A response to "Grinding your own gears" by John H. Darko

[HammerSandwich]

Have we seen more of these "my eyes-open reviews are valid!" apologias lately? Perhaps some reviewers feel threatened by something... Anyhow, as noted above, this one's not a very intellectually rigorous set of arguments.

Darko's killer line deserves emphasis:

John: So you’re saying that despite the very real possibility of placebo effect affecting all product reviews, you know with certainty when I am imagining things and when I am not? Because I don’t!

That seems clear enough. I'm astonished that he published it.

John: Dearest Barry. You are perfectly entitled to see some of my reviews as valid and others not but in exercising that prerogative you take matters into your own hands (and out of mine).

And by taking this control, Barry finally accepts what the audiophile press has told him over the years: "everything's subjective, and you must decide for yourself."

 

[Jinjuku]

Darko says a lot of stuff that does not make sense.

Darko thinks that Kingston RAM modules are audibly the worst...

 

[spacevector]

You forgot to @ me...

Well Amir did say charismatic...

 

[Fluffy]

And by taking this control, Barry finally accepts what the audiophile press has told him over the years: "everything's subjective, and you must decide for yourself."

Convincing someone that everything is subjective is the first step in the three step marketing ploy by every snake oil company:

1. Everything is subjective, truth is meaningless, nothing can be proven.
2. If nothing can be proven, nothing we say about our product can be proven wrong.
3. We can say whatever we want about our product, and we'll say anything to convince you to buy it.

 

[HammerSandwich]

But isn't the secondary conclusion that such reviews are completely worthless? When there is no truth, who can be an authority?

 

[NoMoFoNo]

I had a thread locked down just today in another forum after asserting without drama that USB cables pass data, period. That simple statement brought multiple snide attacks and a moderator lock down within the hour. I believe I'll be banned from posting before long. Oh well.

 

[DuxServit]

You forgot to @ me...

What about Prince Harry? Isn’t he “off-duty” or something nowadays?

 

[Blumlein 88]

But isn't the secondary conclusion that such reviews are completely worthless? When there is no truth, who can be an authority?

The one who can position himself to create or direct a narrative. An influencer.

 

[HammerSandwich]

Excellent answer. Of course, that sort of influence relies on an audience that doesn't do too much of its own thinking.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Excellent answer. Of course, that sort of influence relies on an audience that doesn't do too much of its own thinking.

Yes and no. Especially starting out there are people looking for guidance. If that guidance seems to go well, they'll tend to stick with the guide even as they "get experienced" themselves. And they'll be thinking on their own, just along the path they've been guided to think. It won't be so obvious to them either.

 

[Daverz]

Darko thinks that Kingston RAM modules are audibly the worst...

Did he actually say this?

 

[Jinjuku]

Did he actually say this?

Yes he did. It's in a 2015 YouTube video if I remember correctly.

 

[typericey]

To me, Darko and most other Youtube reviewers is entertainment. I do love his format the production quality of his videos. In contrast, I can't finish a (typical) Guttenberg and ZeroFidelity video without falling asleep.

That said, I do agree with some of Darko's beliefs and opinions, such as:

1. Being "music-first": loving audio gear because you love music first. Listening to the music you like, and not playing Diana Krall and "audiophile" recordings to listen to how your equipment properly reproduces saliva
2. Redbook is sufficient
3. He's more of a digital guy than a vinyl guy.
4. The concept of "future-fi" i.e. streaming, powered speakers with DSP, etc.
5. The concept of "Kallax-fi" i.e. compact audio that fits into real homes with not much space
6. The idea that gear must not only sound good, but also look good, as they are also furniture and typically you stare at them while listening. (I might get flamed at for this one but oh well...)

 

[Tks]

Yes he did. It's in a 2015 YouTube video if I remember correctly.

I'll wager any money in my possession he will never be able to substantiate this lunacy ridden claim. Correction, I'd wager ANYTHING.

 

[Jinjuku]

To me, Darko and most other Youtube reviewers is entertainment. I do love his format the production quality of his videos. In contrast, I can't finish a (typical) Guttenberg and ZeroFidelity video without falling asleep.

That said, I do agree with some of Darko's beliefs and opinions, such as:

1. Being "music-first": loving audio gear because you love music first. Listening to the music you like, and not playing Diana Krall and "audiophile" recordings to listen to how your equipment properly reproduces saliva
2. Redbook is sufficient
3. He's more of a digital guy than a vinyl guy.
4. The concept of "future-fi" i.e. streaming, powered speakers with DSP, etc.
5. The concept of "Kallax-fi" i.e. compact audio that fits into real homes with not much space
6. The idea that gear must not only sound good, but also look good, as they are also furniture and typically you stare at them while listening. (I might get flamed at for this one but oh well...)

Even crazy people say sane stuff.

 

[AudioEnthusiast]

If you can even call what he does "work"....

What exactly DOES he do, anyway? Is there more than the YouTube channel?

 

[gikigill]

Darko says a lot of stuff that does not make sense.

Nothing Darko says makes an sense.

 

[MattHooper]

Agh!

Darko, like any audiophile stuck in per subjectivism, can be infuriating. He also just put out another podcast/column on "snake oil":

https://darko.audio/2020/03/podcast-20-snake-oil/

Darko thinks he's giving steps in an unassailable, logical case that concludes "For a product to qualify as snake oil, we should hear no difference AND measure no difference."

Of course you will notice that NOWHERE in his missive does he take any serious consideration of sighted bias. To people working in the subjectivist paradigm it's just "not a thing." At least...not in the case of THEIR inviolable perceptual powers.

But since he seemingly refuses to acknowledge the variable of sighted bias causing people to believe they "hear" what isn't obectively there, it's just one big strawman - at least if he's trying to make the case to any actual "objectivist" or critical thinker.

Darko takes the usual subjectivist path of "If people report hearing a difference and there isn't a measurable change, perhaps you are measuring the wrong thing." Well...could be, but first it makes sense to establish that people are actually hearing the difference! (E.g. testing controlling for variables, especially sighted biases). But the subjectivist always takes his subjective experience and inferences as the primary barometer of reality.

I'd like to ask Darko if he thinks there has EVER been a case of "snake oil" as he defines it. Because if there is any tweak that is, even for Darko, just too wacky or unscrupulous sounding to be true, you can find audiophiles using Darko's own subjective method claiming it made a sonic difference. Darko must either be in the position of saying every tweak any manufacturer or audiophile EVER dreamed up is legitimate because there are people who "heard" differences - hell there are testimonials and professional reviews for the Machina Dynamic troll products! - or if he admits that some people may be imagining differences, he owes an explanation as to how he can know he is not falling in to the same errors in his purely subjective method.

But, logic like this is like throwing jelly at the wall with many subjectivists.

 

[RayDunzl]

Darko, like any audiophile stuck in per subjectivism, can be infuriating.

Don't watch.

 

[MattHooper]

Don't watch.

If you are counseling me not to watch...

I watch the Darko channel sometimes because I like audio gear and he sometimes reviews some cool gear. Plus he has Jana Dagdagan doing videography and she does some really elegant work.

But I have to ration my visits as a little Darko goes a long way in terms of building irritation. Then I have to take a break. (It's not like he's a bad dude or everything he says is daft, but...enough of it gets me irked to require only visiting his site now and again).