Audio Reviewers Are ALL Paid Shills!

Рет қаралды 28,872

Күн бұрын

In this rant, we discuss the Audioholics Review and Advertising policies. I explain how the Audioholics publication has been run since we started it 25 years ago. I also talk about how other reputable AV publications and KZfaq channels conduct business in a similar matter.
Read about Google Rewarding Fake Reviews:
www.audioholics.com/editorial...
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0:00 Introduction
1:31 Defending Reviewers
2:15 How We Review
5:42 How We Acquire Products
6:10 Review Fact Checking
8:06 Beta Testing
11:15 Success for Everyone
12:15 What We Charge For
16:11 Legal Notices
16:50 About ASR
17:12 Analyzing Reviews
17:58 MartinLogan F100 Contest
18:45 2024 AH Plans
Shop Audio Advice: bit.ly/3thUFI1
Recommended Headphones:
JBL Tour One M2: bit.ly/JBLTourOneM2-headphones
Focal Bathys: bit.ly/FocalBathyswireless
Focal Celestee: bit.ly/Focalcelestee
Mark Levinson 5909: bit.ly/MarkLevinson5909
Sony WF-1000XM3: bit.ly/SonyIEMs
Recommended Subwoofers:
SVS SB-1000 Pro: audioadvice.io/36Pea3a
SVS PB-1000 Pro: audioadvice.io/3sreeyk
SVS SB-3000: bit.ly/SVSSB3000Sub
Paradigm Defiance X12: bit.ly/ParadigmX12
Perlisten D15s: bit.ly/PerlistenD15s
Perlisten R212s: bit.ly/PerlistenR212s
Perlisten R210s: bit.ly/PerlistenR210s
Arendal 1961 1S or 1V: bit.ly/Arendal1961sub
Arendal 1723 1S Sub: bit.ly/Arendal17231Ssub
Recommended AV Separates
Trinnov Altitude 32: bit.ly/TrinnovAltitude32
Trinnov Altitude 16: bit.ly/TrinnovAltitude16
Trinnov Amplitude 16: bit.ly/TrinnovAmplitude16
Trinnov Amplitude 8: bit.ly/TrinnovAmplitude8
Recommended AV Receivers:
Onkyo TX-RZ50 ($1,599): bit.ly/OnkyoTXZ50
Denon AVR-X3800H 9.2CH AV Receiver: bit.ly/DenonX3800h
Marantz Cinema 50: bit.ly/MarantzCinema50
Yamaha RX-A2A: audioadvice.io/3ppWFg9
Sony STR-AZ5000ES: bit.ly/SonySTRAZ5000ES
Sony STR-AZ7000ES: bit.ly/SonySTRAZ7000ES
Anthem MRX1140: bit.ly/AnthemMRX1140
Anthem AVM 90 15.4CH Processor: bit.ly/AnthemAVM90
Monolith M8250x 8CH Amp: bit.ly/8CHamp
NAD M23: bit.ly/NADm23amp
Recommended Powered Speakers:
Kanto YU6: bit.ly/KantoYU6speakers
Kanto TUK: bit.ly/KantoTUK
Kanto Sub8: bit.ly/KantoSub8
Recommended Center Channels:
SVS Prime Center: bit.ly/SVSPrimecenter
Paradigm Premier 500C: bit.ly/Paradigm500C
Revel C208: bit.ly/RevelC208
Recommended Speakers:
SVS Prime 5.1 Speaker / Sub System: audioadvice.io/3JZJOt5
JBL HDI-3800: bit.ly/JBLHDI3800sale
Polk R700 Tower Speakers: audioadvice.io/3C0TK2B
Heco Aurora 700: bit.ly/HecoAurora700spks
Heco Aurora 1000 Tower Speakers: bit.ly/Aurora1000
Arendal 1961 Monitor: bit.ly/Arendal1961Monitor
Monolith Encore T6: bit.ly/EncoreT6
Klipsch RP-8000F II Tower Speakers: audioadvice.io/3445l4A
Arendal 1723S Tower Speakers: bit.ly/Arendal1723s
Focal Aria K2 936: bit.ly/3zVAxi5
Focal Kanta No2: bit.ly/Focalkantano2
Sony SSCS5 Speakers:audioadvice.io/3td2O0w
SVS Prime Elevation Surround: audioadvice.io/35aZCdR
MartinLogan Motion XT F100: bit.ly/MartinLoganF100
MartinLogan Motion XT F200: bit.ly/MartinLoganF200
MartinLogan Motion F10: bit.ly/MartinLoganF10
MartinLogan Motion XT B100: bit.ly/MartinLoganB100
Perlisten S7t Limited Edition: bit.ly/PerlistenS7tLE
Perlisten S7t: bit.ly/PerlistenS7towers
Perlisten R7t: bit.ly/PerlistenR7t
Perlisten R5t: bit.ly/PerlistenR5t
Perlisten S3ic: bit.ly/PerlistenS3ic
Perlisten R3ic: bit.ly/PerlistenR3ic
Audioholics Recommended Cables:
250ft CL2 12AWG Speaker Cable: amzn.to/2vwS9QH
50ft 10AWG Speaker Cable: amzn.to/3DeMTT5
Locking Banana Plugs: amzn.to/2ZQt15x
9ft 4K HDR HDMI Cables: amzn.to/2WiIXeD
Disclaimer: Audioholics earns commissions from qualifying purchases with the Affiliate Links used in the description of this video. We appreciate your support.
Follow us on:
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Пікірлер: 225

@chrisjames483 6 ай бұрын

Dude. You're living the dream. Really cool story about giving up a job like you had to do what you love. People who dont think you should monetize are mental. Great channel. Great content.

@tom6363 6 ай бұрын

My biggest issue with most YT audio/video reviewers centers on you primarily focus on high end product and HT rooms. Most of us do not have room or a budget to support these type of products. Would love to see more attention on the $10,000 room as opposed to the $50-10,000 room.

@TokeBoisen 6 ай бұрын

Of all the reviewers ASR-forum members could mistakenly dislike, AH definitely weren't on my bingo-card. You guys are my go-to for measurements of speakers and subwoofers in particular, and if anyone's been reading your articles and reviews for any length of time, they'd know that whatever subjective criticisms or preferences you and the team have in your reviews, you have the measurements right there next to you.

@1165mac 6 ай бұрын

Thank you, Gene! Love and trust your reviews, which are designed for both the everyday audio guy and the audiophile geeks. Your contests are awesome, too!

@bensaven5151 6 ай бұрын

I so Happy and Proud that you took that chance and had the support of your family! You help so many people! I have been Rocking with you since 2005 keep up the amazing job!

@georgigeorgiev275 6 ай бұрын

I've learned a lot from your website and videos and have great respect for you and the guys you work with like James and Matt. Thanks for the work you all do

@miscreant1739 6 ай бұрын

What kind of weirdo copy and pastes someone else's comment?

@nimotech8008 6 ай бұрын

You have been part of my whole adult life when it comes to audio....thank you for all the years. Sadly I have not been able to keep up with all good content here and on the Web, life comes in between but I have atleast bought some perlisten and that is thanks to audioholics, and its performong ALOT

@aceofspades6667 6 ай бұрын

Just because someone is paid does not make them a shill just because someone is not paid does not mean that they aren’t a shill. Big fan of this channel because they never appear to be shills because if the objective data. Shout out to Erin’s audio corner as well.

@barbiegamaestan456 6 ай бұрын

Appreciate all the audioholics reviews over the years. Really strikes a good balance all round between snakeoil, measurements, and listening enjoyment. I like ASR as well but there is more to audio than measurements, and this is coming from someone that has been measuring and diy for more than 20 years.

@GunnyPhillips 6 ай бұрын

This is a great video, Gene. You probably intended it solely as a full disclosure type of thing but it's also a great introductory class for anyone wanting to get into the business.

@user-mz6lt2pr9s 6 ай бұрын

Gene thanks for your video. It’s content like this that keeps me coming back to this site. Transparency is important in business like any relationship and your video helps me to understand how your business model works. There are a lot of haters online. When I see that on a site I ignore it and don’t respond or follow. I think it’s the best way to go instead of getting into a back and forth with someone that is just looking for an argument. Keep up the great work. Looking forward to your content in 2024!

@NSacristanCSAT 6 ай бұрын

Integrity is golden. Thx Gene. I've got the Patreon page open for me to sign up.

@Audioholics 6 ай бұрын

Much appreciated ❤

@paulgyro 6 ай бұрын

I love the transparency Gene. That's the best you can do and people will have to take it or leave it. Keep up the good work.

@arnowa9332 6 ай бұрын

I dont care how much money you and your organization make Gene. Your publication is such an absolute gift. Thank you so, so much. It's a hard hobby to enjoy because it's so expensive. Last thing the fans need to to stress about the drama as well as the price.

@cfrizz1 6 ай бұрын

Well done Gene! This is the reason I love and trust your reviews, you were probably the first one to break done all the BS marketing crap that companies put out and gave us the TRUE ratings of what receivers could actually put out in power when running more than two speakers! When I am thinking about buying a piece of gear I check first to see if Audioholics have reviewed it. Congrats for being in business for so long, and ignore the haters, they are simply mad because you call them on their BS and save us enthusiasts a great deal of money!

@truman4956 6 ай бұрын

I’ve been following your site for at least 20 years. Keep up the good work.

@psyphonyxaudio 6 ай бұрын

Respect - Transparency. Happy New Year, Gene.

@1JUSTGOTLUCKY1 6 ай бұрын

This is the best, most informative channel I have ever heard. I love audio and use my equipment daily. I can always find an honest and in-depth review of equipment. Please keep up the great work you doon this channel!!

@rafalobo5308 6 ай бұрын

The reason why I like channels like Audioholics, ASR, Erin audio corner, etc is because they help people not to get sold a pup, and that is why I mostly do not listen/watch other channels. If there are no measurements what's the point of the review? Every one has different taste and preferences and that's fine but having a secret agenda is a horse of a different colour.

@andrewgschwind2542 6 ай бұрын

Great video. I value your channel, in part, because of your transparency and honesty.

@iceman0 6 ай бұрын

Great post! Your content is always very high quality. Most don't really understand what it takes to be able to quit a normal day job and start your own company and the impact it has on you and your family. The need to provide value on a daily basis to your audience (and sponsors) while getting paid to support yourself and the company is not easy by any stretch. It can be very rewarding, but it is very challenging and stressful at times. Kudos to you for providing such great contact and value for so long.

@Audioholics 6 ай бұрын

You summed that up so nicely. Thanks so much! ❤️

@KillerSneak 6 ай бұрын

Don’t know why this video was necessary at all, if anything I come here to get well informed about products with great measurements and information given to me for free by watching your YT videos. I personally never had the feeling at all that you guys are in it for the “money” so to speak. (I know it’s still a business/ website that doesn’t run itself). Keep up the great work 💪

@JKadison 6 ай бұрын

Thank you Gene for helping us to make informed decisions when making these important and possibly expensive decisions. Everyone should and I'm sure most do understand that business relationships do not mean bad information. I believe that resources like yours are invaluable, well-presented, and appreciated. Thank you

@guly3584 6 ай бұрын

Gene, you and the team have given me so much great advice and influenced me in such a positive way on my HT journey. From Theo telling me the wonders of Anthem processors to Matt Poes' advice about turning a sub 90deg to try to even out a multi-sub response. That last one saved my sanity after working on my subs for about 40hrs. You guys have gotten me from Bose home-theater-in-a-box to purchassing my first separates. I appreciate you and the team. My wife, on the other hand, probably wishes I'd visit you guys a little less. Keep up the good, honest journalism. Your company is a rarity.

@adamjj85 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the video Gene. You are one of the best reviewers in the industry! There are certainly some shills out there on KZfaq, but definitely not Audioholics! I really appreciate the objective side of your reviews. Nothing bothers me more than the "reviews" that are just flashy B roll and pure subjective marketing saying how a speaker made the person feel all warm and fuzzy with no assessment of the actual performance of the product.

@donswamback5110 6 ай бұрын

Great video Gene , who doesn’t like transparency keep up the great work

@JR-ho5qm 6 ай бұрын

Paradigm if your listening how bout a Canadian Audioholics give away! Great video Gene!

@michaeloconnor9465 6 ай бұрын

How about reviewing a product blind. You don't know who makes the product, what the product costs, or the model. Then when you listen to a product you will give an unbiased review. Bias always comes when the price and the manufacturer are know. I hate it a when a reviewer says in its price bracket it gets 4*. That tells the average person nothing. In its price bracket. Get out of jail card for reviewers. Manufacturers won't send their products for blind group reviews because it will tell the truth.

@12P14D22C 6 ай бұрын

How would u suggest someone tests a speaker blind ? A listening Session, ok managable. But a whole Review? I dont see that happening ... i dont even know how it would be done.

@michaeloconnor9465 6 ай бұрын

@@12P14D22C Team of reviewers wear a blindfold so they can't see the speaker. Amps, cd, dacs and streamers are easy. When they used to do blind listen test there would be 4 or 5 people listening to the product at the same time. Hi-Fi news used to do reviews like that back in the 90s. Quite a few manufacturers weren't happy with the results and refuses to send their products for a blind listening test.

@Noname0670 6 ай бұрын

There is only one way to handle this. Audioholics vs ASR in a bare knuckle brawl. Winner takes all!

@jayrickopo3750 6 ай бұрын

Really appreciate the transparency Gene 👍👍👍

@e4superfly 6 ай бұрын

i thought the title was just click bait to discuss some trolls in the comments but i had no idea that it would actually be a genuine title. Your channel is 1 of the best on KZfaq ive never felt like you were being paid for reviews. It takes a lot of time and effort to do what you do I wish people would think before making such comments

@pkhammu2005 6 ай бұрын

Gene i jever knew that u had a successful career with govt andnu left that for this passion of urs. My respect for u has grown further

@EnemyofCredulity 6 ай бұрын

Excellent topic. Thanks for sharing that information. I have seen other reviewers deny that they get paid, but have given little information to back up their claims.

@lights80088 6 ай бұрын

I have to say, there are only a few review sites I trust and yours is one of them.

@chrispyp2331 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for making this video Gene. You shouldn't have to explain yourselves to anyone, however imo it was necessary. Love your content. It's what gets more people into audio, which is good for everyone. Hey how Chocolatey is the midrange in these Martin Logans?

@Audioholics 6 ай бұрын

I appreciate that!

@danzilla31stompinontokyo36 6 ай бұрын

Yeah spec of tech is going through some drama right now. Pissed off the SVS fanboys by showing them something that performed better for the buck. This was the same argument they tried to use against him. Don't listen to the haters Gene you keep kicking a$$ and we'll keep loving your content!!!!

@Audioholics 6 ай бұрын

Spec of tech seems like a cool guy. He covers a lot of products and does good work.

@jeremyj. 6 ай бұрын

Competing businesses always run these sort of calculated misinformation campaigns to harm companies that are succeeding. It’s lazy and cheap. People need to focus on increasing their own skills and work quality before crapping on others. I have always trusted Audioholics and haven’t wavered. Keep up the great work!

@Audioholics 6 ай бұрын

Agreed 💯 I am not threatened by the success of other AV magazines or KZfaq channels. I think there is plenty of marketshare for us to coexist and be cordial to each other too.

@dl6519 6 ай бұрын

@@Audioholics Well said. The lake is big enough that the fishermen can be friends.

@PhillioDoede 6 ай бұрын

I don't think its that so much as rampant fanboy'ism amped by the internet troll effect.

@jnagarya519 6 ай бұрын

How have you been, Gene? Been so busy with other things (and health issues -- avoid dealing with the health "care" industry as much as you can) haven't been watching but occasional spot videos. Keep up the good stuff. And, yes: everything has monetary overhead.

@gg0297 6 ай бұрын

This is the most transparent video about the "behind the scenes" medium. Well done! Keep up the good work. 👍

@anthonymiriello5029 6 ай бұрын

Nice video Gene. You guys always give us something useful to digest.

@8chicagotypewriter8 5 ай бұрын

How do you feel about Ascend Acoustics? Since they don’t do marketing

@Audioholics 3 ай бұрын

Good speakers and company.

@billhayes5047 6 ай бұрын

Cant believe you've had to make this video.. anyone with any sense can see you guys have integrity and back up what you say with measurements. All of which is provided at great effort and free to people like myself. We live in a golden age for the hobby. I live across the world in Northern Ireland ..yet can get expert advice from yourself and guests. No other generation has been so lucky. Keep up the great work. It is appreciated. We are also allowed to have individual opinions on different items which i cant believe needs explaining. I started building my home cinema 2 yeara ago.. your site has been so helpful choosing speaker cable/guage ..saved me a fortune, same with amps ..ended up with Denon 3800 as it had all i needed. Just before Christmas you updated us with the new dirac features, also using your older videos with Anthony G as a resource to add sound treatments to my room. Ive bought a umik 1 for christmas and will be learning how to take measurements ..again your site will be invaluable. Love the channel.

@HeroicCoachDan 6 ай бұрын

Gene, I appreciate your integrity to objective reviews.

@redbeardmcgee 6 ай бұрын

Excellent video. I appreciate you explaining what goes on behind the scenes at an audio review company. I have 3 questions: 1. What is an advertorial? I believe you mentioned this several times. 2. Are you planning to do any full reviews on any high-output, low-tuned, ported subs this year? Such as the JTR Captivator 2400ULF, PSA TV1813 (despite your previous disagreements with the owner of PSA), Rythmik FV18(at least update the review with the Bassaholics Room Size Rating), or others? These subs might reach Maximis rating. 3. Are you planning to do any full reviews on any high-sensitivity, narrow dispersion, loudspeakers like the JTR Noesis line, PSA MTM line, or others? I am interested in this type of speaker which seems excellent for both time-intensity trading and "reference-level" movie output in my untreated living room.

@bearclaw5115 6 ай бұрын

I've learned more about great audio from Audioholics than anyone else. I didn't need to watch this video to know the value provided by Audioholics but it was interesting nonetheless. Thank you so much guys!

@karlnehring6114 6 ай бұрын

Right on, Gene. I edited The $ensible Sound for nearly 30 years. We didn't take ads at first, but then had to financially. We would be accused of favoritism, but nope, reviews were not "bought." And yes, we sent reviews out for fact-checking. Of course, until our later years, we did not do much measuring. At any rate, keep up the good work! You will always have critics, but your integrity is of prime importance.

@jakebickel2988 6 ай бұрын

I subscribed to The $ensible Sound for years and really enjoyed it. Was sorry to see it go.

@ryanrichardson2957 6 ай бұрын

I think you are one of the best reviewers out there. I remember years ago buying a Yamaha RX-Z1 after seeing your review and I still use that sucker I like it so much.

@Audioholics 6 ай бұрын

Awesome receiver. Just a work of art.

@ryanrichardson2957 6 ай бұрын

@@Audioholics 💯

@markfischer3626 6 ай бұрын

Gene, i agree with you about 98 percent. There are a few people I won't name who.Im suspicious of but no proof and even they are the very rare exception. I have a different problem with reviewers a d tbis industry in general. I have no Idea what this industry's engineering goals are or if they even have goals. Once upon a time a long time agol the stated goal was what they called "concert hall realis ." Ive been to many live concerts and frankly the best efforts if the best people in this industry have been beaten to a pulp by this problem. They seem to have given up on those claims and goals. How are products assessed then? It seems to be what people like at the moment. 50 years ago the industry claimed they had solved it eith quadraphonic sound. The hype was enormous. So I built one and I immediately hated it. It didnt sound like any concert I'd ever been to. I decided they were eithe lying ir didnt kniw what real music sounded like. My genre of choice was and remains classical music. I bgan to think if why it failed. What was so different about the sound? About 5 years out of engineering school I figured it out. It's not an easy problem. It starts with understanding sound, how it's propated, how acoustics affects it, how it reaches our ears, and what our brain makes of it. In solving it the hardware is the kast part of the problem, not the first. Without understanding the problem you have no chance to solve it. The first instinctive solution was extremely complex, impossibly expensive, and utterly impractical. Idecided to trybto pare it down to its essential elements and adapted it to commercially made recordings. I expected failure. What I got was surprising success. I patented it fearing others would figure it out and make a lot of money out of it. 50 years later they're no closer. I have what may be the only existing prototype. If you're interested in hearing it, im willig to demonstrate it. I live in central NJ about an hour from NYC. Im on LinkedIn andvtelegram or give me a phone number I can reach you at.

@eliwalsh1425 6 ай бұрын

Gene and Audioholics is the best thing to happen to the A/V community

@RyanRager44 6 ай бұрын

Anyone that is a fan of your channel knows you guys are legit. Everything I've learned comes from you guys on audio

@great100m 5 ай бұрын

I watch 8-10 YT audio product reviewers regularly. Another 8-10 have been tossed aside as they have become too commercialized for my taste. I realize that everyone is trying to make a buck in this business but when the commercial side exceeds the value of information that they provide I usually don't go back. Audioholics has stood the test of time.

@user-vx2nc9mo8o 6 ай бұрын

I just wanna say I appreciate you. As of recently, I've been able to do some upgrades to my little home theater set up. And so I wanted to know what's what. I started to do some research and I found ya'll at Audioholics and some others and I have learned some things. Also what I've learned has factored in some of my upgrades. Any how, I'm a fan now. Thx so much for dropping the knowledge and don't mind the haters. Again thx.👍👍👍

@steverosales2616 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for what you do Gene! ❤

@dragonstone6594 6 ай бұрын

Hey man no problem. Do your thing, I trust you in good faith.

@Amplified208 6 ай бұрын

ASR and this channel are both legitimate , the guys with engineering degrees and technicians period who do reviews. In the end you need to know your hobby and the gear you buy down to the pcb layout, components used. If you are a true audiophile you will build your own audio system. That means design your own pcb power supply ect. Anyone can spend thousands and say its good .. I appreciate any knowledge gained buy Anyone in the hobby. Its comes down to you and your listening style. And budget. Keep up the great work love this channel.

@bonscott3291 6 ай бұрын

I have been watching Gene “Audioholics” for probably about 10 years maybe more. I will admit most of nerdy tech graphs Gene shows are all over my head. But I also feel Gene goes out of his way to inform and describe things so the average viewer can understand. Reviewing only obscure producers that nobody has ever heard of will not attract many viewers. Keep up the good work Gene. About ready to pull the trigger on those ML F100s

@kurtzcol 6 ай бұрын

haw about reviewing gato audio 150 integrated amp ?

@adrianegowski5012 6 ай бұрын

I've bought products based on your recommendations and reviews - never failed me. Well... measurements are measurements and preferences are preferences. Adding measurements to review automatically makes it transparent...

@shadowofpain8144 6 ай бұрын

I don't seem to learn the truth about a product until about 6 months after it makes the rounds of all the reviewers.

@jonfoss3437 6 ай бұрын

I wish i could just wake up and it not be true but it is, nobody offers advice on amp to speaker matching, like i tell you what equipment i have you look up the specs and suggest some speakers that should work good with that, i wonder why???

@stitch1007 6 ай бұрын

Gene has always been one of the good ones. Then you have AVS who will charge a company 4k for a review then post it as if it wasn't paid for.

@paulroscelli2545 6 ай бұрын

Well, I do not disagree with you Gene, in theory, and I can even point to specific examples where you are absolutely correct. It is also true that in and outside of the audio industry that any third-party reviewer in the world of financial auditing, the world of bond trading, or in the world of high-end Audio is selling one thing, and one thing only and that’s their integrity. If they compromise that in the short run to make money from those who produce the products that is simply not sustainable business model in the long run. So it is a little more complicated than you make it out. However, you are right that there are things to be concerned about as you listen to any reviewer. Just my two. Cents.

@pjwillsr 6 ай бұрын

Gene, that was so well said and presented....I learned alot. Love your channel.

@marcgallant5270 6 ай бұрын

You guys are well overdue for some KEF R Meta reviews. ASR went completely mental of the measurement results (in a positive way). Would love to hear your thoughts !

@shadowofpain8144 6 ай бұрын

A good example of after a product makes the rounds is the klipsch 600m was reviewed best thing on earth a few months later measurements came out saying wait a second. Then klipsch 600m2 came out crickets what were they gonna say about the new one we really mean it this time.

@gavinj7850 6 ай бұрын

I trust you Gene. Except I cancelled my KZfaq Subscription after a few years but it looks like I'm still getting billed for it.

@willfleming7117 6 ай бұрын

I trust Audioholics completely!!

@PhillioDoede 6 ай бұрын

Its sad this kinda thing needs to be said but this was well put together and level headed. Its a shame because good work is done at ASR but man the comment section is as egregious an example of tribalism and 'group think' human behavior I've ever seen, its really quite toxic. And about reviewers, having done my own critical listening and trying to be objective I can't imagine the the amount of work and the grind it must be to review gear like this full time never mind all the production work thats involved with running a KZfaq channel. Nobody would ever do this if they didn't have a love and passion for it and if they wanted to make money they'd get a job on the sales team for one of the big companies like Harmon or Sound United. I'm sure thats hard work too but I doubt many work as hard as independent reviews and it doesn't involve the personal risk.

@JeffHeon 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for your hard work and happy 2024 🎉

@thomaslutro5560 6 ай бұрын

I'd go with "definitely not all, but disturbingly many". You guys are among the minority I trust. I keep coming back to your content, more to build knowledge than for advice on purchases. I will take your advice when relevant though, it's just that I don't buy new kit very often. Not naming any of the ones not trusted, my impression is one of: Lacking competence and understanding of relevant tech. Repeating fanciful and obviuosly incorrect marketing claims is as rampant as it's unhelpful. The most prevalent talent in the audio press is writing skills, not analytical listening skills or understanding of relevant technology. Lacking clarity and clarification of preferences. You may say of instruments (say a guitar) that one is brighter sounding, another bigger, rounder, warmer sounding. In reproduction though, at least one deviates from neutrality. Where measurements are presented alongside subjective you'll often see glaring deviations from neutrality in measurements, completely unnoticed in the subjective description. Absence of negative reviews, justified by "not wanting to spend time with products we don't like". There are two reasonable interpretations of this, one is "we serve the industry by cultivating an impression of continuous and significant progress" the other is "we serve ourselves by playing with the nicest toys". Neither is optimal for the readers. But like I said. I trust you, along with a few others. I just wish there were more reliable sources out there.

@greg1030 6 ай бұрын

What online and hard copy reviewers aren't? Maybe the best thing to do is pick an amplifier or speaker design that have long been favorites among the DIY community AND also measure very well, find a highly experienced builder, use quality parts and enjoy the music.

@msabbarese1 6 ай бұрын

Simple solution. On ALL reviews, next to MANUFACTURE at top of review, put SPONSORED IF they are paying you in any way, shape or form when review was written/produced. KZfaq channels aren't necessarily being SPONSORED (paid) by manufacture to get a review, their income is based ppl watching the video by Google and advert inserted in videos.

@michaelcorlet2998 6 ай бұрын

Fair comment.i feel reassured.😢

@musicbobo603 6 ай бұрын

THEYRE ALL SHILLS

@TerpsG 6 ай бұрын

You are paid to say that... uh... you are a shill. Thank you.

@davidmiller1534 6 ай бұрын

I read and enjoy both Audioholics and ASR. I think both Gene and Amir are generally good people who share my interests in audio. The problem with ASR is their forums are populated by people who are aggressive, pedantic know-it-alls who seriously think our present ability to measure audio equipment has reached the point where the measurements tell you everything you need to know about a particular product. Nelson Pass, John Curl, Andrew Jones, Jack Oclee-Brown, Mike Moffat, and Kevin Voecks could all tell these individuals there are many things involved in audio engineering and manufacturing that are not quantifiable or measurable using today's methods that impact sound reproduction and it wouldn't matter one bit to those people. I generally read the reviews at ASR and avoid the comments and forums entirely; they're a black hole of anger and bullshit populated by people who love anger and bullshit.

@TokeBoisen 6 ай бұрын

I think it's fair to say that we today CAN measure all aspects of the physics of sound reproduction. BUT, and this is a huge but, that doesn't account for soooo many other factors, not limited to just subjective taste. The value of objective measurements to me lies mostly in establishing facts about what the system is putting out into a room, and in finding genuinely broken products. Things like overpriced speakers sold on claims that are verifiably false when measured, or things like snake-oil. But unless you know how to interpret data, and understand why the measurements don't tell the whole story, you'll end up thinking that liking a product despite measurements showing you "shouldn't", for some arbitrary reason you've come up with (not you as a person, but "you" in general.), means you're a shill. At the same time, I think objective measurements are critical for combating snake-oil and fraudsters, regardless how many advocates they get to claim they hear a difference in, say, RJ45 cables.

@jnagarya519 6 ай бұрын

@@TokeBoisen I'm still trying to figure out how to connect the batteries to the speaker cables. Once that's solved I'll focus on which are the top-of-the-line batteries.

@chrispyp2331 6 ай бұрын

Certainly agree regarding ASR forum members. Some of them are incredibly self-righteous and seem to love casting judgement on all the apparent "shills" in the audio industry. They're above correction as well. I remember an incident with Andrew Jones & one of his speakers. I respect Amir's knowledge but he did not handle the situation well. Imo I think many of the forum members need to be either reigned in or kicked out of the forums. They're giving ASR a bad reputation.

@SwirlingDragonMist 6 ай бұрын

What a pleasant heartfelt video, I think everyone can be joyful and optimistic, but often our bodies get thrown off which has an effect on our nervous system, just like getting poor sleep, or having a tooth ache, or being hangry. When we’re young and our brains are fresh and brand new, they’re snappy and healthy that makes everything feel fine and dandy. I feel brain health is a truly significant factor in our moods, and ultimately our personalities, and perceptions of the world. Through the flows of life some people just end up being cynical and bitter, too wrapped up in daily fear-conspiracies about other people’s intentions to have clarity on a simple altruistic truth; like someone trying to sponsor their passions and dreams. We have so many cultural stories around being paid for something sacred. Our passions and joys are sacred to us, and to make money off them is almost a narrative of prostitution. But our passions need economies to survive, the grand master needs sponsorship or income of some kind to dedicate themselves to their craft. Everything in existence flourishes when there is an economy around it, so it’s important for people to pay for the things they love. It allows it to exist and flourish. We all pay money for tons of necessities that we reluctantly aren’t ethically aligned with. Buying gas, getting an oil change, paying a company for a service that is monopolized, renting when we would prefer to own, the manufacturing ethics of a product we must have. But then when it comes to our own joys and passions, people often clam up their spending, thinking it’s so sacred it should be given away. That thinking flows money into things we don’t care about, and starves the things we do. It is so important that our passions have an economy around them so they can grow and flourish and be the light of the world. Our spending shapes the reality we live in. We should be more proactive in paying up for the beautiful things in life , allowing other people to fully enter into their passion and leave their other side jobs behind. A person doing a job they aren’t aligned with is a tragedy, we should sponsor the world we desire by paying into it, allowing people to dedicate themselves fully to the mastery of their passion.

@SCAudiophile 6 ай бұрын

Excellent video!

@bearclaw5115 6 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@gabriella5284 6 ай бұрын

love this video!

@erichill5328 6 ай бұрын

Honestly ❤

@MrDante10no 6 ай бұрын

Gene and all other staff members: I learned an insane amount about audio and the science of sound in general from you guys which I am eternally grateful for. Even if you all are paid shills, which is nonsense, I have nothing to complain about. Keep up the good work and all the best from Europe! 🙂👍

@robwr737 6 ай бұрын

Right on. Gene and team are outstanding and of course every reviewing publication, KZfaq/social media channel, podcast, website etc if they are good is going to have advertisers, sponsors, etc. People should be paid for their work 😮. As long as it's transparent, it's totally OK. Gene and team do a lot of stuff no one else or very few do and put out honest great content. 👍. The same people who make stupid malicious claims about paid reviews are the same people who for decades have allowed manufacturers to get away with not telling us how many watts per channel my center and especially rear speakers are getting while my fronts are getting 60 ,70,100 watts nor the THD! Not to mention sensitivity and signal to noise ratio wide open. And those same people have allowed manufacturers to hide the important performance specs while we the customer has to give those manufacturers our money 💰 😮🤪😡. GENE and team, bring the test results! ❤

@joek6207 6 ай бұрын

I’d say it’s mostly true. You all pushed the IsoAcoustics pretty hard. Then Matt also pushed the RealAcoustix GuD panels really hard and has gone silent as it relates to posting measurements. The Perlisten push seems overly favorable. That said, I love the channel, I still trust the reviews and reviewers.

@jasonschubert6828 6 ай бұрын

Actually, that fact checking is a good idea. I have seen numerous reviews for products I own saying they don't have features that I know full well they do, sadly usually on products that are a few years old so they will never be corrected and that "information" is out there.

@wa2368 6 ай бұрын

You are the only connoisseur of immaculate sounding multi-channel music standing out in the ocean of 2 channel orthodox ignoramuses. Hence, you are an endangered species that needs serious protection. Keep up the good work dawg.

@josephtronolone3242 6 ай бұрын

Hi Gene, if you take a step back, it does look like AH goes too far with Perlisten and RBH.

@Audioholics 6 ай бұрын

Enthusiasm for truly remarkable products is sometimes hard to contain.

@wswsn7396 6 ай бұрын

Reviewers should get paid. To be trustworthy, reviewers should disclaim the sources of payment, whether from the manufactures or dealers, or other source.

@melberg9098 6 ай бұрын

thx for this vid!!! happy New Year all the love AH team

@TheChrisleekay 6 ай бұрын

Most are IMO. And most have huge egos!! The "you must be an idiot if you don't agree with me" tone that most Audiophile channels have is tiresome! Different opinions are fine, in fact its what makes most things interesting!!

@GamerWordDotNet 6 ай бұрын

To be fair and play devil's advocate to Gene's video, I would agree with the above point, and even go as far to say it's a lot healthier of a mentality as far as consumerism goes. If people are going to take a grug take on the subject, they're taking the right stance. Gene has every right to defend his livelihood but I think the fact that this is his livelihood more or less goes against whatever point he thinks he's trying to make.

@sevestan 6 ай бұрын

Editing tip...a bible situated in foreground on table will help mask hypocrisy

@Cowclops 6 ай бұрын

I've only read the title and heard you speak the title as the first sentence and its very clickbait-y sounding but its 1,000,000,000,000% true. Nobody in the audio industry have opinions uninfluenced by money, products, swag, or industry connections.

@missing1102 6 ай бұрын

I learned a lot from your content and appreciate it.

@harisjaved1379 6 ай бұрын

I didn’t watch the full video, but I will say this….If a video is sponsored then it is hard to avoid conflict of interest. But another thing is to buy it and try it, and if it doesn’t meet your expectations then you can return it. I first listen to people who bought the product, secondly I look for long term reviews from owners. I think you guys and stereophile do a good job, I used to read ASR reviews but I think even they show some conflict of interest now.

@jonfoss3437 6 ай бұрын

You dont need dsp if your equipment works good together as s system

@audioexperience 6 ай бұрын

get em gene!

@TheVid54 6 ай бұрын

Audiophiles and home-theatre enthusiasts are a dime a dozen on KZfaq, so folks interested have plenty of options to educate themselves on products and set ups. I subscribe to a lot of them, and have favorites and others that I'm relatively indifferent to. Audioholics has the right blend of knowledge, enthusiasm and humor that I can appreciate. I think my favorites are those that exhibit a lot of experience and background in a variety of audio/visual fields. I also enjoy exploring professional set ups and out-of-reach, state-of-the-art equipment and environments, including award-winning theaters and mastering studios, although I imagine that's costly and difficult to stage on KZfaq. Keep up the good work as we enter into 2024.