A Cheap Audio Man Rant

This is Sean’s spin off … I like it

 

You have to remember that it seems as though a good majority of the members here come to this forum and like nowhere else. It’s hard for me to fathom so many seem like they’ve never even heard of this guy. I mean hell, how does he not show up in your YouTube feed if you even watch more than a handful of audio related videos? Under a rock much?

 

I'd never heard or seen the guy until I clicked the link in the first post. Then again, I don't have feeds or follow people on social media site. Hell, half the people here are on my ignore list...

 

Yeah, I was a little surprised so few people here had even heard of the guy. His videos started popping up in my YouTube feed early this year after I'd watched a few audio gear reviews by other folks. But I suspect that a lot of people here are into gear that's considerably more expensive than most of what Cheap Audio Man reviews, so there's that.

 

I think he’s hungover or spent the night sleeping next to an open bottle of drain cleaner.

 

Oh I have heard of him but was put off by the word Cheap in the title. I'm looking for Effective not Cheap.

 

I really don't care what the dude has hanging on his wall—that's between him and his wife (or him and his kids if he has any). Beyond that, I find him annoying—I just can't pinpoint why.

 

I seldom bother with audio-related videos.

Cheapaudioman is smug and annoying, and gives me no reason to seek out any more of his stuff.

 

He never showed up on my YT feed.

 

That's actually exactly what he does: he reviews audio gear that's affordable and discusses how effective he thinks it is. The "cheap" in his YouTube handle is tongue in cheek.

 

Zero Fidelity loved the video so much he asked cheapaudioman if he could do a spin-off.

Ah ... somebody beat me to it! Sorry, didn't see it.

 

I'd straight up punch that guy. I'm not a violent person but that guy really erks me! He takes cheap shots at audiophiles. Let's strap him down in a chair and let him listen to brickwalled country rap at ear bleeding levels all day.

 

Still not interested. YMMV

 

I’d tell the guy it’s opinions and everyone is allowed to have one.

Why do I feel like he is an audiophile full of crap ? Oh ya, he is an audiophile.

 

Omg, this awful pompous prck...I suppose you guys have never seen this guy's live rants that don't go on his YT channel. I'll take the "British Audiophile" or "Next Best Thing Studio" over this prck anyday...

 

I don’t watch his ‘rant series’ lol

 

I fully agree, especially the British Audiophile is very good.
Has a nice bit of technical depth in his videos too.

 

I watched the video. I see that he doesn't wan't to explore the concept of synergy. He wants to be told what works, this implies that somewhere somehow knowledgeable people exist to advise him. Like real audio dealers, do these folks deserve a living? Experimentation isn't his interest. If his platform was reviewing the "best Bluetooth" speaker then I can see his point. Or powered loudspeakers where the manufactuer has chosen the internal amplifier to match the drivers. But "good" systems regardless of price are more than the sum their parts, room, speakers and electronics.

 

Not saying I'd prefer the middlemen to a world that allowed us to buy all audio gear direct, but I think there is more to it. Obviously, one thing dealers offer is the ability to go in and see and listen to the products that you are interested in. Some of them let you borrow their demo gear to try for a few days. In addition, if you need repair work done, drop the equipment off and they take care of the rest. That's all worth something.

Then, from the manufacturer's POV, it's much easier to deal with a single distributor in each country than it is thousands of consumers. And that is probably the biggest reason why dealers exist. The money you pay to buy direct won't all go to engineers and R&D. A bunch of it will get sucked up to service the hundreds or thousands of extra customers vs. dealing with a single company, and I'm guessing most manufacturers simply don't want that headache.

It's pretty easy to not know who this guy is if your life doesn't revolve around You Tube videos. I watch a few audio channels on You Tube but I really haven't checked out any of this guy's videos until this one. I did know of him, but even then it was kind of flukey because it's not like he's been mentioned a lot. I just happened to catch a video where he was. Actually, it was probably a video from NRD. It may have been a group video they did actually. But if I didn't watch any NRD videos then I'd probably never hear of him.

I don't pay much attention to my YT feed. I might scroll through the videos quickly on occasion, but I'm usually more interested in the channels I subscribe to, or whatever it is I'm searching for at the time, and not on videos that You Tube thinks I may like.

When it comes to audio content, I'm subscribed to maybe 3 or 4 channels and I skip most of the videos they put out. I may watch a video or two every 4 days or so. Just that and I've pretty much had my fill. I'm a lot more interested in other things, like videos about vinyl records, music, the markets/economic news, home maintenance/repair, comedy, etc. I really enjoy the audiophile hobby but man the things discussed become mind numbing and repetitive after awhile. It's the same stuff recycled over and over again and I sometimes ask myself, "why are you watching this instead of listening to music, or watching something more useful?" So yeah, I'm starting to tune out now. I have my system and know where I want to take it - I don't need to watch more content on gear I'll never buy, or hear what some You Tube personality thinks about a myriad of very trite topics. This forum can be just as mind numbing and repetitive, but at least you have opinions from many people in a single place, and it's easy to scroll through a bunch of them during commercials or something.

This video by Cheap Audio Man - what he covered is nothing new or interesting, and I'm sure the same is true of Zero Fidelity's response video. It certainly doesn't make me want to check out any more of his content. I tend to agree with those in this thread who say he's just another guy that started a You Tube channel about audio, and doesn't seem to really have any great insights to share. Some of the arguments he made weren't well thought out and kind of just pointless and embarrassing really. I am not totally on board with GR Research and the stuff he's doing, for several reasons, but at least that content is somewhat interesting and informative, from someone who does seem to know a thing or two. Or those videos that were posted by 45 RPM Audiophile, interviewing Michael Hobson and Kevin Gray. Interesting stuff, and definitely a cut above garbage like "why audiophiles suck".

 

I quite like Darko's reviews/thoughts on gear...One of the few that I watch

 

I totally agree with all of CheapAudioman’s points. He is bang on. He is responding to comments on HIS channel. If you guys have your own YT channel, you can respond to comments on your channel by making a video. Nothing wrong with it.

I hope he makes a part 2. We can keep going on why Audiophiles are full of crap.
How about those people that think tbat $5000 power cables sound so much better than just regular cables? What a joke. Audiophile or audiofooled? Or $5000 speaker cables are so much better than just regular oxygen free cheap speaker cable?

How to put a scare into an audiophile? Ask them to do double blind tests. Then watch them come up with excuses to get out of doing a double blind test.

 

Says the guy on an Audiophile forum

 

To me it is not an Audiophile forum. You are the one making it out to be that. It is a music forum. Says so right at the top of the site. Steve Hoffman Music Forums.

 

Fake news, this is nothing but an unprecedented witch-hunt. Don’t be triggered by his tied up woman art work, he’s serious not literal.
I don’t think I made it past the first two minutes, there are better ways to talk about opinions.

 

Gotta remember, you're only allowed to discuss here what a few members say is OK. Divergent opinions are not allowed by the audiophilencia...