I learned several years ago to invest in audio designers, not gear. I spend time investigating the guy who built my gear before I purchase it. I check out his design philosophy and parts quality, in particular. I have Danny's gear because he knows what he's talking about. But before I ran into GR Research, I was interested in another well regarded DIY speaker designer, but I found out that his source was a DVD player because he thought ones and zeros were all the same. That was an immediate, "no" for me.
Audio forums with designers are a double edged sword. Yeah, they're great for designers to use as a marketing tool and for educating consumers, but you also have to be careful not to alienate customers, especially when speaking with authority on gear you don't sell. Danny doesn't sell tube preamps, but if he continuously lambasted them, he'd probably lose customers, especially those with tube preamps.
