Reviewing the Reviewers - and the decline of HiFi


I know that Arthur Salvatore has an ongoing tirade with Michael Fremer, and whilst I don't wholly share his views so far as Fremer is concerned, I support the sentiment that reviewers themselves ought to be themselves reviewed.
I say this after having read another 6Moons review that basically says that the item they have reviewed is the best thing since sliced bread. With the exception of HiFi news - and that was about 7 years ago, and HiFi Critic (which is regrettably not distributed very widely as yet)- none of the magazines ever criticize products.
This may well explain why the industry is in such decline. Let's face it in the United States Breitling made more than the whole of the US HiFi industry put together! Think I am mad? Well think on this cars sell, and continue to sell well. New cars are by and large a luxury, because we can recycle old cars, but we convince ourselves on their necessity. Car reviewers are unfettered by the need to give wet reviews. The buying customers are therefore not forced to listen through the BS of a review to get some real and genuine information.
Manufacturers also have to wake up and not be so hypersensitive of any genuine comparative criticism - it leads to product improvement. The reviewing industry should get out of the habit of expecting 5 star reviews when they lend equipment to magazines for 'extended periods'. let's face it - most people see hifi and music as coming out of white ear buds, computers, and mobile phones.
lohanimal
It is over-priced because the income disparities have become so so great the top few percent consider 50 K candy-bar money.
I don't know why it is so expensive now. I suspect there are many reasons, reduced market share, marketing, prestige factor, etc. Some of it may be less true competition. Way back in the '70s there were many big separate companies making good products. That number has dwindled. Now there are many boutique companies making products without the engineering resources of the big boys. Once those boutique companies prove their product they are gobbled up, like ARC or Wadia. It is a completely different market now.

The other thing of interest is that HiFi news is giving out more good reviews now. Why? Is it possible the products are just better now than ever before? Take mid-fi products for example, a mid-fi reciever in the late '70s compares to a mid-fi receiver today are world's apart in performance and quality.

A sansui G8000 in 1979 retailed for $920. It was a 2 channel amp with 120W / channel, tuner included. That is about $3000 today. That would buy you the top of the line Pioneer Elite receiver. 140W/ch into 9 channels. 9.2 pre out, dolby atmos, streaming audio, video switching, etc... I would say that the new Pioneer probably sounds better too.

So how do you adjust the scales? Is there a set comparison point, or is it all relative, and relative to what? This hobby of ours has come a long way in the last 40-50 years, and it continues to improve. I expect it to continue. What was hi-fi 20 years ago is probably mid-fi performance now.
The top audiophile components of today are clearly better than those of yesteryear, which is why favorable reviews abound. The problem is that too many reviewers refuse to look at a component in a critical fashion, which requires him/her to make an honest attempt to compare it with its competitors. Do we really need a reviewer to tell us that the latest megabuck Rockport or Magico is a really great speaker?