As something of a newcomer to "high end" audio I find it disappointing that a magazine like Stereophile does so little to encourage "newbies" like myself. My budget for gear probably exceeds that of others with a similar level of experience. Even so, products with a price tag much over $15K are all but untouchable. That doesn't mean reviews of "the higher priced spread" aren't interesting, just that there seems to be an imbalance between them and what are real world products for many of us. Stereophile would do well by having one writer dedicated to the "lower" high end who reviews products NOT made with unobtainium. A little more effort should also go into moving outside the very obvious circle of advertising manufacturers if for no other reason than to add a little spice and variation to the content. Not to mention maybe using it as an opportunity to regain a bit of their apparently tarnished credibility.
This is as good a place as any to add that I do understand the relationship between advertisers, periodicals and consumers. That's why comments like "The magazine only costs a buck" make me smile. The magazine costs what it costs to publish and it's more than a buck. Someone may only pay $1 out of pocket for a copy, but guess who is ultimately paying for all those glossy pictures and full page ads? Of course! We do when we buy something from one of the advertisers! That the cost is rolled into the price of a new cable doesn't change the price of the mag or who pays for it.
All that said, the most outstanding comment was from Musicslug who said to take "things with a great many grains of salt". I'd say that was one slug not long for this world! ;-)
This is as good a place as any to add that I do understand the relationship between advertisers, periodicals and consumers. That's why comments like "The magazine only costs a buck" make me smile. The magazine costs what it costs to publish and it's more than a buck. Someone may only pay $1 out of pocket for a copy, but guess who is ultimately paying for all those glossy pictures and full page ads? Of course! We do when we buy something from one of the advertisers! That the cost is rolled into the price of a new cable doesn't change the price of the mag or who pays for it.
All that said, the most outstanding comment was from Musicslug who said to take "things with a great many grains of salt". I'd say that was one slug not long for this world! ;-)