shouldiuse.io

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VERDICT

Should I use What's Best Audio and Video Forum?

(none) - whatsbestforum.com

Worth it. Join if you are a high-end audio hobbyist who wants enthusiast debate on expensive gear, brand videos, and show reports — it is free. Skip it if you want measurements, budget-first advice, or anything resembling an objective buying tool.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 30+ public sources; most are the forum's own pages, third-party sentiment is thin.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo usability evidence in sources
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityCommunity Q&A only; quality unverified
  • Security postureNo security findings or disclosures found

Pricing

$0

Public access

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Cost-no-object audiophiles
  • Vintage and analog collectors
  • Brand research before big purchases
  • Audio show followers

Not for

  • Budget buyers — flagship bias dominates
  • Measurement-first shoppers (use ASR instead)
  • Casual listeners wanting quick setup advice
  • Home-theater generalists — AVS fits better

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Manufacturers and distributors post in-thread; treat their recommendations as marketing.

medium

Community favors subjectivist listening over measurements; expect pushback citing ASR.

low

Threads span 2011 to today; older gear recommendations may be discontinued.

low

No published membership pricing found; registration requirements are unclear.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Deep coverage: DACs, turntables, subwoofers, power conditioning, headphones, vintage reel-to-reel
  • Audio brands and distributors participate directly, e.g. AXISS Audio USA
  • Frugal Audiophile section covers best-value gear, not just cost-no-object flagships
  • Member systems galleries and audio show reports, including Vienna
  • A-to-Z audio brand video library for product research

Cons

  • Subjectivist culture; measurement-focused communities openly criticize its leanings
  • Cost-no-object threads ('best regardless of price') normalize extreme spending
  • Vendor posts inside discussions blur the line between advice and advertising
  • Guess: old-school forum format makes extracting a clear recommendation slow

Sources & method

Analyzed 10/06/2026 - 10 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x7review x1security x1news x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free access, deep expert discussion
  • Ease of use. No usability evidence in sources
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Broad subforums, brand video library, show reports
  • Support quality. Community Q&A only; quality unverified
  • Security posture. No security findings or disclosures found
  • 2011 Active since Earliest indexed thread dated Jul 31, 2011
  • Free Price Public threads, no paywall observed
  • 10+ subforums Coverage DACs, turntables, subs, power, headphones, shows

Pricing

Public access

$0

  • Read all public threads
  • Brand video library

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Third-party bloggers describe it as an expert hub for high-end audio discussion, while measurement-focused communities like Audio Science Review position themselves as its corrective.

“Today I stumbled across the Audio Expert discussions on the What's Best Forum hi-end audiophile forums site.”
HiFi Auditions blog

Companies that use it

  • AXISS Audio USA²
  • 2WA Group (IDEON Audio)⁴
  • Aries Cerat⁵
Full analysis

Based on 30+ public sources; most are the forum's own pages, third-party sentiment is thin.

Free high-end audio forum since 2011 — gold for deep-pocketed hobbyists; wrong fit for measurement-first or budget shoppers.

Methodology

Based on 30+ public sources; most are the forum's own pages, third-party sentiment is thin.

Sources

  1. What's Best Forum welcome pagewhatsbestforum.com
    official
  2. General Audio Forumwhatsbestforum.com
    official
  3. Frugal Audiophile Forumwhatsbestforum.com
    official
  4. Show reports / porta pagewhatsbestforum.com
    official
  5. Audio brand video librarywhatsbestforum.com
    official
  6. What's new feedwhatsbestforum.com
    official
  7. Earliest indexed thread (2011)whatsbestforum.com
    official
  8. HiFi Auditions blog on WBF Audio Expert forumhifiauditions.wordpress.com
    review
  9. ASR thread referencing WBFaudiosciencereview.com
    news
  10. Security page checkwhatsbestforum.com
    security

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