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Audio Reviewers & The Music They Use In Their Reviews

At 65, I Have been into high end audio since my very early 20’s. I have probably read many hundreds if not over a thousand reviews on audio equipment and I keep coming back to the same question. Why do these audio reviewers all use music I have. Not heard or do not care for? For example, I am reading a review on a new tube integrated, and the music mostly used was either Choral, Chamber, or Classical. I listen to none of that. My choice is 90% Rock and 10% Jazz. So, after reading a review, I have to read way between the lines to see if the piece of equipment might need a second look by me.

I realize that many of the reviewers are either my age or above and that they were perhaps brought up on Classical, so naturally they would use it in their review. My greatest concern is that the millennials and even the people younger than that will never embrace the high end because they have no reference to the type of music being played, just as I do. Why can’t a reviewer use something by mainstream Rock bands to evaluate equipment?  To anyone that will tell me it’s because Classical, Choral, and Chamber are more well recorded and that if one listens to Rock, they may as well get a cheap mill outlet stereo, I say no way!

What do others think or feel about this?
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Showing 1 response by phomchick

phomchick's avatar
phomchick
209 posts
 
Rock music is super processed compressed mostly electronic sound. It has no objective reality that can be used to judge whether a reproduction system is faithfully reproducing the original. It’s like trying to judge an audio system while listening to Poèm Eléctronique by Edgar Varese. Who knows what it is supposed to sound like?

Of course, one can play rock and listen for a substantial kick on the drum, of the construction in the chest when a really loud section kicks in. But that’s not High Fidelity. That’s sound reinforcement. Do you, by any chance, have Klipsch speakers?

(And yes, I know this is a slightly snarky post, but it is authentic). 


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