++++StereoPhile Class A components+++++

Helcat: I don't know whether to take your post in jest or not. I wasn't trying to "name-drop", i was trying to point out that my comments / points of view have remained consistent regardless of who i was talking to and where it was said.

For the record, i do enjoy my music, my systems and the correspondance that takes place on forums of this nature. If i didn't, i wouldn't be involved with any of it. Sean
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NO, i don't agree with most of what their ratings have to say and / or how equipment is ranked. Having said that, i'm waiting for Musical Fidelity to start making speakers. After all, why wouldn't they ? We already know that they would surely warrant a "Class A" rating, even if they broke within the first 24 hours of operation. Sean
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Paulwp: That's a great observation you've made. While i never really paid attention to that in Stereophile, i have used a similar line of thought on various salespeople at Best Buy regarding Blose products. For instance, i'll ask them if they think that Blose products are built to sound "as accurate as possible" or if they have "a family sound that the designers think is musical". While they usually look at me as if i'm from Mars, they can finally understand what i mean after further explanation. Once we've reached that point, i then get them to listen to each of the different Blose products side by side, one after another. Their displays allow one to do this at the push of a button. In case you've never done this, each model sounds markedly different from one another.

Once they have been "shown the light" and see what i'm talking about first hand, they can then FULLY understand what i was getting at. One model is no more "accurate" than the other, nor do they have a familiar sound from one model to the next. They all sound like junk in different ways and are selling based on hype and reputation only. Once the salespeople realize these facts, they may have a harder time peddling this type of "low-fi" garbage. That is, if they have a conscience....

It's just part of the war on "audio junk" that i wage while working undercover as a plain-clothed civilian. At the same time, it is a small step towards helping to educate someone that is in a position to educate someone else. I'm hoping for the trickle-down effect : ) Sean
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As long as we have at least one member of Stereophile reading this... : )

I have more respect for a few specific reviewers than i do for others. Some are more willing to divulge information than others. Having said that, most of that information has to be garnered via CAREFUL discernment. To those writers / reviewers, i say THANK YOU for at least trying to "sneak" the truth out. I have to believe that walking the tightrope that's suspended between the manufacturer and consumer requires more than just a little balance. This is not to mention making the Editor happy at the same time.

As to a question that i have, it seems as if more and more gear that is sent in for review is defective or breaks down during the review period. While my thoughts about this may be different since they are based on the fact that i work in the electronics repair / modification industry, why doesn't product reliability / QA ( Quality Assurance ) carry more weight in the ranking of a product ?

Quite honestly, a product that can't hold up to normal shipping and is damaged in transport is either poorly designed, poorly built or not very well packed, etc... With the money that we pay for these products and the profit margins involved, i would think that manufacturers could afford a little more foam and / or an extra box just to make sure things aren't "beaten to death" in transit.

Besides that, a product that fails during normal use, especially more than once in a review or warranty period, is a faulty design as far as i'm concerned. With the lethal voltages inside some tube based gear, safety now becomes a far greater issue here.

On top of that, I find it rather "difficult" to believe that a reviewer would write such a glowing review about a product IF they had to step through the same "flaming hoops" that most consumers deal with when equipment failure arises. After all, having to cover shipping expenses and the "down-time" incurred during such situations can be a REAL damper on your opinion of a product. On top of that, putting the reviewer through the "hassle" of having to deal with such a situation might make for a more realistic assessment of "customer service" from some of these manufacturers also.

As such, have you folks given any thought to this ? If so, what are your plans for future reviews where such a situation is encountered ? Please remember than not all end users have a dealer within walking distance, nor do all dealers supply loaners, etc... In some cases, the dealer wants nothing to do with warranty claims as it is up to the manufacturer to stand behind their product. Sean
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Kal: I meant that you only poke your head out from under the rock when it was safe to do so. No negative connotations implied as using that approach would only show a sign of "smarts". Your last comment ( or lack of one ) only proves the point : ) Sean
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Helcat: I have no problems with Kal or his reviews. As i mentioned above, i think that he ( and most all other reviewers ) are between a rock and a hard place. What path they take to get out of such a place is up to them.

As such, i think that Kal ( as an individual ) does a fine job of walking the tight-rope that we ( as regular readers of his work ) and the "powers that be" at Stereophile have provided for him. And for the record, yes, i knew that he was posting under the moniker of Kr4 prior to this thread. Sean
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Helcat: My position about Stereophile ratings has not wandered one bit, nor am i "sucking up" to "a famed reviewer".

Having said that, i'm NOT going to put Kal on the spot. I will only say that i've found his reviews to offer moments of critical insight that i've found lacking in the reviews of other Stereophile employees. THAT is why i don't have a problem with Kal or his reviews.

The fact that Kal has very little to do with overall Class Ratings at Stereophile also comes into play. That info can be found in another thread that he, i and JA were involved in over at AA. For that matter, if you had ever read ANY of my public correspondance with members of Stereophile at AA, you would know that i'm not a "brown noser" in the least. I try to call them as i see them, good or bad. As such, i've posted "kudo's" to them when i really enjoyed something and dished out criticism when i thought something was "fishy" or poorly executed. After all, i am one of the bosses there and have the right to voice my opinion. As to how i am one of the "bosses" there, my subscription fees help pay their bills and paychecks : )

As far as cancelling subscriptions go, i'm not going to do that as i'm prepaid for another three years or so. Whether or not i like specific attributes of the magazine is besides the point. It is a great source of info / current trends / occasional technical articles. In that respect, it is worth way more than what we pay for it. As some may recall, i had actually encouraged JA to raise the price of a subscription so as to minimize the dependency of the magazine on advertising revenue. I still have that point of view and would put my money where my mouth is should they decide to go that route. Sean
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Paul: That was a very nice overview of my past "discussions" with the folks at Stereophile, especially given our personal differences in the past. Hats off to you for being a complete gentleman about those differences and presenting a very fair synopsis of the situation. I would only add that i've had more than a few "run-in's" with JA and, to a far lesser extent, John Marks. Kal must have found a good rock to hide under or is either more selective / more careful about how and what he writes : )

While i would be willing to pay more money for what i would consider a magazine of higher calibre and integrity, i too have to agree with your assessment of the price structure of components reviewed. While it is true that technology and R&D take both time and money and a manufacturer has to recoupe that somehow, the prices on the majority of "high end" products is beyond belief. Quite honestly, i can't afford the mass majority of products reviewed or featured in these mags anymore. That does not mean that i don't want to be aware of them and / or the technologies / design theories that went into creating them though.

As a side note, folks might want to take a look at this very recent Stereophile based thread on AA. Some may agree / disagree with the points that i bring up there, but everyone is welcome to voice their opinion. I'm sure that JA and those that run Stereophile would like to hear from their subscribers on this matter as it could be the future of the magazine. Sean
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