2. amps-preamps
  3. 182511-106

The Impossible Has Happened

If you've been visiting this forum for very long you know that many people consider professional audio reviews, the ones in the print (Stereophile, TAS, etc.) and online magazines, at best to be paid promotion and more likely outright lies in an attempt to scam you out of your money.

Here is a quote from a recent thread that was about reviews, not about their honesty or value, but got a number of posts about those attributes anyway.

Just once I would like to read a review of a pricey piece of equipment that said that the reviewer couldn’t hear any difference between that and something far less expensive . . .

Well believe it or not that has just happened in TAS, considered by many to be the worst abuser of the truth. The situation is not exactly as in the quote above, the less expensive gear is being reviewed in this example, but it is the same in essence, IMHO.

Alan Taffel wrote a review of the T+A Series 200 components.  In it he says 

"I happen to own a wonderful-sounding modular integrated amp: the CH Precision I1.  Comparing it to the Series 200 was natural but a bit unfair.  The CH unit costs more than double the price of the Series 200 stack.  Nonetheless, I was glad I embarked on this comparison, because otherwise I never would have known that the two systems sounded almost identical."

 

The CH I1 starts at $38,000.  Fully loaded it costs over $50,000..

The Series 200 stack, consisting of a transport/streamer, a DAC and an integrated amp in 3 separate boxes, costs $18,475.

So I'm not saying you should believe everything you read in professional reviews or even any of it, but here is an example where a reviewer stated that a system costing less than half a more expensive system sounded "almost identical" to the more expensive system. 

And CH Precision has a full page ad in that issue of TAS, February 2023, while T+A has none.  Just thought you might like to know.

128x128tomcy6

Showing 1 response by mspot

mspot
113 posts
 

I also receive a number of real estate listing from Red Fin every day to find out what homes are selling for in my area.  I have yet to see a single home with a pair of floor standing speakers in a room.  This includes homes priced over $6 million.  This said, do less than 1% buy sound systems.  I also see TV's and not a single TV has surround speakers.

@larry5729, it's impossible to make any judgement based on real estate sales photos, because the property is often professionally staged for sale. That means emptying the house, doing cosmetic things like cleaning, painting and new window shades, and bringing in nice, clean furniture for show (and the sellers have already moved out). Staging with floor standers and surround isn't going to help sell the property.

That said, there is nobody in my personal life (co-workers, friends, neighbors, extended family) with a nice audio or surround setup. I would say that less than 0.1% care enough to spend money on it.

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