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Post by carlsworkshop on Oct 26, 2014 22:13:57 GMT
I gave up on trusting the hifi press when ken kessler persuaded me that the Wharfedale diamond 9.1 was a great speaker.I duly hopped along to the local stockist and couldn't believe how poor they sounded,repeat ad nauseum ! For me the mainstream hifi press is a self serving industry.Too slick and glossy. But i might be wrong,its just an opinion formed from the disappointment of hearing the stuff they used to promote. Must be 10 years since i paid money to look at advertising .
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Post by MartinT on Oct 26, 2014 22:20:35 GMT
My partner has Diamond 9.1s and I think they're great little speakers for the price. It depends on what's driving them, of course.
Also - Carl? - would you mind saying hello in the Welcome area to introduce yourself, so that we know a little about you?
Thanks, and welcome to TAS!
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Post by carlsworkshop on Oct 26, 2014 22:30:09 GMT
Hi Martin, will do. Perhaps it was Kens style that slanted my view.Its a long time ago but i distinctively remember being disappointed. Same with the b&w dm 602. Anyway i dont bother these days.
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Post by MartinT on Oct 26, 2014 23:00:18 GMT
I agree that Kessler is both entertaining and maddening. Interesting what TonyC says about his reviews of Absolute Sounds equipment, it does seem the case that he never finds fault with them.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2014 7:58:44 GMT
I guess that TonyC pretty much said it all there! I have never submitted my product (Arkless 640P phono stage) for review, even though I was once invited to by Alan Sircom, because I just can't believe I would get a fair review. My product has been rave reviewed in on line forums and is generally regarded as a true giant killer.... can you imagine any magazine publishing a review that says the same when I have NO advertising budget, no intention of ever advertising in their magazine and when a truly rave review for my phono stage could be read as saying "don't buy the expensive products in all the glossy advertising in our magazine because this one is just as good at a quarter of the price".... no I can't imagine it either! Well frankly though I don't read hi-fi+ these days or hardly any other mag I can say you would get a fair review from AS. Frankly I think the theory that magazines only pander to advertisers is a bit of a myth. While certain brands get regularly positive reviews in particular mags they do cover a range of products from smaller suppliers who may or may not advertise. In fact I get the impression that if something is not very good these days they won't even review it. Hence all reviews appear pretty positive. If you need a review to generate extra sales (which likely you don't) I'm sure you would have nothing to worry about as long as you confirm it is reviewed by someone who has a track record of reliability. Just don't automatically expect 5 globes as they may have heard something they prefered at the price (unlikely in your case I grant). I hate all this bollocks about reviewers all being bent and in the hands of advertisers. It is comparable to the attitude that results in particular products being slagged on certain forums. One of which you had 'difficulties' with the owner. |
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Post by MartinT on Oct 27, 2014 8:24:38 GMT
Certainly Stereophile have a very strict policy of advertising sales and reviews being kept separate, and with Jon Atkinson at the helm I tend to believe them.
At the other end of the spectrum, a certain low end magazine has given me cause in the past to believe that some products in their reviews were never even unboxed.
So I don't think you can make any general statement about review reliability.
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Post by jandl100 on Oct 27, 2014 9:11:32 GMT
I used to subscribe to Stereophile and The Absolute Sound (the 'other' TAS  ) but then they began to review increasingly stratospherically priced goodies and were increasingly focussed on US-only items and streaming crappola neither of which are of much interest to me. The hi-$ glamour stuff was quite fun to start with, but became increasingly irrelevant to my own buying agenda and became "oh, another $50k component - yawn". I then took out a sub to Hifi+, and that went the same way. I found I just skimmed over the content, realised this and gave up. I've not bought or read a paper hifi mag for quite a few years, although I do look online for reviews of kit I am considering and quite often turn up articles from the mags that way. |
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Post by jandl100 on Oct 27, 2014 9:28:47 GMT
hmm ... on further consideration, I think the problem is me. If I consider the totality of modern "hifi-space" - the range of prices and the range of types of hifi product - then I am only really interested in a very small proportion of what is available. Therefore a magazine that is trying to cover the full breadth of the subject will have a very small proportion of articles that actually interest me. Cheap stuff, nope. Above £5k, nope. Lifestyle - nope. Streaming, computer audio, vinyl, radio, recording, DIY, most vintage - nope. Mea culpa.  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2014 11:51:31 GMT
I guess that TonyC pretty much said it all there! I have never submitted my product (Arkless 640P phono stage) for review, even though I was once invited to by Alan Sircom, because I just can't believe I would get a fair review. My product has been rave reviewed in on line forums and is generally regarded as a true giant killer.... can you imagine any magazine publishing a review that says the same when I have NO advertising budget, no intention of ever advertising in their magazine and when a truly rave review for my phono stage could be read as saying "don't buy the expensive products in all the glossy advertising in our magazine because this one is just as good at a quarter of the price".... no I can't imagine it either! "Well frankly though I don't read hi-fi+ these days or hardly any other mag I can say you would get a fair review from AS. Frankly I think the theory that magazines only pander to advertisers is a bit of a myth. While certain brands get regularly positive reviews in particular mags they do cover a range of products from smaller suppliers who may or may not advertise. In fact I get the impression that if something is not very good these days they won't even review it. Hence all reviews appear pretty positive. If you need a review to generate extra sales (which likely you don't) I'm sure you would have nothing to worry about as long as you confirm it is reviewed by someone who has a track record of reliability. Just don't automatically expect 5 globes as they may have heard something they prefered at the price (unlikely in your case I grant). I hate all this bollocks about reviewers all being bent and in the hands of advertisers. It is comparable to the attitude that results in particular products being slagged on certain forums. One of which you had 'difficulties' with the owner." Alan is a Regular poster over on pfm and I must say I've been impressed with his honesty and openness. However, at the end of the day the magazines are a business like any other and have to consider the bottom line, hence I find it hard to believe that any magazine would give a justly deserved rave review to a product that is not advertised in the magazine, is a direct rival to many products which have glossy adverts in same magazine and is not even stocked by any of the dealers who regularly advertise.... I may well be completely wrong though  As far as sales go well yes one may have thought something which is such obvious VFM and has had so many rave reviews on forums would be flying out the door but unfortunately you would be very wrong! The demonstrator for the basic version is currently on a UK tour again though so if any of you want to try it then PM me... |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2014 16:10:28 GMT
Jez. I think if you want the business it is worth allowing it to be reviewed in that case. I'm sure any review would be positive. Though Magazines rely on big advertisers and it may be reasonable to assume they won't want to print anything to upset them, the fact that you aren't paying them anything will certainly not have an effect on the reviewer. After all AS has asked if he can review your product. Nothing much to lose especially if it isn't selling.
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Post by Sovereign on Oct 27, 2014 23:23:55 GMT
No I don't buy the hifi magazines now. I was an avid HIFI + fan but when I discovered hifi forums about 4-5 years ago I have not bought a single one. Sometimes my wife will buy me the latest copy of HIFI + and put it in my stocking.
The big difference between magazines and forums is, when I read magazines I tried to be interested in products that had very little relevance to me. With HIFI forums I can read exactly what interests me and only that, and there is a lot more of interest. Not only that but forums can aid the development of friendships, I must have been to 5 different homes in the last year or so from forum members hearing all sorts of good kit.
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Post by jandl100 on Oct 28, 2014 6:01:21 GMT
You wear stockings, James?  |
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Post by Sovereign on Oct 28, 2014 6:12:12 GMT
Obviously I do, don't the rest of us ?
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Post by danielquinn on Oct 28, 2014 10:02:52 GMT
Jez , how is wigwwam different from Alan Sircom ?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2014 13:05:44 GMT
I'm not banned by Alan Sircom for a start!
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Post by danielquinn on Oct 28, 2014 13:08:29 GMT
you are being disengenous . Thier is a review of the arkless on wigwam ? Now i know you are band , that makes it even more surprising given your published stance above .
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Post by dvh on Oct 28, 2014 14:18:04 GMT
you are being disengenous . Thier is a review of the arkless on wigwam ? Now i know you are band A one-man band, presumably. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2014 15:42:37 GMT
Frankly a magazine review is still worth more than one on Wigwam. The majority of hi-fi buyers don't read forums. In fact if you look at all the forums put together they are dominated by a very small community. They did review the Arkless then banned the designer I believe. Reading some of the inane postings on other forums it is a wonder that any new enthusiasts would join. It's notable how many sign up and post once or twice or not at all.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2014 17:04:12 GMT
Frankly a magazine review is still worth more than one on Wigwam. The majority of hi-fi buyers don't read forums. In fact if you look at all the forums put together they are dominated by a very small community. They did review the Arkless then banned the designer I believe. Reading some of the inane postings on other forums it is a wonder that any new enthusiasts would join. It's notable how many sign up and post once or twice or not at all. I am the designer and as the previous poster facetiously said, yes I'm a one man band (and nobody cares nor understands.... sorry Leo Sayer moment!). James reviewed it and a rave review it was.... seems that I was supposed to immediately open a trade account in return... I joined in a thread a few weeks later which was about Quad els speakers and had no mention of me or my products and was banned for life for my trouble... there ya go.. |
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 28, 2014 17:31:28 GMT
We don't have trade accounts here Jez, however there are a few ground rules for the gentlemen of the hifi business (& the ladies too, should there be any).
If you stand by, I'll send you a pm.
Cheers
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) but then they began to review increasingly stratospherically priced goodies and were increasingly focussed on US-only items and streaming crappola neither of which are of much interest to me. The hi-$ glamour stuff was quite fun to start with, but became increasingly irrelevant to my own buying agenda and became "oh, another $50k component - yawn". I then took out a sub to Hifi+, and that went the same way. I found I just skimmed over the content, realised this and gave up. I've not bought or read a paper hifi mag for quite a few years, although I do look online for reviews of kit I am considering and quite often turn up articles from the mags that way.
