Reviews - Your Pet Peaves

Griping about them.

Opinions, photos and measurements...count me in. If you understand how this little industry works you learn to read between the lines. A notable periodical editor just explained away the MoFi controversy like a dark money financed politician. So what?  

Information and trial and error seems to have brought us all a degree of satisfaction.  

The QUAD ESL? Made in England and out-of-production, so perhaps not. Call Nelson Pass and ask for a recommendation. He himself prefers single/full-range driver designs.

+1 @mlsstl

It's very hard to figure out what someone else is hearing -- not only because of differences in equipment and room but because of the vague vocabulary involved. Reading reviews both before and after are part of the intellectual quest in this hobby to figure out what we understand about our own experience and those of other people.

My pet peeve with reviews has been overlooking flaws that matter to real users. An example is the multiple streamers reviewed that don't do gapless playback flawlessly, and little or no mention in many reviews.

Also, reviewers if they buy get something like 50%-60% off retail, so they can sell without taking a bath. Thus, their perception of value is quite different from a typical working person.

Good luck with your situation!

@ mesch

I don't find this review..maybe too soon to be on the website?

+1 @mlsstl  The recent review of the Tannoy Sterlings in Stereophile shed much light (JA's measuments) on issues I have with my pair. 

There are at least twol reasons to read reviews of equipment you've already bought.

First, if you are like most on this forum, audio is one of your hobbies.  You enjoy reading on the subject, whether it involves stuff you already own, items you're thinking about buying, or esoteric gear that you'll never have a chance to own.  All of it is just interesting to you.  The same is true of car nuts, knitters, sports enthusiasts and any other hobby out there.

The second reason for reading a review for something you already own is to see if the reviewer's opinion lines up with yours.  It can be very useful to know if a particular writer's viewpoint matches yours or if you think they are full of it.  That can be very helpful when they review something you don't own, but are considering.  If they are in your camp, or out of it, that'll give you a good indication of how seriously you should take their comments.

I read reviews before and after purchase. Before to prepare and compare, and after to determine if I agree… listen for characteristics I may not have noticed. I will also reread a year later… when I really know my component. 

@thekellers1 

Good answer.

Good luck in your quest.

If a reviewer’s system is of high quality and relatively transparent then they’re likely in a good position to reveal the general sound characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of that amp that will likely translate to your system as well.  

It makes sense for them to use speakers they are familiar with (esoteric or not), that way they can compare the sound of different amps, it works the other way also, they would use a setup they know the sound of, to compare to other amps/DACs etc. 

The good news for you is, there are plenty of folks on this and other sites that can tell you their real-world experience with setups that might match what you are looking for. It helped me to match a new amp to my speakers.

Well that amp only puts out 25 watts and it’s already at .02% distortion at 1 watt so stick with speakers that are very easy to drive. Horns come to mind as type.

Simple, I am looking to upgrade my speakers..so looking for viable candidates

Not sure of the motive for reading reviews if you’ve already purchased.

Write one, using your speakers that I’ve probably never heard.