Reviewing the Reviewers

Well Eldragon I myself am an existentialist when it comes to audio matters. This is a capitalist society we live in. And the way I see it, it kind of works something like this "Never let the whole truth get in the way of making a buck". We HAVE to be responsible for our own decisions. Why should we trust anyone to give us the whole truth. Call me a cynic, I say just pragmatic. Mr. Salvadore offers no surprises on his site. He just hit the hot buttons that we all suspected. One hand always washes the other. The rags are for entertainment. Yes we could expect more from them but my question is, ARE WE WILLING TO PAY WITHOUT THE ADVERTISING? Stereophile is in it for the money. It isn't that they lie to us, I don't see it that way. They just don't provide in their format enough information for us to make the best choices.

All Salvadore did was point out the obvious. My observation is that most audiophiles/music lovers are educated intelligent folks. I can't imagine too many that believe anything he states was a revelation. And just about all would agree with his points. As Slawney so eloquently states above (as usual Slawney, I do enjoy your dialogue and commentary on most matters), Salvadore has his own biases and preferences. The reviewers aren't the problem. They are just the messengers. Why shoot the messenger? They are just agents for the powers that be, the magazines and the BIG manufacturers. The problem is that the magazines do not compare products and attempt to give an unbiased comparison. Products are rated by price/performance not by absolute performance. There are many over achievers out there and the magazines don't point it out. My guess is that half the reviewers wouldn’t recognize it if they heard it anyway. All they need to do well is write and maintain a minimum degree of credibility.

The reason for cheap subscriptions is to boost circulation which increases advertising revenues. We think we are getting a deal when in reality all that is happening is the rags and manufacturers just get closer and cozier. At whose expense? Well hot damn, why would they want to do that? And now here comes Martin Luther Salvadore, the Great Reformationist. And what does he do? He starts shooting the messenger and then goes on to tell us the REAL truth. His intentions may be genuine but in every cult following there is too much absolutism which must be followed. And that is pretty much the way I read him, as Reprince says, a Zealot. If you want honest opinion and truth, you’ll get a better sense of it here on this site than any magazine. We all have a common vested interest. Here there are thousands, the rags only have a handful and remember, most are nothing more than good writers.

JGH “In who’s ears we trust”. Yes indeed Gordon, we certainly did.

Bluntly put, the magazines are whores. But what does that make us? The magazines, like a prostitute, are good at feeding our fantasies.

A question: Honestly, aren't we all a bit infantile, speaking of trusting the magazines and complaining of trust betrayed. For heaven's sake, these guys must make a living like us and how can we be sure ourselves, that we - with conflicting interests - are always able to choose the right path? Audio publications are not there to be trusted. They exist to make interesting and sometimes enlightening reading....and to make money. Besides, in the publications I like to read, I am continuously told something in the way of " this is what I hear in my setup, BUT TRUST YOUR OWN EARS." So lets grow up and forget about Salvatore, who peddles to the childlike, who still like to believe in Father X-mas, hoping to be the great Zampano himself.
Wow, this will get me minus points, but I had to get this off my chest.

hey, i liked trelja's nyc post - i also liked djjd's response to it. i like arthur salvatore's site - i've had it bookmarked for 2 years, & i acshully bought someting from him. but, i also like s'phile & have been a reader since '84. i also abhor hypocricy - how can that be? easy - i have a *brain*! :>) i can read what i want, like what i want, dislike what i want.

djjd is right, imo, that trelja wasn't taking everyting into account in his nyc report. i appreciated trelja's report still, being able to identify all djjd's objections myself, before djjd even said anyting about it. trelja doesn't have to say the rooms sucked - i can figure it out. i was even at the '96 show, so i *know* about poor room set-up. if the above is true, then how can i like what djjd said? simple - yust cuz i don't draw the same conclusions as djjd - ie: i won't write-off trelja's opinions - doesn't mean i don't tink djjd makes walid points. the same is true w/the salvatore-vs-reviewer idea. i like salvatore *and* reviewers. sure, there are some reviewers i like better than others. sure, the rags make their money from the adwertizers. but, i feel i have the ability to separate the wheat fromn the chaff... no one's perfect - take what ya need, leave the rest. if someting registers high on yer bullshit detector, then go ahead & say someting about it - i sure do! :>) but, i don't lose any sleep over it.

regards to all, doug s.

I agree with much of what you say Detlof. However I think you underestimate how many people feel betrayed by the true motivations of most of the mainstream rags. It didn't use to be the way it now is. There was more integrity when there was little or no advertising. Sure the magazines need to make money and the mainstream ones make more than ever at least Stereophile does. I myself feel that it is a good value overall. You get good technical info on the products ala Audio. I do feel that their reviews for the most part are to the contrary of enlightening. They are so generic cookie cutter in their descriptions that you could easily apply one review to any other. Is this the fault of the reviewer or are there editorial lines that the reviewer must stay within? My guess is the latter. I would rather see more honesty in how they really hear and feel about a product and I seldom get a sense of that.

Of course they tell us to use our own ears and ultimately that is what we must do. The problem that I see is the allegiance that the mags have to the Major Manufacturers that get much more exposure because they advertise more. I find this very self-serving and not in the best interest of the readership or hi-end audio as a whole. They also do not compare products. There used to be more of this. This is one feature of the Absolute Sound that I really do like. Small manufacturers that can't afford to advertise may make it to the recommended component list but don't stay too long if they don't advertise. This is really a very calculated format issue that is more in the interest of the manufacturers than the readership.

And that brings us to the real beef I have and one area I totally agree with Salvadore on, their Recommended Component List. It is little more than a marketing tool to sell more copy and appease manufacturers', killing 2 birds with one stone. The readers seem to like it and the advertising is heavier than ever in those issues. I do not feel it is critical enough of the components that are selected. What with A+, A etc. Maybe I'm in the minority but I personally find it almost useless. I have listened to some of their “A” rated components and there is NO way that they should be included among the best, period, IMHO. Except I don't feel too humble in my adamancy on that point!!

The best parallel that comes to mind is the triad of legislators, lobbyists and voters. The legislators need the lobbyists to raise enough money to be elected by the voters. Yet they are often beholden to the interests of the lobbyists which may be at conflict with the best interests of the voters. The manufacturers need the magazines to get exposure for their products that the reader wants. The magazines are beholden to both their readership and the manufacturer. Satisfy both needs with the ultimate realization that by balancing both, they will make money. I feel the balance has gradually been moving over to the manufacturers and the readership has become little more than a commodity in achieving the primary goal of increasing the bottom line. Capitalism at its true essence. There is no reason to believe it should be otherwise. Your allegiance is going to be stronger to the customer that is the greatest source of your revenue. So can we "trust" a magazine to be completely honest in the interest of its readership? No we can't. All we can be is entertained and enjoy it for what value it does offer. And when those values becomes lost on the readership at large or if the market changes faster than the magazine can adjust to, they just go out of business.

And to the last point. JG Holt found the magazine on a principle that is still remembered by some. And it wasn't about making a lot of money. The magazine was established by an audiophile for audiophiles. Maybe it is expecting too much for things to remain the same but it appears that the ideals of this publication and its goals have pretty much been lost over the past 15 years. It sure is reminiscent of George Orwell's Animal Farm to me. A gradual shifting of allegiances in the name of Capitalism over Ideals. I will not use the word corrupt, a strong word and one not to use lightly. My final .02 cents on this thread.