Beware the audio guru


There are a few contributors to these forums who apparently see themselves as gurus. They speak in absolutes, using words such as "always" and "never." They make pronouncements about products or techniques they’ve never heard or experienced, justifying their conclusions because contrary claims are "impossible" or "snake oil." Those who disagree are accused of being "deluded," or suffering some insurmountable bias, or attempting to further some commercial agenda. On occasion, they have taunted detractors with an appeal that they engage in a wager - one guy wanted $25,000 cash up front and an agreement drafted by lawyers. Another offered 5-to-1 odds.

I am not going to tell you who to believe. But for anyone who might be uncertain about sorting out conflicting claims here, I suggest they consider the behavior of experts in other fields. No good doctor offers a 100 percent guarantee on any treatment or surgical procedure, even if medical science suggests success. No good attorney will tell you that you have a case that positively can’t be lost, even if the law appears to be on your side. No true professional will insult you for the questions you ask, or abandon you if you seek a second opinion.

A doctor conducts his own tests. An engineer makes his own measurements. Neither will insist the burden of documentation falls upon you.

These might be details to consider as you sift through the many conflicting claims made on Audiogon. In short: Decide for yourself. Don’t let other people tell you how to think, or listen.
Ag insider logo xs@2xcleeds
I don't think that's true at all.
I think we've come to the point that most gear measures well,and after that, it's tied to distortions and changes in the reproduced signal vs the original, that don't come across very well in the weighting of a standard engineering approach to electrical and acoustical signals.
The ear does not work that way.
I repeat, the ear does not work that way.
I repeat, the ear does not work that way.
I repeat, the ear does not work that way.
I can only say it so many times.
It takes the other half of the equation to read it, get it, take it in, and do the correct things with it.
It's been possible to end this debate for quite some time now.

I've known it in detail for a very long time.
I won't share the specifics as this is part of the money maker.
But I will do people the service of mentioning it.
Oh that's rich, roberjerman, your name came to mind after reading cleeds first paragraph. I find it tough to listen to measurements. Is it about specs. or how things sound?
@cleeds- probably a fair warning to the uninitiated, but my sense is that most people that stay on this site (as opposed to the person who posts as a newbie saying "I just inherited X, how does this work or is it any good?" and then disappears) are already familiar with the audiophile landscape.
I think most people are sensible enough to put things to the test in their own systems or will take the risk on some equipment that seems to get consistent, positive remarks from fellow users and professional reviews. And, to the extent the manufacturer is a direct seller, an unfettered right to return for refund within a limited time is essential in my estimation ( a modest repacking charge would be ok with me).
Safe to say, there are few posts of the purported guru that go unchallenged here, right? And if you are here for a while, you can sort the informative from the hype.
I recognize that there are certain rifts or areas of disagreement that probably won’t be bridged. At that point, it’s pick your preference.
I’ll obviously pay more attention to a post from someone who had long term ownership experience and has made considered comparisons, rather than flavor of the month or hype or techno-speak. (Not to say there isn't science and technology behind some of this but the harder it is to decipher, the less likely I am to be persuaded. Perhaps I'm technically less astute than some here, but I do defer to those with solid knowledge in circuits, electrical, etc. and they are pretty well known here). 
I think people generally have more sense than we give them credit for, at least when it comes to spendy stuff and their own funds. User preference/bias still remains an issue, even if someone has no agenda.
In my career, the more I did, the less certain I was about certain things. It’s healthy to have the conventional wisdom challenged occasionally. Nothing is as easy as it appears.
"Beware the audio guru"

“If you meet the Buddha, kill him.”– Linji
The explanation:

I’m sure you already realize that it’s not being literal. The road, the killing, and even the Buddha are symbolic.

The road is generally taken to mean the path to Enlightenment; that might be through meditation, study, prayer, or just some aspect of your way of life. Your life is your road. That’s fairly straightforward as far as metaphors go.

But how do you meet the Buddha on this “road?” Imagine meeting some symbolic Buddha. Would he be a great teacher that you might actually meet and follow in the real world? Could that Buddha be you yourself, having reached Enlightenment? Or maybe you have some idealized image of perfection that equates to your concept of the Buddha or Enlightenment.

Whatever your conception is of the Buddha, it’s WRONG! Now kill that image and keep practicing. This all has to do with the idea that reality is an impermanent illusion. If you believe that you have a correct image of what it means to be Enlightened, then you need to throw out (kill) that image and keep meditating.

Most people have heard the first chapter of the Tao, “The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao.” (So if you think you see the real Tao, kill it and move on).

~~~~~~~~~~~
Audio is the same. It’s a journey, a moment of now, in constant motion and change. Finality is not a real or functional thing. It does not exist. Finality is a dead thing. This is about life, which is change.
For me, my music tastes are always changing, I don’t suckle on the comfort music of old, as that’s when we get into that whole dead thing area...
numbers... as a thing that is seeked out to create concrete permanence... is no less the same. Engineers are trained to live and exist by these biblical aspects.

A scientist, a real one, a theoretician, is designed or wired to understand that all is theory and no facts really exist. If they did it any other way, the future you understand as the now, would never have happened.

Beware the fact. Beware positions. Beware polarization. Beware sides. Beware statements. Most of all, beware the monkey in your mind, which seeks out the comfort of knowing and facts, in order to be and feel safe. That safety/fear filter underlies and controls and colors every single thought, view, and breath you may take.