Do you 'peddle' equipment you own when giving suggestions? (1 Viewer)

[NickSo]

This is not really a criticism or anything, just something amusing ive realized... Ive been noticing this a bit recently

Say somebody on a forum is asking for suggestions on a peice of equipmet, or asking to compare two peices of equipment.
You absolutely KNOW that there will be one or two specific members that will rush in and promptly suggest the same peice of equipment they have recently purchased, sometimes not even the models that the person did not list.
Even when a person says the specific model is not for their needs, they'll still try to try to sell you on it; sometimes to the point it sounds like used-car-salesman to me

Do you do this? I bet we all have at some point... I know for about a week after i got my X1 i would have a strong bias towards it (but not to the extent of some people ). But now when i suggest equipment, i try to be as biased as possible, even if my beloved X1 isnt the best there is :p)

Just kinda found it funny is all

 

[Christ Reynolds]

guilty...kinda. i'm not shy about praising my pioneer elite 45tx receiver. however, the only other receiver i have any experience with is an old sony. so, when i see one of those 45tx/3803/5es threads, even though i tell them to get the 45tx, i have no experience with the other 2 machines, which i am sure are pretty sweet too. but if i have experience with both, i try to be objective, even if i still own one of them.

CJ

 

[Lew Crippen]

Well, yes and no. When a post asks for suggestions about equipment that meets the criteria for equipment that I both own and like, I will probably suggest that equipment. For example I often suggest the widescreen Sony XBR800 or 910 for those who want a direct-view set and have a budget of a bit over $2,000. And for those with a smaller budget who are satisfied with a smaller picture, I will often recommend the 30” Samsung.

But no way would I recommend my receiver or my prior speakers. Not that they were (or are) bad, just that there are far superior alternatives for the same (or even less) money.

For speakers in general, I often recommend ones that I own (if the criteria, such as budget, etc. is correct), but I often suggest other brands in addition to the ones that I own, simply because different speakers have such a different appeal to each different listener.

Often in the case of speakers I don’t make any recommendation, because the criteria in the post is outside my experience.

 

[MarkHastings]

This has always been a pet-peeve of mine in the pet threads (no pun intended ). Someone will ask "What dog should I get?" and everyone chimes in with their own pets, like "I own a XXXXX and it's great!"

There was one thread asking for a well mannered dog and everyone started chiming in with their own pets. I was worried because some mentioned dogs that are not known for being 'well mannered' but they decided to use them as examples of "Good" dogs.

I had to chime in and tell the thread starter not to listen to that type of advice because it is almost always biased. People treat their pets like children and can't imagine anything else being better (even if they aren't well behaved).

So yes, I guess I can see the correlation to HT equipment (or whatever). The other instance would be when talking about cars. Everyone seems to think theirs is the best, so it's impossible to get an unbiased opinion.

On the other side, I also hate the threads where people say stuff like "I had XXXXX and will never buy it because it didn't work (or sucked)". Who knows why it broke? Maybe they broke it? especially in the case of computer equipment. I run into many people who blame the machinery and not the way they use their computer.

Funny story: I was reading user comments on an MP3 player and one guy gave it a bad review...his reason? well, he said (and I quote) - "I threw it at my friend and it no longer plays" :rolleyes

p.s. Basically what I suggested in the dog thread was:

 

[Ted Lee]

yup!

working at bb, i'm (obviously) recommending stuff to customers. when they ask what a good rptv is, i always tell them mits. when they ask why, i say because i bought one myself. (plus it's one of the few good ones they sell). same scenario with yamaha receivers or jbl speakers or directv, or sony dvd players, etc.

but it works out for me. i wouldn't buy junk ... nor would i recommend junk to someone ... so things just kinda synch up.

i own all the stuff and can recommend with confidence that the product holds water and that i'm familiar with how it works and performs. plus, i think they're more likely to trust me when i tell them i actually own what i'm peddling.