What Hi Fi and Hi Fi Choice tend to focus on the middle of the pack manufacturers and component shoot-outs. There is a tendency to judge the components based on initial impressions. To simulate real world situations, they will pair up a component with similarly priced associated equipment (budget speakers to budget amps). They certainly do not live with the components for any appreciable amount of time. They often pick the component that impresses the most as the shoot-out "winner," which is why they tend to have so many flavors of the month. For example, five star budget speaker winners have changed hands from Monitor Audio to Wharfedale to Tannoy in the space of a year over at What Hi-Fi.
If you look at the middle of the pack brands that are touted by the US magazines like Stereophile and TAS ... Creek; EPOS; NHT; Rotel... they are rarely shoot-out winners in the UK. I have chalked this up to the British magazines preferring a different type of sound (more forward especially in the treble) and using different types of music in their reviews (lots of dance). Also saving 50 to a 100 quid is considered a big deal in the British magazines, whereas we tend to be indifferent by a $100 or so price difference.
Now, Stereophile and TAS do sometimes forget that most people do not pair $600 speakers with $1500+ amps and $500 in cables, but that is what they do. On the plus side, they do spend more time learning the personality of the component.
As you go higher priced/higher end, you will see more of a meeting of the minds with the magazines that focus on these components (Hi Fi Plus; Stereophile; TAS).
Regards, Rich
If you look at the middle of the pack brands that are touted by the US magazines like Stereophile and TAS ... Creek; EPOS; NHT; Rotel... they are rarely shoot-out winners in the UK. I have chalked this up to the British magazines preferring a different type of sound (more forward especially in the treble) and using different types of music in their reviews (lots of dance). Also saving 50 to a 100 quid is considered a big deal in the British magazines, whereas we tend to be indifferent by a $100 or so price difference.
Now, Stereophile and TAS do sometimes forget that most people do not pair $600 speakers with $1500+ amps and $500 in cables, but that is what they do. On the plus side, they do spend more time learning the personality of the component.
As you go higher priced/higher end, you will see more of a meeting of the minds with the magazines that focus on these components (Hi Fi Plus; Stereophile; TAS).
Regards, Rich
