@hickamore Very well said.
Giving Advice without recommending your own equipment
I've noticed over the years that you can't ask a general question on Audiogon without getting people answering who with a specific model recommendation. They think the answer to every question is to just buy their model. For example:
OP: What is the difference between R2R and FPGA DACS.
ans 1: I have a model x that is R2R and you should just buy it. it is spectacular.
ans 2: I have model y what is FPGA and it is spectacutlar. buy it.
ans 3: I have model z. I don't know if it is FPGA, R2R or what, but you should buy it.
ans 4: I have owned both. I found the FPGA to have the following attributes..... and the R2R to be more ...... The models i owned were not exactly in the same price range so YMMV. But my opinion is that I like ______ better.
Which of those answers sound more useful? I'm just suggesting that your advice is more meaningful if you can refraim from recommending your latest and greatest piece of equipment. I would totally ignore answers 1 thru 3. Ans 4 is well thought out and give you a useful opinion.
Sometimes people ask for specific model advice from people who have heard certain models. Of course 99.9% of the comments come from people who love their model x. Apparently nobody ever buys something and decides it is not that great (I wonder why there is so much used equipment for sale). But comments about specific models are appropriate then.
Just a few thoughts about how to navigate theough the forums and sort the wheat from the chaff. there is lots of good advice here and lots of bad advice and this is more of an example of useless advice and how to avoid giving it.
Jerry
- ...
- 34 posts total
Your observations are accurate. You are asking advice from owners. It's unlikely they would miss the opportunity to demonstrate their excellent choices in gear. Instead of seeking impartial advice in this forum, do your own research and supplement your findings with the experiential information the community shares. |
Truth rides on the credit system, William James said. That means that most of what we pass along are claims we have not verified ourselves. Why would audio be different? Why do we pass along claims we, ourselves, have not verified, experimentally? Because we have to get along without this kind of "hard" proof (which is typically not that hard, anyway), and we do so by making judgements about language and speakers. And it works, a lot of the time. And the alternative would be to remain silent, or caveat things to death. That's the wisdom I see in @baylinor's comment, "read MULTIPLE replies on forums and product reviews." It's not perfect, but it makes a good judgment more probable. |
- 34 posts total