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Is Stereophile seeking a new reader demographic?

Does anyone else find this as odd, or amusing, as I do? I just received a subscription solicitation for Stereophile magazine offering me a "free MP3 auto adapter" if I subscribe for a year. The promotion includes a picture of a cheap 12-volt adapter intended to provide power to an MP3 player.

Two thoughts came immediately to my mind -- first, if I can afford any of the equipment being promoted (and "promoted" is, in my view, a polite description) in Stereophile, why would a $10.00 adapter be an incentive to subscribe? And second, Stereophile manages, in each and every issue, to say something nasty about compressed audio files. Why would they be pushing an MP3 adapter as a subscription premium?

Methinks the marketing and editorial departments ought to be talking to each other a bit more.
rdavwhitaker
inna
7,297 posts
 
Offers to give away Viagra/Levitra/Cialis would be insulting but a pack of dozen of condoms would not.
Anyway, I stopped subscribing to Stereophile and TAS years ago, mostly because I could never figure out what they really thought and felt about things they tested. I can guess better by just looking at particular piece.
chadnliz
3,736 posts
 
Who cares? Its free, use it, give it away, or pitch it in the trash. We even complain when something is free now?
I got the renew with this offer and actually thought it was kinda cool, sure it may go into a junk drawer but ya never know it may be of use or help a friend out.
hifihvn
943 posts
 
They're wondering if these devices(Ipod/Mp3) are a cause for the rise in hearing loss in teens. Talk about helping put yourself out of business.
hifihvn
943 posts
 
Let me add, I still do read their magazine.
tmsorosk
1,013 posts
 
Tomcy ...You said that Stereophile hardly mentioned server systems , witch Stereophile are you reading ? The Stereophile I read has many reviews and articles for servers , streamers , U.S.B. dac's ,ect , too many as far as Im concerned .
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