Forum advice

[Ordinaryman]

Usual question gets asked by inexperienced audio enthusiast - "What speakers should I buy for less than £2K ?"

What follows is many posts all saying different models usually being what that member actually uses Some propose speakers which are clearly unsuitable others mention speakers which are clearly over budget, sometimes by a lot. "What you need is this and don't forget the EQ" The amount of times I read "if you can stretch your budget to....." makes me want to scream.

Why don't people offering advice actually read the OP properly ? Would save a lot of wasted band width. And why does it have to be the speaker they actually use ? The poor OP doesn't know who to listen to especially when the fighting about some ridiculous technical specification starts as it often does.

I do feel sorry for anyone having to ask such a question.

[Ordinaryman]

Don't feel sorry, if anyone posted this question on this forum that post is at least looking for answers, and possibly confirmation? Yes, I am inexperienced in this, in as much until that time when something comes along and changes your perception? Then I think its rather nice that that people look to you and others here for your opinion.

[Geoff.R.G]

It is pretty difficult to recommend a speaker, at any price, without adding the rider "go and listen to some, preferable you need a home demo".

[NSNO2021]

Stu's right re other forums, a lot of replies don't relate to the question asked, some other answers are way too techy and some are plain old "willy waving" with someone banging on about their Wilson speakers when the OP might well have been asking what's the best sub £500 bookshelf speakers

I had an interesting exchange with my very first post on DIY Audio, amongst the initial handful of replies was one from a guy who clearly knew his stuff. Rather than waste other peoples time with my dumbass questions I messaged him seeking clarification but he insisted I ask my questions of him via the public thread and I honestly believe he wanted it that way because he wanted demonstrate his knowledge to the widest possible audience. I went along with this because I was the one asking for help but it did strike me as a bit odd in someone so mature in age.

[Ordinaryman]

Of course, its always down to "our ears", room etc. Sometimes however other like minded peoples opinions help, if only in ruling out the least "desirable" as I have recently found, ie dynaudio 4ohm speakers.

[Daniel Quinn]

Anybody who asks, deserves the answers he gets.

[Ordinaryman]

Do you consider that a fact, or an argument?

[NSNO2021]

I reckon it's an argumentive fact

[slinger]

If you think hi-fi forums are bad, go on forums that have a section for laptop buying advice.

What you tend to get is loads of people repeating the advice they've seen from doing some Google searches.
Leading them to give poor to mediocre advice.

Such as "Buy from Currys"

Asking what their budget is and recommending a brand new laptop at that budget. With no mention at all of the applications that will be run on the laptop.

Recommending that they spend hundreds or over a thousand on a laptop with no mention of peripherals to go with it. A nice monitor, keybaord, mouse, desk, chair, docking station.

Recommending brand new consumer grade laptops. When the user is only running Office and web browsing software.

etc etc etc

IT seems to be one of those fields where a proportion of people read a few magazines or web pages, buy a laptop, use it and then think they are an expert in all things IT related.

Like the manager that I had in first job after graduating. Where I was given the task of developing a specialised stock control application. And this Production Engineering manager thought he was an expert in IT purchasing because he subscribed to PC magazines. On the advice of IT professionals that I knew, I requested that company invest in industrial strength database development - such as Informix.
This manager, after reading a PC magazine review, got the company to go ahead buy Paradox. Paradox turned out to be about as bad as I expected. It was a load of wank. Fine for someone pissing about on a PC. Terrible for developing a specialised inter-departmental stock control system. There was certain functionality that would have been great to have that I couldn't include because it was too stupidly bloody slow in Paradox.

This manager was so pig headed that when I reported that my initial development wasn't going well due to speed issues, he said that it was because I wasn't programming it right, because the review in the magazine rated Paradox as the fastest PC database application. So he got the company to pay for me and him to visit specialists in London. They gave me a few tips on how to create queries, which were interesting but made fuck all difference to the speed.

All of which is my way of saying that you get bullshitters in all areas of life.
And hi-fi is by no means the biggest cesspit of bullshit.

I suppose it's just people being people...

[karatestu]

Phrase of the week - cesspit of bullshit

Like many here I have seen too much of this recommendation shit show. Can'tbe arsed giving advice anymore except on this fine forum. It's just too much hassle trying to help people who are more interested in listening to the sensationalist know it all who has an answer for everything. It's no skin off my nose. God I wish Richard was still here

Best speakers for under £2K ? Feck knows. I quite frankly couldn't give the smallest of shits. DSP is seen as the future and a cure all. RD called it a music killer. I have never witnessed any type of EQ anologue or digital but Richard's word is good enough for me, for me it has proven to be right so many times.