Rate the Audiophile Publications


What's your experience with recommended (or trashed)systems in the audiophile publications (Stereophile, Absolute Sound, What Hi Fi...)? I just read a nice thread by Trgi@flash.net (gregg) asking about the highly rated BEL 1001 and he got a couple of negative replies. That got me to thinking -- which magazines (paper or online) are trustworthy according to fellow audiogoners? Any opinions or experiences? Everyone has a different ear, but are there obvious omissions or differences of experience? Thanks.
ozfly
My two Fav's are Bound For Sound and Listener is ok.I hate British MAG's.They tend to play up made in England gear to much.Rgds Peter
Metaphysics, I hear your point and it's well taken. The thing is, is that even if they are skewed towards the people who advertise with them, I have still learned about this hobby from reading them. For example, I had never heard of either Cary or Krell before starting to read Stereophile, which was Summer of '97. Both of these brands have their supporters, and after listening to them both I have learned that I don't care for Krell but I really like the "Cary sound". Now that I knew this, but realizing that I couldn't at the time afford Cary gear, I started using other sources (Internet, local dealers, whatever) to find out about more companies that made tube gear. Now I am using and enjoying an integrated by Antique Sound Labs. My point is is that without reading the 'Phile I wouldn't have even known where to start looking. It's always important (I believe) to take in as much information as is possible, and in this light I find the "limited" roadmap that is Stereophile to be helpful.
My two Fav's are Bound For Sound and Listener is ok.I hate British MAG's.They tend to play up made in England gear to much.Rgds Peter
I would read all of them on a particular product. To me it was a good/better sign that a product might really be worth investigating/purchasing if publications of opposing viewpoints liked it, like Stereophile and The Audio Critic, or if the product was liked under different cultural lenses, like the European magazines and the American ones. I don't read them anymore, but I did like the Audio Critic, I know I'm the odd-man out on that one.
Thanks everyone. I just posted a new thread listing out the current and all the past thread "winners" and a few more with their site locations. I thought it might save some folks some time in the future (this stuff needs to be updated constantly though). It's listed as Audiophile Magazine Web Locations -- FYI.