Any Advice for those Listening to Youtube Reviewers?


I’d like to recognize that it takes a great set of self promotional skills to become successful in the Youtube world. That said most of the audio reviewers I’ve seen don’t have the experience to review, or the kind of space that would really allow gear to shine.

Most of them start of with K-Mart like gear, did their formula and got popular, and jumped far up the audio food chain. Of course everything they review is going to be great compared to the Service Merchandise system they sold last year.

Just throwing it out there that people should be careful listening to these guys that are mostly working for the views/money (not that some aren’t passionate).

Anyone else seeing this?

bjesien

The OP is flat out wrong about the better internet reviewers. Kmart gear, really? Have you seen Jay's Audio equipment? Jay has spent more on room acoustics than most magazine reviewers paid for their reference gear. I would listen to the better internet reviewers over ANY of the magazine reviewers for a few reasons.

1) When was the last time you saw a negative review of any piece of equipment in a magazine review? Never (except the for the botched Totem review done by a magazine 10-15 years ago). Why did a magazine have to add a column in their Axpona review last year that was on the worst sounding rooms? It's because a few of the internet reviewers already made those claims months earlier so they didn't want to look bad. BTW:a couple of those rooms had a couple hundred thousands of $$$ worth of equipment that this magazine just gave glowing reviews on the month before.

2) Most magazine reviewers rooms are terrible, no acoustic treatment, no special speaker positioning because of tight quarters, and even 1 magazine reviewers positioned the equipment in the corner because of space issues. Most don't even have dedicated rooms. 

3) The OP claims the YT reviewers get paid for each review. Really, you know that for a fact? Can you say the same about a magazine review? How about selling ad space? How about giving the reviewer huge discounts for the gear if they want to purchase it? Aren't these incentives? Would a manufacturer keep buying ad space if they keep getting negative reviews? Maybe their is a coincidence why there are no negative reviews.

In all other magazine reviews of other products: cars, stoves, refrigerators, you name it, there is only 1 product that is the best, the others come in 2nd, 3rd, on down. Never will you see this in a magazine review. What ever product they are reviewing, its the best of the best.

 

Well for starters YouTube reviews are more about the reviewer then the equipment as always, but that’s Entertainment so it shouldn’t surprise you and hopefully not bother you. As for the equipment they choose to review, and the overwhelming positive opinions they have on products, yes they do slant mostly positive and keep them in good graces with manufacturers and garner views. Again it’s no mystery.

But yeah room treatments is a big deal, I feel that if you don’t have a treated room then it kind of defeats the purpose of what you’re doing. But then again maybe some people want the more everyday man YouTube reviewer to give them product suggestions. And again there’s reviewers who do just that.

I enjoy YouTube reviewers rather then other junk I could be watching.

Some youtubers do give useful technical information. You just need to listen to them selectively. Audiophiles are not blind. If the youtuber raves something that is not really up to expectation and misleads people to make wrong buying decision, the user feedback will show. I always take their reviews with a grain of salt, cross check them with others and couple with the demo listening (good quality one) to verify their statement. So far, I have been lucky. Except two entry-level DACs that I need to resell to upgrade to higher end products, all the purchases based on the on-line reviews and Stereophile are pretty satisfactory.  Trust me, their reviews / recommendations, if quality ones, are much more informative and reliable than a few sentences' write-up from forumers.

I agree. Be careful of ulterior motives as well. This is really not something to put much stock in, do other research.