Michael Fremer leaves Analog Planet

@dover, +1 on Fremer’s contributions to the resurgence of vinyl (and on “advertorials”).

I have liked Fremer since his early TAS days.  First of all, and important to me when assessing a reviewer’s relevance, is that when he speaks about the music he does so intelligently.  I remember his early TAS review of his capacitor mods to his lowly Hafler preamp and what a revelation this was for him….and me.  This was back in the day when hobbyists were just learning about the benefits of mods like capacitor upgrades.  I like his passion for the hobby and his quirky and sometimes funny style; a style befitting his background as an aspiring stand up comic…. ok, sure, let’s hear the snarky comments about that one! 

Speaking of snarky comments, I would also say that the vitriol directed at Fremer (and audio critics in general) by some “enthusiasts” is often nothing more than sheer envy.  On some level we all wish we could afford, or at least have access to all those uber expensive toys.  It’s just not fair, right?!

Exactly! 

What is laughable, if it weren’t so ridiculous, is a comment like the one above The comment above is the kind of commentary that makes this topic often pointless and not a little ridiculous. I have no great love for audio reviewers, but to so brutally criticize all reviewers and to suggest that they are all a bunch of idiots is absurd. I have read enough excellent reviews over the years from some very knowledgeable and insightful reviewers to know that the author of that commentary doesn’t know what he is talking about. Of course, some other reviews were worthless. So what?

Gives further credence to my contention that many “audiophiles” are wannabe reviewers themselves and some are resentful of not being able to afford the gear. Ironically, it is often those who clamor for the “what sound is right is strictly subjective” approach to the hobby that have the most disdain for reviewers.

He is clearly very passionate about music, “listen(s) to everything” (all genres), has a subscription to the NY Philharmonic, is very funny, doesn’t care that his listening room looks a mess and is not afraid to make a joke about offering a good review in exchange for gear. And some still wonder why he has so many fans?