Steve Guttenberg - Audiophiliac

[peanuts]

Shur is the FR of a speaker a matter of taste. I mean some people like there Burger with a lot of cinnamon. Why not?

to a small degree sure, but Zu audio are so bad its not even funny. theres no way anyone would have a taste like this.

not to mention the beaming of such an 10" + 1" or 2" alignment without any crossover. for example they use a huge 2" radian 500hz capable driver from 12khz 1st order.

 

[hardisj]

That said, there are some YouTube audiophile influencers I just personally hate, like Andrew Robinson.

Any particular reason why? I'm agnostic. But I also feel like his reviews are more advertisements than anything, as with the majority of these guys. But he doesn't really bother me to the extent I hate him, LOL. Just wondering if you have any personal dealings with him.

It frustrates me to no end that these guys are never, ever critical. But I suppose they have to tow that line if they want to keep getting stuff. Personally, I'd rather have fewer viewers but an audience that knows they can trust me because even if my subjective assessment isn't what they'd like to hear, the data may tell them something more than my words can give (or I might have missed) and they can use that to form a purchase decision rather than me using flowery words to describe how it sounds in my room.

 

[tomtoo]

to a small degree sure, but Zu audio are so bad its not even funny. theres no way anyone would have a taste like this.

not to mention the beaming of such an 10" + 1" or 2" alignment without any crossover. for example they use a huge 2" radian 500hz capable driver from 12khz 1st order.

Ok its maybe a burger with cinnamon,peanutbutter and glovepowder?

 

[richard12511]

Any particular reason why? I'm agnostic. But I also feel like his reviews are more advertisements than anything, as with the majority of these guys. But he doesn't really bother me to the extent I hate him, LOL. Just wondering if you have any personal dealings with him.

It frustrates me to no end that these guys are never, ever critical. But I suppose they have to tow that line if they want to keep getting stuff. Personally, I'd rather have fewer viewers but an audience that knows they can trust me because even if my subjective assessment isn't what they'd like to hear, the data may tell them something more than my words can give (or I might have missed) and they can use that to form a purchase decision rather than me using flowery words to describe how it sounds in my room.

I’ve seen a few negative reviews, but only for class D amps. I remember specifically an ncore amp review and a crown amp review. It wasn't as harsh as your Jamo review, but they ultimately didn't recommend it. The reasoning was that while it had good power output, it didn't provide the warmth, detail, holographic soundstage, and separation of instruments that you get with class A/B and tubes.

 

[hardisj]

I’ve seen a few negative reviews, but only for class D amps. I remember specifically an ncore amp review and a crown amp review. It wasn't as harsh as your Jamo review, but they ultimately didn't recommend it. The reasoning was that while it had good power output, it didn't provide the warmth, detail, holographic soundstage, and separation of instruments that you get with class A/B and tubes.

Are you saying Andrew Robinson said that? Or another reviewer? I assume the latter, because I recall AR liking the Crown.

And my personal take on the Crown... great amp but not with high sensitivity drivers unless you like his. I know from experience. I live with the hiss everyday and I hate it. But I don't use the setup for critical listening so I deal with it.

 

[tomtoo]

Any particular reason why? I'm agnostic. But I also feel like his reviews are more advertisements than anything, as with the majority of these guys. But he doesn't really bother me to the extent I hate him, LOL. Just wondering if you have any personal dealings with him.

It frustrates me to no end that these guys are never, ever critical. But I suppose they have to tow that line if they want to keep getting stuff. Personally, I'd rather have fewer viewers but an audience that knows they can trust me because even if my subjective assessment isn't what they'd like to hear, the data may tell them something more than my words can give (or I might have missed) and they can use that to form a purchase decision rather than me using flowery words to describe how it sounds in my room.

Just did watched your jamo review. Very nice review. You know the most of this 'reviewer' have not a 10'th of your speaker knowledge. But as a 'reviewer' you have to say something. Thats not easy.

 

[hardisj]

That's true.

TBH, I really don't much care for my first 3 speaker reviews. I mean, they're not terrible but I realized many things I would like to do differently. At any rate, I'm working on it. Improving a bit with each new one.

I will say this, too: subjective reviewers have it made. It's easy to talk about something you heard. Especially because there is zero accountability... "I heard what I heard" and that's it. It's WAY, WAY harder to measure, generate data and then review the data. If I were making a subjective only video I could hammer one of those things out in an hour; from start to YouTube upload.

 

[richard12511]

Are you saying Andrew Robinson said that? Or another reviewer? I assume the latter, because I recall AR liking the Crown.

The latter. I think it was a couple from Thomas and Stereo and Next Best Thing studio, but my memory could wrong.

 

[hardisj]

The latter. I think it was a couple from Thomas and Stereo and Next Best Thing studio, but my memory could wrong.

OK.

I won't watch another Thomas video. When he flat out said he won't review a product he didn't like... well, that told me everything I needed to know. For one, there's a lack of integrity. Secondly, if he has a review, he must have liked it. I think he's doing himself and his viewership a major disservice. I told him as much.

 

[Icboschert]

 

[tomtoo]

That's true.

TBH, I really don't much care for my first 3 speaker reviews. I mean, they're not terrible but I realized many things I would like to do differently. At any rate, I'm working on it. Improving a bit with each new one.

I will say this, too: subjective reviewers have it made. It's easy to talk about something you heard. Especially because there is zero accountability... "I heard what I heard" and that's it. It's WAY, WAY harder to measure, generate data and then review the data. If I were making a subjective only video I could hammer one of those things out in an hour; from start to YouTube upload.

Yeap thats the quality aspect. A review in your quality is a lot of work and it needs knowledge. It's much easyer to give just a soundimpression mixed with a lot of other subjective stuff and make the impression that you have knowledge. Your way is much harder. BUT at least couse you have knowledge you get not cought by talking BS. Like this british audiophile that thinks japanese amps have a v-shaped FR. Thats than the moment i loose my interest to watch.
Edit says: Oh shure mistakes can happen thats normal. But BS should not happen.

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

There's some reasonably meaningful information that I can glean from the various youtube reviewers.

1. Build Quality - does the thing seem well-constructed
2. Fit & Finish - related to 1 but does the thing look and "feel" nice.
3. Features
4. Functionality - do the things in 3 work well?

beyond those items my BS meter starts to redline pretty darned quickly. When it gets to rambling on and on about the "special music sauce" coming from a given item, I'm out ftmp. Frankly, as far as components other than speakers are concerned I really don't need listening impressions at all. The measurements tell me everything I need to know. And even with speakers and headphones measurements get me almost there and hearing what some aging hipster or smug connoisseur thinks about the sound doesn't help me much at all.

Here's what I'd need to see in a Steve G or any of the other subjective audiophile reviewers videos (of speakers specifically) for them to really mean much to me:

1. Establish a baseline for comparison. Pick a set of speakers to use as your point of comparison. These should be moderate cost, and they should be carefully set up and EQ'd for neutrality in your listening room. Ideally, they should be "good" speakers in a measurable sense. Make this public information so I know what you are using for the process.

2. Sit in a chair with a blindfold on and an A/B switcher in your hand and listen to the speakers you are reviewing and switch back and forth between them and your baseline (carefully having volume-matched the 2 sets of course) and describe your impressions while not knowing which speakers you are actually hearing. Pick the ones you prefer and make the result public.

3. Do the same as 2, but this time after having carefully set up and EQ'd the speakers under review for neutrality as well. So now, a blind test with both sets of speakers properly "set up" in the room. Give us your listening impressions (which are blind of course) and choose your favorite. "But why would you want to EQ all speakers so they sound the same???" say the subjectivists. Simple - because if I can EQ speakers so they all sound the same, why do I need to spend thousands of dollars on speakers? I'm not in audio to see how much money I can spend on gear. I'm interested in getting great sound for as little money as possible. I want to try and determine at what point I can stop spending more because I won't get any audible improvement.

I think watching a video of any of these guys doing the above would be fascinating and extremely revealing. However, I also think there'd probably be a lot fewer of them before too long if they did do that. Watching Steve G pick his baseline speakers instead of the review set costing 5 or 10 times as much a few times would be highly entertaining! lol...

 

[PETERPAN]

What do you guys make of Steve?

I could be wrong. Didn't he once say in one of his videos, that measurements are meaningless?

I don't know about you lot. But I've noticed on every video review Steve always likes and praises the product. Hardly ever seen a negative review come out of him.

S.

What is the diference between a REVIEW and an OPINION?

 

[tomtoo]

What is the diference between a REVIEW and an OPINION?

Usually opinios are based on facts.

 

[PETERPAN]

Usually opinios are based on facts. [/QUOT

Really?

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

Usually opinios are based on facts.

Oh I wouldn't say that at all. Which is why most opinions don't actually mean a whole lot.

And I'd say there really isn't much separating these audiophile youtube reviews from opinions...

 

[tomtoo]

At least i try to build my opinions on facts. By many of this reviews iam realy unshure if they try to base the review on facts.

 

[MattHooper]

to a small degree sure, but Zu audio are so bad its not even funny. theres no way anyone would have a taste like this.

not to mention the beaming of such an 10" + 1" or 2" alignment without any crossover. for example they use a huge 2" radian 500hz capable driver from 12khz 1st order.

"theres no way anyone would have a taste like this."

You'd be wrong, then.

Zu audio sells quite a lot of speakers to an enthusiastic customer base. Just a couple days ago I was reading some Zu speaker owners who still swoon over their speakers, having owned them for years, so they seem to be enjoying fairly long term satisfaction.

Horses for courses...

 

[Purité Audio]

These products are sold solely on myth or backstory, they make the music more ‘lifelike’ I hear it all the time.
If you have no technical knowledge whatsoever it is easy to be misled.
Keith

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

"theres no way anyone would have a taste like this."

You'd be wrong, then.

Zu audio sells quite a lot of speakers to an enthusiastic customer base. Just a couple days ago I was reading some Zu speaker owners who still swoon over their speakers, having owned them for years, so they seem to be enjoying fairly long term satisfaction.

Horses for courses...

Yeah. People enjoy all kinds of crazy crap. Especially after they dropped a bunch of money on said crap. There's lots of people who love Beats headphones. There's people who get a set of Beats, and then they turn the bass knob all the way up as well! They "love" it! I used to know a guy who would EQ his system so that the sliders were a straight line from left to right...with the left end at the lowest point and the right at the highest! Am I supposed to care about that guy's speaker impressions?