Dear Home Theater Enthusiasts;
Thanks you for accepting me into the group. This looks like a cool FB page that I plan on exploring when time permits. Between raising a family, running a business, and defending my business from senseless attacks like what Ethan Winer/Real Traps is currently engaging in, I have little time or desire to engage yet into another debate on this fine group.
If anyone has questions/concerns, they are welcome to post follow-ups in our related forum thread:
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/how-realtraps-and-ethan-winer-conducts-business.98090/
I thank everyone for discussing this current situation and I empathize for those that are fans of Ethan Winer and Real Traps. As I've said in one of our YouTube videos (that ironically Ethan got taken down), I think Real Traps makes quality products that are 3rd party tested against acoustical standards to actually prove that they work. Do I think they can be unsightly? Yes, especially when you put 40 of them into a domestic living space.
I realize this may be offensive to Mr. Winer but sometimes things aren't all roses when dealing with people's opinions in social media, internet blogs, etc or discovering science that offers alternative ways to solve a problem that you spent your livelihood making a business on using other methods. We all must grow thicker skin and in the case of science, adapt and incorporate new methods and solutions when appropriate.
As someone who comes from a military family that has served and sacrificed in our armed forces protecting our freedoms, I am particular sensitive to protecting and upholding our 1st Amendment Right of Free Speech. Ethan's email response to me today was very clear that he purposely got YouTube to take 2 of our videos down NOT because of the actual copyright claim of the image in question but because he felt offended and slighted by the messages in our videos. Ethan is intelligent and realizes that the ONLY way YouTube will take a video down is via a Copyright Dispute. All other complaints (sans pornography) carry very little gravity with YouTube in taking videos down. YouTube makes you read and sign a disclaimer that you fully understand the consequences of taking such actions so I don't buy him veining ignorance as to the seriousness of what he did to us TWICE and under two different login profiles. He knew last week that we received our first strike, yet knowing that, he filled a second complaint to earn us a second strike. I again believe he purposely filed these complaints under two different login profiles to game the system so YouTube wouldn't flag a similar complaint for the same image being filed by the same person. This is very clever and sneaky and in my opinion, cowardly.
I will not debate the merits of fair usage of images as I currently have in my employment one of the best Patent/Copyright Attorneys in the country reviewing this case for me. I will leave that to him and Ethan's attorney to work out in the coming weeks.
I tried my best to come to terms with Ethan back in August 2015 where we annotated our Acoustics video to say we meant "Bass Traps, not Real Traps" and then we shot a second video about Multi-Sub (which ironically he got banned) where we mentioned his company has being one of the few that 3rd party tests their products. At the time he agreed via email that this was sufficient. However, he then continued trying to debate me on the topic of multi-sub throwing Dr. Floyd Toole into the email string. After going back and forth numerous times, Floyd and I both realized progress was not being made so I opted out. Ethan then took it upon himself to continue this at AVS forum followed by a very misinformed article titled "Early Reflections Are NOT Beneficial". This time he took an image diagram of my room (without my permission) and 4 photos of Dr. Floyd Toole's room (without permission of S&V Magazine or Floyd) to disparage our work. It was then that I realized Ethan’s actions didn’t match his words. It’s unclear to me if he or his doppelganger are the ones calling the shots.
I can handle that he attacks my articles, claims, and equipment/room choices for my home theater. However, I think it's pretty appalling how he attempts to discredit a true expert and pioneer in our industry. Dr. Floyd Tool doesn't just publish his opinions. He bases his claims on peer reviewed science. To my knowledge, Ethan has never submitted his work to a peer review process or a technical standards body. Instead, in my opinion, he quite masterfully massages waterfall graphs to create the need for more....bass traps! He took data I sent him from my room BEFORE I employed SFM or optimal sub positioning and massaged the graph to make it look like I had a problem. He continues to ignore the graphs from my recent article showing before/after frequency response and waterfall plots located here:
http://www.audioholics.com/home-theater-calibration/bass-optimization-for-home-theater
Ethan apparently finds this whole situation amusing as he now suggested that I open up our YouTube Channel (the very channel he is attempting to get shut down) to host a live debate with him. I absolutely will NOT do this. I've presented my work in the form of numerous peer reviewed editorials and YouTube videos. The contents of my articles are in agreement with the latest science pioneered by industry experts like Dr. Floyd Toole, Dr. Sean Olive, Todd Welti, etc. In contrast, Ethan is on the wrong side of science in this debate and if that's his prerogative then more power to him. He was banned on our forum quite a long time ago for similar antics and I found out through the operatives of Sound and Vision Magazine, he was banned there too for similar reasons.
Earlier today, I suggested that Ethan retract his claims against us on YouTube since he "wasn't aware of the three strike rule" and instead he came on this group to further disparage and misrepresent my views and measurements. I am done debating with Mr. Winer and instead focusing on running my AV publication and helping fellow enthusiasts as best as I know how to through education.
I apologize for this long rant and I hope it cleared up some concerns people may have about this situation.
Sincerely,
Gene DellaSala
President, Audioholics.com