www.avforums.com Reviews 250

TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

1.5

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Many people were dissatisfied with the staff and their moderation practices, finding them to be inconsistent or unfair. Customers frequently encountered issues with the service, noting concerns about the impartiality of moderation, the dynamics of discussions, and the feeling that varied opinions were not encouraged. The website was also a source of frustration, with many finding it to lack diverse perspectives and experiencing technical difficulties. Some people were dissatisfied with the social media presence, finding it to contain content that was not relevant to the product. Conversely, a small portion of people felt that the product, specifically the film and TV reviews, were excellent.

What people talk about most

Staff

Consumers find staff to be negative, often describing them as overly strict, unfriendly, and arrogant.... See more

Social media

Customers consistently note negative experiences with social media, primarily due to heavy-handed and biased... See more

Website

Users describe negative interactions with the website, consistently reporting it as dated, out of touch, and... See more

Product

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of product. Some consumers praise the excellent reviews around Film and... See more

Service

Clients express strong dissatisfaction with the service. Many reviewers, including a long-standing member,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I've been to more decent forums than this. AVForums uses Cloudflare's Orwellian system that blocks people like me from accessing it since we use methods to keep our identities anonymous online. To top... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I completely agree with Brad W's recent post. Any credible forum should not be banning someone just for using the word "fanatic", but AV Forums is basically a left wing echo chamber. Just to confirm... See more


Company details


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1.5

Bad

TrustScore 1.5 out of 5

250 reviews

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I originally joined to get advice about…

I originally joined to get advice about buying a new TV and found a community.
The volunteer moderators only act when needed and the range of topics from coping with depression to cars (surprise!), films and the general chat area.
Add plenty of good advice from knowledgeable people and that's it!

April 22, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Visit the Forum daily

Visit the Forum daily, full of friendly people and also a great place to learn about the latest tech and also get help when needed.

April 20, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

AV is just the tip of the iceberg!

Great forum full of some extremely useful information on a whole range of subjects! Found it when searching for some AV info 14 years ago and have been a member since. The AV material is spot on but that's only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the content, and don't forget the community and moderators who are without doubt some of the most supportive and encouraging people I've never met!

April 20, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I've been a member for many years

I've been a member for many years, this is the go to place for any AV related questions.
The forums are populated by some very knowledgable people and advice on any given subject can be sought or is already there to read.

April 20, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

AVForums is the best forums that i have…

AVForums is the best forums that i have used and have been member for more that 15 years. There are very knowledgeable people here that can advise on anything but mostly on Audio Video. A thriving Sale section where one can pick up a bargain.

April 20, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

It used to be great

It used to be great, and to be fair there are still a lot of knowledgeable members for when you have an Audio Visual question. However, over the years the ads have taken over in an intrusive manner causing many misclicks and thus redirections to where you don't want to go.

It also comes across as this site uses fake member accounts to stir up and direct certain conversations.

And the owner/founder can be a bit odd. He often creates new threads whilst there are already perfectly good threads. Like he doesn't read his own forum. And then they tend to be fire and forget with no further engagement.

As I said; it used to be great, still a good bunch of people around, but I think it has had its day.

April 20, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Well balanced reviews and a great place…

Well balanced reviews and a great place for all AV tech news, views and information.
I also enjoy the weekly podcast which has a mix of AV, Hifi and movie news presented in a very detailed and humorous way.
I have been a member for almost 20 years and you have cost me a fortune over the years :-)

Thanks guys

April 19, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Slow and unfriendly

Very advert heavy which can make the site really slow. Many members and moderators friendly but a small number that are not and some mods abuse their position IMHO especially those with tens of thousands of posts to their name.

Edit: In reference to the reply below, I posted this comment because AV forums asked its members to review the site here. I have not been moderated but, over the ten years of my membership, seen dozens of people banned and hundreds humiliated through misuse of emojis by at least one of the mods who has been slavishly supported by the Senior Mods.

April 19, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Been a member for many years

Been a member for many years. I find the information given by other members most useful and more often than not comes from people with actual knowledge rather than guesswork. I enjoy the reviews even though a lot of what is being reviewed will be out of my price bracket. I enjoy the friendly, and at times very humorous back and forth in the General Chat section. I accept that there are Adverts, they've got to be able to pay the bills somehow.

April 19, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

A mixed experience

AV forums is an excellent resource for obtaining information about AV gear and equipment. It has some very knowledgeable members and you can normally get useful (UK centric) responses albeit with much member prejudice towards selected brands.

Unfortunately the overall experience is generally marred by a small handful of toxic moderators. In theory they should be held to account by the Admin and senior mods but this doesn't happen.

Using it as a resource to dive in and get a quick answer then AVF is fine. Less so for regular posting.

April 19, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Currently asking for reviews then…

Currently asking for reviews, see the post from the site owner in the general chat section.

Then getting upset if they aren't flattering. Make of that what you will.

Hmm.

Tends to be over moderated.

April 19, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Recommended

Great site, been a member 12Years. Great moderators and very good content AV related and otherwise.

April 18, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

One of the first and last places I visit daily.

Excellent forum and reviews with a lot more than just A/V gear.

Mods run a tight ship, keeping topics on-topic and preventing the odd temper tantrum. They make sure trolls don't hang around too long as well. Some excellent banter, cracking members, good site-layout and useability and loads of great content.

One of the first and last places I visit daily.

April 18, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Been a member for over 9 years

Been a member for over 9 years.
Great friendly bunch of people with good knowledge in many areas, from home cinema, DIY and cars.
Just keep away from controversial topics as they can get a bit heated :D

The forum runs regular competitions and has affiliates with different companies where you can get a discount on certain items. It has good reviews on different producs like TV's, Projectors, Films and amplifiers etc.

April 18, 2020
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A great resource

A great resource. Primarily of audio and video technology, but also branching out in to many other areas.

General chat is full of great hints, tips and discussions of almost anything.

Has a well respected classified adverts section.

Well moderated and a great place to hang out on-line.

April 18, 2020
Unprompted review

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