What do you think of the AoS forum?

Good Evening everyone,

The Art of Sound forum was started by Marco, inter alia, nearly twenty years ago, and it has grown to become a large and popular audio and music forum. Many years ago Members were invited to say what they liked about the forum and what it was that they didn't. All comments and suggestions were considered, and where practical were taken on-board.

Like all specialist fora, membership changes: old and frequent posters, for various reasons, move on to pastures new, and are replaced by new members, Whilst nothing much has changed in the time to affect the Forum's popularity, the AoS doesn't want to rest on its laurels. So we are inviting all the current members to say what they like, and don't like about the Forum.

So please come forward with your opinions and suggestions - be honest and frank, all views will be read and considered, especially any suggestions, and no-one will be penalised for any damming criticism.

Over to you now

Thanks
Barry

Been a member since 2008, things have changed dramatically with Marco's absence. It's fairly clear that Marco was the driving force and without him there does not seem to be the same interactions. In saying that whilst I personally have never been nor ever will be a prolific poster, I do tend to look in daily, usually about this time, to check out the topics and occasionally to see who is selling what.

AOS has lost it's way. Nobody posts anything new, same old stuff which to some extent is not really related to audio. Frankly I'm not interested in "what's for tea".
I appreciate my threads are now multi-decades old so I could be accused of posting the same old gumph about my kit, so I suppose, pot-kettle-black. I think this community has lost it's sparkle. I could say more but it might ruffle a few feathers.

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Originally Posted by Wakefield Turntables

AOS has lost it's way. Nobody posts anything new, same old stuff which to some extent is not really related to audio. Frankly I'm not interested in "what's for tea".
I appreciate my threads are now multi-decades old so I could be accused of posting the same old gumph about my kit, so I suppose, pot-kettle-black. I think this community has lost it's sparkle. I could say more but it might ruffle a few feathers.

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No please do say what you think.

As regards off-topic the forum was always envisaged from the start as a community rather than a hi-fi message board so 'off topic' is considered as important as 'on topic'.

I think most of us are fairy settled so we don't often get anything new but when we do we do post about it. Thing is there's only so much that can be said about anything hi-fi.

If you look at a big forum like Steve Hoffman, there's a 175 page thread about a Marantz SACD player. I mean, how much can you say about a SACD player? I've not read it but it can only be pages and pages of pointless waffle. We always wanted quality over quantity here.

After the football earlier this morning, I’m very much in a half glass full mood, I’ve been a member of AoS for just over 10 years, and although I am a member of a few other forums this is the only one I post on. Since covid the forum has changed, Marco is still missing and of course we lost Grant who contributed so much. Grant would usually comment on every post on or off topic and that is greatly missed. There were great debates about many topics which were not music or HiFi related, have a look at the great coffee threads and you’ll see what I mean, bugger all to do with music or equipment.
I usually read everything that is posted regardless of the subject, these days I probably find the music posts most interesting, with the huge variety of music that we all listen to, most days featuring bands or artists I’ve never heard of but that can lead to me investigating new music and artists.
It’s very true to say that the number of daily posts have dropped and the only that change is for the members to post more often.

Just noticed that I have now sneaked over the 6000 posts .

The Great Triumvirate are no longer posting...

Marco, Grant (RIP) and Geoff.

They were the mainstay of the Forum and the most likely ones to add to or spark a debate.

I only post occasionally now too as I've sold all my original system and upgrades to fund other projects ( new windows for the house was one ), and I now just listen to music rather than the kit itself which is far more enjoyable and much less expensive :)

Members come and go and there's many Forums available that people can go where they like.

I myself use 4 HiFi Forums for browsing and posting and I'm sure others use the same ones.

PS: Just checked and I can't believe I've been here since 2014 !

I think that it speaks volumes that only 3-4 people have added comments to this thread.

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Originally Posted by Wakefield Turntables

I think that it speaks volumes that only 3-4 people have added comments to this thread.

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Well you have yet to "ruffle our feathers", so say what you want to say. Whatever it is, we won't hold it against you. :lol:

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Originally Posted by Wakefield Turntables

I think that it speaks volumes that only 3-4 people have added comments to this thread.

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I'll get round to commenting at some point, I've been kind of busy with the eleven posts I've made elsewhere on this forum :ner:

I'll put something in here tomorrow, off to watch a film now.

I think Marco was sometimes deliberately contradictory to promote ‘discussion’ (bless him) and the same can be said of Geoff to an extent (why doesn’t he post anymore?).

So what we need to engender more posts is a bit of controversy and confrontation.

I’ll start. Having had a few I think Quad amps are shite (except perhaps the 306).

As you were.

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Originally Posted by Roy S

So what we need to engender more posts is a bit of controversy and confrontation.

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No we don’t, piss off with your stupid ideas and buy another watch or something. ;)

Joking aside, that is actually a good observation, perhaps we’re all just a bit too nice and laid back?

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Originally Posted by Alex_UK

No we don’t, piss off with your stupid ideas and buy another watch or something. ;)

Joking aside, that is actually a good observation, perhaps we’re all just a bit too nice and laid back?

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Yes, I’ve been told I’m very even tempered only resorting to mindless violence if you spill me pint.

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Originally Posted by Roy S

I think Marco was sometimes deliberately contradictory to promote ‘discussion’ (bless him) and the same can be said of Geoff to an extent (why doesn’t he post anymore?).

So what we need to engender more posts is a bit of controversy and confrontation.

I’ll start. Having had a few I think Quad amps are shite (except perhaps the 306).

As you were.

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That you think Quad amps are shite, yet you've owned a few, says more about you than Quad :ner: The very definition of madness they say! Confrontational enough?:D

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Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony

That you think Quad amps are shite, yet you've owned a few, says more about you than Quad :ner: The very definition of madness they say! Confrontational enough?:D

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Hearing the Luxman was a light bulb moment and then my bank account was empty….

I wrote a lengthy article about Quad in The Knowledge where I commented that after the 303 and 405, Quad 'got it right' with the 306; so not particularly controversial. And when it comes to valve amplification the Quad II is bettered by the Leak ST20, or the Radford STA15 or STA25.

Regarding Geoff, he is the eldest of the Moderators, and probably the eldest Member as well. I occasionally give him a call
He has moved from West London to the wildes of Kent, where he is working on a new speaker design. Progress is slow, but he may show the results here when it is finished. :)

This is my favourite forum as I find it easy to get on with everyone, but maybe that's because there aren't many people to fall out with anymore. Seriously if we could just have 20x more regular posters different enough in character to provide more variation but not so different as to cause constant friction then it would be perfect for me. So just get the numbers up and keep the rest the same is what I'd like. Easier said than done of course.

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Originally Posted by Barry

I wrote a lengthy article about Quad in The Knowledge where I commented that after the 303 and 405, Quad 'got it right' with the 306; so not particularly controversial. And when it comes to valve amplification the Quad II is bettered by the Leak ST20, or the Radford STA15 or STA25.

Regarding Geoff, he is the eldest of the Moderators, and probably the eldest Member as well. I occasionally give him a call
He has moved from West London to the wildes of Kent, where he is working on a new speaker design. Progress is slow, but he may show the results here when it is finished. :)

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What age is Geoff? Bet the design he's working on is a full range unit, think he gave up bass when he sold his Cheviots.

What do I think of AoS?

It is like a comfy pair of old slippers.
It is not as lively as it was. I still visit regularly though, although I do post more on other fora now.

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Originally Posted by Roy S

What age is Geoff? Bet the design he's working on is a full range unit, think he gave up bass when he sold his Cheviots.

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I don't know exactly, but I would imagine 80, or thereabouts.

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Originally Posted by Lawrence001

This is my favourite forum as I find it easy to get on with everyone, but maybe that's because there aren't many people to fall out with anymore.

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No, it's because the wrong 'uns don't last long, and there have been one or two.

Thanks for your comments so far Guys. It good to know that most of you, so far, are happy with the Forum as it is. But what we were hoping for is suggestions and ideas in order to increase the traffic and activity.

I don't think AoS has lost its way, and just stating the obvious in that three of the most prolific posters are no longer active is something that we are all aware of, and is not particularly helpful.

We could of course just plod along as we are, but I was hoping for some ideas that would attract new members and hopefully increase posting activity.

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Originally Posted by Barry

Thanks for your comments so far Guys. It good to know that most of you, so far, are happy with the Forum as it is. But what we were hoping for is suggestions and ideas in order to increase the traffic and activity.

I don't think AoS has lost its way, and just stating the obvious in that three of the most prolific posters are no longer active is something that we are all aware of, and is not particularly helpful.

We could of course just plod along as we are, but I was hoping for some ideas that would attract new members and hopefully increase posting activity.

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IMO AoS as a community audio and music forum is unique and just about perfect. It's the rest of the world that's wrong. I'll put my thinking cap on, but it no longer fits right since I lost all my hair :(

We're all music enthusiasts on here, we just don't bang on about it 24/7. If I browse other forums it's like spending time in an unfamiliar town, and returning here is like coming home to family and friends :)

Not very helpful I know. Sorry about that.

What about some low-cost promotional products bearing the AoS logo? Ofc I don't know how low-cost it would turn out to be. I'd chuck a few quid towards getting it going.

Maybe something that could be worn by members attending audio shows, bake offs etc. to get the name out there and to help identify us to each other at such meets.

I like the branded key-locator fobs, I'm always losing my keys :wheniwasaboy:

https://www.vistaprint.co.uk/promoti...a32tALCnHfkemW

Wow that's a bit 'left field ', but I admire the boldness of your thinking. It would need to be something completely visible such as a T-shirt or baseball cap; neither of which look good on me. But that’s not to discourage others.

“Make AoS Great Again” baseball caps could work! :lol:

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Originally Posted by Alex_UK

“Make AoS Great Again” baseball caps could work! :lol:

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I'll have 2 please :D

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b3424c6b24.jpg

Afternoon All,

As someone who joined/engaged relatively recently – and who was frankly a bit nervous about dipping a toe back into the hi-fi world after decades away – I hope my perspective might be useful.

What's kept me here: The patience. Honestly, I came in knowing almost nothing about modern gear, streaming, or even what I wanted. Not once did anyone make me feel stupid. The advice has been thoughtful, the disagreements civil, and the collective wisdom genuinely staggering. That's rare online, and it's worth protecting.

What might put newcomers off – and I'll be honest here: The forum looks old. Really old. The colour scheme, the layout, the fonts – it feels like a site that hasn't had a visual refresh since the early 2000s. For a younger or more design-conscious potential member, that might be enough to click away before reading a single post. I don't say that to be cruel – just truthful. A cleaner, more modern skin would work wonders.

Structure-wise: It could also do with a bit of a reorganising. There are a lot of sub-forums, some of which feel very quiet. I'd suggest:

• *Archiving threads that haven't seen a reply in, say, five years. Not deleting – just moving to a read‑only archive.
  *Regrouping similar topics.
  *A single, prominent "Start Here" or "New Member? Read This First" sticky. One place, not more.

Ideas to enliven things:

• *A monthly "listening diary" thread – what did you actually *listen to* this month, not what gear did you buy?
  *A show-and-tell for second-hand bargains. Everyone loves a good "look what I found on gumtree/FB/ebay for £50" post.
  *Maybe a buddy system? Pair a newer member with an old hand for a few weeks to help with a specific project. I'd have killed for that.

One small thing: The "Jokes & Funnies" section is great, but it's a bit buried. A weekly pinned humour and a 'Rant' thread on the main board might remind people that this hobby is supposed to be *fun*.

But honestly? You're doing something right. I came here lost, lonely in a new house, and not sure I still loved music. Now I have a system that makes me smile every evening. That's down to the people here, not the software.

Happy to help if any of these ideas are worth pursuing.

All the best,

Alistair

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Originally Posted by Alex_UK

“Make AoS Great Again” baseball caps could work! :lol:

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Or "Piggurs was right about everything" That works for me :)

Actually, "Marco was right about everything" would be a better fit. Certainly right more times than Draft-dodging, war-losing, hopefully-not-long-for-this-world Donald.

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Originally Posted by Maelstrom

Afternoon All,

As someone who joined/engaged relatively recently – and who was frankly a bit nervous about dipping a toe back into the hi-fi world after decades away – I hope my perspective might be useful.

What's kept me here: The patience. Honestly, I came in knowing almost nothing about modern gear, streaming, or even what I wanted. Not once did anyone make me feel stupid. The advice has been thoughtful, the disagreements civil, and the collective wisdom genuinely staggering. That's rare online, and it's worth protecting.

What might put newcomers off – and I'll be honest here: The forum looks old. Really old. The colour scheme, the layout, the fonts – it feels like a site that hasn't had a visual refresh since the early 2000s. For a younger or more design-conscious potential member, that might be enough to click away before reading a single post. I don't say that to be cruel – just truthful. A cleaner, more modern skin would work wonders.

Structure-wise: It could also do with a bit of a reorganising. There are a lot of sub-forums, some of which feel very quiet. I'd suggest:

• *Archiving threads that haven't seen a reply in, say, five years. Not deleting – just moving to a read‑only archive.
  *Regrouping similar topics.
  *A single, prominent "Start Here" or "New Member? Read This First" sticky. One place, not more.

Ideas to enliven things:

• *A monthly "listening diary" thread – what did you actually *listen to* this month, not what gear did you buy?
  *A show-and-tell for second-hand bargains. Everyone loves a good "look what I found on gumtree/FB/ebay for £50" post.
  *Maybe a buddy system? Pair a newer member with an old hand for a few weeks to help with a specific project. I'd have killed for that.

One small thing: The "Jokes & Funnies" section is great, but it's a bit buried. A weekly pinned humour and a 'Rant' thread on the main board might remind people that this hobby is supposed to be *fun*.

But honestly? You're doing something right. I came here lost, lonely in a new house, and not sure I still loved music. Now I have a system that makes me smile every evening. That's down to the people here, not the software.

Happy to help if any of these ideas are worth pursuing.

All the best,

Alistair

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Thanks for your reply Alistair. A lot of your suggestions make sense: too many sub-fora; archiving old threads, and simplifying navigation around the Forum.

I'm not sure I agree with you regarding the look of the Forum. Maybe we could update the banner, but the background colour is easy on the eye, and I can't see anything wrong with the font. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't know how to make those changes if I could - it's all above my paygrade.

We already have threads for Bargains on eBay (which I originated) and a similar thread for car bootsale bargains. Agree the Jokes and Funnies needs to be more prominent. A 'Rant' thread might be promising, but it would have to carefully monitored to prevent it getting out of hand.

Thanks for your suggestions, it is exactly the response I was looking for when I started this thread.

It has just dawned on me that your comments about the font only applies to "The Art of Sound" title in the banner that heads each page. As to the background colour and font of the posts themselves, well I find the very pale cream colour restful and easy on the eye - I don't like a pain white background, apart from when composing replies. Maybe the ochre colour of the border could be changed.

Are you in the design business Alistair? If so perhaps you could come up with some alternative 'looks' for us to consider.

Thanks again.

At some point, the forum also needs to be made GDPR compliant?

No idea what that is.

It is a General Data Protection Regulation.

In today’s digital age, data protection has become a crucial concern for individuals and organisations alike. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) plays a significant role in safeguarding the privacy rights of individuals within the European Union (EU). However, with the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU, it has introduced its own version of the GDPR known as the UK GDPR.

Basically, more hoops for forums to jump through to make the data safe.

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Originally Posted by CageyH

At some point, the forum also needs to be made GDPR compliant?

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I think we already are: apart from forum names, members are asked for their given names and that is all. Addresses are only given in PMs, and if inadvertently given in a post (for example when buying or selling an item of gear or a record or CD), it is deleted a.s.a.p.

We did have a case recently of a member who contacted me by PM (it's a mystery how) stating his membership had been cancelled and he could no longer login. He asked for all his posts to be permanently deleted as was his right under the GDPR. His wishes were carried out.

But to make sure I'll talk to appropriate parties to find out how the GDPR applies to specialist fora.

If we were looking at this as a business we might begin by looking outside first, as in what is being consumed and how is it being consumed.

I say that because AoS is a hi-fi forum that includes music. But as a general consumer interest one of those is not what it used to be.

It's among three forums that I look at every morning. The other two cover music and hi-fi - and for them music comes first. It feels to me that the liveliest thread in AoS is Spinning Today...

So one message from this would seem to be to expand the coverage of music. That's what's ultimately being consumed.

Back to my first point and 'how', a lot of folks access great quality audio much cheaper than we used to (and hence don't bother with big box hi-fi) because of desktop units and headphones. So another message would seem to be to get into small/mobile hi-fi.

Finally though, while Barry's original question is welcome, I think it's also for us as members/visitors to contribute more. I sometimes wonder where the 'users online' figures comes from, it can't all be bots or North Korean surveillance.

Cheers.

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Originally Posted by Pete The Cat

Finally though, while Barry's original question is welcome, I think it's also for us as members/visitors to contribute more. I sometimes wonder where the 'users online' figures comes from, it can't all be bots or North Korean surveillance.

Cheers.

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Members logged in is never a high figure but the numbers viewing is usually in the hundreds. It's possible to check how many are bots. It's about 10 percent of the total. Lots of people read forums they are not members of, or they are members but view without logging in.

Shouldn't be underestimated how many read the forum even if they are not members. For example my review of the TEAC 701T transport has been up for less than three years, there's only 99 posts but there's 56 thousand views. My review of the Sony TAE-1000ESD preamp has been up for two years almost to the day, only 9 replies, but over twenty thousand views. For a pre-amp that was discontinued in 1990.

Cheap upgrade for Michell Gyrodeck - 9 years, half a million views.

Allo Audio Streamer review, 9 years, over three hundred thousand views.

If you compare to a newspaper (at least in their heyday) you had millions of people reading but only maybe fifty contributors. Forums are similar.

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Originally Posted by Macca

If you compare to a newspaper (at least in their heyday) you had millions of people reading but only maybe fifty contributors. Forums are similar.

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That sounds logical.

With a lot of issues people ask 'what's the person in charge going to do about this'. My point is that with many things in life the answer isn't just to look to someone in charge to sort things out, part of the solution is on us, the people. Be the change that you want to see in the world, and all that. So maybe as well as the practical stuff like refreshing the website etc another part of the answer is for contributors to see it as their role to contribute more new threads.

I should just add in answer to the original question that there's much to like about AoS. Above all the culture is very welcoming.

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Originally Posted by Pete The Cat

That sounds logical.

With a lot of issues people ask 'what's the person in charge going to do about this'. My point is that with many things in life the answer isn't just to look to someone in charge to sort things out, part of the solution is on us, the people. Be the change that you want to see in the world, and all that. So maybe as well as the practical stuff like refreshing the website etc another part of the answer is for contributors to see it as their role to contribute more new threads.

I should just add in answer to the original question that there's much to like about AoS. Above all the culture is very welcoming.

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I agree with all of that, Pete. It's on us, all of us, to do our bit. I've managed to get 18,000 posts under my belt whilst knowing bog all about hifi and how it works :)

We are certainly getting various 'vibes' about the AoS. Let's have some more comments and suggestions: good, bad or indifferent.

So far all I can say is that the Membership can divided into three groups: those that are proactive; those that are merely reactive, and those that are downright apathetic.

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Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony

I agree with all of that, Pete. It's on us, all of us, to do our bit. I've managed to get 18,000 posts under my belt whilst knowing bog all about hifi and how it works :)

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You have already shown what it takes to be part of the AoS community, as envisaged by Marco. You participate in the discussions on various subjects, not just 'Spinning Today', but many others for which your imaginative and sometimes cheeky sense of humour is a bonus.

We don't expect Members to be experts on anything in particular, but if anyone has questions there is usually someone here who can provide an answer.

I appreciate this is a member driven forum and as such we rely on ourselves to post interesting topics.
The discussion forums seem to be trending towards the higher end leaving the more available items behind. I am in the league of Marantz, Denon, Technics with occasional forays (when I can get away with it) to Audiolab and Naim. But I would love to re-aquaint myself with valve (tube) technology. However this trend is largely my own fault as I don't contribute items on the equipment I own or buy as I don't think they will be intersting or specialised enough. Am I wrong here? Contrarywise, I also like to read of exotic kit as well.
I am also interested in DIY Hi-Fi, cables, pickup arms, amps and other hardware, including stands etc.
I usually browse the classifieds and have bought from here in the past. Unfortunately lately the equipment for sale has become more exotic (read expensive) so I have curtailed my purchases.
We cannot grumble about the forum if we don't contribute - as I said it it up to US to make it work, the moderators facilitate our efforts and they are doing a good job.
So to precis: keep it generally as it is, it is like a familiar magazine and we will alter it if we have the inclination. At least this is a friendly forum, no one tries to score points or belittle my lack of knowledge. So the membership is what will keep it alive.

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Originally Posted by Barry

We are certainly getting various 'vibes' about the AoS. Let's have some more comments and suggestions: good, bad or indifferent.

So far all I can say is that the Membership can divided into three groups: those that are proactive; those that are merely reactive, and those that are downright apathetic.

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Not sure which of those three groups I belong to, also not sure if I can be bothered to find out :)

It's all very tricky Barry, I for one like it just as it is, though I know it could be better with more active members. Time for more thinking caps, the member coming with the best suggestion wins a brand-new CD of Little Barrie/Malcolm Catto "Quatermass 7". I'll even pay the postage.

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Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony

Not sure which of those three groups I belong to, also not sure if I can be bothered to find out :)

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Well I think Barry just permanently lost the third group with his wonderful bedside manner!

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Originally Posted by Tim

Well I think Barry just permanently lost the third group with his wonderful bedside manner!

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Yes, but they won’t be arsed to complain about it so that’s ok!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well held sir :lol:

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Originally Posted by Tim

Well I think Barry just permanently lost the third group with his wonderful bedside manner!

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:eek:

Can't believe I have been a member of the forum since 2008 but only 700+ posts :doh:

I originally joined all those years ago as I found the HiFi and music sections interesting and vibrant.
Like most forum's now adays, they tend to drift off into areas that I do not find remotely interesting - hence why so few posts.

Also, not just AoS but many of the older HiFi forums, they can come across as very clique.

I do visit the site nearly everyday but the majority of the posts are not for me so I do not join in.
Do I plan to leave? Not really as every now and again something comes along that piques my interest :)