Best reviewers

Joe with reference to Harry P. he IS the reason I stopped subscribing to TAS that is when he was Publisher and Editor. He spent too much time Stereophile bashing. He also gives himself too much credit for developing terminology “intelligibility” was one of them that rings a bell. He also supposedly coined the phrase “Hi-End” to differentiate it from Hi-Fi. I recently tried a trial subscription of TAS and Harry was still where I left him, making derogatory remarks about Stereophile. His pomposity and know it all attitude is not to my tastes although I’ll admit he does have a unique style of prose and always has me running to the dictionary to look up words I’ve never heard before. I like meat and potatoes reviewers, those that have a clear concise manner of communicating what they hear and have a reference point that can be followed for all to understand. A sense of humor also helps. JG Holt probably more than anyone contributed most of the language that is currently used to describe characteristics of products and was certainly the first individual to note subjective differences of audio products through publication of “The Stereophile” now Stereophile.

Tubegroover, I also stopped reading TAS, because as much as like the writings of REG, HP was really starting to pluck my nerves. How many times can use the expressions "uber alles" and "gestalt" into a review.Harry needs to relax and quit being so pretentous. But Robert Green is best writer out there in my mind. Duckboy

Robert Harley seems honest,thorough and unhyped whenever I have had a chance to read something he has reviewed.

For a completely different perspective, one that is not influenced by the amount of advertising dollars paid to his magazine (because he doesn't have one)look up Arthur Salvatore at www.high-endaudio.com Very refreshing and well experienced in audio reviewing. One of the very few people who openly expresses his prejudice's and bias and rational for them.Best of all: it s free.

For those who like Robert Harley, I feel that his absolute best review (and I've said so here several times before) is that of the original Wadia 27, back in 1996 at Stereophile. To compare Stereophile back then, to now, is like comparing the original "Jaws", to its sequels. His book is good too, but the screwed up way he refers to "the listener" as "she"....well, that's 1990's political correctness run amock....like my old friend from another thread, the "rabid gorilla". Anyways, the way so many used to lament the "old days of Stereophile, back when JGH was in charge"....well, I'm now lamenting the "old days of the mid 1990's", back when JA owned Stereophile, and defended it to naysayers with "I'll do what I want with MY magazine"; and was revered by most everyone. Nostalgia is a drink best served by the gallon, apparently, but nonetheless seems genuine for me. BTW, as stated above, my fave reviewer is Fremer...followed VERY closely by Harley (who is past his prime...but who isn't?), and then Wes Phillips (has his own site thru onhifi.com).............Harry Pearson is old and pompous, and the reason to read him is if he's reviewing something that nobody else gets to review. He certainly can't hear well enough to make value judgements on anything, IMO, and yet he sees himself as the Zeus of audioland....it's more like Falstaff. Jonathan Valin is very musically inclined, about as much so as Harley is technically inclined (i.e., a lot). Sam Tellig (not his real name, for those of you who truly are wet behind the ears) NEVER tries a product he doesn't like...but then, how many of them do? Not many: Jonathan Scull hated the "Powerstation" filter, but so what? JGH, only cares about making his own symphonic "surround" recordings, and thinks everybody who listens to 2 channel "doesn't know crap". Jonathan Scull is good for a laugh, except when you realize that 2000 is the first year in a long time, WHEN THERE WAS NO STEREOPHILE SHOW...hmmm........................AND THE ABSOLUTE WORST REVIEWER IN THE COSMOS IS THE EDITOR OF AUDIO REVOLUTION.COM, Jerry Colliano. If you want to read a hilariously lame review by a rank amateur, read his Wilson Watt Puppy 6 review at that site.