Well, I do not have much knowledge of the situation of what happened to Scull, but I can say that Dekay and Capeguy, you two probably agree much more than you disagree. Perhaps you guys got off on the wrong foot...
Capeguy, I have been a friend of Dekay(David) for a while, and can tell you that he is a great guy.
I agree with your comments about Art Dudley. But, I have faith in the Stereophile readership. But, I guess I am only speaking for myself. I feel that we are interested in attaining the best possible sound, and want to hear about the equipment and technology that will get us there. Be it low watt, high watt, tube, solid state, analog, digital, horn, electrostatic, dynamic, ionic...
As JA said, the decision to jettison J10 was JA's alone. Now, despite my feelings on Scull, John Atkinson is no prince. In fact, he seems to be a snake. His reviews are insightful, and actually take a position. Whether or not I agree with his audio philosophy(which I do not) is secondary to a reviewer actually taking a position(which he does). I want to be left with the feeling that the reviewer has provided me with insight, and JA does do that.
Do I think that perhaps there are better candidates to be at the helm of Stereophile? I guess so, but as I sit here, I realize that whoever captains the ship will veer off on their own course. JA is obviously not a fan of tubes, which certainly are a force in the hobby. But, if someone with different tastes was the boss, would we perhaps lose sight of a different niche?
I am taking a wait and hope and see attitude right now. If Art Dudley continues on down the road he is going, Stereophile might just end up with a nice balance of all that audio is. |
Well, in this thread we have basically sealed the deal for me.
One thing Jonathan Scull always seemed to do was monopolize everything. The best equipment, the leading reviewer, the conversation, this thread... Perhaps it is insecurity. Perhaps he is a control freak. Perhaps he feels he is better than everyone else.
He defends his reviewing all the exotic audio jewelry as if, as I had asked, he was christened to live that life. A little message to you J10 - we are all cut from the same cloth. In my opinion, there are no kings, and there are no serfs. We all should spend time in the penthouse, the outhouse, and on the street. You seem to think as if you are on a higher plane. Believe this, I would have held you in much higher regard if you had taken the time to review something like the Cambridge Audio D500SE.
The Richard Gray Power Company component was expensive? It wouldn't pay for one of your gilded interconnects/speaker cables/power cords. Aren't you the one who recommended the Accuphase monoblocks be used with a power conditioner which cost more than most people's power amps?
As I said, you did a nice job in going over the physical layout of the component. In fact, I don't think that I have read anyone do a better job. Kudos. I wish the rest of your reviews followed suit. Really, I do.
The "don't get your bowels in an uproar" comment was something you used in several of your columns, and is no more cute today than it was then. I am sure you could sprinkle in a few of your father's many other favorite sayings. You may feel you are entertaining, but I don't.
I have NEVER accused Stereophile of taking money for reviews. Your reaction to my bringing up the fact that some people feel this way obviously shows you are overly defensive of the matter. Your problem, not mine...
Playing the "who do you think you are" card is the cheapest trick around. It never shows any basis in position, and I have always found it the height of arrogance. It is usually used by the "priveleged" when addressing the "uppity" when the latter hold the position in argument over the former. Don't use that crap on me, you better bring something more powerful when you take part in discussion. This isn't a magazine. This isn't a monologue. Your opinion is no more important than mine. And, this time, you don't get to write a snappy reply at the end of someone's letter to the editor; ending the discussion with you having the upper hand.
By the way, thanks for the suggestion of writing to the editor. Real insight there. I have never written one, but would if an issue so moved me. Personally, I prefer Audiogon as the forum for my audio discussion.
For your information, I do not hide from anything, and will tell you who I am - Joe Trelli -> Trelja -> TRELJA@aol.com. I have been an active member of Audiogon for a few years. People know me well here, and I have always stood by my opinions. As you stated, credibility is important. I go about establishing mine here by offering heartfelt opinion, actual experience, consistent position, and not running away from situations that call for one to stand up for themselves.
This will be the last time I write these words in this thread, but again, I never liked your reviewing style. I want to establish that I will not only say these things when the recipient is not around. I found you spending too much energy on both the praise and prose to carry any influence with me. As I stated, I felt there was not enough tangible opinion for me to get a grip on the sonics of a component. You state others feel differently. Fine. Despite me having a different audio philosophy than JA, I feel as if I am informed after his reviews.
I feel that Stereophile is now on the upswing, and the past few issues have provided me a lot more satisfaction for my investment. Part of that is the fact that you no longer are part of the review team. I did write on this very site before you were let go that I wish that your relationship with the magazine would be lessened/terminated. From what I read here, you are making a better living at Monster Cable. I guess we both win!!! |
It's completely true that I have made up my mind in this thread.
Previously, Jonathan Scull was simply a reviewer I didn't care for. As I said, the early days of Fine Tunes proved value to me. In fact, with the advice given via his brief, detailed description of the Audio Physic method of speaker placement, I was able to wrest a not so insignificant upgrade to my system.
My overall feelings of Scull in the magazine are based on a long, long Stereophile relationship. And, yes, I do read every page, every ad, every review. Even Jonathan Scull's.
Now, he is someone I flat out don't like.
Should he or anyone else care? Of course not, it's simply my reaction to him. Do others feel that way? That's for them to say.
Is it closed minded to make up my mind? If so, then I guess I am closed minded. Wonderful. J10 is making one hell of a jump with that assertion, however. Personally, I have always felt that it takes some time to determine whether a person is close minded or not. But, hey.
Maybe it's just that if one disagrees with Scull, that would make one close minded. That would be even more wonderful. I do feel that it's way overcrowded at the meetings, though.
East Coast liberal of the worst kind? Yes, I agree. He seems to be exactly that. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and the worst of the East Coast liberals have caused a lot of hell for a lot of people inside and outside of the USA. My experience with liberals of the worst kind has left me with the impression that their minds and hearts no more open than the most blatant on the other side.
I am curious to see if I am labeled a conservative, a redneck, or a "construction worker" (very elitist of him there) for feeling a certain way about the East Coast's liberals of the worst kind. But, I hope he wouldn't do anything like that. It would be closed minded.
Besides, he would be wrong.
That's why I do have a problem with someone who labels another person closed minded when they nothing about that person's system, musical, or anything else in the world tastes. To me, that's a classic case of closed mindedness.
And since we are so interested in being open minded, and I am certainly a fan of open mindedness, here are a few words to add to your spell checker Jonathan Scull: Adcom, Cambridge, Creek, Jolida, Paradigm, Quicksilver, Rega, Rogue, and Sunfire. Take a minute to investigate them.
No wait, let me ruin the suspense, they are high end audio companies. Surprise! Please take the time to listen to them - you may be pleasantly surprised. And, you may even find your mind opened a bit.
Before this weekend, I figured that the story on Scull being a casualty of the budget was true. Now, based on his bizarre nature coming through strongly in this thread, I am beginning to believe that maybe there was more to it than money.
Was it personal??? |
Has anyone read an issue of Stereophile and actually missed Jonathan Scull(not Skull)???
I was one of the more vocal opponents to the power J10 was wielding at Stereophile. I found Fine Tunes enjoyable, and was a worthwhile column without question(moreso in its early days). However, his reviews were subpar. Barring lower priced components, every review came off the same way to me. I found the most informative section his describing the physical layout of the component - which he normally did very, very well. However, praise was so lavish when it got to the sonics that I found it hard to ever finish a review and have a serious grip on what a component sounded like.
It would have been preferable to me to really have a handle on the differences between a BAT, Jadis, Krell, Mark Levinson, etc. Which systems they would work well in, and where they would falter. Instead, it was almost as if what many accuse Stereophile was at work; reviews bought via advertising revenue.
My biggest problem with Scull was whenever someone had the temerity to have him review something at a non-stratospheric price point. Then, a bad review would be written. As if to say, "Hey, you asked for it..." Was he christened to live a life of only multikilobuck equipment?
I don't understand why Stereophile sometimes has a reviewer only handle certain things. All reviewers should write about the entire audio spectrum. Scull, and now Paul Bolin, were akin to audio royalty. A component could not come to them unless they were the finest in the kingdom.
However, I have been a loyal Stereophile subscriber for a long time. And, I am paid up until perhaps 2005. My opinions are not a result of a blind rant, but stem from my absolute love of this hobby. Stereophile is the most important journal of high - end audio. They must be held to the highest standard. Otherwise, we all(listeners, enthusiasts, dealers, manufacturers, and the reviewers) suffer the effects of not trying to be the best - mediocrity.
If I sound dour, maybe that's in the past. The magazine seems to be on the upswing over the past months. Maybe I am mistaken, but I sense a definite improvement. Despite the economy, there is more energy and life in the magazine.
Personally, I have found that the inclusion of Art Dudley has been a breath of fresh air. Art is in the unique position of going after a wider range of equipment than most in the past few years. I also think a direct result of the inclusion of Dudley is that Fremer and Tellig will have to keep themselves on their toes because of the territory Art travels in. Fremer is no longer the only person who can throw down analog opinion. As to Sam Tellig, there are now two people who can write entertainingly, maybe Sam will have to throw in some detail to his reviews. Sam will have to provide more than a long story about a drive through the countryside with a line or two about "With the Brand X, I heard great resolution." |
