Audio snobbery

The following is my written recollection of how I have been moulded into my developed interest in music production, recorded music replay and electronic equipment. It is personal and not intended to be anything more than a sharing of my own experiences and how those experiences have been influential. Open-mindedness is the key; the willingness to not create limitations on experiencing audio devices of interest is a strength for becoming better educated in the practice of producing an audio system. 

It is nearly 40+ years since the initiation of having an interest in listening to Live Music. Even though recorded music was most likely listened to prior to being keen to experience Live Music, it is the latter which was the influence that developed into an interest in creating a substantial collection of recorded music  Albums, solely intended to be listened to as recorded music replays. Both have been strong influences in creating a side interest where audio equipment mechanics and electronics were to become a developing interest.

Today, I know a little more about Live Music performance, but have only really been influenced by the entertainment factor and not the technical aspects. I don't find myself taking the time out to further my understanding when info becomes readily available to do so. I certainly don't feel a need to add content to a discussion that is publicly shared. 

Today, I don't know a great deal more about Recorded Music, but I am considerably better educated than I was many years ago. I remain interested in acquiring Hard Media, and even though at the current time it is a decreased activity. There does remain an excitement about a newly acquired album to be replayed, as has always been present. I always have my focus on this interest and do regularly explore portals that introduce new artists and artists released recorded material. I do, on occasion, contribute by adding content to discussions that are publicly shared.

Today, I have a much better understanding of Audio Equipment, but I am not willing to refer to myself a tech savvy. When it comes to tech info needing to be processed, I have support readily available who are more than qualified to guide me.

For myself, audio equipment is all about the end sound produced and the design of the space in which the end sound is produced. I have been introduced to and demoed hundreds of systems across the years and got a very good grasp of the end sound I can wed to. I should also add that I have heard numerous systems I would refer to as very enjoyable, and numerous capable of producing a worthwhile listen for the musical experience they can generate. Using recollection, I am content in stating that I have not been introduced to an assembly of correctly functioning audio equipment that has not been able to produce a replay of recorded music, resulting in the end sound that is classed as totally unattractive. Different levels of attraction across assemblies, yes, that has occurred. 

As a result of the above experiences, I do broadcast about them by making them known to a wider audience. I do contribute by adding content to discussions that are publicly shared.

I communicate about them as a means to encourage others to be proactive, to receive a demonstration of audio systems containing an audio device that might be of interest. The commonly seen communication that advises making selections without obtaining experience of an item considered is one I feel compelled to discourage.

The commonly seen communication that advises making selections based on the Math associated with a design for an audio device is, for me, limiting. The individual who takes note of this info and is influenced to the point that they limit themselves by not investigating a way to receive a demo. Deprives themselves of having an experience of the end sound produced. For a certain individual, the demo experience can prove to be one which is able to become wedded with ease.        

I guess I'm not a hardcore audio snob. I have never heard of or have heard most of the equipment that is discussed on this forum. I guess that's why I consider myself to be an audio enthusiast rather than an audiophile. Maybe a dilettante.

I looked at the original post and thought this was going to be a complicated read. Instead, it contained a couple of simple, reasonable points buried in a lot of repetition.

You make the actual argument — reviewers should describe trade-offs and their own priorities instead of declaring winners, which is a good if obvious point — four separate times in slightly different words, and then the last four paragraphs are literally pasted twice. Same sentences, word for word, down to "I'm not here to tell you what's best." That's not emphasis, that's an editing pass that didn't happen.

The "I'm not judging" disclaimer alone shows up six or seven times: "I'm not superior," "I didn't pull myself up by my bootstraps," "I'm not sitting in judgment but am offering an opinion for consideration," "Everyone thinks that they are right, and they are," "Music is personal, musical preferences are therefore all right," "I'm not here to tell you what's best" (twice, once in each copy of the duplicated block).

And look -- you are telling people what's best. Otherwise, the post has a lot of insistence on neutrality when it actually isn't neutral. You say reviewers should rate on multiple traits, should disclose their priorities, should describe trade-offs rather than declare winners — that's prescriptive, not a shrug. And "your results are meaningless" if reviewers skip the listener categories isn't a preference, it's a flat verdict on existing review practice.

So you're not ranking gear, but you are ranking reviewers and review methods, pretty confidently. The disclaimer covers more ground than it earns — worth dropping it, or narrowing it to what's actually true: you're not telling people what to buy, but you are telling them how to review. An honest reviewer might say, "If you can tell us how to review, we can tell readers what sounds best."

perspective of the late Harry Pearson:  the "Absolute Sound" was live music, and all systems and components should be compared to that.  Also, the ideal system does not approach  the above, the perfect system is the same as a live experience

I gave up on the OP about halfway through due to the repetition.  He seems passionate about whatever his point is, but repeating a point several times in the course of a post does not lend that point increased validity.

  He then seems to want to break audio listeners into 3 distinct groups.  Personally I don’t seem to fall into any of them, but whatever floats his boat.

what I really didn’t get was whatever point he was trying to make about audio snobbery