Michael Fremer leaves Analog Planet

Does anyone know when MF will join TAS?  In my latest issue of TAS, September 2022, he's not listed as a writer.

Yes, he was a founding father of New York Audio Labs but so far as I know not really an audio engineer.  He delegated that job to good people.

@dogberry: Yep, Harvey Rosenberg was the most interesting, entertaining guy in the entire history of hi-fi. I met him at SoCal retailer Havens & Hardesty, where he did an in-store to introduce his New York Audio Labs Super It phono stage.

Harvey was a well-known Decca pickup fanatic and expert, whom I subsequently wrote for advice concerning the subtleties of optimizing that design’s very finicky nature. He actually called information to obtain my phone number, and called me in SoCal from New York! We also shared a love of the QUAD ESL and OTL amps (Harvey is best known for buying the rights to the Futterman OTL and re-engineering it), but in his last years became a proponent of horn loudspeakers and single-ended triode amps.

Fremer described himself best when he quoted a reader who said he was, "a haberdasher to emperors." MF has definitely broadened the analog horizons by writing about many different turntables, cartridges and phono stages over the years. I appreciate and have learned from his passion. Like some others have already said, I do not rely on his opinions for my buying decisions. For that I am more likely to trust the British press and even then you need the salt shaker.

Fremer is the best writer for anything analog period. I'm just hoping his skin thickens a bit with the new gig.

For those who think Fremer quirky, you should have met Dr Harvey "Gizmo" Rosenberg, soi-disant Thermionic Techno-Shaman.

It's the small touches—note the fire extinguisher?

Now he was a truly eccentric and worthy man.

That he certainly would.    (DT)   :-)

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?

You get the message. Good. Happy to be of help.

@inna that's great that its none of your business. I'm curious.  

None of my business really to know how much he paid for what. 

Some of us have connections too, and sometimes we get discounts as well.

@lewm he goes through his rites of ownership in this video. I'm still curious how big of "discounts" he got from the manufacturer. I gotta admire the chaos of his room but how he says it sounds so good. With gear like that how could it not.

He once said regarding those Tara speaker cables that two guys needed two weeks to make one pair of cables. He also said that he did get a discount.

Yeah, he has to maintain reference level system, this includes reference level cables.

I am generally against criticizing audio components primarily because of their retail cost, but what could there possibly be about a pair of speaker wires that could justify a retail price of $30,000? I think MF has to use such equipment in order to make the reader feel that whatever component he is evaluating, the evaluation has been done with the best possible equipment and auditioned by a train to pair of ears, supposedly, the ears of MF. We have to keep in mind that MF does what he does in order to make a living. For the rest of us, it is a hobby, except for the occasional dealer or manufacturer who chooses to comment here.  Since he is trying to make a living, it is inevitable and unavoidable that he will have to temper his public comments on equipment, especially mega-expensive equipment. Since he has to maintain a very expensive system for the reason I cited, he likewise probably has to depend on the makers of such equipment for loans, at least sometimes for some of the gear. In the old days, Harry Pearson and probably others at absolute sound were notorious for borrowing equipment from manufacturers that they then never returned or perhaps only returned years later when it was out of date. It is not shocking or even all that damning to learn that MF may do some of the same things, although I think he has said in the past that he owns everything in his home system. Perhaps I am incorrect on that. After all, the components in his system are repeatedly mentioned in the course of his reviews, and that is valuable free advertising. I remember when Lloyd Walker told me how happy he was that Jonathan Valin endorsed his proscenium turntable and how apprehensive he was that valin might change his mind. 

Fremer doesn't say everything he has to say, you should be able to read between and outside the lines.  Also, he's got $30k speakers cables, this alone counts a lot.

He is alright and he is a very important person to keep analogue alive, especially in the US. I wish him well.

Most of time I found that the way Michael hears music falls in line with how I hear it.  I agree most of the time with his reviews.  The most intriguing to me was when he compared his 150K+ table to the Technics 1200G.  I could not believe in many ways how the G sounded very close to and in some ways, had more punch than the state of the art table.  A very honest review to say the least.

Mike is a walking, talking anthropomorphic inappropriate joke, just waiting for a chance to embarrass itself whenever he meets or interacts with an actual (and unsuspecting) human being. Its self appointed position as the coolest and funniest joke ever told, is frequently revealed while he stops to explain the attempted  humor that is so trite, juvenile, contrived, stretched, overused and/or inadequate, the words never stand on their own to the point that they produce a laugh. His poor victims smile through his mocking attempts to marginalize their culture, intellect, design acumen, patois, regional and national accents, style of dress, choice of equipment, body type, hair, lunch or the car they drive. If you didn’t grow up Fremer, you’re just not worth respecting, unless associating with you validates the walking, talking joke as the coolest walking, talking joke, which is all the bad joke really wants, besides free stuff. Don’t forget the often present punchline where the joke asks for your stuff as a memento for having come to your place of business so the joke can make a monetized YouTube video at your expense. See, you owe him for that, and it’s his way of telling you that, even if he claims it’s only a joke when you don’t immediately comply or offer up. Don’t worry, he’s experienced. He knows your embarrassment will eat at you and he’ll soon make you another offer to get rid of your stuff. Go ahead and comply this time. That’s when the tone changes and suddenly he’ll trip on himself trying to get out a few lines of praise to make you feel better about having been robbed. 
 

I think that MF was dishonest to delete some of his posts and fixed other in those threads. because no one are the original whole thread/posts. Pitty.

R.

This was other Analog Planet thread and as the other one this one was " fixed " by MF. So he took care of his " guru/expert " analog role he think he has where there is no " land " to errors.. Good for him but really a shame that he fixed all thpse threads after he learned. Yes, he still is a " figure " in audio and I'm not against that:

Here one of the threads in Analog Planet. I posted with the name silviajulieta, 3-4 posts at the end part of the thread.

Reading today the thread I can be aware that he fixed some of his mistakes/misunderstood information he posted because does not exist any more.

Anyway, only for your records.

Dear @j-wall  : One way or the other several of us at the begening or at the middle of our audio life learned positive information about analog and it's tru too that over time ( at least me. ) I learned what not to do in analog and not because what MF said in his reviews but because what he did not says.

I don't read it any more but something important is that he makes his works showing the analog news and this is fine with me.

@daveyf  he has a lot of fans but almost gentlemans that started to know about analog no more than 10-15 years and they started not because MF but because audio analog forums as Agon.

Yes, he could be " arrogant " or rude as some of you posted but I have to say that he had a very hard time with discussion with me in Analog Planet and he never  close my posts or banned of his site.

Some of those discussion that almost all were against his statements or around some very low knowledge levels by his self in critical analog subject, these some of those discussions: tonearm/cartridge alignments, SAT tonearm, new Technics TT and tonearm set up, Wilson Audio Center Stage and others.

Yes he was rude with me but at the end he took in count that he was not so rigth as he was thinking and I can tell that he learned and as me never give up.

"" he has had an immense impact on the resurgence of vinyl after the digital onslaught in the late 80's ""

I think that " resurgence " of vinyl can be discussed because almost no one ( artists and record producers/manufacturers. ) from the 80's till today  makes LP recordings with new material or new artist in the industry.

All what we get on vinyl are 7-8 re-issues of the same old recordings and this is not resurgwence but only busine$$ that with or with out MF Acoustic Sounds, Elusive Music, Music Direct and other LP sources will do anyway. That's their way of life not because MF.

As I said I learned all the analog basics mainly for him, not any more and I'm not against him even I borrowed to him my Allaerts MC2 Gold cartridge that he reviewed.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

It will be interesting to see how he fits in at the absolute sound. They have developed such an uptight DNA over the years, and that’s just not him. He is much more irreverent than any of them. I know that he can be contradictory and has annoying faults like we all do, but I like him. I always read his column, and I don’t even own a turntable.

@frogman spot on. So many here want to criticize a reviewer for trying a tweak or SR product and then also criticize them on the opposite side of the review. This whole non-start ideology is not productive. 

And the reviewers seem to know a whole lot more than the 95% of us on here or there would be a whole lot more reviewers to slander and demean.  I'm not a fan of most reviewers and the flowery language they use to convince people of the difference in products, but I appreciate them making an attempt to help push the hobby forward and to attempt to give insight into new products that most of us are after. 

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.

Reviews become important because there a very few places now to go and listen to components! That’s a big problem.

so our society has identified reviewers as being necessary and significant!

why?

ans- I have no idea especially since the reviewers have zero knowledge of psychoacoustics, nor how the human hearing system functions.

I often wonder who writes the reviews ? The composition of the reviews of gear is laughable!

A few years ago he stuck one of those ridiculous Synergistic Research HFT things on a tonearm for review, said he thought it worked great, and never mentioned it again. 

@mr_m you can speculate as much as you'd like. I work in sales with contractors face to face, daily. I don't think I'd be the guy who would be offered by Michael Fremer, sorry. 

@j-wall , I'd bet your response would be entirely different had Mikey Fremer said something like that to you, face-to-face...

Leaving Analog Planet?  I thought that he was The Analog Planet.

Exactly! 

@mr_m I wouldn't take it to heart. I personally choose not to let someone who is in their feelings and unable to articulate how they feel to dictate their entire persona. Maybe people have bad days and say the wrong thing? Maybe he meant it and is a complete jerk. Does it actually matter? The guy has been a cornerstone for readers and magazines for over 30 years. The expectations that a person needs to meet every one of my expectations of them is wholly and entirely ridiculous. 

I’ll never read TAS b/c of Valin who I find is a very dishonest self serving person IMHO

@j-wall ,

How much respect would you have for him if he told you to go f___yourself because you disagreed with him?

I'm glad to know he's still working on vinyl. I just signed up for The Absolute Sound :)

No biggie at all 

Never followed his reviews and probably never will 

Agreed @larsman. And even if I don't have the dough for a $10,000 cartridge (though I do have a $5,000 one ;-), $50,000 tone arm, $150,000 turntable, or $200,000 pair of loudspeakers, I do enjoy reading about them. I didn't intend my use of the term "academic" to be taken pejoratively! And beside, Fremer also finds and reviews best value phono products, like the Liberty B2B-1.

I find TAS to be focused almost entirely on "ultra"-priced hi-fi, but once on a while am surprised. I like Robert E. Greene's writing (he did a great review of the bargain-priced Eminent Technology LFT-8b loudspeaker), and Dick Olsher is one of my all-time favorite hi-fi reviewers (he is very much in the JGH camp).  

@bdp24 - 'who can afford the products he focuses on'?

Enough people, apparently, for these products to be made and sold and the companies doing so appearing to be doing well. There are plenty of products that I cannot afford, but I'm good with other people with more dosh being able to, and I find it interesting to read about them anyway. There are reviewers catering to all kinds of budgets.

@bdp24 Spot on. Some here dislike a person over one trivial human flaw. Or even choose to hate a person over reviewing luxury good. It's pretty nauseating to have to see how arrogant and self involved some are. Fremer has done great stuff for the industry and has added more than he has taken. He should be respected and appreciated even if you don't like how the one time you had an interaction with him he hurt your feelings. 

Fremer's reviews are for the most part academic; who can afford the products he focuses on?! But he also keeps those interested in LP's abreast of developments in the art and science of phono-related products, some of them even affordable. From Fremer I have learned of many products no one else has brought to my attention, including LP maintenance products and tone arm & turntable accessories. And then there is all his writings on the subject of cartridge design, impedance loading, and cartridge alignment, azimuth, SRA, etc. matters. There is none of us who can't be faulted in one way or another, but geez, give credit where credit is due.

Fremer has a massive record collection, and has been instrumental in getting some long out-of-print and very expensive LP's repressed. Chad Kassem of Analogue Productions has a close relationship with Mike, as do some turntable/tonearm/cartridge designers and manufacturers (beginning with Harry Weisfeld of VPI).

Fremer's departure from Stereophile may be a fatal one for the old girl, I fear (of course, I thought the same when J. Gordon Hold and Dick Olsher left ;-). I hope his new endeavors prove sustainable. Wouldn't it be great if he put The Tracking Angle back into print production?! 

I’m not sure who I can trust anymore.....

don't cryyy.... just trust your ears, you don’t need heroes, gurus and Hamelin pied piper to entrust your dreams to in this hobby

The most arrogant and overrated reviewer I've ever read. His reviews were always vague and super generic. I could never understand why they give so much importance to him. There are other reviewers whose analyzes are much more accurate and enlightening.

I had an email exchange with him years ago in which he told me of his dislike of VPI tonearms (they were all aluminum tube unipivots at the time). He mentioned that he had shared his feelings with Harry Weisfeld. I replied by asking why he didn’t share this opinion with his readers. Never heard from him again. 

I encountered him at one of the exhibit rooms at Axpona 2019. I watched as he took video of what to me was an unexciting turntable set-up and narrating his thoughts for his video which most of have seen him do-he found something of interest anyway. I had just purchased my most expensive-at that time-cartridge from someone associated with the VdH room, a Crimson XGW Strad. So with it in hand, as soon as he began to walk away I could not resist asking him what he thought of my new cartridge. He said in a very friendly hyper-manner (he is definitely a Type A personality), "my only problem with VdH cartridges is that every model sounds different from the rest, you never know what you are going to get with a new design". He then moved on hurriedly to another room.

I tell this story because I think after following him for many years and having had email exchanges with him that it pretty much captures who he is-quirky, energetic, frank, and polarizing. Watch this salute to him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZUd07Sfg4U Go to the 18 minute mark. where the second thing he said was, "I have news for you folks, all these years I have really hated vinyl". Almost nobody laughed and it only got more painful from there. Very awkward which again describes him.

The aspect of MF that turns me off the most is two-fold; a) he has a tendency to repeat as gospel engineering principles that someone else told him without really understanding it, and b) whether accurate or not, rumor has it that he takes more advantage of being comped gear from manufacturers than is accepted at Stereophile.

I met Michael Fremer once a Music Matters open house and he was spinning disks in a room with a system that featured some extraordinarily large Wilson speakers. It sounded very good. Fremer had a prerelease and apparently ultra special pressing of Fleetwood Mac Rumors that he was very proud of and which sounded phenomenal on the SME/Lyra table cartridge combo. I came up to him after the demonstration and told him I had seen the band on the Rumors tour, that the concert far exceeded my expectations, and that this system and that special pressing got very close. He looked at me with a wry smile and said “Are you sure? I saw them in 1977 and I don’t remember any of it”. I have liked him ever since.

How stupid.

Mikey is great but I am just going to stick with Stereophile.  I just cannot follow someone who espouses 'high end' cables.

Michael is one of the very few reviewers who actually gives true insight into the sound of a product. He is not afraid to point out strengths and weaknesses. With Michael--not every piece of gear is the best ever. I will follow him at Absolute Sound but I do wish they conducted measurements.

Whether you can trust him or not he's certainly an interesting fellow.

I enjoyed his vinyl rips posted online at analogue planet radio and his interview with Siegfried Linkwitz was pretty special too.

https://www.analogplanet.com/category/analogplanet-radio

@mijostyn 

I got into vinyl coz of djing in the 90’s and it being the cheapest format. How times change as dj’s use digital and vinyl is costly. The only reviewer I knew of was Alvin Gold. 
I agree with u BTW