Reviewing the Reviewers

I am surpised by the lack of response to this thread. Where is the anger over much of our hobby being controlled by an absolute bunch of thieving robber barons? Salvatore's site, while limited, is a fresh and revealing breath of air. It is most unlike the typical audio publication, in that there is a no BS tone. I would love to be able to subscribe to a publication such as IAR. As it is now, I only buy Stereophile. While I have NO plans to cancel(or not renew when the time comes) my subscription, I would love another magazine to come to my home. As it stands, we are more than poorly served. Where have our favorite writers gone? Dick Olsher, Robert Harley, Jack English, Peter Moncrieff, etc. Into oblivion. Replaced by the feeble likes of Jonathan Scull, Michael Fremer, Kalman Rubinson, Chip Stern, Brian Damkroger, et al. I even long for the days of Wes Phillips, who consistently characterized himself as an amateur. Sadly, there is not much else to choose from. The Absolute Sound is as much hit as miss(keeps me from picking up a subscription). Stereo Review was never anything serious, and has sold out even more. It, along with The Audio Critic are not the type of publication that appeals to us on this site. The mostly English European magazines leave me unfulfilled. Audio has bit the dust, taking my favorite audio related issue(annual equipment guide away). The Golden Days of Audio publications these are not...

trelja: i subscribe to both s'phile and tas. if i were to drop one, it'd be s'phile and its pioneer receivers. BTW, some of the better reviewers you mention have gone to the dark side of the force and now write for ht rags.

Trelja asked: Where have our favorite writers gone? Dick Olsher, Robert Harley, Jack English, Peter Moncrieff, etc. Into oblivion."

I can say FOR CERTAIN that one of those mentioned above is in the pockets of some very specific manufacturers. I know this from first hand conversations with them. I will not say who it is because i don't feel like getting sued for slander, so figure it out for yourself. It is conversations that i've had with him that made me realize just how "goofy" the reviewing game really is. Those conversations are also the reason why i've made some of the same statements that Salvatore did over on AA. Any of you that visit that site KNOW that i was very vocal about this subject and had posted about it MANY times. Over on that site they call me a "conspiracy nut" though..... Sean
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Well I think we owe a lot to Holt, who started it all, to HP, who gave us a language to describe our listening experience with and to Moncrieff for understanding cartridge loading and the influence of caps on sound. For me Salvatore is on a mighty ego-trip, scavenging on our rightful mistrust of reviews in general. I found some of his points a bit far fetched. I've stopped reading Stereophile a long time ago and still read TAS for fun, although they've bcome stale too, in my HO. I miss the days, when TAS was still young and without advertising.
Just my belated 2cents.

This one's a real head-spinner on several levels: Would it be an example of irony or hypocrisy? Or perhaps even ironic hypocrisy?