Rebirth of Club Polk
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Interesting....I have received a PM recently so not sure how mine is unable to receive PM's. I will check. -
Even if your profile is private, you can still be messaged from an existing thread that was created before you made your profile private. However, any member who has not previously conversed with you, or who deleted any previous threads, will not be able to create a new one.
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Why are private profiles so popular?
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Almost as popular as "re-inventing" yourself with a new screen name, while refusing to divulge what your former name was? Military-grade WD-40 secrecy here. Not.
*Club Polk - Circling the drain since 2014*So, are you willing to put forth a little effort or are you happy sitting in your skeptical poo pile?
http://audiomilitia.proboards.com/ -
Well said Ryan. This site is provided for free by a company whose mission is selling speakers. Anything posted that does not somehow support the brand or puts the Polk brand in a bad light should obviously be removed. I only hope the forum stays around because of the incredible wealth of knowledge and connections I have made with others over the years to learn more about this hobby. While I have been guilty of this in the past....I don't come here for drama and political BS.That all said, there is something I want to note. The forums are looked at by others within Polk Audio and I'm on the side of keeping it up due to the wealth of information and community that has developed over the years. Even before I joined the company and entered this role some years after that, I was a fan of Polk Audio since I am from MD myself, I'd be a bit sad if the forums were closed down. It seems to be a yearly discussion on how the future of the forums will turn out these days and I try my best to make the argument to keep it up.
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Almost as popular as "re-inventing" yourself with a new screen name, while refusing to divulge what your former name was? Military-grade WD-40 secrecy here. Not.
*Club Polk - Circling the drain since 2014*
If you insist....
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The white check mark inside a light grey box was not readily visible on my mobile device, I did not deliberately check it but somehow I managed to, has since been remedied. -
Good to know!VR3 SDA SRS 1.2TL Duelund Monoliths+VR31000va Dreadnaught +VR3 MM2 SDA cable,
,Lumin u2x ,<-sfp fibre <-LHYas8 Pro+ Switch,Transparent Reference MM2 xlr,power and speaker cables.FTA Sinope SE usb.40 Amp power line for amp with earth stake&Faraday shield ,20 Amp power line for digital equipment ->shunyata 8 venom power board...Working on it! -
I think the decline of membership is tied to a number of factors, Facebook, reddit, etc. This new generation doesn't frequent message boards that much.
Audio in general has a youth group problem, lack of new interest compared to yesteryear will mean the death of many many companies. The companies today only make the problem that much worse but continually raising prices and arguably decreasing quality in many ways.MuchoReverbo wrote: »
I don't know if you realize it or not but the participation in all internet forums has been in decline for years and it isn't because of people getting banned. The world is changing and the younger generation is more accustomed to and prefers other forms of social media than just forums. There's more to choose from nowadays.
I'm on a lot of other forums and not one is booming compared to what they used to be. Some are surviving. Some are running on fumes but the content or rule changes or the behavior of the moderators has absolutely nothing to do with their decline.
I still like them though. Just like I prefer printed magazines to digital and physical media like vinyl records and CDs to digital downloads too. But just like forums, printed magazines, CDs, and vinyl records have all delined from their peak years due to forces beyond anyone's control.
Answering both of those....Actually IMO, I think it's taking a slow turn for the better. The millenials and Gen Z have been brought up into the world of streaming and MP3's, convenience over quality. Now that I have been around this "youth" fresh out of HS and also in college, also some in their late 20's.. I can say first hand that the interest in analog is growing. With AI, this has caused people to wonder what is real and what is not, spinning vinyl, a CD, or even a cassete in the more nostalgic sense, is gaining interest...people have a "tangible" item to link to their artist and songs. One conversation I had recently started with..'Why are Walkmans so expensive" The problem is finding equipment to not only play this, but getting their hands on tape media.
Even Taylor Swift has been doing limited runs of cassettes, including her latest album, she's not the only one, but if someone can reach out to the younger crowd it's definitely her. many artist have been doing this as well. The National Audio Company I believe has either expanded overseas or is in different ownership, not sure, but the manufacturing is still around. Sure it's an inferia media, but they want to experience it.
When I look into these apartments on campus, visit friends houses and see posters of 'Rumors" "The Doors", etc, and a turntable on the desk it puts a smile on my face. My nephew has a box of CD's he listens to in the car, many old albums...he likes the tangible approach. Why is there "lack of interest" maybe becasue hardly anyone is making this possible. We have to cave to people needing apple car play, android auto, all the entertainment possible in a vehicle to drive to the store including reading text messages and having to know what's happening right now on FB....trying to capture on social media demand instead of providing both. How about upgradable car stereos with CD players, or a factory head unit with RCA outputs, heck even a head unit that can be upgraded.
This is something that I think alot of companies are missing out on, thinking the younger crowds only want cloud media and streaming over physical media. Some even say the music sounds fake, and in a sense they are correct. It takes some coin to get your audio gear to sound good, or even 'Live" which was the goal of many Polk founders. This youth would like affordable options but there isn't any, it's stream only....so this obscures the actual statistics...make something available to swing the pendulum back the other way.
Case in point, walk in a brick and mortar store and look at a 4K or 8K TV...let's get real, when you look outside, is that what you see..all the vibrant colors? Nope, more of a muted scenery when looking at landscapes but they try to sell this, just like the overly compressed and non-dynamic tracks on the web...people are waking up to this.As for products, I can't say anything specific but as is typical with Polk Audio, product cycles happen and old models are discontinued after some time. The cool thing with the Harman acquisition is that we as the Soundunited umbrella are still operating fairly independently under Harman. Samsung doesn't lean into Harman too heavily, and Harman allows us to work as we did before with their support and infrastructure.
As a personal note on that, I am actually relieved that we are under Harman since they are an actual audio company compared to our previous ownership, Masimo. I tend to have to make the distinction that while we are under Harman who is under Samsung, Samsung isn't directly tied to us in that way.
I'd akin it to Unilever (Dove, Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Hellmann's, Lipton, Vaseline, etc.) They own the brands and have their own thing but the brands themselves still mainly operate independently with the support of the parent. It's why we aren't listed under https://www.harmanaudio.com/ it may change with time as we become more integrated but after the last year, we've really only worked with our direct sister companies that we always have under SoundUnited which is seen on our websites where we have some bundles with Denon.
That bring me to your statement. What is the future of Polk..I see we are under Harmon but what do they specialize in..other than "Pro audio" gear? The fact Polk is under this umbrella, more focused on stage lighting and products, what is the future for Polk in terms of home audio and theater? Is this an interim or do they have other plans to shrink the company? I surely hope that's not the case as again, just like when we were growing up, there's a market for good audio products and I think a number of companies are looking to turn away from this slower growing interest. Let's face it, this "Youth" is going to get older, have some money, wanting to invest in decent audio gear, but what will be available for them, or even now?
Which leads me to another sensitive subject and I have to ask, if this (downsizing) would be the case, why would there be focus on "cleaning" up the forums? Especially for matters taken place in a PM? I think we as members here should be all in the same loop, we had a very active forum and now..poof. Was this something to fulfill a long-standing personal issue with someone in the higher ranks before the possibility of the forum going away? Not an arguement, just an honest question that fits this thread.
Sidenote, When I ask for advice about a product, I don't want to be coddled. If someone or more than one person has negative experiences with it, I want to hear about it..give it to me straight. If it sounds like a product bash then so be it. If I'm doing something wrong, tell me about it and give me examples of why it's wrong....just like you would do FTF with someone you have known for years. When anyone looks to review a product, I would surely hope they look at the 1-star reviews to get an idea of a consensus, and usually those reviews have a different tone, so we aren't new to this. Do people complain to companies about consumers giving 1-star reviews..becasue they sound so harsh...I doubt it. People discuss things in ways that don't include emojis, all walks of life...I think too many look at comments on being personal attacks but that's just how the words come out.
That's my take on this, I surely hope we don't end up in a world of only internet audio and live concerts for our audio journey, both of which are completely different, and one thing the Polk founders wanted to see happen....the "as best as they could' approach to replicate the live experience in someone's home, and they did this quite well. I sure hope companies don't miss out on the current youth that are wanting to go through this same experience, but it looks like there is a different focus and one small part of that seems to include taking IMO the wrong approach to retaining knoledgable experience. The future isn't solely a streaming network and bluetooth speakers.MuchoReverbo wrote: »I look forward to reconnecting with all you guys. I don't wish any ill will towards anyone.
Would it not be a fair assumption that the ones you want to reconnect with, would actually want to know who they are reconnecting with?
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Just FYI:Harman International Industries is an American audio electronics and connected technologies company. Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, it operates as an independent subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, which acquired the company in 2017.
The company designs and manufactures audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It markets its products under several well-known brands, including AKG, harman/kardon, JBL, Lexicon, and Mark Levinson. -
MuchoReverbo wrote: »I look forward to reconnecting with all you guys. I don't wish any ill will towards anyone.
Would it not be a fair assumption that the ones you want to reconnect with, would actually want to know who they are reconnecting with?
https://youtube.com/shorts/OsO_9Tpts5Y?si=f_WvxUw_xuAmkXky
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I think the decline of membership is tied to a number of factors, Facebook, reddit, etc. This new generation doesn't frequent message boards that much.
Audio in general has a youth group problem, lack of new interest compared to yesteryear will mean the death of many many companies. The companies today only make the problem that much worse but continually raising prices and arguably decreasing quality in many ways.MuchoReverbo wrote: »
I don't know if you realize it or not but the participation in all internet forums has been in decline for years and it isn't because of people getting banned. The world is changing and the younger generation is more accustomed to and prefers other forms of social media than just forums. There's more to choose from nowadays.
I'm on a lot of other forums and not one is booming compared to what they used to be. Some are surviving. Some are running on fumes but the content or rule changes or the behavior of the moderators has absolutely nothing to do with their decline.
I still like them though. Just like I prefer printed magazines to digital and physical media like vinyl records and CDs to digital downloads too. But just like forums, printed magazines, CDs, and vinyl records have all delined from their peak years due to forces beyond anyone's control.
Answering both of those....Actually IMO, I think it's taking a slow turn for the better. The millenials and Gen Z have been brought up into the world of streaming and MP3's, convenience over quality. Now that I have been around this "youth" fresh out of HS and also in college, also some in their late 20's.. I can say first hand that the interest in analog is growing. With AI, this has caused people to wonder what is real and what is not, spinning vinyl, a CD, or even a cassete in the more nostalgic sense, is gaining interest...people have a "tangible" item to link to their artist and songs. One conversation I had recently started with..'Why are Walkmans so expensive" The problem is finding equipment to not only play this, but getting their hands on tape media.
Even Taylor Swift has been doing limited runs of cassettes, including her latest album, she's not the only one, but if someone can reach out to the younger crowd it's definitely her. many artist have been doing this as well. The National Audio Company I believe has either expanded overseas or is in different ownership, not sure, but the manufacturing is still around. Sure it's an inferia media, but they want to experience it.
When I look into these apartments on campus, visit friends houses and see posters of 'Rumors" "The Doors", etc, and a turntable on the desk it puts a smile on my face. My nephew has a box of CD's he listens to in the car, many old albums...he likes the tangible approach. Why is there "lack of interest" maybe becasue hardly anyone is making this possible. We have to cave to people needing apple car play, android auto, all the entertainment possible in a vehicle to drive to the store including reading text messages and having to know what's happening right now on FB....trying to capture on social media demand instead of providing both. How about upgradable car stereos with CD players, or a factory head unit with RCA outputs, heck even a head unit that can be upgraded.
This is something that I think alot of companies are missing out on, thinking the younger crowds only want cloud media and streaming over physical media. Some even say the music sounds fake, and in a sense they are correct. It takes some coin to get your audio gear to sound good, or even 'Live" which was the goal of many Polk founders. This youth would like affordable options but there isn't any, it's stream only....so this obscures the actual statistics...make something available to swing the pendulum back the other way.
Case in point, walk in a brick and mortar store and look at a 4K or 8K TV...let's get real, when you look outside, is that what you see..all the vibrant colors? Nope, more of a muted scenery when looking at landscapes but they try to sell this, just like the overly compressed and non-dynamic tracks on the web...people are waking up to this.As for products, I can't say anything specific but as is typical with Polk Audio, product cycles happen and old models are discontinued after some time. The cool thing with the Harman acquisition is that we as the Soundunited umbrella are still operating fairly independently under Harman. Samsung doesn't lean into Harman too heavily, and Harman allows us to work as we did before with their support and infrastructure.
As a personal note on that, I am actually relieved that we are under Harman since they are an actual audio company compared to our previous ownership, Masimo. I tend to have to make the distinction that while we are under Harman who is under Samsung, Samsung isn't directly tied to us in that way.
I'd akin it to Unilever (Dove, Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Hellmann's, Lipton, Vaseline, etc.) They own the brands and have their own thing but the brands themselves still mainly operate independently with the support of the parent. It's why we aren't listed under https://www.harmanaudio.com/ it may change with time as we become more integrated but after the last year, we've really only worked with our direct sister companies that we always have under SoundUnited which is seen on our websites where we have some bundles with Denon.
That bring me to your statement. What is the future of Polk..I see we are under Harmon but what do they specialize in..other than "Pro audio" gear? The fact Polk is under this umbrella, more focused on stage lighting and products, what is the future for Polk in terms of home audio and theater? Is this an interim or do they have other plans to shrink the company? I surely hope that's not the case as again, just like when we were growing up, there's a market for good audio products and I think a number of companies are looking to turn away from this slower growing interest. Let's face it, this "Youth" is going to get older, have some money, wanting to invest in decent audio gear, but what will be available for them, or even now?
Which leads me to another sensitive subject and I have to ask, if this (downsizing) would be the case, why would there be focus on "cleaning" up the forums? Especially for matters taken place in a PM? I think we as members here should be all in the same loop, we had a very active forum and now..poof. Was this something to fulfill a long-standing personal issue with someone in the higher ranks before the possibility of the forum going away? Not an arguement, just an honest question that fits this thread.
Sidenote, When I ask for advice about a product, I don't want to be coddled. If someone or more than one person has negative experiences with it, I want to hear about it..give it to me straight. If it sounds like a product bash then so be it. If I'm doing something wrong, tell me about it and give me examples of why it's wrong....just like you would do FTF with someone you have known for years. When anyone looks to review a product, I would surely hope they look at the 1-star reviews to get an idea of a consensus, and usually those reviews have a different tone, so we aren't new to this. Do people complain to companies about consumers giving 1-star reviews..becasue they sound so harsh...I doubt it. People discuss things in ways that don't include emojis, all walks of life...I think too many look at comments on being personal attacks but that's just how the words come out.
That's my take on this, I surely hope we don't end up in a world of only internet audio and live concerts for our audio journey, both of which are completely different, and one thing the Polk founders wanted to see happen....the "as best as they could' approach to replicate the live experience in someone's home, and they did this quite well. I sure hope companies don't miss out on the current youth that are wanting to go through this same experience, but it looks like there is a different focus and one small part of that seems to include taking IMO the wrong approach to retaining knoledgable experience. The future isn't solely a streaming network and bluetooth speakers.MuchoReverbo wrote: »I look forward to reconnecting with all you guys. I don't wish any ill will towards anyone.
Would it not be a fair assumption that the ones you want to reconnect with, would actually want to know who they are reconnecting with?
More appropriate....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMjKlzJIeCQ Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists. -
MuchoReverbo wrote: »
No, you're not. He passed away a few years back, likely karma circling back on you, or you possibly went through my posts and looked for some form of inducement on that subject.
Anyway, If you have been here over 20 years like I have, and others as well, then it shouldn't be hard to let fellow Polkies know who you were. Feel free to PM.
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No, your OLD and existing moniker. Quit trying to avoid the question. It's a simple one. A very simple question. One that you and....nevermind. The folks here are not stupid. They can see the forest through the trees.
The Polk management team? Eh, maybe not so much. I'll just leave it at that.
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Is your avatar a vaccum tube? It's kind of cool.
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No, your OLD and existing moniker. Quit trying to avoid the question. It's a simple one. A very simple question. One that you and....nevermind. The folks here are not stupid. They can see the forest through the trees.
The Polk management team? Eh, maybe not so much. I'll just leave it at that.
Tom
1) You are a moderator of another forum where you are actively hoping to usurp this one.
2) This is at least your second attempt to leave this forum permanently.
Why exactly should Polk care about what you think? -
1) You are a moderator of another forum where you are actively hoping to usurp this one.
Actually, I have been a moderator on 3 forums and 1 Facebook group, all while remaining member here. I am active on only one of those forums now. All while being a member in good standing on this forum for around two decades. I am not a moderator over at the forum you are implying I am. Am I assisting with cleaning it up and restructuring it? Yes. I am the lead moderator on another very large, worldwide audio forum and have been moderating there for 17 years, all while remaining a member of this forum, with no conflict of interest for either forum. I just so happen to love the hobby I am in, so I help out where I can.2) This is at least your second attempt to leave this forum permanently.
I have no desire to leave this forum permanently, just stop. I am an adult, and if I chose to leave this forum, that would be on my own accord. I have not broken any rules, nor do I ever intend too. I am just communicating, being upfront and honest. Unlike the person I am responding too.Why exactly should Polk care about what you think?
Possibly, because I have made consistent contributions to this forum for the past 2 decades and helped many people along the way. I have helped Polk Audio in product reviews prior to product launch, helped with the organization of Polk sponsored Polkfests, attended them and been an active member in good standing all during this time. Then there are the road trips, and product demo tours and other things I have organized and/or contributed to over the years, show reports, album spotlights, extensive product reviews, etc...
That's much more than I can say for some new cat, who won't reveal him/herself and is already stirring up trouble. It's really a simple question about your previous moniker. Me thinks you were previously banned and found a way to slither yourself back in, and it seems to me that you are continuing on with the grudges that got you banned in the first place. I also suspect you also have two accounts here, and that you are talking to yourself to up your post counts.
The forum isn't because of Polk. They make the product. They provided the forum. It is the people that actually made this forum what it is. Many people, myself included, have simply decided to hang out elsewhere, because of what went down. I am not promoting, endorsing or doing anything to sway folks to do anything. If they want to make a choice? They are grown adults and they can do as they wish.
With that said, I will not take your bait. I know your tactics. I have seen them a million times. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Tom
~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
This whole thread is basically a summary of why I left to begin with.
When I first joined this forum ( green behind the ears and looking for information on how to improve my audio journey) just like in real life, there are people who willingly wanted to help and have knowledgeable information, there are people who think they know it all and want to beat their chest with their knowledge, and then there are people who just want to start something and create conflict.
This is just human interaction, exacerbated by the fact, people can have alter ego when behind a keyboard versus face-to-face. Most of the troublemakers in here over the years would have a very different approach, face-to-face with most of us in real life.
I for one I’m truly grateful for all of the information that various members, both here, and not here anymore, have contributed to me personally over the years. I consider this forum to have had the most impact on my audio journey, and it has nothing to do with the brand behind it or the actual domain, it has been the summary of all of its members. Even when some of those members rubbed me the wrong way, they were also adding to my experience and knowledge along my journey.
I say all of this to say, it seems to me like these type of forums are dying a slow death, regardless of the different human interactions that either add or subtract from the experience
I do appreciate some people trying to keep this alive and providing a wealth of information to those who contributed over the past decades, but I’m also grateful I have personal relationships with some of you on here where I know I can reach out and get true information without everybody’s sideways opinion.
Unfortunately, opinions are the double edged sword to this format.
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I wonder if internet forums like this might make a comeback some day. The internet and social media seem to be getting overrun by bots and AI generated content. Reddit is the only "social media" I use and lately it seems like every other post is a bot or AI generated, and the other half of the posts always have people making accusations that they are bot or AI generated. Nobody knows what's real. However on a moderated forum like this you generally know that it's real people making the posts.SystemLuxman L-590AXII Integrated Amplifier|KEF Reference 1 Loudspeakers|PS Audio Directream Jr|Sansui TU-9900 Tuner|TEAC A-6100 RtR|REL T/9X SE Sub
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Jetmaker737 wrote: »I wonder if internet forums like this might make a comeback some day. The internet and social media seem to be getting overrun by bots and AI generated content. Reddit is the only "social media" I use and lately it seems like every other post is a bot or AI generated, and the other half of the posts always have people making accusations that they are bot or AI generated. Nobody knows what's real. However on a moderated forum like this you generally know that it's real people making the posts.
Sadly the old style forums like this are also getting over run by bots, but only the larger ones that still have a good amount of traffic. Creates a lot of work for the mods.
I've noticed bots all over You Tube and reddit. On Reddit it varies, some communities are well modded and bot posts are removed quickly, and some not removed at all. Probably something AI could actually be useful for.
You tube doesn't seem to care at all. -
I know there are some but I don't think many audio companies have user forums, especially not as successful as the Polk Audio forums have been. As the company has gone through multiple mergers / acquisitions by large corporations, I figure that the forums will eventually be seen as a liability and fade into non existance. They do have to protect an image afterall. I've seen it happen elsewhere. It may have already started here.
So there will be unaffiliated forums that spring up, that are run by and attended by enthusiests. The legend of what Polk Audio was will live on for future generations.Stan
Main 2ch:
Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.
HT:
Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60
Other stuff:
Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601 -
I don't know about anyone else but I never stopped liking Polk Audio and am a proud owner of Polk speakers. That's why I'm here. I promote Polk Audio on other forums I participate in too.
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All well said, Joe, and your last comment really strikes home for me. When comments are made with a 'in my opinion [IMO]' qualification, that is very fair, but problems arise when comments are made from a 'matter of fact' standpoint, with no leeway for other opinions. In these situations, any follow-up comments that dissent from a supposed 'authority' are met with shaming and ridicule. It's as if a 'post count' bestows some level of authority, and a comment from a 'lesser' post count member is invalid.joecoulson wrote: »Unfortunately, opinions are the double edged sword to this format.
As is often the case, it's not what is said, but how it is said."This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
"Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fLDkC__qng
