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 snapsc

Not Mandatory....but....some things I would like to see because they would be helpful to potential buyers:

1.  Take your own photos...top, bottom and back...and obviously the front and if it is speakers, grill on and grill off...why the bottom...I might care about the feet or the holes, or anything else that can be seen.

2.  If its an amp, then use you IR gun and shoot the amp in a bunch of locations...how hot does it get near the bottom, side, back...maybe I'm using a somewhat closed in cabinet and I care if it reads 95 degrees on the top but 120 on the bottom left.

3.  Show me another photo or two of the packaging.

4.  And if the article/review doesn't have room for the photos, no problem, post them elsewhere and give me a linkl

5. What are the problems that might bug someone...does it click, or pop, or hum or anything on start up or shut down?

6.  The sound...the more comparisons the better....and don't just use "audiophile" music....use some stuff that people actually listen to beside audiophile music.

7.  Say a few words about your own bias...what do you like, what do you not like.