Is ASR for real, or is it only for those sub $1k or even sub $2K?
I did some browsing on the forum and it seems like most don't own very expensive gears. Most of them own mostly sub 1K or 2K gears.
I recently ask about feedback on the Polk R700 but after about a month with no responds. I did a search "ASR Polk R700", with all but one poster which actually owned a pair. Most of them would point you to some measurement and some theoretical discussion but non actually own a pair.
I also looked at a few posts on budget speakers such as the Kef Q7 or Polk R600, but I didn't see any actual owners responding.
I don't mean to knock on them but ASR seems like a lot of hype but very little substance.
Why should they own expensive gear? When it all sounds the same, to buy an amplifier for 10K when a receiver will sound just as good, makes one a hypocrite. And @dynacohum , I believe in subjective differences in components. And I am not a "vaccine skeptic". I am just a "COVID vaccine skeptic". |
@andy2 I like ASR for unmasking much of the audio-BS going around. I don't know what most ASR posters have in terms of equipment and price points, but you can look at my virtual system and make your own conclusions. I only remember Amir liking his Dan Clark Ether cans, and they are in the $2K range. For those who claim ASR is not listening to gear, you have not looked at any of Amir's reviews. He typically includes a listening experience portion, including comparisons. If anybody wants to fault a forum for being narrow-minded, it is AG. No measurements to be found anywhere. I agree with @kerrybh 's balanced assessment, particularly the schizophrenic mindset at AG that measurements are no good, but blind AB test are also shunned. |
"Not nice" begets "not nice". I suspect that much of the perceived animosity for ASR stems from the harsh criticism someone will get if they post a subjective opinion. I’m sure it’s a two-way street, but I certainly remember how critical they were of my subjective input before I realized how married they are to the specs, and how little emphasis they put on subjective listening. It was quite unpleasant, and I thought unnecessary. It seems it’s always the extremists who give a bad name to the moderates with a slight slant one way or the other. I also suspect that the polarized controversy appeals to his segment of the market, which makes money for him, so there may be a fair amount of posturing for the sake of promoting his stance. |
"Consult reviewers that base their recommendations on listening to the gear. Have a look at Stereophile, The Absolute Sound, and HiFi+."
I agree with this comment made early in this thread. I am a fairly regular reader of these although much of the equipment is out of my budget. TAS steered me in the right direction on a pair of Polk Legend 600 speakers. I read a few reviews on them elsewhere but when TAS wrote a glowing review I decided to buy a pair w/o auditioning them (nobody near me carried them). I don't regret the purchase at all and never looked much at the specs on them and I don't think ASR ever "tested" them. |
