I'm being threatened with a lawsuit over a negative review

MAIN VIDEO: • Manufacturer threatens...
UPDATE: dCS has issued an apology which can be read here: dcs.community/...
dCS has threatened to sue for damages over my review of the dCS Bartok.
Special thanks to Amir Majidimehr from AudioScienceReview and Jussi Laako from Signalyst for their input.
dCS Bartok Review: • dCS Bartok Review - Sm...
dCS Bartok Measurements: goldensound.au...
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[@GoldenSound]

dCS' update and apology: dcs.community/t/goldensound-headphones-com-dcs-an-update/6740 I am pleased that this whole situation has come to an end. I'm looking forward to visiting dCS next week, and for now the most important thing I ask is that people refrain from giving anyone at dCS a hard time. Particularly at CanJam this weekend. The individual involved is no longer with the company, and I do not want anyone to be directing further messages their way nor giving any sort of hardship to employees who had nothing to do with this situation in the first place. However, I would also like to sincerely thank everyone in the community for their support the past few days

[@ianperesmusic]

That letter is WILD 👀 glad to hear things have been resolved ❤

[@Klongu_Da_Bongu]

I don't like their apology. It's filled with ego. "My statement was issued in good faith and based on information I believed to be accurate." So he fired someone who gave him "Wrong information" - in other words, someone took the fall for his decision.

[@NeilDeBarna]

It's great that this has been resolved and the pressure you were feeling has now been lifted. You were really fighting for every consumer and reviewer and for that you have my gratitude. As for you dCS, the damage has been done. I can tell you that you have lost at least one customer. I guess I'm not alone on that. If enough people think like me, only then may you have learned your lesson.

[@benwu7980]

@@NeilDeBarna I probably wasn't going to stretch my budget to what would be about a 20k€ product, but, it was was close enough to have been scheduled in the audition. I haven't watched the review, don't tend to need reviews... that I'm never considering a dCS is not anything about GS coverage or review.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

classic CYA move after bad backlash…they’re not sorry, they’re upset they looked stupid for going after you

[@radiofreealbemuth]

If they thought your review caused reputational damage, this is brand suicide

[@TheWorldTeacher]

💯

[@Martijn1234]

Absolutely! Some "influencers" (I realise Cameron isn't one) can absolutely destroy a company's reputation but saying a product is awful or with negative/unfavourable reviews. In this way I can see why the employee was concerned. This was a negative review yes (and it didn't align with the love I had for my Bartok 2.0) but it's certainly not nasty or presenting anything other than his opinion. In fact; you can tell he really wanted to like it and was a little let down. They should have just offered an upgraded version to review and opened a dialogue to work out what went wrong. There may have even been a follow up review then which would have been much more positive for DCS. By selecting this course of action (as you say) this may be the beginning of the end for this company. Very unprofessional behaviour.

[@benwu7980]

1000% There are brands in other spaces that I've grown to dislike for certain reasons, but this is just beyond the pale.

[@nespressoman]

👍👍👍

[@OrbObserver]

​@@Martijn1234If your content influences the opinions of other you are by definition an influencer, remove the media conditioning that has told you influencer is a dirty word, it's neutral and accurate.

[@MichaelSheaAudio]

"I'm not your mommy"?!?! From the VP of Sales and Marketing? Guy's a child, he's the one acting maliciously, clearly.

[@Sophie-144p]

​@aleksoctop a schoolyard bully that still just sucks up to the bigger guy, his company

[@Mattje8]

I’d love to see how they propose to calculate damages. I suspect they have no usable evidence you have damaged sales nor can they quantify the loss.

[@mallninja9805]

Sounds like a typical Sales / Marketing guy to me, tbh

[@oz_jones]

​@@Mattje8 "one BILLION dollars" Dr evil

[@HNXMedia]

This is actually most telling that this is not legally actionable. In the US, this individual would be told to, "Rightly F off." They would/will be required to prove "factual inaccuracies" if this was to go to court. One is not required to "defend" themselves.The burden of proof is on the one making the claim. This is just BS bully tactics. Ignore it. Note: Not a lawyer.

[@AF-rd2vf]

I will not be buying any products from dCS.

[@Poor_Wayfaring_Stranger]

don't want to assume here but mostly likely neither of us can afford it anyway 🥲but I agree with you in spirit

[@DaveJ6515]

Too bad. I have a Rossini and it sounds great.

[@hafler3o]

Amen to that

[@BL-yj2wp]

You never were in the first place. Me neither, it's a decent but utterly unremarkable DAC for 15 grand, nobody should be buying that.

[@vanCaldenborgh]

How unprofessional that company is with sentences like "I am not your mommy", I am not very confident about the quality of their products.

[@phild5322]

“I’m neither your mommy nor your therapist”. The guy sounds like a psychopath

[@LesSand75]

This is total BS. Snark for intimidation purposes. Unprofessional. Gross. Also, companies feel WAY too emboldened to bully people around. This is a disgrace. And I’m happy this particular line was aired out.

[@garydiamondguitarist]

Sounds like the guy that wrote it could have used better parents and a therapist himself.

[@jothain]

Likely CEO or someone at top management themselves. No one in their right mind would write something like that as worker for the business. No one.

[@Paxmax]

In capacity as a representative for dCS that is really unhinged choice of words / behaviour. It's just a few hairs above "Yo momma" insults.

[@C0MPUTERPHILE]

Not even Saul Goodman would write something so unprofessional

[@ScooTGetsClips]

If there is anyone at dCS reading this comment, I will no longer have any plans to purchase any products moving forward.

[@mxvmx9568]

they don't care to much. Their clients are not looking for such reviews.

[@sadsismint]

Negative reviews are the MOST important thing these days. So many channels are just paid promotions, overviews, too scared to show negatives. Finding genuine reviews of products these days, is getting harder and harder.

[@jothain]

Yes. About let's just throw some figure like >80% of reviews are stuff that I don't buy fully. Only ones that have actually made negative/neutral statements about reviewed items and who tell transparently in the beginning if item was bought or got free and where reviewer states like "all about you're going to hear states my personal opinion and that this review hasn't been approved by manufacturer".

[@Z-add]

So inorder to prove unbiased is to put a negative review.

[@TheAechBomb]

​@@Z-addnot a negative review, but point out the bad along with the good. so many paid 'reviews' simply go on and on about how the product is the best thing ever, while being careful not to say anything negative, for fear of not having their review be approved by the brand.

[@jonathanparle8429]

It wasn't even a negative review to begin with in my opinion, unless I am reading a different review. It seems typical of most high end audio product reviews I have read over the years in that almost everything has a relative weakness or flaw at any price.

[@user-cm3wd5hk1p]

I also can’t stand KZbin “reviews” anymore. Everything is all roses and sunshine with freaking everything.

[@iridescentgherkin]

"...your irresponsible and overtly malicious behaviour" - oh the irony.

[@doOf3r]

I am not a Lawyer but if that isn't a Libellous statement then I don't know what is.

[@MiGujack3]

​​@@doOf3r Yeah, I'm also not your mommy or therapist either lmaooo

[@garydiamondguitarist]

Exactly, says the company who like schoolyard children said "I'm not your mommy". Perhaps that person was projecting their own parental problems onto the reviewer. Not a good way to get catharsis, also unprofessional and a good way to undermine themselves.

[@iridescentgherkin]

@@garydiamondguitarist Apparently the U.S. sales guy responsible for the emails has been fired, and DSC has released an updated statement apologising profusely for all the upset. Seems like it worked out in the end...

[@garydiamondguitarist]

@@iridescentgherkin Yeah I saw that. Smacks of being a cover your arse, damage control, backwalk a mistake move, dripping with hubris and insincerity.

[@Preske]

"i'm not your mommy" tells volume about the maturity of that person and they have made it VERY clear it's about their ego and feelings being hurt, not about facts.

[@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648]

This is about nosebleed price territory audiophile stuff anyhow. What can be said for us older fogies who don't even have good hearing in both ears? Why doesn't someone make a headphone setup into which auditory compensations can be dialed.

[@DunnGolfing]

Says it all

[@MrB10N1CLE]

When you lose reputation over a negative review, so you lose even more reputation trying to sue said reviewer. Big brain move.

[@garydiamondguitarist]

Not big brain move, but definitely small something else move. 🍆🤏🏻

[@akaJughead]

By their actions, this company has just lost another customer for life.

[@fatphoca5009]

Not impressed DCS. I used to be your customer but I will never be one again if you bully reviewers.

[@michaeleriksen4213]

Ditto✊✊✊

[@pulsar7058]

Same Here. Boycott.

[@EasyGameEh]

if?

[@ToyKeeper]

Based on what the guy from dCS wrote, he probably thinks the sudden reduction in sales is the reviewer's fault, instead of being a consequence of his own actions.

[@YouTube_can_ESAD]

@@ToyKeeperExactly!!

[@Matticitt]

“I’m neither your mommy nor your therapist” just wow. He's a psychopath. What a looser.

[@Name-gi8dr]

Dude should be blacklisted from the industry itself

[@thecrowpit24]

Loser.*

[@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648]

Funny statement from a company presenting itself as purveyor of creature comfort goals.

[@thecrowpit24]

@@Matticitt Loser.*

[@atlfun08]

Totally unprofessional. It’s disgusting. They are a business and the mafia!!

[@dukajoe]

Hey manufacturers STOP DOING THIS. Hire someone at your company that understands BRAND EQUITY.

[@user82938]

That email from them was so unprofessional.

[@gblargg]

Their "apology" is equally disappointing. They even claim they never threatened litigation, because they didn't use that specific word. They say that "things escalated" as if this reviewer caused it. No, dCS escalated things.

[@filipviljamaasvensson]

The VP of sales & marketing comes across as a psycho trying to intimidate you into submission. Very disturbing to say the least. Hope you are OK Cameron.

[@TheCho-k4m]

yep, actually unhinged. To see such unprofessionalism at the top level of a company is quite troubling.

[@richardweston4493]

He appears to be an absolute flog.

[@AmbientShores]

Typical VP

[@mikepalmer1971]

Most CEOs and people in those high level,positions are at the minimum a sociopaths and narcissists. If they cannot control something they lose it.

[@DevJMD]

This came up in the algorithm for me. I've just watched the review. As a loyal customer to dCS, I will no longer make any purchases (and I do a fair bit from them) as a result of their actions and not as a result of the review. The review would never have swayed me, but their childish and petty response to sending a legal threat to you is enough to scrub their name from both professional and personal use. The whole "not your mummy" sentence is wild. That's not normal, decent and humble behaviour, that's legitimately borderline psychopathic behaviour from someone representing the company at its highest level. Pathetic.

[@jonathanparle8429]

Same here. I always aspired to a dCS product if I were ever in a position to afford one and that includes the Bartok after reading the review. But I would not buy an dCS product now, not when I now know the sort of people in the company who created it.

[@peterphan227]

The review came out in 2021? Great job resurrecting bad press, and starting even worse bad press, dCS! 😂

[@TheWorldTeacher]

💯

[@roryr679]

They didnt take Streisand effect 101

[@hanovergreen4091]

@@roryr679 No lie.

[@mydevices768]

🤣🤣🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@MozzaBurger88]

Chad move 😅

[@leokimvideo]

This is going on all the time now, so many producers are being taken out. My strongest advice is contact Louis Rossmann KZbinr as he fully understands the legals around what can be said online. Going by the very wordy letters to you they certainly need legal advice to argue their point. It's pure scare tactics. Hold strong against this attack.

[@TheZigsDk]

Sorry dCS, but this is how you get yourselves boycott

[@bizophone]

"You're doing something I don't like. I'm going to sue you" "What am I doing?" "I'm not your mommy or your therapist." Who the hell is running this company??

[@ericstefko4852]

wow dCS can you be any more unprofessional?? I would never buy a product from a company that tries to bully reviewers

[@thebestoffools]

Be careful. dCS might bully you into removing your comment. 🤭

[@AddicteServer]

​@@thebestoffools*sue

[@jothain]

@@thebestoffools Lol, they can try 😂

[@C0MPUTERPHILE]

@@thebestoffools If you only knew how many countries that have boicott laws (I'm including those that allow boicotts but put stipulations on how you do it)..

[@5Antvin]

many reviewers in the rags were on the take so this is no surprise big $$$ stereo is suspect alchemist and charlatans selling to ocd yuppie type hobbisty

[@emenesu]

"I'm not your mommy"? What, how is that a VP?

[@Greanestbean]

The fact that this was a VP actually makes that less surprising to me.

[@yogiwp_]

dCS just lost a customer forever. This is disgusting.

[@jackpaul7102]

As an audiophile, dCS is fucked. My friends and I will abandon them, forever.

[@sumtingyum]

This John guy from dCS is nuts. I auditioned dCS stacks recently in 2023 and despite the impressive specs and finishes on the exterior, none of the products' sound stood out to me. MUCH cheaper stacks and all in ones literally sounded identical clock or no clock. No one was deceived here

[@The_Hipster_Cow]

100% agree, at CanJam they always setup this really fancy looking room with their expensive lina stacks and no matter what I plug into them they just sound bloated and dull.

[@kamerafi]

My experience exactly.

[@chris_schenkel]

Lawsuit incoming.

[@RegebroRepairs]

Of course they sound the same. DACs are a solved issue and has been for decades. You can buy cheap single chip solutions that will literally have a conversion quality that is several orders of magnitude better than human hearing could ever distinguish, and they only cost a few dollars. The ONLY thing that is tricky in audio is the conversion between vibrations and electricity and back. Every other bit is a solved problem.

[@benwu7980]

As someone in the market for one at the moment (well, a few months away), what did you end up going with? My shortlist got shorter by one.. so am waiting to do a side by side of the AR Dac9, PS Direct Stream and the Meridian Ultra. Budget is not quite yet set.

[@OfficialGamesky]

all of this is very well said. i'm sorry you are having to deal with this shit. there is no place for a company to try and threaten a reviewer with a lawsuit

[@jemaglr5316]

Bye DCS! 👋🏼

[@imacactus2]

Buy DCS! 💸

[@RafiGish]

@@imacactus2 You're not even remotely funny.

[@nespressoman]

@@imacactus2 Nice that you support a company that has bad morals and are bullies. 🤑

[@ReclaimerTyphoon]

@@RafiGish I thought it was *remotely* funny.

[@RockyPixel]

It's like these lawyers never heard of the Streissand Effect.

[@spamcan9208]

What a self own. That "mommy/ therapist" comment tells you all you need to know. ffs, movie theaters have less projection. It's also failing basic PR 101 and a great example of what not to do. Now because they can't let perceived slights go, they'll have created the very problem they sought to fix.

[@MiGujack3]

Yeah, it's like they hired a ghetto mall security guard to do their PR.

[@Noksus]

That "not your mommy or therapist" comment was totally unprofessional as is the way they just completely refuse to specify which parts were false and instead just accuse you of intentional misinformation. Just shows they are not working in good faith.

[@RAMIRO61FERNANDES]

NO MORE REVIEWS?? THE LAST HAVE 4 MONTHS!

[@ZReviews]

So, do they have to initiate a whole new threatening email chain about this video too? Or can they just amend the previous?

[@yyams]

Good point... by the sounds of it they'll be threatening legal action for this video claiming damage to their reputation caused by GS telling people they are doing something frankly insane to him, which will massively damage their reputation.

[@loonation2185]

I bet ZReviews can't relate to this issue .

[@Harrisongrey19]

Zeos you are trash

[@HeroOfTheWeb]

@@loonation2185 I've heard him give negative reviews on a lot of things. I assume you're just being a sandy butthole for no reason?

[@irel4nd]

No no no… The new email chain is scheduled for 2027.

[@bastionshadowpaw]

hi, This is what it's called . A Slapp suit. A strategic lawsuit against public participation. the objective is not to take a legal route towards a rightful claim, but to mire the defendant in legal costs and intimidate them into silence. there's quite alot of precedent , and it exploits the legal system's weakest spots in favor of the party with the deepest pockets.

[@peterfitzpatrick7032]

aka... "The Process IS the Punishment" ... 😒

[@alpro3714]

corporate bullying is unacceptable. Thank you Goldensound, not for the review itself but for making these bullying threats public. I will just exclude any DCS products from my shopping list.

[@archstanton1628]

40 grand for a DAC? These guys are clowns, as presumably are their customers.

[@jackpijjin4088]

Holy fuck, 40 grand? In 2024? (Well, in whatever year the original review was published.)

[@MiGujack3]

Yeah, reviewers need to call out ridiculous prices far more often. That paperweight costs 500usd to produce AT BEST.

[@Netbug]

My cap for any component is $5K.

[@hogio]

I saw your Bartok review a few months ago after two of my audiophile friends whose ears I trust got a loaner from a friend of theirs. Simple story, they auditioned the Bartok at their system. I wanted to listen but they had to return the Bartok to its owner. But they gave me a summarized impression. Too smooth. It's so smooth it's lacking details, texture and excitement. Trusting their judgment, but being a little curious if not skeptical, I research Bartok review. Your review confirmed their conclusions. You nailed it. For context, the Bartok was compared to Mola Mola Tambaqui and Bricasti M1 DACs.

[@Guderian0617]

Some advice for dCS: spend your money on R&D instead of lawyers, then your products may actually be good

[@mxvmx9568]

they spent. These guys had some problems in their review and this is why they are not telling him what's wrong. They want to show to the industry that having AP setup is not making them a top reviewers. Same with their personal preferences when they tell tus hat it is "not my sound" and it is not 15k sound.

[@garyharris8082]

@@mxvmx9568 These guys who specifically are these guys?

[@KBWrecker]

These companies must be run by 12 yr olds. Did they think we wouldn’t hear about this?

[@grunklechubs4743]

do they not understand how much this hurts their brand?

[@radiofreealbemuth]

I'm betting that this tactic has worked for dcs in the past, so they probably expected Cameron to cave and take down his review

[@chungang7037]

I predict an apology or double down in this case, getting the popcorn ready.

[@alanwhite6161]

Oh I think that leason is incoming myself

[@jo05dk]

It doesn't seem so. ...but I sure hope they'll learn now.. 😈

[@bobnewby9129]

dCS just put themselves on the "do not buy" list. I don't support bullies.

[@TheGamerUnknown]

A real case of the Streisand Effect in action. That review was 2-3 years old and NOW they make a big stink of it. No doubt other audiophile content creators will end up speaking out against this kind of action, which ends up just highlighting the review more. If they had just stayed quiet, not too many people would have seen the review. (In the grand scheme of things) And it would have just been one review amongst many.

[@RennieAsh]

Yep I didn't even know what dCS is until this random video popped up. Now they join Tekton I suppose lol

[@Peace_Guard]

And also this is their weakest product in the lineup, comparatively against competition at a particular price point. Their highest ones are actually one of the industry leading. Now, this will affect their entire lineup.

[@MonsieurArlequin]

The thing I suspect is that their sales has been dropping and they started attacking negative reviews to possibly save their sales. but I think this would be the end of them

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

I never even knew about this channel until five minutes ago

[@themonsterunderyourbed9408]

Maybe they had to gather a few years of sales data to prove that they lost sales because of the review?

[@keithbroughton4476]

I have full read the apology from dCS provided by your link. Looks to me like the CEO is clear sighted enough to see the problem and has taken appropriate action. Standing your ground and fighting against unreasonable push back, rather than caving to pressure, is commendable. Well done sir!

[@shilu6979]

no dCS, this is the worst advertising they could do

[@wellstrung2]

Sounds just like KZbin. Strike your comments down but won't tell you which ones they didn't like

[@Afura33]

Oh yea that's a classic youtube move lol, asking you to stop doing what you do but at the same time not telling you what exactly you should stop doing :D

[@OCDHIFiGuy]

Just became aware of you guys !! We stand against censorship of honest opinion in our HiFi Tribe ! We support you wholeheartedly ! All 28K of us... we will showcase this in my livestream tonight at 9PM EST

[@grahamwhatling1871]

Great to see Mikey and the Tribe in support! 🙏

[@AlphaQ922]

Well done Mike.. thx 🙏

[@falconquest2068]

Amen Mickey!

[@Afura33]

Nice brother.

[@stevvieb]

Another company to add to the list of companies I will NEVER purchase from again. I think they have damaged themselves.

[@MEAREMLG]

sounds like an uphill battle for them to blatantly silence valid criticism

[@AndreasLindholm]

And criticism is protected speech in most jurisdictions.

[@Edwardball]

As a marketing director and someone who loves hi-fi, I’m just going to say that if I had worked for DCS this never would’ve happened. In this day and age this is absolutely the worst thing that they could’ve done for PR. If I was the director of the company and was advised to do this, I will be sacking whoever was involved. If this was the Directors idea then they deserve the terrible attention that this will course. There is 100 different ways that this could be dealt with that would’ve had a positive outcome. Going down this line and actually using language that tilts towards immaturity of character is unbelievable. They need to reevaluate this, get on top of it right away with a positive strategy, and do the right thing if this is not going to impact on sales for the next few years.

[@1337sim1]

MQA 🚫 Tekton 🚫 dCS 🚫 Now what?

[@jondu-sud274]

Well said

[@GawainDragon]

What did Tekton do?

[@annebokma4637]

​@@GawainDragonthreatened law suits... Against Erin

[@cristobalhansu]

@@GawainDragon kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6WkqJaNYph-rJY

[@MasterofPlay7]

boycott these companies lol

[@RandomGreenFishPhone]

If they are willing to sue people who write negative reviews, I suspect they are also willing to pay people to write positive reviews and post them on the hifi and other audiophile sites. But that is just my opinion (Please don't sue me too DCS).

[@aceofspades6667]

This happened to Erin’s audio corner by tekton speakers as well. Tekton did this to several KZbin reviewers including new record day. There is a trend of Hifi manufacturers who use these intimidation tactic to threaten reviewers.

[@bloodshed1980]

The VP of Sales and Marketing is an absolutely entitled and unprofessional child. That spiteful response was unhelpful in every way except to air his grievance in the most immature way.

[@youtube改名也太難了吧]

what the fuck dCS

[@chucksurgeonertribute2113]

Trust me, you dont want to know!🤣😇🥰😍💘❤‍🩹💯👍

[@xeicv]

What the f*ck is dCS?

[@colanitower]

A brand doing this damages itself more than its products do

[@vladipp2850]

I will refuse to buy any dCS products. And I was actively considering buying a Rossini APEX player. I value honest reviews. All my support go to the *very* few honest reviewers out there, I hate corporate bullies and I am *Hugely* disappointed by dCS.

[@Freakinreviews]

I've dealt with such legal bullying. The best course of action moving forward is to get a lawyer who can handle these types of threats. Then it's just a matter of replying with a CC to include your lawyer, and you'll usually never hear from them again. They know they don't have a legal leg to stand on (unless you made slanderous statements), but instead rely on bullying and fear of financial loss to fight them. Once they see a lawyer involved, they tend to back down because they know they'll lose. It's best not to send detailed replies because they may be able to twist your words into a "confession" that you did something wrong. Glad to see that it all got straightened out.

[@gregharvey2173]

I will never buy a DCS product in light of this. Thank you GoldenSound. MolaMola T next for me I guess.

[@bootinnj]

0:17 I dont know who you are never heard or saw this review and dont care about the peice of kit.However, any company calling slander on someone for giving their honest feedback and or review is petty and means the company has fears over this channel i have never seen nor heard of as well as a product i couldnt care less about. its pathetic and petty to tie up legal system and finances for this im sorry this happened to you sir/ I know it is of little comfort in this situation. But wish you the best outcome.

[@demokraken]

make a better product, dCS. On top of it your distribution channels are rubbish, will never buy your product - you did it to yourself.

[@ryanguy6789]

What you are doing by standing up to this is very admirable and important for the industry as a whole. They do not like your review, so they are trying to use the excuse that it contains inaccuracies because they are unable to have any grounds off the fact that a review was published which they do not like. Thank you for exposing this and fighting the fight for the entire industry. Reviewers are entitled to make positive and negative reviews of products - that is the entire point of the review. We are not looking for sales pitches or sales men when we watch a review of a product. We are looking for the reviewers opinion of the value of the item.

[@a-t6335]

Thanks!

[@Netbug]

That email response was extreme cringe. Glad I saw this, I just filtered them from my shopping results.

[@eurly93]

The letter at 3:30 has "Sincerley Disappointed, Karen" written all over it. Crazy that came from a 'VP'

[@idka4523]

DCS doesn't understand the basics of marketing? The whole idea behind PR is to come across as genuine and trustworthy. Getting a negative review, then turning around and suing your reviewer is disingenuous and unethical. DCS is going to DESTROY their customer loyalty and new customer acquisition with this behavior.

[@yyams]

As mentioned by another commenter below... I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE any attendees of CanJam London to drop by their booth and let them know how terrible this whole lawsuit threats business is. Let them know if it will stop you buying from them. They are a major sponsor of the show, this is unacceptable behaviour, and they need to be told that in no uncertain terms.

[@Christopher_S]

I've been saving up for over 2 years in the hopes of getting the Lina. This situation spooked me a little, but after seeing the response from Davo, it's reassured me a bit. I'm a few months away from affording the system, so I've got time to see how the situation is closed before spending a considerable sum of money. I'm sorry that you have gone through this, I really hope that the outcome is favourable and that dCS are willing to learn and really implement positive change from this.

[@kesamek8537]

Well even if I disagree with reviewers about any particular dCS product opinions, I sure won't be buying any based on corporate bullying behavior.

[@phototristan]

dCS still needs to answer for this: "In May 2024, my colleague in the USA instructed a lawyer to communicate with GoldenSound in an attempt to reach a resolution. I was aware of this letter and my intention at this point was to reach a solution by mediation or another process - not to instigate a seven-figure lawsuit." They are essentially saying that they intended to bully and scare GoldenSound in to taking down the review by threatening him with a lawsuit.

[@gblargg]

A lawsuit? They clearly state that they never threatened litigation. Clowns, of course that was the threat. They were threatening to get a lot of money out of the reviewer for all the fictitious lost sales and brand harm.

[@Youthman]

Man this sounds so familiar with what Erin went through with Tekton. Sorry you are going through this. This is unacceptable for any brand to behave in this manner.

[@Sunnbobb]

The more they sue, the more we review.

[@audioessence-ch]

We really appreciate watching your honest reviews and stand with you! Keep up the great work! Tom from Audio Essence Switzerland.

[@Feintgames]

You're doing the right thing by not giving in to their threats. I had a similar situation where I designed digital art in Photoshop and put it on my website as an example of my artistic abilities. I put the word Tabasco on there, as in Tabasco Mexico, a word that is not copyrighted. The Tabasco Sauce company lawyers contacted me and threatened to sue me for "confusing consumers" which is a joke. They sent 20 pages of legalese. Instead of hiring a lawyer, i just took down my artwork. These big companies will do whatever they want because they have more money than you.

[@radicalrealmrecordings42]

Boycott DCS (not that many would buy their overpriced products anyway)

[@jemaglr5316]

@@radicalrealmrecordings42 +1

[@TheWorldTeacher]

💯

[@ryanscott68]

go one step further, do not buy from ANY company that sells dCS, regardless of the product.

[@x316RiotMakerx]

How ironic, there is another company that goes by DCS (Deep Cycle Systems) suing a KZbinr for a negative, but factual, review of one of their batteries. Louis Rossman did a video covering it.

[@20gibbon]

it makes their company look so bad, he's doing more damage than any review could ever do. They would probably lose the court case anyway because there's no basis to their argument. You are correct, we can not allow this sort of behaviour towards independent reviewers.

[@UPnDOWN]

Hang on - this company is called dCS? And the company trying to sue a 'small' (but bigger than me) KZbinr called Stefan Fischer for pretty much the same thing, is also called DCS? But they make batteries, not hi-fi equipment? Nuts!

[@soumyajitdeb3943]

That VP of Sales and Marketing needs to lose his job. Never seen someone so unprofessional. As someone who has a 10k+ TT and looking to get there in the digital space in the near future, dCS you will not be considered by me or any self respecting audiophile unless you issue a formal apology for this nonsense.

[@jothain]

But this stinks anyway. C'mon management without guidelines and possibility for single person to sue someone without going directly to ie. CEO to get approved? Not gonna happen. There's no business in this planet where that would happen. Hell I doubt person X could even employ lawyer to proceed with things like this without ie. CEO's or shareholders approval. I'd suspect any reasonably lawyer would refuse to continue without this as heck couldn't they be sued for going by person X's way?

[@Bareian]

I'll make sure to steer clear of DCS.

[@jarms40]

Famously, back in the day, Julian Hirsch of Stereo Review (one of the two premier Hi Fi publications of the era) was threatened with a lawsuit after a negative review. It so destroyed his confidence that he never published a negative review again, and a Hirsch review became the stuff of pre-internet memes. "Of all the loudspeakers I've reviewed, this is sure one." Don't be that guy.

[@colinfindlay4790]

And dCS keep digging themselves in deeper... They've just released a response to the effect of "We didn't threaten litigation at all in our first letter - not once did we say litigate" They said they will "exercise its remedies to protect its interests, including the recovery of actual and special damages and punitive damages" - through what means exactly, other than litigation? I will never buy a product from a company that acts like this.

[@cheapaudioman]

I had never heard of this company before. Ifi tried to bully me. Not to this level though. I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. It's complete BS and you're braver than I would be in the same situation. Well done.

[@gadgetgenerationspulkit]

Wow, just Wow, now brands will start suing reviewers for giving honest feedback? Thank you for putting this out.

[@dare92]

"I have no insight into what motivates your irresponsible and overtly malicious behavior" - This falls into category Gaslighting 101.

[@T.I.M.5]

Make sure to file a counter suit and a claim for legal expenses.

[@MichaelPohoreski]

*Clue stick to dumb companies like dCS:* * _If you don't want ANY criticism then DON'T sell your product._ * _If you don't want CONSTRUCTIVE criticism then MAKE A BETTER PRODUCT._ Being petty and immature with lawsuits in an attempt to buy silence just shows the world you don't respect others.

[@TheNottification]

I was looking for dCS reviews and ended up here. Thanks for sharing! I love how detailed your reviews are and the transparency that you share in your reviews, but especially in your "dCS case". You got a new follower!

[@schwamforfreedom]

Unethical? Definitely. Really, really stupid? Yep, that too. Supremely cowardly? Yes, but obviously that's John of dCS's standard operating procedure.

[@ToyKeeper]

I got banned from Amazon for using calibrated equipment to measure products in my field of expertise and post _accurate_ specs, which often revealed the vendor's claims were massively exaggerated. Before getting banned, I had top-reviewer status for over a decade... and then one day when I tried to use the site, I found I had been banned with no warning or notification.

[@nsr500]

A fair number of reviewers always have 'enthusiastic' reviews in exchange for 'sponsorship' from some brands, while having 'candid' reviews for their sponsors's competitors. If your reviews are truly unbiased, you've got nothing to worry about.

[@JohannesLabusch]

You sound like the kind of guy who hears about a rape and asks "What was she wearing?"

[@georgemacdonald3087]

@@JohannesLabusch Whooosh!

[@nsr500]

@@JohannesLabusch Try a better analogy

[@JohannesLabusch]

@@nsr500 It's an analogy for what we call blaming the victim, and as such,, a better one is not available.

[@nsr500]

@@JohannesLabusch Try harder, I'm sure you can do better.

[@JohnHill-qo3hb]

Companies need to be weary that suing a reviewer for a personal opinion can actually backfire on them, the perception by the public view the company as a bully.

[@vdrc9787]

Hey John at DCS…I watched his review and it didn’t sway me from trying and possibly buying a Bartok Apex. But DCS and in particular your bullying and patronizing behavior has. Demo unit is being packed up and shipped back, and you’ve lost a potential customer…forever. That’s not on him, that’s on you.

[@ianking8197]

Some companies egos are as fragile as their employees - pathetic

[@jamesfarrow6752]

I've seen a recent post (I can't remember which channel it was on) complaining that reviewers do not give honest opinions. This is a prime example of why some are reluctant to do so.

[@SHTMusik]

Thanks for your bravery. Crazy that DCS doesn't see that we can't ever believe another positive review of their products.

[@yukabak]

Well, what we can do is just to pass by their booth at CanJam London. You know what happened to MQA after they messed with Cameron, now DCS want to be next. What a charade

[@pfx2259]

Casually pass by and yell out ‘mommy mommy where is my therapist?!? These audiogear are sending me trauma vibes!!’

[@garyharris8082]

@@pfx2259 lolz really like this idea...it doesn't target anyone specifically but the plonker that generated that idiotic email response and not by name either

[@RecordingStudioLoser]

Good on you. This absolutely happens and it’s quite frustrating when brands aren’t interested in improving but rather just avoiding scrutiny.

[@gibgun]

Really sorry you have to go through this, Cameron. Everyone is behind you

[@supermangaz1]

Just pure ridiculous. So any company can release a 💩 product and sue any reviewers for money for telling people their product is garbage? What a joke.

[@Maebbie]

genius move from DCS, no one would have heard of your negative review if they didnt try to threaten you.

[@Afura33]

And you think that people are going to buy dCS products after this video? ^^ Not every negative advertisement is a beneficial one.

[@jake-mv5oi]

Pretty ironic that a guy named Stefan Fischer is being sued for his negative youtube review of a car battery by a company named DCS currently.