@rhythmdevils Then do the reverse. Have a interest check pre-loaner sign-up and if it doesn't reach 10 sign-ups or whatever don't even try to acquire the loaner.
@roshambo123 you don't realize how many companies and vendors don't even respond or turn me down. I send out a lot of emails and do a lot of corresponding and explaining and assuring to get these loaners. I can't have a poll before every one I try to get, it would then be SBAF wasting it's time. This forum needs to take an interest in headphones like it's supposed to.
@rhythmdevils Earlier this year I was on multiple loaner lists and with the exception of Atrium I decided to remove myself from all of them. The reason is the loaner program isn't free. There's shipping and insurance costs, plus risk of loss in transit. Then there's the time investment to properly test and write up gear. In most cases, I'd rather have $30 and 5 hours of my life back.
In short, you can't force people to care. You can put yourself out there, your ideas out there, your product out there, and if the world doesn't take to it that's not anyone's fault. Change directions and try something else to see if it sticks but don't belabor something that isn't gaining traction. This hobby shouldn't be martyrdom.
Well someone on this forum asked me to look into getting a loaner of the OLLO Audio headphones. I told them that SBAF was very interested to hear them. That person has not even signed up. Making SBAF a better place is a goal of mine but my time doing this isn’t accomplishing that.
ahh... back in May. I didn't go back that far. For the Audeze, maybe it would help to have started the loaner back in June and then let the impressions thread drive more people to sign up for the loaner. Looks like 4-5 people signed up originally.
As for the Ollo... July/August is heavy vaca time in the US. I would sign up, but I'm slammed at work doing 12-16 hour days for the next month (because others are on vaca)
Well I’m probably going to step way back on new loaners at least for a while. And do some thinking about this. My time and energy spent in other areas of my life have a profound and lasting impact on people’s lives.
Given the few opportunities to audition gear, I'm surprised that more people don't sign up for loaners. I get that the cost can be prohibitive but these loaners have been a godsend, and I say that even though I live near audio retailers.
If nothing else, I learn a great deal from these loaners, especially when it comes to improving my critical faculties and comparing what I'm hearing with others' impressions.
In any case, thank you for everything you do @rhythmdevils. If you need to scale back to stay sane, and to avoid awkward conversations with manufacturers, so be it.
Thank you for the kind words it is encouraging beyond words. Maybe I will just do a poll for potential loaners that are obscure and go ahead with loaners like the CFA Supermoon which is sure to be popular.
@rhythmdevils From what I hear your mod work is really stellar and seems to have a lot of potential. Having your work as loaners I think is important, but I see no need to keep doing the board and manufacturers favors when it just costs you.
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