Just got BANNED from Steve Hoffman Forums!
Wow!
Someone started a thread on the SH audio gear forum about having his view changed on audio cables by listening to some Nordost cables in a friend's system.
Naturally there were cable believers chiming in right off the bat. One gave a list of why there is a controversy at all about cables, the final reason "Posters are deaf." (Obviously, those who deny differences are deaf). So the snark started immediately from the cable side.
Another member (who some of us would recognize from an appearance here) chimed in that when people talk of not hearing differences, or about imagination or biases, he thinks they lack experience or a good enough system. (How many times have we heard that one before?).
And on it went.
I jumped in to provide a different view, that those who downplay the role of our biases in evaluating equipment likely haven't had experience testing their own biases (e.g. haven't experienced blind testing their beliefs). I simply defended the idea that without controlling for sighted bias in evaluating between cables, it's possible the conclusions can be in error. Naturally, the pushback started, people taking insult. I said over and over that I was not saying anyone had to become a scientist to enjoy the hobby, no one had to blind test, anyone can have any approach he wants, that I myself do not blind test everything I own etc. Only that there is no good reason, given what we know scientifically about our biases, to think audio is excepted, and that there's plenty of evidence biases play a role. You don't have to do science in building your system, but let's not pretend science has no application to audio evaluations if you want to get more rigorous.
Of course the hostility came pretty thick and fast, saying I'm spouting B.S., being "offensive," arrogant, a "threadcrapper" and on and on.
I kept trying to respond with as much civility as possible, clearing up all the strawmen being thrown my way. But it's just incredible how impossible it was to get anyone to even listen or absorb anything. It's just evade-points-reply-with-ad-hominem, rinse and repeat. (And demands to know my gear and experience).
DaveyF in the thread was noting he was proud about being banned from AVS (was he, or did he just leave?). I noted in my post that he got insulting on AVS and that I wouldn't be proud to be banned from a forum. And then I got banned! (And I'm not proud!).
This is one of the reasons I appreciate this forum. It seems there is no way to voice skepticism about any subjectivist shibboleths without being accused of being a dogmatist, nasty spoil-sport who, in merely voicing a different cautious view, insults the integrity of others who "know what they hear" and just wants to ruin audio for other people. And it's amazing how they do not see the hypocrisy: that so long as a poster is towing the line that cables obviously sound different, you can make as many pissy pot-shots at the skeptical side as you want, calling them "deaf" and "inexperienced" and BSers, threadcrappers...anything...and it's no foul. No moderator jumps in. No one objects to that snark. But if a skeptic as politely as possible gives his view, the skeptic is being the asshole. And you continually walk the line of being banned. A truly rigged game.
The reason I still engage these topics on the other audio forums is to keep representing the fact that not all audiophiles go for the pseudo-scientific thinking, that even in the seemingly more subjectivist-leaning forums, plenty of members are more cautious or skeptical about purely subjective audio claims. (I get lots of likes and messages of support, so I know they are there). I think it's good to push-back on the dogma
and highlight the hypocrisy. Though, with as much civility as possible, taking the higher road.
Where I went wrong if anywhere, I think, was my final post which was meant to highlight the inconsistency, but it did so by criticising a member's behaviour. Probably should have left that out. But, of course, all the criticisms of my character didn't get anyone else banned. Live and learn some more....