I was a nut for audio in the 70’s and early 80’s, with intermittent toes back in ever since. I was an early Audiogon member, then had kids and had a demanding career, and am now back enjoying lots of music. Even though I am an old hand, I’ve learned a lot and enjoyed my membership immensely upon my return to membership! I am lucky to have really great new and vintage audio stores near me (Command Performance and Hifi Heaven), and my experience has helped me separate wheat from chaff here. But, boy, there are some knowledgeable and savvy people here. I am grateful for the site!
Audiogon Is Still Relevent...Don't Listen to the Naysayers.
I've read many comments on here about all the negative aspects of Audiogon. The trolls and snarky comments do seem to be becoming more numerous, but there is still good information to be found here. I have been back in the audio world for about two years now and I found Audiogon soon after I purchased my first mistakes. I have since been scouring old threads and I've found that if you read enough of them, you start to see a consensus of what is good and what is crap. Reading one thread usually won't do it. Searching related threads and reading many threads seems to be the best way to glean the wheat from the chaff. By doing that you also gain respect for the members on Audiogon that really love this hobby and, while you may not agree with them all of the time, generally provide sound advice. I still read reviews online about products, but I will always come here and search opinions. I have upgraded my system a few times since joining Audiogon and each time I was very happy with the results. I recently posted a thread asking about the Cambridge Audio CXC and if it would be better than using my Cambridge Azur 651C as a transport. I received a few comments and one in particular caught my eye. It was from a member who has posted positive Cambridge Audio comments in the past and in this comment he suggested the Audiolab 6000CDT. I researched the 6000CDT and there were very positive reviews from users and professional reviewers. I ordered one and received it yesterday. Right out of the box it sounded better than the 651C. I think I will be even happier when I get a few hours on it. Other purchases that I've been happy with, and Audiogon played a part in the decision, were my Hegel H390 integrated and my Focal Aria 936s. So, I'll keep reading the threads. I hope all of you true enthusiasts never stop posting, there are people out here reading and learning!