Our Responsibility


As my music system competes with fireworks in the background (4th of July, after 9 pm) I’ve been reflecting on John Darko’s recent post (linked below). Specifically this section:

"Being a hi-fi enthusiast isn’t about the gear we own, the music we listen to or in which format. It’s about how we listen: attentively and mindfully, to the music AND to others."

Perhaps the significance and import of this very special day in our national history has opened up a window within me, to explore this further.

I’m asking our community: What is it that we can do to share and expand our interest and hobby, and this special love of music, with others?

From Darko.Audio: https://darko.audio/2019/07/the-know-it-all-audiophile-threatens-community-expansion/
david_ten
Let me help you guys out a little bit.

First of all you can’t debunk something that’s not bunk. But don’t let that stop you. Here are a few tips.


• Employ vague, subjective, dismissive terms such as "ridiculous," "trivial," "crackpot," or "bunk," in a manner that purports to carry the full force of scientific authority.

• Keep your arguments as abstract and theoretical as possible. This will send the message that accepted theory overrides any actual evidence that might challenge it -- and that therefore no such evidence is worth examining.

• By every indirect means at your disposal imply that science is powerless to police itself against fraud and misperception, and that only self-appointed vigilantism can save it from itself.

• Portray science not as an open-ended process of discovery but as a pre-emptive holy war against invading hordes of quackery-spouting infidels. Since in war the ends justify the means, you may fudge, stretch or violate the scientific method, or even omit it entirely, in the name of defending it.

• Reinforce the popular fiction that our scientific knowledge is complete and finished. Do this by asserting that "if such-and-such discovery were legitimate, then surely we would already know about it!"


I’m not sure why the guy who writes the blog described in the OP is complaining so much about bickering in this hobby. If I can speak frankly, I’m here mostly to watch all the bickering, 🤗
What is snake oil? Who gives the right of 1 person to call something snake oil? For example: who gives somebody the right to call cables snake oil? How about power conditioners? How about room acoustic pieces? Who qualifies as an expert to label a product snake oil? 

This hobby is no different than being into nice cars. 99% of people drive a car to work or to the store and don’t really care too much about quality or technology, same goes for our audio hobby. Let’s call this group the ‘corolla’ group. If I ask anybody in this car group if they would like to buy this particular tire that has helped my Porsche handle better but costs 5x more than the tires they now have, they would think I was stupid to spend that kind of money on a tire. How about a more expensive spark plug, air filter, or a better spark plug coil adding another 10,000 volts to the plug? Same goes with our audio hobby, a guy with a good system or good ears claims that X product makes his system sound better, he is labeled as a snake oil vendor or promoter. A cable is a cable, right? (I’m not talking about con artists that want to charge you a lot of money to change your muffler bearings, there are definitely crooks out there)

There are more people out there that think the $ we spend on audio or cars is a stupid thing to begin with. 99% of all people don’t care about top quality audio systems or top quality cars and that won’t change anytime soon. 

I don't need anybody to tell me (especially if they are in the ‘corolla’ group) if X product is good or bad, I’ll let my ears or if talking about a car, my right foot or the seat of my pants, tell me if it’s good product or not.
rbstehno
What is snake oil? Who gives the right of 1 person to call something snake oil?
Those who rail against other people’s religions and dismiss them as "snake-oilers" are nothing new here or on other forums. It’s sad, and the result of hate and ignorance.

Beware the audio guru.

Snake oil derives from 19th century Chinese railroad workers who used medicine made from the Chinese water snake. Its a wonder today's perpetually triggered wokesters haven't gotten around to declaring it racist. Yet.