I’m new to this forum. I just recently purchased an entirely new home theater and was looking for some advice on some aspects. Having spent most of life being relatively broke, i was showing off as i was proud of making such purchases. Not a single person I know in real life cares about such things. When you get something new, sometimes a little showing off isn’t bad. In a world without a little showing off, these forums would collapse.
I have spent a couple weeks reading posts here. A lot of us make these purchases and want to feel good about what we bought, beyond the joy of simply performance. You want to share your excitement and often those in our lives simply aren’t into audio video hardware. It’s a part of any forum. Here, from what I’ve seen, you make such posts at your peril. More times than not, you’ll be labeled a fanboy and shamed for having purchased X and told you wasted your money and should’ve bought X and we would’ve told you to buy X had you asked before purchase. I don’t see how this is constructive at all.
The next gen audiophiles believe in internet brands because they see the charts and trust them implicitly and like believing that cutting out the middleman means a better product for less money. Those preferring store brands are buying what they know and what sounds good to their ears. Each argues their point. To me, the internet brand supporters come on like members of a cult with the absolute belief that non believers are wrong and shall be shamed because they have charts/graphs which alone shall wisely dictate purchases. They will even invite you into their homes to share The Truth with their fellow man. Scientology anyone? Amway?
I read these threads and they make me cringe. Happily, my system is complete and I didn’t need that much advice anyways. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, has different tastes and hear things differently. Different aspects are important to different people. I take build quality into consideration far more than any chart. I lack the palate to discern a ‘57 Chateaux Margaux from ‘63 Chateau Petrus. I could only tell you what I liked.
Analogy Alert... I recently decided I wanted to buy an exotic car, a dream I’ve had since my youth. I went into this without a preference of ny specific car. I test drove them all over a 24hr period, beat day of my life. When it comes to “Supercars” the performance numbers are all within fractions of a second of each other. What kind of a lunatic would ever pick such a car based solely upon charts, graphs, and numbers? And never having driven one? No way. Speed, horsepower, torque, 0-60, 0-124, etc... once you get above a certain price point, they are all incredibly fast. Technologically, these are the best cars that have ever been made . You test drive the cars and pick the one that speaks to you. Even in this world, you will run into guys who will argue passionately that you made a mistake and that the car they love is the superior car and give you numbers which they feel should assist in proving to you that you made a mistake and your opinions are wrong. They truly can’t fathom how anyone could ever disagree and claim “you can’t argue numbers”. Ah, but you can. If you then respond and ask why do that to anyone? They will claim so that others won’t make the mistake of buying what they think is best. Hearing bitter arguments over OPINIONS... I just don’t get it. Buying an exotic car is no different than any other purchase. Buy what you like. However, if you come here expecting to find some kind of fellowship and support of your opinion... which is different, forget it. This is the wrong forum. If you want to share what you’ve bought and get berated for having the wrong opinions? This is where you should come, unless of course internet brands are your thing.
I LOVE exotic cars. They are beautiful, exciting, extreme, and insanely over the top. The engineering that goes into them is not to be believed. I go to car shows and gatherings to look at them. It’s fascinating to talk to others about this shared interest . I certainly have my favorites. At all the shows and all the gatherings, not once, not ever, has it, nor would it occur to me to tell someone they bought the wrong car, that X has a better power curve or 0-60 time. “Hey man, that’s a nice Bugatti, but if you were smart, you could’ve spent a fraction of what you paid and gotten a much faster car...” Arguing which car is best is insane. That would take a level of stupefying arrogance I simply don’t possess.
The only thing worse than being a “fanboy” is calling someone a “fanboy”.
It’s obvious, to my anyways, when someone is simply proud of their purchase. If you don’t like it just move on. Don’t use it as an opportunity to tell them that your opinions and priorities are better and then claim it’s “teaching”. You simply want what they want. To believe they made a good choice. If their choice was wrong? You believe your opinions are better?
Most of us don’t have the knowledge to argue performance numbers, for or against. And these numbers do not play a role in such a purchase, unless your ear contains a computer chip. What sounds better to you likely doesn’t to them. Using numbers to claim superiority doesn’t take anything into account beyond what a computer “hears”. Claiming otherwise is disingenuous at best.
It’s F’ing pathetic that I took the time to make this post, but I needed to vent. I’m assuming I’ll get torn a new one now, but c’est la vive. I’m good with that.
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