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You can't have it both ways. If you're writing reviews that are read by "thousands" and you are receiving discounts on the products you review, then that is a material connection to the manufacturer that must be disclosed. And you're not doing this for free. If you receive a discount, then you are in fact being compensated to the tune of the amount of said discount. People may be making buying decisions based on your reviews (for better or for worse). Accordingly, you have a duty to disclose anything that might affect the credibility of your review. Fortunately, this is all rather easily solved by simple, clear, conspicuous disclosure. When people balk at such disclosure, I get very, very suspicious about motives. But who cares what I think. The FTC on the other hand... I recommend familiarizing yourself with the FTC's 2009 guidelines on endorsements (attached hereto) and the recent guidance it disseminated regarding same. The FTC has made it very clear what the rules are and how to comply. I'll get you started. Example 7 concerning Section 255.5 seems particularly apt to me: Example 7 (section 255.5 disclosure of material connections): A college student who has earned a reputation as a video game expert maintains a personal weblog or “blog” where he posts entries about his gaming experiences. Readers of his blog frequently seek his opinions about video game hardware and software. As it has done in the past, the manufacturer of a newly released video game system sends the student a free copy of the system and asks him to write about it on his blog. He tests the new gaming system and writes a favorable review. Because his review is disseminated via a form of consumer-generated media in which his relationship to the advertiser is not inherently obvious, readers are unlikely to know that he has received the video game system free of charge in exchange for his review of the product, and given the value of the video game system, this fact likely would materially affect the credibility they attach to his endorsement. Accordingly, the blogger should clearly and conspicuously disclose that he received the gaming system free of charge. The manufacturer should advise him at the time it provides the gaming system that this connection should bedisclosed, and it should have procedures in place to try to monitor his postings for compliance. I've written reviews in the past. Like you, I also have a day job and do it for "fun." (Though I sometimes get paid cash money by the publication.) So these rules apply to me, as well. I try to disclose as much as possible any material connections; it is always on my mind for the simple reason that I don't enjoy misleading people. And I think I can probably improve on it, as well. Ignore this stuff at your peril. ETA: Also, I'm curious what your policy is regarding the resale of the gear on which you receive a discount. If/when you sell such gear, do you set the price based on retail or the price you paid? In other words, do you try to turn a profit? My personal policy is not to accept more than what I actually paid. However, I guess if it were some sort of collector's item that had an unforeseeable increase in value, I could see reaping the benefit of that. 091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf

Every now and then I receive emails where people want free review samples or some stupid shit like that. Now then this gem showed up today: I just like the blatant offer to offer promotion and clearly a glowing review for a measly 45% discount... My reply is below... Kevin told me not to be too harsh... I think it went ok.

So the guy is going to attend the Atlanta meet that Colin and Brent will also be attending. I told Brent to offer "Shill-an" a 40% discount on a kick in the ass.

well obviously they know how to make pretty front and back panels. making circuit boards would have been easy. I would never touch that piece of shit. Nik's was much more poorly built. And I would be more than happy to say to your face directly anything I would say here. And so would birgir. after he squashed you into the ground.

That actually was done a little earlier today, but in usual Head-Fi manner, they covered it all up by deleting the posts and likely warning those that accused this unscrupulous twit of being paid to shill. Quite frankly, if Head-Fi actually took serious steps in that regard, they'd have to shut the site down.

BTW, the failure to disclose the special treatment he receives (i.e. discount) is illegal and the FTC has gone after people for that very same horseshit. https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking

I've got to hand it to the little man. He loses his sister, gets his tooth knocked out, then comes out and puts 53 on the Wiz in an overtime win. Pretty damn impressive. Oh, and he was the last pick in the draft and is the shortest guy in the NBA.

Hello! I use 140mm fan in my HTPC. Size makes matters and it is very low noise. You could choose fan with features: silence, quite or some thing like this. Size more important than firm/model. If worry about noise in power, you could use RC filter or make separate PSU+filter for all fans in your system. Small fans more sound noisier. With big ones you could blow out more area hearing less noise and with bigger air flow.

I'm currently picturing all the animated discussions of this issue taking place across the Internet.

Tom's house? I stayed at the Intercontinental - room service had good soup.

I think you should offer 100% discount for this guy //UFN

Just read through some of that...fuck some people over there would be in so much trouble over this.

Wow... $13K gets you mostly stripboard? That thing looks like its set for mass production and would be a nightmare to work on/troubleshoot

What he's trying to say is, bigger fans are quieter. This has been my experience (from computers, not amps) as well. If that's not viable with your amp, try using much lower speeds. It doesn't take much to make a difference -- air flow vs. not air flow alone will help from keeping air trapped within your case, if the vent isn't on top. My Supra++ has a case fan. It's hardly audible.

I wonder how much of a discount he negotiated in return for a lovingly hand-crafted review?

Ohh boy, look at this, our new favorite shill is at it yet again: https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/angstrom-stella-headphone-amplifier.846641/ Hmmm should we just report him and get it over with or spam the thread with links to this one?

"Shart butt" is the worst flavor of DQ's "Blizzard Ice Cream Dessert Shake."

BTW; everybody who gave me shit on my opinion of the Utopias can look forward to a Llama eating their favorite sweater, because I paid for a hex from one of the witches in Macbeth. Note that I didn't give a time table; given enough time, a Llama eating your favorite sweater is a given.

Oh well

I've already put in an order for one so a full dissection is coming as soon as I can have one shipped to Kevin. The 600LE used ECC99's... only the T2 has the 6922's in the input section.

Despite the Katz sample and the new sample being nearly the same, I suspect most purchasers will be of the view that they have the "Tyll version", especially when it comes time to sell.

Nothing like above but I won my G-Street class today: Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

What a douche - you were too gentle.