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HiFi reviews in general, and 6moons in particular


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in the interest of reading widely, if its a specific item I'm researching, I'll search using a foreign language or start on a foreign Google page (e.g. Deutschland or Nederland or the home country of the component) then slog thru any review using Google translate. They tend to use “test” not “review”

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1 hour ago, wasabijim said:

in the interest of reading widely, if its a specific item I'm researching, I'll search using a foreign language or start on a foreign Google page (e.g. Deutschland or Nederland or the home country of the component) then slog thru any review using Google translate. They tend to use “test” not “review”

 

Anyone who can comprehend a 6moons review will have no problems using the above approach.

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This forum. 

 

And PM the people directly with gear you're interested in so you don't get bogged down in threads gone mad. 

 

I find searching the classifieds is a good bet. Usually find someone happy to talk about the gear they had and how it compares with what they have now. 

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On 04/03/2021 at 8:00 PM, Hatzi said:

John Darko (I saw him make a coffee and I lost all faith in humanity let alone taking his advice)

 

I hope you’re  joking.  

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I used to love HiFi World in the years before Simon Pope took over which pretty much killed the mag for a good while.

Haven't had the $$ in recent years to return to solid paper mags.

Would be really interested in David Price's view of the changes that occurred in HiFi World over the years.

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I generally use reviews and websites such as here to keep up to date with what is out there - ultimately, my ears (and wallet more importantly) make the final decision.

 

If I find that the day at work has been a little too stimulating and sleep is eluding me, I venture over to 6Moons where a competition to see who can abuse a thesaurus the most times in a single paragraph is a badge of honour apparently.....micro dynamics / macro sensory inputs / ethereal awareness of the cables vice like grip etc etc - **** word bingo on steroids. I feel dumber after reading a review there........

 

Unfortunately, the days of the late Ralphe Neill at Australian HiFi and the Age Green Guide are long gone - he was a great reviewer beholden to no-one - I vaguely recall him giving a Nakamichi (from memory) product some well researched stick when everyone else was fawning over it by- no Christmas cards from the distributor that year I bet!!

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4 hours ago, Sime said:

 

I hope you’re  joking.  

You didnt find that funny? As always I amuse myself more than others it seems.

 

No I did not lose all faith in humanity and I still watch/read his reviews but his coffee making is hilarious. I gotta find that review where he makes a coffee as part of his filler scenes, its the thinnest wateriest most insipid thing ive ever seen! 

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26 minutes ago, Pigpen said:

I generally use reviews and websites such as here to keep up to date with what is out there - ultimately, my ears (and wallet more importantly) make the final decision.

 

If I find that the day at work has been a little too stimulating and sleep is eluding me, I venture over to 6Moons where a competition to see who can abuse a thesaurus the most times in a single paragraph is a badge of honour apparently.....micro dynamics / macro sensory inputs / ethereal awareness of the cables vice like grip etc etc - **** word bingo on steroids. I feel dumber after reading a review there........

 

Unfortunately, the days of the late Ralphe Neill at Australian HiFi and the Age Green Guide are long gone - he was a great reviewer beholden to no-one - I vaguely recall him giving a Nakamichi (from memory) product some well researched stick when everyone else was fawning over it by- no Christmas cards from the distributor that year I bet!!

Maybe its indeed a case or word bingo or I am merely a simpleton and philistine (I snuck the word philistine in to pretend im not one) either or, I think if it becomes hard work reading a review then its probably not the review for me. Not that I am lazy or disinterested but it does need to resonate somewhat with me to keep me working through a wall of text. 

 

The more im learning the more I realise I know nothing, and would prefer not to cloud my judgement with an advertorial disguised as a review, hence reaching out to stereonet members for their wisdom. Thanks again all!

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hehehe, cutting through all the crap that is included in every review is the most challenging part of the learning process. But hey, this is how these people make a living and there's no way around it. Even though I'm very sceptical about every single review I read, I'm still subscribed to Stereophile (more than 20 years now) and keep buying HiFi News and Record Review at the local newsagent, just so I can get at least two perspectives of the industry. I love reading about hifi, and each magazine has a small music section, where very useful tips can found about new releases, vinyl or digital. Note that UK mags are generally a lot more biased toward their own locally made equipment, at least that's what I noticed.

Another important thing is knowing the taste of the reviewer. No matter how objective they claim to be, they will have their own preferences, either toward type of equipment, or toward particular manufacturers, brands or designers. 

     

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I wouldn't be trusting any one or two reviewers.

 

The difficulty in auditioning in your own home makes reviews (to me) necessary for a shortlist and they have resulted in some purchases—none of which have been a mistake—so far:).

 

However, I was taught how to accumulate information and evaluate it, and only then act.

 

To read reviews you need to work out what you like and dislike and then read enough by each reviewer to learn their likes, , dislikes, and foibles. It also helps to think about any agendas that they may have (advertising dollars for instance). Then compare their reviews with what you know you like/want and work from there.

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21 hours ago, LHC said:

Here is a cynical opinion piece about the Audio Press and Magazine from an experienced audiophile and ex-retailer

 

http://www.high-endaudio.com/magaz.html#Con

 

Yes, in the end he does recommend a few worthwhile magazines

 

 

100%. However he doesn't recommend any magazines.  He tells of when certain  magazines could last be trusted, meaning there are none now.

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Guest Eggcup the Dafter

One way to judge the value of reviews or a particular reviewer is to read reviews of equipment you've owned in the past. or know well. In a fair few cases you'd be in for a shock!

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I think Ken Kessler ( Hi Fi News a UK magazine) really good value. The reviews posted under AUDIOGON are a different matter and I find a lot of contributors really over the top negativity-wise.

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On 14/08/2020 at 12:29 AM, Marc said:

I do believe there aren't many bad products out there these days. If there is, they may be a a DIY product or from a tiny, obscure boutique manufacturer who will never put many out in the marketplace anyway. Occasionally, reviewers request a specific product that interests them, but more often we are asked or offered a product for review. The smart product managers these days already know how good their product is, how it competes with the competition on performance and price, and will never send something out they think is not up to scratch....

 

And I'll volunteer the Crossly turntables as one of the less-common bad products! 

 

In a more serious vein, while I do agree in general that there aren't many bad products out there (the technology has matured), there is still variation at pricepoints.  For example, one SNA member has compared many phono stages and has reflected that some expensive model's performance is similar to lower-cost models, and I also recall similar comments in threads about the quality of some DAC's being less than the majority of competitor's products at the same pricepoint.  So I think it is appropriate for a reviewer to make comments like "while it produces a good sound, it's not meeting the quality of it's competitors" or "this model's performance is a cut above other's at the same general price point". 

 

And I do acknowledge that making negative comments about a product is difficult for magazine reviewers, as they don't' want to bite the (advertising) hand that feeds them.  The diplomatic approach reported that they tend not to review the poorer quality items is understandable.  However, it does give the impression that there are no bad products out there, which I'm sure is not the case (although less common). 

 

 

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13 hours ago, Irek said:

Agree 100%. Different reviewers are paying attention to different details. I like:

stereo.net.au

Thomas & Stereo

audiosciencereview

ASR is a real mixed bag IMO.  I find the speaker measurements really interesting and informative.  But the range of speaker types tested is small and very skewed.   And the electronics reviews are verging on pointless - a never ending list of  DACs with sub-audible distortion.

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23 minutes ago, RoHo said:

ASR is a real mixed bag.

Yes, they are crazy about distortion and measurements but they have some good points as well. As example if 2 DACs or preamplifiers have almost identical measurements it's going to be very hard to hear any difference during auditioning even if there's significant gap in prices.

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On 05/03/2021 at 11:33 PM, LHC said:

Here is a cynical opinion piece about the Audio Press and Magazine from an experienced audiophile and ex-retailer

 

http://www.high-endaudio.com/magaz.html#Con

 

Yes, in the end he does recommend a few worthwhile magazines

 

 

Yeah I read that - thanks for the link.  Mags are commercialized but if you stick with one mag for quite a while you get to understand the reviewers.  After a while they will review products that you have.  Whether or not your experience is the same as the reviewers you will start to develop a 'relationship'.  Well it would be a relationship if it was two-way.  A few mags I follow are Stereophile (USA), Stereo (Germany) and Hi-Fi News (UK), Australian HI-Fi.  Incidentally all include some measurements.

 

So much for the subjective stuff.  What I cannot fathom is even why there is a Subjective vs Objective debate.  There is surely no speaker (or electronic) manufacturer in the world that does not follow measurements and also listen.

 

My position is that I will take on subjective reviews but also I am interested in measurements. 

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There is no substitute or alternative to hearing top sound gear in a treated room. By this I mean the better hi-fi showrooms, GTG systems and the homes of friends. It's identical to the process of developing your sensory experience in the fields of wine & food, or in art. Education and understanding and appreciation.

 

Your personal preferences are always in comparison to the 'real thing'. So, you must listen to live music as well to keep yourself 'tuned'.

 

Reviews are very difficult to write because they're inherently subjective. I like them particularly when they venture into territory I could never afford to explore! But, one man's meat is another man's poison; why bother taking up arms? There's room for all opinions (surely).

 

Long live variety and this Forum.

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