Each and every product is the greatest ever heard and then promptly sold.
I do wonder how anyone can take those reviews serious. Just my personal opinion.
@@JordanPhegley I was only saying exactly saying the same thing the other day. It’s laughable.
You are right on track. It’s especially appalling when you realize the vast majority of these reviewers ypu refer to as a "mafia" have little idea how the products work and really don't know much about music, either. What they do is sales is the guise of art.
My opinion, and it’s only that, is that the apology from DCS was more about damage limitation than being a sincerely apology.
It’s quite sad that we have a situation where the integrity of reviews is questioned, both online and in print, particularly as people have to increasingly rely on reviews given the shrinking number of physical stores where equipment can be auditioned.
What is DCS? Never heard of them? They build what? No clue they even exist!
They're a defense contractor that got into making high end studio and home gear. They're probably best known for inventing up-sampling and working with Arcam (ring dacs) and Sony (DSD/SACD).
As long as there is NO paperwork that says you've been invited to court for something, it's Larry anyway
Nicely said
Thank you. :). I hope you'll subscribe to my channel.
I like your takes!
Thank you David!
Interesting perspective. Very much share the same feeling as you about dcs management (or lack thereof). It's a shame. I do support forums that remove posts based on extreme language or disrespect. Other than that (basic civility!), we should feel free to share our opinions and experiences anywhere we want. As for that "mafia-like set of behaviors", I wonder to what extent it is the case. For sure, high end hi-fi is a small world so I can completely imagine some of those folks talking about common issues, potentially discussing the possibility to ban certain reviewers because they can't deal with inconvenient truths... Having said all this, I don't want to fall into the conspiracy trap. My guess is that it is a minority of cases. I sure hope so! Thanks for your video. Just subscribed to your channel!
Thanks for watching and sharing your larger thoughts.
While I don't think it's a conspiracy per se, I do think we are seeing a shift towards a common group-think and "acceptable" way these people who control the hifi info we digest act together in concert.
It's been very eye-opening for me as I became deeper in this industry to learn just how inter-connected these people are and what really goes on behind the scenes to pay reviewers - some of whom are the biggest ones on YT claiming they are "looking out for us" while selling products and services.
The idea of a " Hi Fi Mafia " is worrying .. these companies are surely big enough to accept views other than their own .. other views will probably be the opposite.. they should accept all views with good grace as most views are subjective . I look forward to hearing any company acknowledging a less than glowing viewpoint and being gracious enough to respect it. Your thoughts are well put . Everyone in this hobby should be respectful in their contributions to the conversation. DC
Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts.
@@Mark-rw3kw You sure are awfully testy about this AND seem to refuse to admit about legal abuses and how people use the system to intimidate.
I find it hard to believe any non-involved party would be as upset as you.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your perspective. And again Goldensound claims there were not factual errors and was dCS trying to intimidate.
dCS's unprofessional and embarrassing communications are shared in his video's for all to see for themselves and make up their own minds. If their case was sound they lost all high ground in the way they handled this.
dCS needs to be embarrassed and fire the CEO with the way he either was involved with this or allowed it to play out.
Just my opinion that you seem to be very uptight about.
I won't even address your lame attempt at deflection with the "there are probably lawyers that would represent him" crap you posted. To your point of them being poor companies - 30% of nothing is nothing.
You need to let it go and move on with your life.
Sharks 🦈
Whilst I lament the fact that content of this nature is necessary, I enjoyed this video and the very interesting issues you highlight.
To all but lthe most naive amongst us, it must surely come as no surprise that, Sadly, the hi-fi industry is no different from any other when it comes to the big sell.
However, I reserve my personal ire for those data eschewing, self appointed, spewers of nebulous prose who - posing as hi-fi gurus - seek to bamboozle the unwary
with their quasi religious obfuscations.
I applaud and support your willingness to stick your head above this particular parapet.
Subscribed.
Thank you for the kind words and subscribing.
I make sure to repeatedly state I am not a hifi-guru and instead just a guy sharing his love for hifi and highlighting my personal audio adventures.
I never want to be nor pretend to be a reviewer, influencer or any of that that self-aggrandizing stuff.
Being a professional reviewer for... wait... close to 30 years now, I can tell you that there's no "Mafia" nehind all this. Yes, there's people who can't cope with reviews that aren't right on track, but those are rare. The smaller the company is, the bigger the danger that someone there lacks the necessary self-confidence for dealing with a different opinion. This isn't new, it has always been the case. There were always companies trying to prohibit somewhat mixed reviews. What we experience right now is typical internet hysteria. Don't become too worried about it.
Thanks for your comment. Not worried at all, that why I ended my video happy and smiling. I just enjoy exploring different topics to discuss. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Much appreciated.
@@GreekAudioGeek He's right. DCS doesn't even have a case. They're just trying to scare him hoping the reviewer doesn't know it.
@@052RC Agreed.
Reviewers must have a union so thank they can act all together and ban these scammers from getting reviewed ever again!
Yes, but some of the reviewers are also corrupt and get paid by the manufacturers to promise a good review of the gear. It's an open secret in the industry.
Respect four your work, no mor Pass or dcs for me!
My own experience is that Pass Labs provides superb customer service and is an excellent company to interact with
To be fair - Pass is a great company and they had nothing to do with the bonkers reviewer.
@ Dave - Agreed that Pass is great.
@Nate - agreed Pass is a fantastic company.
For decades I went to measurements reviews.
As soon as you go subjective every opinion is equal.
Great video! I agree as I sense something similar in this industry
Thanks for watching! I hope you'll subscribe to my channel.
Manufactures don’t want a bad review! If you do that’s your last review .
Last review for them, other companies are joyful to scrap competition so would gladly give their product if they know it's good, if they know it's bad, they won't give it for review! Win-win situation here, mate!
You are respectfully wrong. They will offer a reviewer MULTIPLE pieces of the same unit for a favorable review. One to do the review and the others for the reviewer to make money to sell.
Why do you think you suddenly see all the reviewers having the same item to review at the exact same time? It's a coordinated PR push.
When you see a unit appear in multiple places around the same time, you should be suspicious.
Trust me - most of the stuff most reviewers "review" is crap and everyone knows it.
@Tarq - please define what you consider acceptable.
@@tarquineous Thanks for explaining. You laid it out well.
Regarding Mono&Stereo I cannot comment on the removed comment and you being blocked, however, I can say with almost certainty that the monetisation of the website is solely from the adds on the website and not paid reviews.
Is the page quite bloated with adds? Yes, but the posts are more often than not a copied version of official releases or posts from other manufacturers.
I've been told by manufacturers they pay M&S to even just write about the product. I like you am not sure what is accurate.
@@GreekAudioGeek that surprises me. We've never had to pay anything for any write-ups. We do advertise though. Not sure if that counts in this case.
Hi Alex - again I want to be careful what I say as I only know what's been told to me. I have not experienced it myself. Thanks for commenting.
First people didn't wanted to be called influencers (yet everyone making statements in public is an influencer). Why is it that you don't want to be seen as a reviewer? And please don't get me wrong, this is a sincere question. Since you have videos literally saying "review". I myself don't care about those terms if the person seems legit and honest. Which you seem to be.
Great question - I use the word review in the screen captures so people have an idea what it is generally about.
I'm not here to give a proper review per se with technical measurements and such. I think of Stereophile as an example of a proper review with its extensive technical measurements.
Also reviewers - such as most other channels and magazines - make money on their content AND generally speaking will do reviews on stuff regardless of their interest in the gear as a matter of business.
I on the other hand only talk about gear that I am personally interested in, say no to most gear that manufacturers ask me to review, and instead share my personal and completely subjective opinions on it. I am open and honest that it's just me talking about my journey trying new gear.
Does that help explain the difference as I see it?
There is literally a show called that .. They called themselves Mafia .. but don't think it was meant to reflect their activity to attitude... just something " cool " to use as a phrase.
.....
I did a video about " UA-camrs " and their lack of accountability because the rules on UA-cam are not the same as traditional journalists.
Anyone putting an opinion our that relates to specific company details - that MIGHT be incorrect.. Needs to be accountable for that.
BUT .... Yes, companies need to take a reality check and accept that some people will not like or speak in favour of their products. HiFi .. seems to be a really nasty business because it's small ..and everyone is insecure about doing their best business.
You don't see really successful giant brands in any other industry really doing this kind of thing .... do we?
I think Elon Musk filed suit yesterday against a global advertising alliance and several major companies, including Mars and CVS Health, accusing them of unlawfully conspiring to boycott the site and causing it to lose revenue.
From the AP: "The lawsuit said, opens new tab advertisers, acting through a World Federation of Advertisers initiative called Global Alliance for Responsible Media, collectively withheld “billions of dollars in advertising revenue”
They would target any media they did not agree with politically to crush them.
That's pretty scary.
@GreekAudioGeek ..... I believe it. Media agencies did the same to silence anyone speaking against their narrative during covid.
Its not a fair playing field... yet here we are using Google.. and hoping to reach anyone. 1 wrong step.. they delete your channel.
Agreed 👍 Great video!
Thank you!
I think you need to make a different video. 🐴
-TheAudioCabal
Well done 👏
Those are Tobian 12FH's available at Suncoast Audio in FLA.
there îs a hi-fi mafia of rewiers on youtube... buy whit your ears not based on youtube
Great advice. ALWAYS buy what you like regardless of what anyone else says.
If you are going to play you gotta pay. All of reviews are subjective, and judgement is judgement , whether it arrives as praise or as criticism. IMO there is no reason for negative campaigning, even if you have the right to do it. Honesty can be a double edged sword, as well.
They are protecting their margins!
Not sure they make huge profits, when you manufacture so few units your fixed costs are high.
@melanie BINGO. People only see the high selling price and aren't intelligent enough to understand the costs that go into that. They simply like to be a victim.
@@melaniezette886 you’re purchasing printed circuit boards encased in machined steel. The margin on this product is huge. Now what they spend on advertising and shows takes out of that.
@Miketube: Don't forget the cost of R&D, taxes, payroll, rent roll, inventory, shipping, tech infrastructure, paying absurd "living wages crap" cash reserves, and pre-payment of next years taxes to the government. At least by honest WHY the prices are what they are - it's to pay off the cost of doing business which is insanely high and prohibitive in the US as purposely made that way with the "feel good" laws that are extremely destructive. You need to point the finger at the people making it so expensive, not the people who need to make it expensive to survive.
I have a £7000 speaker and a £1000 active speaker, the active speaker is not as good or built as the £7000 passive speaker, however it’s not far behind in sound and enjoyment. I prefer listening to the £1000 active speaker.
It's a great point Tony - price has no correlation with personal preference.
Companies like dcs are extremely short-sited threatening litigation for someone’s opinion.
After a bad review they could invite said reviewer to their factory and listening rooms - maybe the item would sound different/better under alternative conditions.
Anyways, they could agree to disagree, parts as audio friends and win support.
@@DaveJ6515 You left out a lot of the most important facts that happened prior to that - like threatening to sue him off the planet.
@DaveJ6515 Apologies Dave - I thought you were trying to minimize what dCS did. There are a few of their sheeple running around accosting anyone who dares bring up what happened.
How about reviewers being paid for good reviews. I won't mention names but I can think of 3 popular reviewers who are very suspect one of who always makes a big deal about not being paid but looks away from the camera when he says it ;) - it seems everything he tests is better than everything hr tested before. How can that be?
I've been told by manufacturers that the magazines demand payment for reviews. Think of the biggest magazine in audio. They require $6,000 for a review and $16,000 for a positive review with cover photo. The famous guy that does vinyl reviews wont talk to you until you give him $6,000. These prices have likely gone up. Look back at old editions of these magazines. Do you think it's strange that certain brands where very popular a few years ago and now you wouldn't even know they were still in business?
Some also demand to be "paid" by receiving product they can turn around and immediately sell to make money. So while technically not getting "paid" via money being sent, they get "paid" via being able to immediately after review being able to sell the product for profit.
@@GreekAudioGeek I would not like to name names and get into a Huff about this practice. ;)
@Paul - not all but certainly many. Remember - if they claim to be "looking out for you" they are probably on the take.
I'm pretty sure they can't say what they want or it's False advertising
But good video
Thank you for watching!
Hi ☕️
The drama surrounding Golden Sound and DCS is in my option ..complete BS.
So ,DCS isn’t adored by everyone (especially in regards to their considerable price) and 2:04 as you said it’s years ago .
DCS just announced the new Varese upgrade…so move on.
Or, we can talk about what we want to and you can ignore and move on yourself.
You just proved my point in my video - people trying to tell other people what they can and can't talk about.
You have a right to your opinion, which I respect, and I have a right to mine and to talk about mine.
@@GreekAudioGeek You’re RIGHT, exactly ..dcs as a top shelf audio manufacturer should expect reviewers to put their gear through their paces and have questions as to performance specifications.
In my opinion Cameron did nothing wrong period.
I listened to his LCDX headphone review and it was extremely fair and tho the tuning was not his cup of tea 🫖 AUDEZE didn’t argue that his review was unfair.
My final point is that if you’re going to play in the high end audio game ..you have to prove yourself EVERY TIME.
να έχεις μια όμορφη μέρα
Ευχαριστώ!
@@GreekAudioGeek 🍻
So I hope DCS has asked permission for using the Edgard Vares's name from his family.... Oh I wonder if they're paying the Bella Bartok ancestry their share as well... Bunch of money munching hypocrites....
Who needs overpriced audio equipment when there are cheap clone amps from China at a fraction of the price
People who want great sound and want to support a modern, ethical work force while not supporting the child labor and concentration camps in china. Oh, and there is also that little thing of China's IP theft. How about that for a reason?
@@DaveJ6515 VERY true and well said, Dave. Thanks for that comment.
@@tarquineousIf a company sends money to a manufacturer in China to make the most profit, I have zero empathy if China turns around and sells the design. They want integrity they have to compete with that, or having people buy the clone from eBay.
@John - while certainly true to a degree, don't forget in MANY instances the US gov't has FORCED these companies to go to China with the insane amount of taxes and destructive over-regulation that makes it prohibitively - and absolutely needlessly expensive to make anything in the US. And then don't forget about the destructive unions. Plus all that new Green New Deal fake crap is only going to drive MORE production to China as China is exempt from any of these destructive and phony regulations. So let's at least be honest as to WHY China is so attractive - our policies make it that way. Anyone who thinks there is not an extreme cost and consequence with all these bogus "feel good" laws and regulation imposed is lying to themselves, or just stupid.
@John - goodbye. I am talking simple factual economics as someone who studied economics and been in the corporate world working with balance sheets. Clearly you have no concept of real world business and live in never-never land. If you think basic factual economics is "right wing", then keep your head in the sand like an ostrich. See ya!
Hi a few weeks ago I watched a British hifi reviewers video of a new bunch of products one of which included a very exspencive interconnect that supposedly differentiate between the audio signa into the different strands of the cable.... So I said has the said cable got signs pointing the way to help the the minutes signals find the correct wire.... 😂😂😂😂 He replied to my comment.... DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER ETC... the high end hi fi world is too full of bullshit...... And it's self promoting to keep em in money......
Be honest with yourself - the world is full of B.S. Don't just pick out the hifi world. Don't act like a victim because other people like stuff you don't and you'll be fine.
@@GreekAudioGeek Audio only in small part is controllable in tech/scientific way. It raminds medicine - we carry for sterillising things but will it cure patient? - Each room , speakers, conditions, furniture positioning, humans listening mood , recorded track engineering, noise , gear, cables, damping are individual and all have not defined impacts which mix each with other to deliver final impression. I am afraid that some consider quarreling about it as goal and who could it be? Who put lot of care that people quarrel about all other ideas?
@@Mikexception Totally agree - and I state repeatedly in my videos - that room set up, gear synergy, ro0m acoustics, and personal preference are huge factors and we should simply respect what others like and don't like.
@@GreekAudioGeek Yes, personal experience counts a lot. People actualy compare what they hear to memorised best performance which they ever before heard. , But such experiences are just individual
Revievers compare to many other systems which they heard before which is also far from objective. Objective would be compare to perfect one which may be they never even saw and imagine and openly doubt if it exist. So they judge what they like more by comparison. But all are no perfect. At end 99% conclusion is "you get what you paid for" and all goes to the price. Final is that audiophile buy new and states that he "could'nt afford for better one".
Most audiophiles would judge sound by gear fancy look and instantly proving it by price . But some unusual systems are capable to fool having lack of fancy look, small power and size , low cost - all that not coherent to created sound. There are lot of secrets which play role which are not noticeable by eyes and fool perception about possible reasons , They may be technicaly defined but too complex to measure and controll.
I think I know what I am telling - I sacrificed most of my free life time for research in my private electroacoustic. and it proven to me that all I know is still far from enough to tell. I was reserching tens years for solving sound of one 20 cm widereange speaker set - I made much bigger consisting of 5 drivers from 3 countries in three different acoustic systems : sealed, open and horn which replicated it but I can't explain how it happened.
Great video and sad to see how litigious some companies are. I would have handled an unfavorable review differently, but -alas- to each their own. BTW, Greece is one of my favorite countries, even though I haven’t been there in a loooong time. A trip is way overdue. Kalinikta and keep serving the good cold pressed 🫒 oil.
Thank you!