Rank Stereophile, & why no Von Schweikert reviews

Marco, you really helped me out here.

I just presumed the ad was a flashback from my drug phase. I was getting paranoid and everything...

I don't get it. One of the most common comments about Stereophile is that advertisers get great reviews and other perks. We now have an advertiser saying he didn't get any perks from Stereophile at the RMAF and people use that as a point to further criticize Stereophile. You can't have it both ways. Either the reviews are independent opinions written by journalist, or the entire mag is one big paid for ad. For hardcore audiophiles Stereophile is somewhat irrelevant since it really caters to a mass audience, but at its subscription price it's hard to pass on. Regarding Musical Fidelity, it could just be that their room was more "fun" to hang out in. Free alcohol to entice journalist, what an original idea!

When magazines never say "this product sucks" - or the socially acceptable equivalent, they can't be taken seriously. In real life, isn't it more likely that we don't like items we review? Cars? Computers or software? Aren't critics of most things critical instead of supportive? Not so with Stereophile.

They can't take themselves seriously... but yet they do when it comes to turntables. So they get all bent out of shape over products that maybe 10% of their readers and 1% of all electronics customers may purchase. This misses the mark, in my mind.

So, they have content for 10% of their readers and are bound to like almost everything they review... better hire witty, edgy and controversial writers (like that one liberal idiot) to take the focus away from the formulaic reviews each product gets.

My subscription lapsed and I don't miss it at all.

Let YOUR ears do the review.
Don't forget to enjoy the music.

My dealer said that Stereophile has a VR4jr they are reviewing!! and he's not nuts - could this be true?

If it's true I guess the pressure is finally getting to them. And the fact that the absolute sound gave the jr's stunning review might make readers wonder where Stereophiles priorities are. Maybe the jig is up!?!?

The 3 best audio magazines I know of is
1.Hi-Fi + (usefull,well written,lot of reviews,outstanding pictures.
2.Absolute Sound (Well written if you read between the lines,H.P. is amusing,takes a stand on ocassion.
3.Stereophile(Good bathroom reading,everything according to them is great,refuses to offend anyone,just once I would love to hear them say something sucks.