Bigman80
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The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 1, 2019 18:15:02 GMT
OK I will go first: Not my cuppa because .....
1. I don’t like listening with other people around. It completely alters/ spoils the sound and my experience of it. 2. I’m not really a social or sociable animal. I don’t even like conversing over the phone tbh. If I can have silence and solitude for as much of my day as possible, I’m happy. 3. I hate travelling anywhere, especially lugging kit. 4. I also don’t like the way some infantile types treat bake-offs as something to “win”. Or a way to get their gear talked up or promoted if they sell stuff. It’s often the ones who profess not to do this who are the worst offenders. 5. I have no desire to convince anyone my choicest are worthy or right. It doesn’t matter to me what they like or buy.
I’m all for folk who enjoy these things doing whatever they like, but they really just aren’t me.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2019 23:46:09 GMT
I'm not a normie. Good thread, and I greatly agree.
S.
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Post by macca on Feb 2, 2019 0:33:20 GMT
OK I will go first: Not my cuppa because ..... 1. I don’t like listening with other people around. It completely alters/ spoils the sound and my experience of it. 2. I’m not really a social or sociable animal. I don’t even like conversing over the phone tbh. If I can have silence and solitude for as much of my day as possible, I’m happy. 3. I hate travelling anywhere, especially lugging kit. 4. I also don’t like the way some infantile types treat bake-offs as something to “win”. Or a way to get their gear talked up or promoted if they sell stuff. It’s often the ones who profess not to do this who are the worst offenders. 5. I have no desire to convince anyone my choicest are worthy or right. It doesn’t matter to me what they like or buy. I’m all for folk who enjoy these things doing whatever they like, but they really just aren’t me. I agree with all your points except 4) - never encountered that. But I still enjoy the occasional meet. I wouldn't want to do it every week or once a month even but I've been to a fair few and always had a really good time. Maybe there are these ultra competitive bake-offs going on somewhere, not seen it myself.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 2, 2019 6:40:45 GMT
It probably read differentiy to what I intended when I wrote it. It’s not necessarily the participants but anyone with a horse in the race I meant. It spoils forum reports when it becomes about which make “won”.
Social and sociable folk will no doubt have a very different perspective to me on bakeoffs, but it’s hard to get away from point 1. Add an unfamiliar acoustic to the mix and that is the main thing I would have against attending a bake-off
I also forgot one crucial thing:
For me, A/B comparisons have not proved to be a useful way to differentiate. Most times I have done this, I have ended up with the choice that fatigues me in the long run. A/B comparisons tend to accentuate difference which is t necessarily a good thing. You don’t normally listen comparatively and listening to something on its own terms is far more reliable IMO.
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Post by nonuffin on Feb 2, 2019 8:41:03 GMT
I used to travel up and down the country going to bakeoffs and held a fair few myself but not done so since we moved to a much smaller house. One bakeoff I hosted went on for three days!
At one of my bakeoffs we did a blind mains cable test with a dozen people and that really was worth doing because it proved just how misguided the DBT protagonists truly are. I learned much from that.
I don't recall any of them being competitive, although there were some individuals who brought along some mega expensive gear and tried to dominate the event, so had to take a firm stance with them. And talking of gems, it was a revelation when a Marantz PM7200 wiped the floor with some really esoteric and expensive amps at one bash. One aspect I really loved was hearing music that were true musical gems I had never heard of before and quickly created a want list to add to my collection and I really do miss that. Of course, talking utter endless bollocks with other like minded addicts was also worth making the effort to either attend or host these shindigs.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2019 8:45:44 GMT
I tend to dissuade much kit at my bake offs. I have one room, albeit pretty large, so any time spent swapping means no music, which is what we do want! lots of new music. As you say, it can take a while (a couple of hours) to 'dial in' to a system that is significantly different in style to your own, so chopping and changing doesn't give time for that so you can't really hear the new kit properly.
I do like having a bunch of folk around to chat, listen to music and (of course) eat pies !
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 2, 2019 9:31:56 GMT
I used to travel up and down the country going to bakeoffs and held a fair few myself but not done so since we moved to a much smaller house. One bakeoff I hosted went on for three days! At one of my bakeoffs we did a blind mains cable test with a dozen people and that really was worth doing because it proved just how misguided the DBT protagonists truly are. I learned much from that.
I don't recall any of them being competitive, although there were some individuals who brought along some mega expensive gear and tried to dominate the event, so had to take a firm stance with them. And talking of gems, it was a revelation when a Marantz PM7200 wiped the floor with some really esoteric and expensive amps at one bash. One aspect I really loved was hearing music that were true musical gems I had never heard of before and quickly created a want list to add to my collection and I really do miss that. Of course, talking utter endless bollocks with other like minded addicts was also worth making the effort to either attend or host these shindigs. Hearing new music via someone else who appreciates good sound is definitely an upside. It’s one thing I used to enjoy going to dealer dems.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 2, 2019 9:33:34 GMT
I tend to dissuade much kit at my bake offs. I have one room, albeit pretty large, so any time spent swapping means no music, which is what we do want! lots of new music. As you say, it can take a while (a couple of hours) to 'dial in' to a system that is significantly different in style to your own, so chopping and changing doesn't give time for that so you can't really hear the new kit properly. I do like having a bunch of folk around to chat, listen to music and (of course) eat pies ! Haha if I get pies, they are all mine! Approach me with extreme caution
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Post by nonuffin on Feb 2, 2019 9:46:28 GMT
I tend to dissuade much kit at my bake offs. I have one room, albeit pretty large, so any time spent swapping means no music, which is what we do want! lots of new music. As you say, it can take a while (a couple of hours) to 'dial in' to a system that is significantly different in style to your own, so chopping and changing doesn't give time for that so you can't really hear the new kit properly. I do like having a bunch of folk around to chat, listen to music and (of course) eat pies ! I used to cook up a huge saucepan of my legendary spaghetti bolognese and I think that was the main attraction of coming to one of my bakeoffs. One chap hated mushrooms so I had to do another one with no mushrooms in just for him. A while later he hosted a bakeoff and cooked a bolly which was an awful watery mess so we all trotted off to the local chinese for some decent grub.
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Post by macca on Feb 2, 2019 10:24:34 GMT
It probably read differentiy to what I intended when I wrote it. It’s not necessarily the participants but anyone with a horse in the race I meant. It spoils forum reports when it becomes about which make “won”. Social and sociable folk will no doubt have a very different perspective to me on bakeoffs, but it’s hard to get away from point 1. Add an unfamiliar acoustic to the mix and that is the main thing I would have against attending a bake-off I also forgot one crucial thing: For me, A/B comparisons have not proved to be a useful way to differentiate. Most times I have done this, I have ended up with the choice that fatigues me in the long run. A/B comparisons tend to accentuate difference which is t necessarily a good thing. You don’t normally listen comparatively and listening to something on its own terms is far more reliable IMO. Yes I agree. If something at a bake off interest me I get one and live with it for a while. It's the only way to be sure. But the bake off is a great way to get exposed to kit you wouldn't usually get to hear at all. With a few exceptions most of the ones I've been to and the one I organised were in pretty big rooms so the room was not a factor. In any case that only affects speaker choice, not all the other kit. Rarely been to a dealer dem that has impressed me. Always left thinking what I already had was better. But been impressed by a lot of systems at bake offs and left thinking 'I need to upgrade!'.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 2, 2019 13:07:53 GMT
I’ve had good and bad dealer dems. Best ever was Elite Hi-Fi in Harrogate. Voyd Reference with various Audio Innovations and Snell ancillaries. Best sound ever from vinyl and best sound eve.... period.
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Post by savvypaul on Feb 2, 2019 14:55:57 GMT
Bake offs?
Lovely. Great way to spend a day.
Music, interesting gear, chat, food...maybe's a pint, after.
Yes, please.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2019 15:06:14 GMT
Bake offs? Lovely. Great way to spend a day. Music, interesting gear, chat, food...maybe's a pint, after. Yes, please. Agreed
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2019 18:15:55 GMT
Fukin grown men with not much in there rather sad little life's (And certainly no friends, let alone lovers) other than hifi.....Which makes up for they're deficiencies.
It's fukin great .........😀👍😀👍😀👍😀
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2019 18:36:06 GMT
Bet me EL34 is better than your KT88.....
Right.....FUK OFF.
Does the bull never end.....
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2019 19:21:45 GMT
Jammy you crack me up!
S.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2019 20:33:03 GMT
Jammy, oh Jammy.
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Post by sq225917 on Feb 3, 2019 23:23:42 GMT
i like meeting up and hearing undiscovered gems. There's always something that stands out as offering great sound per pound. I generally don't care what anything else thinks of kit, we all have different ears and tastes. That said it's not an excuse to be a dick about someone's pride and joy.
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