2. misc-audio
  3. 157147-20253

In the middle of a pandemic, Stereophile reviews ~ $30K equipment

While the world is in the middle of a major economic event, the last two pieces of gear posted by Stereophile to their online site average $30K a piece.


https://www.stereophile.com/content/aavik-acoustics-u-380-integrated-amplifier
https://www.stereophile.com/content/ta-mp-3100-hv-sacd-playerstreaming-dac


If this doesn't make you feel like you belong to their target audience I don't know what will.
erik_squires
oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa
4,867 posts
 
  • "How many visitors to this thread actually subscribe to Stereophile? Most? A few?"

I subscribed since the time when Stereophile was nothing but a stapled booklet. It was run by J. Gordon Holt. It was also when Stereophile was at its best. Holt pulled no punches and called a spade a spade, and junk, junk. 

Now, it just caters to manufacturers, especially the ones who place expensive ads in the magazine. 

Has anyone noticed that Stereophile magazine keeps getting thinner by the issue, while TAS flourishes? There's a reason for that. 

As for me, I dropped my subscription to Stereophile three years ago. Why? Because I got tired of their snarky little political snipes, and the downright arrogance of one main reviewer in particular, who I will not name, other than to call him an offensive little jerk-off. 

In addition, check out the music they use to review equipment. It is mostly electronically enhanced recordings that are dripping in artificial reverb. Using "music" like that, how in the world can they honestly review equipment?

Save your money and buy records.

Frank


speedbump6
760 posts
 
I subscribe to most of the different magazines myself. 
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,110 posts
 

Received my first issue in 1972, and J. Gordon Holt became my hi-fi guru. Also liked Dick Olsher, from the same school as JGH. Stayed with the mag even after Larry Archilbald, having bought the mag from Gordon (publishing was NOT Gordon’s forte), handed the reins over to John Atkinson.

As time marched on, I found the roster of newly added reviewers to lack the point-of-view and credibility of Holt and Olsher, the new writers being from the TAS school of hi-fi critique, of which I am not fond (too subjective). After Gordon's death I found $9.99/year worth it just for Atkinson’s bench tests, and the unique and interesting approach of Art Dudley. With Dudley gone, all that’s left are Atkinson’s measurements, and perhaps Herb Reichert (Art’s heir apparent). Is that enough to keep me interested? We shall see.

erik_squires OP
16,644 posts
 
I used to like TAS, then Wilson came out with a new true bookshelf speaker and TAS published a 12 page full glossy brochure for Wilson and called it a review.  I was done. I also caught one of their reviewers doing curious things and decided it was not for me.

I've not looked at HiFi plus or What Hifi in a while but maybe I should.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Only in America. 

https://apple.news/AD8JrGLiTSxW-RraRlyjh1Q
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