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Disappointing audition after great review

Ok, so I read the hi fi mags, in print and on line. I recently read a glowing review of speakers retailing in excess of $10,000. Then I found a dealer with the speakers on display. After listening I came away thinking what wa stat reviewer thinking? Also recently I tried a pair of headphones. Read a glowing review which touted its sonic quality and noted although they were heavy, they were comfortable to wear, even for hours. So I tried those headphones. After 5 minutes I could not wait to get them off.

Makes me wonder- are the reviews little more than shill ads? Sometime I think so.

On the other hand, there is one long time reviewer who seems to hear pretty much what I do. What he likes I like.

What's been your experience?
128x128zavato
zavato's avatar
zavato OP
1,399 posts
 
That ML53 review apparently has long legs.

But my original post was the flip side- wonderful review and totally disappointing audition.

I respect Kr4's comments but I wonder if those same comments also makes any speaker review almost useless to anyone other than the reviewer.
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,678 posts
 
Good point, Zavato. However, one advantage that reviewers
have, aside from long experience, is the facility to
compare speakers (or anything else) under the same and,
hopefully, optimized conditions.
rja's avatar
rja
2,370 posts
 

Lifted from a recent Legacy speaker ad: "Room resonances and reflections make up the majority of what reaches your ears".

IF this is TRUE then most speaker reviews, at least, would have little value considering that listening environments are so different.

So the only way a speaker review would be somewhat valid is if one possesses a very similar listening room and system. This doesn't even take into account variations in hearing acuity.

The reviewer may not be a SHILL at all, although perhaps some are, and the speaker may actually have sounded excellent under their particular circumstances. Whereas the same speaker may sound only mediocre under totally different circumstances.
zavato's avatar
zavato OP
1,399 posts
 
Kr4- I understand your point and you're correct- you as a reviewer have consistency on your side and hopefully a well sorted room. But again, a speaker that excels in your environment may not in mine. However, my experience is that very good speakers seldom sound poor even with led than optimal setup.

And BTW, still enjoy my F30's
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,197 posts
 
Having worked in audio stores and had the opportunity to compare a lot of gear, it is true that exposure to a lot of different gear is an asset but most likely two differnt people will still likely draw two different conclusions when it comes to these things, even if perfectly honest and unbiased. So there you go. Salt anyone?
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