Best reviewers

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.

NICE POST Carl,baby. Outf'nstanding!!! I'm sure I wouldn't know half of how to describe what I hear without the *rags*Some of this techno stuff I've been reading for years seems to have crept inside me.When I'm conversing with my "phile buddys,I feel I have to use it.Did a 3 dedicated line/dedicated ground/completed yesterday.I sure can hear further into the sound stage. I think you can't get all things from one person.While there maybe things you can't get from the one person/ if you're open/ you can get other things from that same person.And we're all standing on the shoulders of our predessors.While most of us can't bring home every thing we'd like to listen to (boy, what an understatement)we have to use these guys(or I have to) So, like them or not, I read them all. Happy Holidays!

Yep, I missed Robert Harley in my above post-- he's good, especially for digital. And I miss Corey Greenberg from when he was with Stereophile-- they gave him "room" to be himself. HP is WAAAAAAAY to long winded for me. Craig.

Anthony Cordesman. He is the only reviewer that I know of who has a lucrutive "real" job outside of the audio industry. This job does not allow him to get paid for reviewing stereo gear. This gives him the most credibility among the reviewers. (His reviews are well respected, by most of the reviewers that I personaly know, also)

Well, for once I confess I actually enjoyed carl_eber's post. Particularly his comparison of HP to Falstaff. He probably deserves that given the pompousness... on the other hand I still find him one of the most enjoyable writers, "uber alles" and "gestalt" notwithstanding. Nobody is perfect. Why, I thought REG's review of the Thiel's 7.2 was rather unfair. Other products get by with a strong recommendation or a Golden Ears award with only a passing mention to their faults. The Thiels are not perfect, but they are still a great product in their price bracket. In my opinion REG exaggerated the speaker's faults. And the assertion that he could have "heard" that the woofer was made of aluminum...give me a break !! There's a nice blind testing opportunity, get REG in a room and ask him to tell you what different cones are made of by the sound of them. In spite of al the respect I have for his opinions, in the case of the Thiel I think he is mistaken. Perhaps this post should have been more "Best reviews of All Time", since that would be enlightening as well.