2. amps-preamps
  3. 180737-107

What should be mandatory in every professional published review-

When testing a company's newest amp, preamp, etc, and it is a refinement of a prior product that was on the market, ie, a Mark II, an SE version, a .2 etc, it should be mandatory that the review includes a direct comparison with the immediate predecessor. IMHO, it's not enough to know ion the product is good; it's also important to know if there is a meaningful difference with the immediate predecessor.

I'm  fan of Pass Labs, and I just looked at a review of an XP22 preamp. I find it very disturbing that there was no direct comparison between the XP22 and the XP20. And this lack of direct comparison is ubiquitous in hi-end published reviews, across all brands of gear tested. I don't blame the gear manufacturers, but rather the publications as I view this as an abdication of journalistic integrity.

 

Opinions welcome- 

128x128zavato

Showing 1 response by mikelavigne

mikelavigne
2,148 posts
 

nothing should be mandatory in a (professional) review. zero. nada.

other than stuff like editing for effective and entertaining writing.

i want no intrusion from any entity regarding review content. i want it up to me, the reader, to judge the merits. if the organization can do measurements then fine, but that’s no plus or minus to me one way or the other. relating measurements to actual listening is just not any slam dunk. but this is a very contentious issue.

reviews are data points that can be helpful, entertaining, or a complete waste of time.

i do appreciate everyone who does reviews and the time and effort it involves. i value the print HiFi magazines and on line HiFi review websites. our hobby is better that they exist.

just don’t spin a review, leave it be. 

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