CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS
Non-Audio Stuff => Random Thoughts => Topic started by: Marvey on July 21, 2015, 10:45:46 PM
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Head-Fi does not screen posts before they are made available for viewing on the forums, unless otherwise specifically indicated.
Head-Fi reserves the right to issue hidden bans without notification by changing your password and your e-mail contact information so you cannot reset your password.
I'm sure you don't want people suing you for violating your own TOS.
P.S. I noticed that my e-mail address and password were changed without my knowing. Please ban me instead. Consider this a request of mine - that way you aren't the one making me a martyr. It's what you wanted for years anyways but were always afraid to do.
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Wow this imho, is very despicable. Time to spread the word on this.
If this is how things goes, I predict Head-fi will evenutally become abandoned like myspace, msn messenger, hotmail and etc.
photoshopped Kim Jong Jude anyone?
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WOW.
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Looks like it's not just marvey/purrin:
Marv,
how were you NOT tarred and feathered for wearing a pyrate shirt to a HF meet?
hell, i don't post anything for months on HF and they take over my account (email and passw change) with no notice....
)(
Ravi is better looking than I imagined!
:)p13
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So who knows a lawyer? Any changes to the ToS are post brink anyway. Damages incurred.
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Looks like it's not just marvey/purrin:
It was me, too.
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Not arguing against the ban.
It's just the weirdness, doublespeak, lame methods (using TOS as a crutch), making totally innocent people kneel in front of him to apologize, demanding what people can wear or not wear, etc. Just leaves a very strange taste and stinky smell.
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P.S. I noticed that my e-mail address and password were changed without my knowing. Please ban me instead. Consider this a request of mine - that way you aren't the one making me a martyr. It's what you wanted for years anyways but were always afraid to do.
Neither Jude nor Amos have replied to my email asking for a valid Banned to be placed on my account either.
The HeadFi under handed and gutless moderator tactics are also being emailed to every HiFi or headphone company or person I have ever communicated with, RMAF and others.
Will be taking this to Twitter next so his sponsors catch wind.
What should our hashtag be:
#headficensorship
#headfiaudiophoolery
#Judeisaparanoidinfant
?
Organize and mobilize mateys.
:&
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I still don't know what you did to warrant a silent ban.
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#Censorship-Fi?
I maintain my opinion that Head-Fi is a huge part of the problem with this industry. But this is a new low.
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Are we declaring war now?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhuqlPZMe90
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you know in other industry like PC gaming, PC companies do pull out their advertising due to controversies. Maybe audio manufacturers should follow in Intel's example. #Headfigate
http://newsroom.intel.com/community/intel_newsroom/blog/2014/10/03/chip-shot-intel-issues-statement-on-gamasutra-advertising
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But you haven't posted in 3 weeks? Hu? What was the reason?
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Super negative comments in the shoutbox here are being taken personally it seems.
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...and pretty much validating everything that was said in the shoutbox
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...and pretty much validating everything that was said in the shoutbox
^+Infinity.
This.
HF Napolean can't comprehend that recent reactions are actual repetitions of original complaints.
Ignorant to the end.
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ummm so much for peaceful coexistence.
any chance its a glitch
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But you haven't posted in 3 weeks? Hu? What was the reason?
Not at all. I changed my password to something random because I wanted to self-ban. After I got several pm's about these silent bans, I was curious myself, so I tried a password reset. Nada.
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Truth.
Would a "glitch" magically change my 2 month old HF avatar (girls face with tape over her mouth)
to some lame iPhone+B&W headphone photo,
on a night when I wasn't online?
there is no war as Chang wishes to claim nothing from HF.
Yet there should be full disclosure and awareness of Napolean HF tactics amongst the industry and community.
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slightly of topic I always really liked that avatar jexby.
oh well shall we elect a pirate king to decide if we go to battle?
:ship:
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Am I the only one who finds it ironic that his HF signature links to the headphone measurement thread, with pictures of the CUNT? When any mention of CS results in the post and/or user disappearing?
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So instead of banning they make it impossible to access the account to make it look like you just left on peaceful terms?
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Time to call him out on Twitter and other social media?
https://mobile.twitter.com/headfi/
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LOL! APx555?! So no more everything is awesome?! Glad to see that all those meets are paying off!
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I can't change anything in my profile, can't see thumbs ups, am locked out of threads I've never posted in, and the like. I don't care enough to ask about it.
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So instead of banning they make it impossible to access the account to make it look like you just left on peaceful terms?
You also lose access to any prior communications unless you moved them off their server prior. I think that's part of what's going on.
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Maybe they can claim that they were "hacked" like Ashley Madison and not responsible for the email and password change? :)p13
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At this point, should just go all in and plead temporary insanity.
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Time to call him out on Twitter and other social media?
https://mobile.twitter.com/headfi/
IMO, Almost.
dust needs to settle a bit. hoping our thread turns toward a
calculated, well presented and planned factual outing of HF BS to twitter, head-fi vendors, etc.
not any 1 pyrate going off the rails (much as I yearned for a slash and burn event),
but more a consensus echoing how sick we are of Napoleon's practices and agenda driven censorship of user commentary which retards the community, and lines his pockets in the process.
too tired now to begin laying the groundwork for such an information awareness campaign.
yet some bright minds are here, hopefully collaboration in the coming days.
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IMO, Almost.
dust needs to settle a bit. hoping our thread turns toward a
calculated, well presented and planned factual outing of HF BS to twitter, head-fi vendors, etc.
not any 1 pyrate going off the rails (much as I yearned for a slash and burn event),
but more a consensus echoing how sick we are of Napoleon's practices and agenda driven censorship of user commentary which retards the community, and lines his pockets in the process.
too tired now to begin laying the groundwork for such an information awareness campaign.
yet some bright minds are here, hopefully collaboration in the coming days.
This isn't the place to do anything like that anyway.
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Good point.
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Head-fi deteriorated to a place for 5 star reviews only anyway /sigh.
There, I said it... ban me if warranted.
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This isn't the place to do anything like that anyway.
Yep. While there is plenty to object to, and many people at CS are free in discussing it, this should not become the actual "enemy site" that HF's mods and admins act like it is. Let it continue to be the place for unvarnished reviews, advice etc based on actual listening and opinions with no sacred cows. Any sort of campaign can be established under a separate banner. Doing so forces the arguments to be faced head-on rather than devolving into hyperlinking to Changstar posts to discredit people or claim bitterness etc.
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If nothing is being done then Jude gets away Scott free. Even though headfi is owned by him and he can do whatever he pleases, I feel he has crossed the line of what is socially acceptable.
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If nothing is being done then Jude gets away Scott free. Even though headfi is owned by him and he can do whatever he pleases, I feel he has crossed the line of what is socially acceptable.
Then we have to mock him.
(http://img11.deviantart.net/e55a/i/2003/37/e/f/strong_bad__s_guide_to_the_bird.png)
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Yep. While there is plenty to object to, and many people at CS are free in discussing it, this should not become the actual "enemy site" that HF's mods and admins act like it is. Let it continue to be the place for unvarnished reviews, advice etc based on actual listening and opinions with no sacred cows. Any sort of campaign can be established under a separate banner. Doing so forces the arguments to be faced head-on rather than devolving into hyperlinking to Changstar posts to discredit people or claim bitterness etc.
Exactly. Focus on the real mission here.
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Just worried for those in Changstar that uses the same nick in headfi. Maybe you guys will end up on "Jude's list"
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On the one hand, they're allowing any member with a keyboard to 'review' all sorts of stuff. But then silent-banning those with actual opinions?
And this whole "we've banned you but we're too chicken-shit to actually tell people that we have" shit is so dishonest i'm ashamed to have ever been a member. I'm not taking sides, but whoever thought up and implemented that policy is aa bigger asshole than all the shrills on head-fi combined.
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I use the same nick in headfi. Not worried. Can only worry about the things I can control.
IMO, right or wrong, it's Jude's site and he has the right to use it however he pleases.
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He has the ability to violate his own ToS. Not sure he has a 'right' to do that.
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The second best attack is stop to review and give thoughs about stuff there and do it here.
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Indeed. "How much extra data and bandwidth would that require?" is the next question to ask.
If data and bandwidth are already covered, yay Changstar :)p6
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He has the ability to violate his own ToS. Not sure he has a 'right' to do that.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbhzrkFdWG1r5a4tho1_500.jpg)
Couldn't resist.
The second best attack is stop to review and give thoughs about stuff there.
Some of our identity is "not head-fi". It is also "not headcase". If we make it too much about either of those things, we lose sight of what makes others so frustrated in the first place: the honest, occasionally violent, dialogue about gear and other dumb shit. The covert soft-ban business is misleading bullshit, but we lose more than we gain by organizing an actual navy.
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Let head-fi be the one big commercial and pointless circle jerk it is. I'd prefer if everyone just ignored it entirely on this site. No reason to make it into an us vs them thing.
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I will continue to mock everything that is more hype than content and more quantity than quality.
Hype-Fidelity deserves all the mockery and praise it can get.
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How about make this site/forum more popular so it can get more member/user (bandwidth?) from HF! Isn't that a better battle cry?
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Then we have to mock him.
(http://img11.deviantart.net/e55a/i/2003/37/e/f/strong_bad__s_guide_to_the_bird.png)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH4ysqvp7nc
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Let's start by disliking his headfi youtube videos. :boom:
https://www.youtube.com/user/headfi
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Meh. Who cares.
Let's start by not giving two shits.
He has the ability to violate his own ToS. Not sure he has a 'right' to do that.
I'm not sure what the legalities are about Head-Fi. But I was under the impression that Jude was the king of Head-Fi. No democracies. I don't really care that much about Head-Fi TBH. I don't go there often and my browser often crashes if I want to login there anyway.
Does Jude make money out of Head-Fi and the alleged hordes that visit and frequent events there? Very likely.
Do I want to contribute to Jude's cause? Not really.
So do I care if Jude deletes all of my posts and puts a feathered monkey for my avatar? Nope.
Do I get any correspondence and masses of people asking me what I think about this or that headphone and Jenner's sex change? Nope.
I care about Head-Fi in as much as some of the people I value here care about it.
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Crazy thought : could the rat be amongst the warmongers ?
Nobody here would benefit from a war ...
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Crazy thought : could the rat be amongst the warmongers ?
Nobody here would benefit from a war ...
The war has already started. You can't stop Jude from banning / disabling accounts.
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Crazy thought : could the rat be amongst the warmongers ?
Nobody here would benefit from a war ...
Wasn't me... :)p13
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The war has already started. You can't stop Jude from banning / disabling accounts.
IMO, he's the one who lose the most with it.
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How about make this site/forum more popular so it can get more member/user (bandwidth?) from HF! Isn't that a better battle cry?
I like the "focus on yourself" approach. I suspect it's semi personal for the So-Cal crowd but from across the continent and one country up, I would prefer that Changstar simply stays Changstar which is to say a great place to learn about and get good info about audio stuff.
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The "Introduce Yourself" thread has shown that Changstar has drawn people to read and even to register and participate by simply approaching audio and headphones the way that we do. Some people are completely done with HF when they come here, some enjoy both...the point is I think due to the honesty and sincerity of what goes on here "if we build it, they will come." Tyll giving a signal boost certainly helps. I think Jude and co. realize the existential and financial threat that CS can pose so they are smart to block it out. This creates backlash among those who read between the lines and figure out what's going on. Just a shame that many newbies or more "average" enthusiasts don't suspect any such manipulation.
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The war has already started. You can't stop Jude from banning / disabling accounts.
Wars are waged between countries. Pyrates have their own flag and therefore don't belong to any country. Thus pyrates don't wage wars. Q.O.D.
This doesn't mean pyrates don't fight. Just that they don't go blindly fighting in someone else's name.
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not in favor of a direct war or (much) fighting, nor trying to get bans overturned. nor to get HF members into CS.
am in favor of exposing (broadcasting) Napoleon HF BS/agenda driven hypocrisy to Joe Audio Public for increased community transparency.
am in favor of making fun of Jude/HF.
:spank:
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Again, like to focus on what we've been doing. In succinct terms the following:
- Sharing gear with many experienced ears and getting objective measurements. This site would have gone nowhere had people not bothered sharing what they had.
- Instill real community via generosity (see above). Sharing gear and the various loaner programs cost time and money.
- Getting newbies or newer members, who have the inclination, on board, at their own pace.
- Finding and establishing common vocabulary to describe sound of gear, including getting to understand where various of the more experienced members are coming from.
- Being able to freely criticize gear and disagree with others without people taking it personally.
- A system of respect based on merit, knowledge, experience, contributions - not number of posts or number of fluffy reviews.
- Entertaining each other by acting like a bunch of 7-10 year olds, like that NSFW video that Tyll posted.
The HF stuff is simply a distraction; but we always get back on course. I got sucked into it because Jude started publicly dissing me and getting into our business. When four or five MoTs have approached us at the very HF meets that we organized in the past and said "Ummm, certain person(s) said we shouldn't talk to you" or "Jude gave me headache because he bitched about you for two hours in a meeting" I am not going to back down and I will make sure Jude will know it, tit for tat.
I don't care about what HF does or HF's stupid policies, moderation, management, leadership, etc. as long as they do not interfere with what individuals do here. Jude's just pissed that a lot of the people with good ears, who have some clue, and don't want to burn money, left HF and joined either HC or CS. Jude is also pissed that a lot of people don't like him, although most people won't say it to his face. HF is not our problem. I'd rather concentrate on what we do here and make it better rather than waste time thinking about HF.
Still, taking potshots at Jude is fun. See #7.
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The "Introduce Yourself" thread has shown that Changstar has drawn people to read and even to register and participate by simply approaching audio and headphones the way that we do. Some people are completely done with HF when they come here, some enjoy both...the point is I think due to the honesty and sincerity of what goes on here "if we build it, they will come." Tyll giving a signal boost certainly helps. I think Jude and co. realize the existential and financial threat that CS can pose so they are smart to block it out. This creates backlash among those who read between the lines and figure out what's going on. Just a shame that many newbies or more "average" enthusiasts don't suspect any such manipulation.
I completely agree with this. In all honesty, the whole audio hobby is way over my head and requires a budget at a scale that I'm not entirely comfortable with. Having places like CS and innerfidelity where a group of people speak in the same terms is reassuring in a lot of ways and encourages me to really look into how things work. On the other hand, HF just seems to kill all attempts of meaningful discussion and alienates anyone who try to question the value of audio products. It just doesn't make sense for any information site to censor this kind of thing, so my trust in HF-censor content only increases.
The drama doesn't need to exist for newbies like me to see that some places are just full of shit. Which is sad too, because there probably are really good content buried in there.
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I was wondering these past few weeks about "why have some of the more knowledgeable head-fiers gone silent". Now I know the reason.
Jude doesn't understand that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If he was the one doing the disabling of accounts, he in fact is alienating away useful members who have so much to knowledge share.
Let's see if this is the beginning of the end for Head-fi's usefulness and popularity.
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That's not the business model. It's all about sessions, pageviews, etc. HF is an extremely exceptional case in how it is able to get so many people to be on it. The ROI for an MOT can be exceptional if you know how to leverage HF.
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It's been ages since I logged into my HF account (not that it would be banned, it's under a different username anyway). I figured out a long time ago that the place had turned into a giant hype machine, no doubt other newbies will continue to do the same. This whole thing is super creepy though. I don't understand Jude's obsession...
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I was wondering these past few weeks about "why have some of the more knowledgeable head-fiers gone silent". Now I know the reason.
Jude doesn't understand that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If he was the one doing the disabling of accounts, he in fact is alienating away useful members who have so much to knowledge share.
Let's see if this is the beginning of the end for Head-fi's usefulness and popularity.
This has been going on for years. When Uncle Erik left a shock wave hit Hype-Fi. It is still rolling...
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Being anal retentive, I'm more concerned with what I did to deserve not being given an [applaud] [no touchy for you Claritas!] tag line to my avatar credentials. As far as I can tell, I'm the only one still remaining sans badge. Pffft with all this Jude psychocentric petty satrapy BS, it's about me. p:8
This is after all a social interface, first and foremost, and I'm feeling all singled out and rejected. Is this what you're talking about, marvey?
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I'm more concerned with what I did to deserve not being given an [applaud] [no touchy for you Claritas!] tag
Everyone has one, you just don't see it on yourself, because you can't up vote / down vote yourself.
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Ooooh... You know you're not paranoid if everyone is actually conspiring behind your back. Just sayin'...
I apologize for any down votes I may have given anyone by wildly clicking on those links for some kind of response to a hidden chatroom or something. Feel free to retaliate.
Meanwhile, how 'bout that Jude highhandedness, speaking of megalomania... It's about him; pay no attention to the man behind the bewilderment.
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Dogpile! Considering how many Claritas! I may have clicked on by mistake, this smacks of classic group mind chicken pecking. You guys are so gracious and forgiving. Love you, too.
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There is a force stronger than clicks. That force is a something called trust. It keeps internet forums together.
Are you familiar with the "law of holes?" Even emperor Jude cannot save you from your own hole...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_holes
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hello,
this whole passive/aggressive "hidden" banning on HF is just a symptom of a greater issue in the hobby.
the real issue is that the more mainstream press (e.g. NYT) is citing HF as THE site for headphone hobbyists.
so, what happens with a newbie or a confused shopper at Best Buy?
why, they head over to HF and spend way too much on FOTM or whatever the current hype train recommends and get soured on the whole thing.
there really are not enough B&Ms out there to audition cans. the only real way to even get close to that is meets, which we all know are not the best way to audition gear.
i have been extremely fortunate to have participated in three loaner tours on CS, and those tours have influenced future purchases. the generosity of the pyrates here is astonishing.
the opinions expressed on CS are honest, well-reasoned and not hype. the opinions on HF are in many cases fanboy driven, or financial gain driven or new toy syndrome in its worst form.
the fact that HF is opposed to the free flow of information on the web needs to be pointed out. that's not a declaration of war it is speaking the truth.
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Interesting read:
http://a-review-of-head-fi.tumblr.com
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Best line:
"Naturally this turns Hi-Fi [slash head-fi] into a cesspool of dishonesty. "
a direct result of the dishonesty of prick Jude and his mods.
been going on forever apparently.
until users and sponsors yank the Jude chain, the HD cesspool will continue to swirl.
counterclockwise for Amos.
poo
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The "Introduce Yourself" thread has shown that Changstar has drawn people to read and even to register and participate by simply approaching audio and headphones the way that we do. Some people are completely done with HF when they come here, some enjoy both...the point is I think due to the honesty and sincerity of what goes on here "if we build it, they will come."
I'm a case in point. My decision to join Changstar was based solely on what the site has to offer. I used to lurk on HF a lot, but now I spend most of my time here because it's more my kind of place.
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I'm a case in point. My decision to join Changstar was based solely on what the site has to offer. I used to lurk on HF a lot, but now I spend most of my time here because it's more my kind of place.
^^^^^^^^^^
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I'm a case in point. My decision to join Changstar was based solely on what the site has to offer. I used to lurk on HF a lot, but now I spend most of my time here because it's more my kind of place.
That's more or less my Changstar origin story. What struck me when I started visiting here was the substantive discussion carried out in - and I'm sure in part because of - adherence to explicit criteria. I'd found people who knew what to look for in a headphone and how to say it. This sort of discussion results in genuinely novel content, instead of countless posts from countless people all saying exactly the same thing or asking exactly the same question. More importantly, it results in knowledge. This knowledge is transmitted and, gasp!, absorbed! I mean, people here seem to read threads before posting so that they're better able to contribute. It's that sense of shared purpose that, among other things, makes this place great.
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Do we have tos at all here ? Never bothered looking...
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Best line:
counterclockwise for Amos.
Haha! Beauty.
I am here now because it seems like a smaller, more sincere community that doesn't take things too seriously - the kind of real life community I enjoy. I would hope that that wouldn't change in response to Jude's actions done on his own website.
Back to the booze threads since I can't afford any more audio gear...
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I just saw I registered only year ago... Probably after the extensive read of the HF DAC thread and after I noticed a lot of intersesting posters disappeared from the HD800 thread on HF.
The DAC thread was really some fresh air. Liked constructive technical debates and loved the way Marv' and others gave their impressions. I told myself "wow that's like real life with real people chatting about audio" .
Before that , CS was a ressource for measurements for me.
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Do we have tos at all here ? Never bothered looking...
Isn't it the pirate manifesto? I actually tried reading all the way through in case there was some sort of secret password embedded that would let me become a full-fledged member.
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T.O.S.?
I joined and I had fun, end of story :)p8
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I don't remember the reason(s) why I joined... facepalm
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We might have a useless boilerplate TOS that you have to agree do.
Basically this site runs on "pirate democracy". Customs have evolved and become more clear over time. When someone doesn't get along, it becomes obvious. Most of the time, the oddballs leave on their own accord as we rarely ban.
No one gets any pms with the phrase "for a myriad of reasons...".
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The mischievous side of me has always wanted to join HF and see if I could get permanently banned in less than 24 hours. But it seems like too much work. Perhaps not so anymore. :&
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The mischievous side of me has always wanted to join HF and see if I could get permanently banned in less than 24 hours. But it seems like too much work. Perhaps not so anymore. :&
Just register your username as "judehateschangstar" or something like that. You'd get banned almost instantly.
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Just register your username as "judehateschangstar" or something like that. You'd get banned almost instantly.
Creative. headbang
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@all, same here. Joined and didn't bothered looking for T.O.S., then got along.
@Purrin, don't remember agreeing anything, but that was a while ago. Obviously it didn't matter to me, as I knew where I was going. That said, with the growth of the audience recently, I've been wondering whether a simple reminder would be useful. Kinda "expect to get your chops busted if you spew B.S." thing. Just stream of consciousness, disregard if unnecessary or ridiculous.
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that's more a kind of constitution that founds a community and helps newcomers to understand what we believe in than a real T.O.S then ?
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Actually my first thought about that was "what we stand for", and "what to expect if". It's true the manifesto from 2012 actually hints at it, but sometimes it's necessary to spell it out. To me T.O.S are for commercial purpose, and this forum isn't, so they don't apply here.
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Gotcha and agree indeed.
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Kinda "expect to get your chops busted if you spew B.S." thing. Just stream of consciousness, disregard if unnecessary or ridiculous.
It not just busting your chops, it's taking the effort to show the BS. Here is a recent example: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,2613.msg74262.html#msg74262 (http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,2613.msg74262.html#msg74262)
Rather than argue with words based on "thought exercises", best to demonstrate or actually try it.
It's true the manifesto from 2012 actually hints at it, but sometimes it's necessary to spell it out.
As as reminder from 2012: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,487.msg8923.html#msg8923 (http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,487.msg8923.html#msg8923)
Probably the closest thing to a vision document. Supposedly Jude was really pissed off at this. I am not sure why.
I actually have an update, but not sure if I want to publish it. Some things have changed. Most things not so much.
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As as reminder from 2012: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,487.msg8923.html#msg8923 (http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,487.msg8923.html#msg8923)
Probably the closest thing to a vision document. Supposedly Jude was really pissed off at this. I am not sure why.
I actually an update, but not sure if I want to publish it. Some things have changed. Most things not so much.
Emperor Jude has a a weakness for honesty. His empire crumbles without the fuel of hype. Honesty kills hype...
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Do you guys agree with this?
Audeze @Audeze Jul 21 Costa Mesa, CA
@headfi If there is no Headfi, there is no Audeze. Thanks for believing and giving us the space, when all we had was an early prototype
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I need more information. A tweet is only a tweet. Hype-Fi played a role but how big depends on the information.
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Well it was H-fi where they started spamming the manipulated CSDs with oversmoothing. Without, there is no $2K-3K headphone with failing and inconsistent drivers. Without, noone believes the original LCD2 is what fidelity is or what music actually sounds like. Without H-fi there is definitely no Audeze in the size and state it turned into. So yeah, kudos to them...
One person's pride is another person's shame.
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They should be thanking Tyll Hertsens for creating the totally new category of audiophile grade headphone amplification. Without this important equipment, (desktop)head-fi won't exist as no other electronics manufacturer at that time will be interested in designing powerful headphone amps that can power the Planars.
backstory
http://www.headphone.com/pages/founders-story
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I have my own history with Head-Fi and I'm not the biggest fan of the site today, which is sort of sad because I had some good times there. I took down my "leave Britney alone" video (I should rewatch it again some time) but I very rarely post there these days.
There are some good posts by some good members, but overall it's just become a self sustaining cloud fortress of hype. That wouldn't be so bad if it didn't completely drive the direction of the market.
These days I sort of look at Reddit and Changstar as places which aren't quite as delusional but I wonder if they are so as a result of of a) moderator intervention (or lack thereof) b) interfaces or systems that attract certain kinds of users and lead to certain kinds of behaviours c) pre-existing culture of user base d) size of user base e) reputational effects f) all/none of the above. Nature vs nurture as applied to audio enthusiast communities hur hur.
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Well it was H-fi where they started spamming the manipulated CSDs with oversmoothing. Without, there is no $2K-3K headphone with failing and inconsistent drivers. Without, noone believes the original LCD2 is what fidelity is or what music actually sounds like. Without H-fi there is definitely no Audeze in the size and state it turned into. So yeah, kudos to them...
One person's pride is another person's shame.
For those interested in seeing their smoothed CSD:
http://www.audeze.com/sites/default/files/LCD2-Waterfall-1W-NF.jpg
source:
http://www.audeze.com/blog?page=5
in contrast to changstar's:
http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=64.0;attach=270;image
source
http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,64.msg205.html#msg205
6moons have some backstory on Audeze's startup:
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/audeze/1.html
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(http://www.audeze.com/sites/default/files/LCD2-Waterfall-1W-NF.jpg)
That graph and my own experience with the LCD2r1 was a huge huge reason why I started doing CSDs. I remember seeing that graph when it was posted by a HF moderator / shill / enthusiast with words along the lines of "wow, isn't that supar awesome!". While the LCD2 was awesome in many respects, that CSD did not exactly jive with what I was hearing. The rest is history.
BTW, while I know that many of us here don't care for the Audeze headphones, I personally do like the Audeze guys Sankar and Alex. (And I can assume that all the other pyrates feel the same way.) However, the last several meets have been weird. Audeze doesn't have that small boutique company vibe anymore, which was kind of cool. Something happened to that the company as they got bigger and bigger. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen those guys around in the last few meets.
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IIRC one of them left the company.
Maybe just the course of doing business. Maybe a bad sign. Who knows?
All I know is I've found their production quality to be all over the map. I've also found their headphones to be inexcusably uncomfortable. I'm happy to not own any of their products.
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Lachlan, why did you call this place a cult?
Without Head-Fi, would there have been such a receptive receptive market for the explosion in more steadily expensive and underperforming headphones and gear? I don't see it, at least for the English speaking market. So Audeze owes them that.
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Lachlan, why did you call this place a cult?
I'm surprised people remember that! For those that don't, I believe briskly is talking about a bit in the video where I was moaning about alternatives to Head Fi, and I might have called Changstar a cult, or cultish. I'll have to rewatch the video to remember the exact context.
I probably meant that from outside appearance Changstar appears somewhat cliqueish. Which would naturally be true given that its a small community composed of (among others) a number of people who have been disenfranchised from or disillusioned by Head Fi or other audio forums, and who are being quite selective in where they go next.
The other reason I called this place a cult is the perception that Changstar was a stronghold of hardcore objectivism, which upon closer examination it isn't really. But the prominence given to measurement data on the front page, subforums for measurement data, and other things probably contribute to this initial impression.
I don't think it would be wrong to say there is a group identity here. You call yourselves 'pyrates' after all. You could say it's a carefree spirit of irreverence, but its obviously not anything goes, otherwise this place would look like the 4chan of audio communities. So there's gotta be something that encourages some kind of cohesion. Probably the biggest factor being the relatively small size of the userbase.
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To be fair, our banner DOES say cult. As for the "not anything goes" business and "cohesion", it is no accident that anax is venerated here...
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LOL! APx555?! So no more everything is awesome?! Glad to see that all those meets are paying off!
Talk about fucking overkill.
Too bad you can't buy respectability, though if you're lucky you could try to lend some credibility from an eager manufacturer.
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To be fair, our banner DOES say cult. As for the "not anything goes" business and "cohesion", it is no accident that anax is venerated here...
Yes, in fact we all should remember the fact that Lachlan called us a cult because it's the reason that front page subtitle was added. We like to take the shit people throw at us and own it :D
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Yes, in fact we all should remember the fact that Lachlan called us a cult because it's the reason that front page subtitle was added. We like to take the shit people throw at us and own it :D
Well now. I had no idea that one thing led to the other!
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Well it was H-fi where they started spamming the manipulated CSDs with oversmoothing. Without, there is no $2K-3K headphone with failing and inconsistent drivers. Without, noone believes the original LCD2 is what fidelity is or what music actually sounds like. Without H-fi there is definitely no Audeze in the size and state it turned into. So yeah, kudos to them...
One person's pride is another person's shame.
To add to this, I think kwkarth had a very large role in building up Audeze as well. I've never seen such blatant thought policing on a public consumerist forum before. Anybody who had something negative to say about the sound or build was questioned by him and either had their posts deleted or ended up banned. I can remember one poster making a big fuss about the wooden cups ringing a lot...he ended up banned shortly thereafter. kwkarth was also responsible for all the square wave idolization nonsense, as well as the "shelved off treble is what real life sounds like" stuff. What made things worse is that even when he'd be inactive for months, he'd check into the Audeze threads to perform his usual user pruning/silencing routine. All of us who called him out on it had our posts deleted for "being off topic".
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Well now. I had no idea that one thing led to the other!
Don't worry, you'll understand things better after a few weeks aboard our pirate re-education cruise.
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To be fair, our banner DOES say cult. As for the "not anything goes" business and "cohesion", it is no accident that anax is venerated here...
1-Everything has a 'culture'. So yeah, it's unavoidable in absolute terms.
2-I'm venerated somewhere?! Thou shalt NOT worship false idols!!
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To add to this, I think kwkarth had a very large role in building up Audeze as well.
Come to think of it, he might have been the one who posted the smoothed high floor Audeze CSD.
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Definitely
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The other reason I called this place a cult is the perception that Changstar was a stronghold of hardcore objectivism, which upon closer examination it isn't really.
At one point, the tagline was "too objectivist for subjectists, too subjective for objectivists"
So there's gotta be something that encourages some kind of cohesion.
That would be the Captain - me - with help from everyone else here. Few people really know that Changstar has actually changed throughout the years to reflect its member-base. From time to time, I do steer Changstar in a certain direction, the rest take it from there. It's true that early on, we tended more toward objectivist. I felt this was necessary because there were absolutely no objective reference points on HF back then. At this point in time, at least people know that Goldenears, Innerfidelity, Sonove, Changstar, exist to get additional data points in terms of measurements. This is a HUGE change from the "dark ages".
Somewhere along the way, coinciding with the rise of nwavguy, a few of the crazy type of objectivists landed here (presumably because they had the same initial perception that you had). So I started to steer Changstar toward a more subjectivist stance. Part of this is because these crazy type of objectivists were felt that they needed to impart their views upon others by force via incessant posting and stupid arguing.
Also sometimes we've acted "meaner" to keep people away. Other times we've acted "nicer" to encourage people to come. The main consideration for this was actually server CPU and bandwidth. So far, we have decent capacity... until the end of 2015.
Basically, it's maintaining proper balance. You'll hear me say not too tight and not too loose. I think this applies to everything in life. It certainly applies to driving cars on the track, raising kids, or building headphone audio systems, etc.
Changstar is not truth. It's method. I actually kicked / banned one guy who said that the reason he was here was because we were about "truth". Truth is about as true as wire-with-gain. The people who have been around here a while understand that Changstar is "method". This is why OJ doesn't kill n3rdling and vice versa or I don't kill Tyll and vice versa.
This is also why religious people of the crazy type who think that their religion is absolute truth want to kill everyone else or convert them to the "true" church.
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1-Everything has a 'culture'. So yeah, it's unavoidable in absolute terms.
2-I'm venerated somewhere?! Thou shalt NOT worship false idols!!
LOL. It was late last night when I typed that, and I had been driving all day. I actually meant Marv re: veneration, but clearly was thinking of Anax re: violently crushing retards. Oh parapraxis, you sneaky fucker.
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or I don't kill Tyll and vice versa.
Wait...this is an option? Must rethink my stance....
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It not just busting your chops, it's taking the effort to show the BS. Here is a recent example: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,2613.msg74262.html#msg74262 (http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,2613.msg74262.html#msg74262)
Rather than argue with words based on "thought exercises", best to demonstrate or actually try it.
Agreed that dumbassery needs serious kicks in the butt, but that's not what I had in mind. I seriously doubt this chris guy's gonna venture over here. I had newcomers in mind, not outsiders. HC has such a thread, where they lay the basic rules. With the welcoming of new guys and girls we're to bound to run into this.
As as reminder from 2012: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,487.msg8923.html#msg8923 (http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,487.msg8923.html#msg8923)
Probably the closest thing to a vision document. Supposedly Jude was really pissed off at this. I am not sure why.
I actually have an update, but not sure if I want to publish it. Some things have changed. Most things not so much.
I did remember it, but had to search to refresh my memory. Obviously nothing to get your panties in a bunch for if honesty is what one's looking for. However this doesn't give the full picture of what this community has to offer, or its inner working. This is not HF, and there's no need for total consensus all the time, because we know that disagreeing doesn't mean spitting in each other's face. As said before, this is an adult forum, not a pre-teen's one. And disagreement properly debated leads to better information.
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At one point, the tagline was "too objectivist for subjectists, too subjective for objectivists"
That would be the Captain - me - with help from everyone else here. Few people really know that Changstar has actually changed throughout the years to reflect its member-base. From time to time, I do steer Changstar in a certain direction, the rest take it from there. It's true that early on, we tended more toward objectivist. I felt this was necessary because there were absolutely no objective reference points on HF back then. At this point in time, at least people know that Goldenears, Innerfidelity, Sonove, Changstar, exist to get additional data points in terms of measurements. This is a HUGE change from the "dark ages".
Somewhere along the way, coinciding with the rise of nwavguy, a few of the crazy type of objectivists landed here (presumably because they had the same initial perception that you had). So I started to steer Changstar toward a more subjectivist stance. Part of this is because these crazy type of objectivists were felt that they needed to impart their views upon others by force via incessant posting and stupid arguing.
Also sometimes we've acted "meaner" to keep people away. Other times we've acted "nicer" to encourage people to come. The main consideration for this was actually server CPU and bandwidth. So far, we have decent capacity... until the end of 2015.
Basically, it's maintaining proper balance. You'll hear me say not too tight and not too loose. I think this applies to everything in life. It certainly applies to driving cars on the track, raising kids, or building headphone audio systems, etc.
Changstar is not truth. It's method. I actually kicked / banned one guy who said that the reason he was here was because we were about "truth". Truth is about as true as wire-with-gain. The people who have been around here a while understand that Changstar is "method". This is why OJ doesn't kill n3rdling and vice versa or I don't kill Tyll and vice versa.
This is also why religious people of the crazy type who think that their religion is absolute truth want to kill everyone else or convert them to the "true" church.
Marv is like Ed Harris in the movie Snowpiercer.
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Wait...this is an option? Must rethink my stance....
Why? Why would people not like you? If it was not for your website I would not have joined this crew of audio pirates.
You are one of the people who keeps this hobby alive with a good dose of common sense.
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1-Everything has a 'culture'. So yeah, it's unavoidable in absolute terms.
2-I'm venerated somewhere?! Thou shalt NOT worship false idols!!
Anax. The Vatican just called. They need your full name, and they wanted to know if I had seen you do any miracles. I think you might be up for canonization man. :)p1
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Anax. The Vatican just called. They need your full name, and they wanted to know if I had seen you do any miracles. I think you might be up for canonization man. :)p1
No thanks. I don't my body parts scattered around the globe in little glass boxes with ornate gilding.
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Come on ! You don't want women fainting before a small vial of your blood liquefying every year at the same date ?
You're no fun ...
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Why? Why would people not like you? If it was not for your website I would not have joined this crew of audio pirates.
You are one of the people who keeps this hobby alive with a good dose of common sense.
I was just grab-assing, but thanks...I try.
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The depressing fate of Head-Fi needs a depressing, desperate theme.
How about this edited version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dcfpH8oJoM
I LOVE that computers can change the key of songs post-mix now...Magical shit.
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The depressing fate of Head-Fi needs a depressing, desperate theme.
Wow, that's cool...and wonderfully angsty.
(You can also hear the modulation artifacts.)
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Wow, that's cool...and wonderfully angsty.
(You can also hear the modulation artifacts.)
That is the funniest thing I have heard. Wish I could hear the MP3 artifacts on the Phillips GE training as well as these.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbTxfN8d2CI
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Oi, the modulation of that one is tripping me out.
I'm just gonna leave this here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57ta7mkgrOU
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Marv is like Ed Harris in the movie Snowpiercer.
Yup.
UPDATE: looks like my HF e-mail was restored so I can reset my password now.
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me too! I didn't get my ban either.
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me too! I didn't get my ban either.
my email password reset worked as well today
didn't get my ban either.
what to do now... what to do....
well first, change my avatar back to "banned" at minimum I suppose.
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or maybe a Jolly Roger
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So was it a software bug?
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So was it a software bug?
You mean a software glitch that only affects banned or 'watched' users?
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I hate people lacking balls ...
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Looks like someone backed down. But guess the damage has already been done.
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I hate people lacking balls ...
You don't like women? how about Bruce Jenner? I'm lost...
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Why did I even revisit HF?
First review I see is a 4.5 star review of Audeze EL-8 closed.
W. T. F. !
:vomit:
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Yeah, EL-8 Closed is horrible. And even the pro/con list had some key descriptors that are big red flags.
"Very detailed sound," "Needs a warmer amp," "Requires a long burn in."
Mmmhmm, right.
Then if you read through the review, his sonic descriptions make it sound like it's a POS. North of neutral bass, thin lower mids, bright and "crisp" treble. 4.5/5!
Head-Fi!
Ha, sorry, OT.
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Before I start my write-up, I would like to Thank Audeze for providing me with review samples in exchange for my honest opinion.
Tell tale Signs that the review is already biased.
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I don't even have to look up that "review" to know it's twister's because my previous complaint forced him to include that disclaimer about review samples.
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I hate people lacking balls ...
You mean "needs more Guts"?
(https://ghostlightning.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/berserk13-ogm_snapshot_14-21_2010-08-20_05-06-34.jpg)
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You mean "needs more Guts"?
(https://ghostlightning.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/berserk13-ogm_snapshot_14-21_2010-08-20_05-06-34.jpg)
Holy shit Berserk is the most underrated manga ever
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" I don’t consider myself an audiophile, I am just an average guy that loves music" in same paragraph as "I have been into audio equipment since I was in highschool...I like to listen to my music with the best possible quality." This guy sure seems like an audiophile to me.
"Being a simple guy and write know better than a high school student, you will fully understand my reviews." Yep. Sure.
"Before I get into the review I would like to say thank you to Jonathan Scull from Scull Communications for making this review possible. This review is based on my honest opinions". BTW, Jon Scull does PR and marketing for Audeze. Also, not sure why he needs to say these are his honest opinions.
"Audeze teamed up with BMW DesignworksUSA for the design of the EL-8 and Deckard." That's quite a bit that you know or are at least willing to parrot from the marketing folks for being such a "simple" guy. Does he personally like the looks of the EL-8? Or does he like the EL-8's looks because they were designed by BMW? Let's not forget the Bangle 5-series.
"Both products are assembled in Costa Mesa, CA with the parts being sourced out all over the world." You mean mostly made in China with final assembly and snap together of last three parts here?
"SPECIFICATIONS EL-8 ... long list of specs" and only earlier "The only charts and graphs I care about are the quarterly ones that come in the mail about my 401K. " wait, I thought you didn't care about stuff like this because you are a "simple" guy?
"you won't find my reviews filled with audiophile terms" yet we later read "...the smoothness of the bass...go low ...a nice low end rumble...tight and detailed without ever spilling over into the midrange....The midrange is just as smooth and balanced with hint of warmth to them...fine details in vocals...Upper frequencies is where the EL-8s shine ...could almost be fatiguing, but after some hours ...balanced out with the rest of the frequencies. EL-8s upper notes have a clarity ...almost no effort ...keep up with the fastest of tracks...Comparing the higher frequencies ... but have the same clarity to them. I ...unforgiveness to recordings... more upfront than the EL-8s with the EL-8s being more laid back ...Kim Kardashians low end ... a good sense of space and air to them...sounded a whole lot cleaner and more refined" Wait, I thought you didn't care for audiophile terms?
"the bass is more on the balanced side...midbass more prominent" Make up your mind.
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It just that ... he is an honest and simple guy. Humble to. Maybe even pretty.
EDIT: Crap! 4 reviews on the EL-8 and all are at least 4.5/5. p:8
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!Alert!
(http://cdn.funcheap.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Sock_puppets.png)
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Holy shit Berserk is the most underrated manga ever
Berserk is one of my all time favourites. Anime/manga storytelling at its gory and magical/historical finest.
Hype-Fi has a new hype, emperor Jude must be pleased.
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...
Yeh that review is a fkn sham, disgraceful tbh, potentially lots of people are going to buy into it...
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HF "reviews" are getting incessantly more annoying. They tend to follow a similar formula: "I'm a music lover and regular ol' guy, not a audiophile"... then a bunch of photos and parroted marketing crap... and intermix with a series contradictory statements.
The "simple guy" / "music lover" spiel is really a disingenuous attempt to appeal to authority by appealing to non-authority in order to capture the attention of the "masses". It's basically saying "I'm an idiot, so if you feel overwhelmed by the hobby because you are a noob, then you as another idiot should listen to me."
P.S. I understand that people will have different tastes. This is very evident here. But I'd like to think that there are minimal standards, and some stuff sounds like shit, no bones about it.
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On the subject of silent edits by head-fi mods:
They also like to do a little user ID hijacking.
I once made this post: http://www.head-fi.org/t/714381/-#post_10473835 as a comment of the foobar mobile lamer fail kickstarter and some head-fi mod/admin used my user ID and, without my knowledge, inserted it into a thread I had never posted in: http://www.head-fi.org/t/715834/foobar-mobile-fundraiser#post_10485058 which was kind of surprising to me and provoked an angry response from another member who asked me why I was spamming the same post across different threads: http://www.head-fi.org/t/715834/foobar-mobile-fundraiser#post_10490598
What to speak of the stuff they silently delete in order to make it futile to object to their less than transparent actions. Assholes.
They are hardly unique in this respect. Just have a disagreement at HA that doesn't fit the local belief system and you can be astonished at how quickly people with admin/mod rights can delete and edit both your posts and theirs. Certain people almost never conduct a discussion without relentless retrospective remedial or corrective action to try to make themselves look less like dicks :gross:
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They also like to do a little user ID hijacking.
Ah, that's creepy. Probably the work of Amos. :-)
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Ah, that's creepy. Probably the work of Amos. :-)
You might be right. All I know is the second instance of my post was not posted by me, though of course it was at least as entertaining and insightful *cough*.
Perhaps expound your theory, unpack that sentiment, add colour, detail and context? He he he
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You don't like women? how about Bruce Jenner? I'm lost...
Depends, does he use a mac ? If so I can make an exception.
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You mean "needs more Guts"?
Shall I say "pardon my french", seems appropriate here. Oh wait, I know, I should have written "ballz".
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Quand tu écris "pardonnez-moi pour mon français" j'attends. Je veux voir quelque chose drôle.
When you write "excuse me for my French" I wait. I want to see something funny.
English: balls, "ballz" for Engrish exaggeration.
French: la balle, la boule.
Here is Gérard Depardieu for Louis Vuitton avec les grandes boules!
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Zu7ne5bCj8c/SrK5bMtg6rI/AAAAAAAAMgw/KihPJkThCsw/s400/Rebonds+Vuitton+Gerard+Depardieu.jpg)
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Quand tu écris "pardonnez-moi pour mon français" j'attends. Je veux voir quelque chose drôle.
When you write "excuse me for my French" I wait. I want to see something funny.
English: balls, "ballz" for Engrish exaggeration.
French: la balle, la boule.
Here is Gérard Depardieu for Louis Vuitton avec les grandes boules!
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Zu7ne5bCj8c/SrK5bMtg6rI/AAAAAAAAMgw/KihPJkThCsw/s400/Rebonds+Vuitton+Gerard+Depardieu.jpg)
Excellent pic choice. Send it to HF they need to understand what they need.
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!Alert!
(http://cdn.funcheap.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Sock_puppets.png)
AH AH AH AH AH AH AH EPIC illustration !!
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well, seems like I made it to the hit list...
now all my replies, including my complements to others, are held of moderation... haha... sigh.
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Moderating Changstar members over at HF is starting to look like a full time occupation
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well, seems like I made it to the hit list...
now all my replies, including my complements to others, are held of moderation... haha... sigh.
Welcome to the club! You'll find your wanting to get needless stuff to bottom out and listen to the stuff you already have more. And save money for the good stuff in your life. :)p1
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That's very strange since I don't recall any of you guys making negative statements against Jude or HF. BTW, I reset my password to log in into HF a few days (was going to make a public plea in the Schiit thread that people not spoil the Schiit-Show), and I found out I couldn't edit my profile, make any posts, or read my PMs. So therefore I am still silently banned there.
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Maybe (NSFW) http://kingjude.com pissed off someone. headbang
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I had to close my browser. At least label your link to that site as NWS.
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LMAO!
BTW, I do not condone the work by this KingJude guy who seems to be stalking me at various meets - not going to explain why. I still get a laugh though.
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That's effin' hilarious! gonna save a copy for when I'm ready to be banned at HF. :)p1
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Maybe (NSFW) http://kingjude.com pissed off someone. headbang
Now that's a pair of strong legs.
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wow, I did not realize that the censorship on HF has gotten this bad & there is a current 'war' ongoing between c* & HF :(
kinda just bad for the hobby in general as the free flow of information & discourse is what makes it so interesting