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Stereophile and the love of hotel decor

I often appreciate the Stereophile review of industry shows but one thing that always bothers me is the choice of images. They often lead with a full-system image which is usually 80% hotel curtains and rugs.  That is, there's a speaker in the left, the system in the middle and another speaker on the right.  That's fine but if you look at the image as a whole, the area of the image that is covered by gear is about 20% or less.  The rest is invariably 1980's hotel curtains and rugs.

Once you see it that way there’s no going back, your eyes see the curtains and rugs forever.

I really wish they’d focus on more interesting close-ups or even montages.

erik_squires
erik_squires OP
15,826 posts
 

Yeah, I am bored.

Also, I was trying to focus on the surface area that the hotel decor takes up when you try to photograph an entire system. When your picture composition is like this:

 

Speaker<----------->Electronics<----------->Speaker

 

Invariably your picture has more of the room than the gear, by a lot. Like 80% of the image is the room and 20% is the gear. That is what I meant by saying you can't unsee it.  Not the hideous curtains but the total waste of image space.

As Robert Cappa said, "If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough."

campoly's avatar
campoly
53 posts
 

As a photography enthusiast, I totally get it. Photos like these make me cringe a little.

dabler's avatar
dabler
7 posts
 

I am starting to focus more on the “in between” in my own listening environment…trying to integrate the acoustic room treatments with millwork design. I don’t have the luxury of a independent listening room so important that the details work together without drawing too much attention to the purpose. I plan to use a 60’s inspired slat wall in walnut no drapes in sight! to integrate speakers cabinetry and acoustic treatments.

Necessity often breeds creativity, limited space of a condo collapses that residual space and intensifies the mix of materials colour and textures.

yxcbandit
25 posts
 

I hear you....if I can't be there to hear them, it would be nice if they focused in on the speakers and gear, then the back drop.

erik_squires OP
15,826 posts
 

PS - Also, I am not trying to complain about how audiogoners decide to decorate their homes.  If 1970's faux wall paneling goes well with your 1990's black oak speakers and your Technics stack, more power to you. 

I'm just saying I wish Stereophile pictures would focus on the gear and less on the hotel room.

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