Z Reviews Bitching Thread

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by Bigferret, May 1, 2016.

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  1. Dino

    Dino Friend

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    When you are in the market for some violent, violent, violent speakers, where else are you going to learn about them?
     
  2. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    if these speakers see you on the street they will fight you.
     
  3. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    Seriously though. Has anyone tested these? I'd love to see the violence waterfall for them.
     
  4. TheIceman93

    TheIceman93 El pato-zorro

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    I thought this thread was totally pointless but I just skimmed through it and I must admit, it goes in some pretty strange / extremely amusing directions. Carry on.

    Also, holy shit, you guys disliked @Zed Bopp into the f'ing stone age.
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2017
  5. Darren G

    Darren G Friend

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    Personally I gave up Z reviews. He keeps chasing listening to gear, but he barely seems able to enjoy music. More gear cannot fix that. What is the point of that?
     
  6. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Like what to do with your dick? :D

    ThisOldTony is more machining and making stuff. But with humour. Although, sometimes, if you blink you miss it. Except for the videos that a pure fun. Also: he's a really nice guy. He takes the piss out of other metal-work you-tube stars, but in a really nice way. I watch Clickspring to know how that stuff is done, and yes, the videos are really well presented and made, but with ThisOldTony, you end up loving the guy. I bet there are people with no interest at all in headphones that watch @Tyll Hertsens.

    Stefan Gotteswinter is good too. Sense of humour even more deadpan than ThisOldTony.

    Hey, I think I'll throw out the hifi and buy a lathe :eek:

    Their journey? Oh my god, there is more than one them?

    Maybe you should be posting on the Z Reviews Appreciation thread?

    Disclosure. Yes, I watched this guy, maybe once. But maybe not all the way through.
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2017
  7. Dino

    Dino Friend

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    Z Reviews is an acquired taste, @Thad E Ginathom . If you think you can't stand them now, wait until you've watched 20 of them! ;)
     
  8. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    Dino - doing the hard research so we don't have to.
     
  9. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    I think I'm with Dino on this one :cool:
     
  10. Dino

    Dino Friend

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    I haven't tried watching 20 of them. I'm trying to get @Thad E Ginathom to.
     
  11. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    No Chance!

    Actually, with the exception of Tyll, I never watch youtube videos about audio. Good god, there are people who think they can actually show how their stuff sounds... On youtube!

    (Or... so a friend tells me :oops: )
     
  12. ButtUglyJeff

    ButtUglyJeff Stunningly beautiful IRL

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    I'm kinda addicted to watching turntable videos, but I get your point of view...
     
  13. k4rstar

    k4rstar Britney fan club president

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    He doesn't actually listen to music the way you or I would. He's not a critical listener, he possesses no critical understanding of any musical work or how its reproduction translates to the performance of a product. He frequently judges gear with movie soundtracks, anime music and remixes. His assessments are incapable of going past basics like frequency response but embarrassingly enough he has gotten that wrong plenty of times.

    When he does attempt to describe something in greater depth for example headstage or "detail" (which by itself means nothing) you can almost hear the gears turning in his head attempting to find the words. He still resorts to tropes such as analytical vs. musical and in his mind tubes mainly exist to color the sound or provide a different flavor. He has repeatedly made gross statements such as "you REQUIRE a solid-state reference before you can get a tube amp".

    With regards to Z Reviews being a stepping stone into audio, no. It's like joining a Pagan cult as an introduction to religion. By the time you break the conditioning and realize how you've been duped the damage is already done. He was made a laughing stock of on multiple sub-reddits including r/audiophile for advocating listening to many monitor speakers off-axis or upside down. He is banned from posting on multiple sub-reddits for adamantly using Amazon referral links and link farms in his video descriptions. He does not "tell it how it is" regardless of being genuine or not. This is in accordance with many YouTube reviewers who are not qualified in any way beyond owning a camera and having an internet connection.

    RE: the entertainment quality of his shooting style. I'm subscribed to both of his channels and watch the videos where he unboxes things or cooks meals frequently. The POV camera and his sub-standard intelligence lead to hilarity in these situations. They don't lead to wise audio-related purchases or knowledge. Watch his reviews un-ironically at your own peril.
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2017
  14. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

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    like zeos with sound demos...
     
  15. Elnrik

    Elnrik Super Friendly

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    I watch/listen to all of his sound demos.

    ... through the speaker on my smartphone.
     
  16. TheIceman93

    TheIceman93 El pato-zorro

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    People are capable of replacing one source of information with another. Sure, if someone just stops at Z Reviews and gives up the search for alternative sources of information, they will adopt whatever he says as truth ... obviously that's their loss but I don't think budding audiophiles will be forever scarred by his content, especially if they are seeking out second and third opinions and want to enhance their knowledge with a greater understanding of the technology itself.

    As I said, Z Reviews was one of the first channels I encountered when I was searching for a nice pair of headphones. I didn't know shit so the guy seemed knowledgable to me. Over time, I found Tyll and eventually this place ... I appreciated that the subjective impressions were accompanied by measurements and I wanted to learn how to read them. As a result, I moved away from Z Reviews as an influencer, I started trusting my own ears and developing a sense of what sounded "right" to me. Two years later, I struggle to remember anything substantive the guy said about audio gear, I mostly remember him liking specific headphones but that's about it. I will acknowledge that he has mastered the art of shameless self promotion but at the time of my entry into this hobby, I did appreciate the massive stockpile of content he had amassed and I will acknowledge that it did, in some way, help to feed the surge of interest I had in this hobby.
     
  17. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

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    This scenario of budding audiophile self discovery is entirely hypothetical. Going by what what you're saying, it is despite him that someone would find actually useful sources of information. A person doing that would have done so regardless, and with less wasted time. But many will not. People who just want the solution without the discovery process -- they ask for advice all the time here or on HF. If he's what they stumble upon, which isn't too unlikely, then he profits and they receive misinformation. The stockpile or excitement he offers is no different from any form of obsession or zealotry. I don't see the merits in defending the cynical business model of a self promoting fool.
     
  18. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Oh well... Turntables!

    So much more to them than just how they sound :D
     
  19. TheIceman93

    TheIceman93 El pato-zorro

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    I don't think it should be defended either although I think the toxicity of it is maybe exaggerated a bit too much. From my perspective, it seems that the main issue people have with him is that he has found a way to monetize his hobby (which is something a lot of us would like to do), without acquiring the requisite technical aptitude in said hobby. He hasn't eared the right to make money on headphones recommendations like Tyll. That's a valid position and I can see how it can be enjoyable to poke fun at him, especially if you view him as a threat to the future of the hobby. It just seems a bit excessive is all, we have 20 pages dedicated to this guy and I think we can do without jokes about him seeming "pedophile-ish".
     
  20. 9suns

    9suns [insert unearned title here]

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    I think he is funny...but that's all, funny, not a useful reviewer.
     
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