Best reviewers

Aside from the laughs I get from those who nominate eber (?!), I am surprised that no one has good (or bad) things to say about HP (Harry Pearson) of The Absolute Sound. Since I am relatively new to this as a serious hobby, I do not go as far back as some of you. Yet from recent reading it would seem to me HP has made, or claims to have made, an important contribution to reviewing standards. I am not sure whether the direction he has taken has been good or bad for audio. On the one hand, I like the way he writes, which I find witty, strongly opinionated, and overall very entertaining. On the other hand I'm a little bit unsure about his technical knowledge. Namely, whether he has enough of it to speak with such authority. On the one hand, I strongly believe that listening and understanding live music is the single most important trait of a good audiophile. Yet I also think a good dosage of technical knowledge is paramount to be able to interpret what one hears, get the most out of the equipment, and make useful recommendations regarding compatibility, usage, etc. Your opinions on this would be appreciated (with eber's customary nonsense and David99s unconditional support thrown in to add a bit of humor).

Gentlemen, this post has clearly degenerated. But i'll throw my two cents anyway. Nothing tops LOTR (Lord of the Rings). Star Wars is OK, but it is commercial fare. Comparing it to LOTR is like comparing a Big Mac with dinner at Taillevent in Paris (though I acknowledge I sometimes crave for a Big Mac, and nothing else will do).

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.

eber, I concede that you know more than Falstaff than I since YOU ARE FALSTAFF !!!

Also, I'm surprised, given the nature of this forum, that no one mentioned Verdi's Falstaff (based on yet another of Will's plays, The Merry Wives of Windsor, in which the character appears). Falstaff is in my view Verdi's greatest work. You will note, Mr eber, that he is also quite pompous, as are you.

I am also revolted by J10's self-centeredness. Actually a lot of bloated-egophile reviewers regularly post on AudioAsylum, where you can verify what is being said here. Some equally egotistic equipment manufacturers and designers do to. And if I may, I will add to the list of reviewers I do not admire Mr Tom Gillet, a.k.a. Sam Tellig. His reviews usually read like "Special Advertising Sections". They are either intentionally skewed or unintentionally unconvincing.