SET Asylum

RE: Amen to that

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In Reply to: RE: Amen to that posted by Frihed89 on March 06, 2017 at 01:38:57

Absolute sound and Stereophile, and at times, many others,
remain as very valuable tools for us.
Analyzing musical tastes is, of course, a mostly no-win
situation, so why subscribe to any of the publications?
It is because of their EXPERIENCE with many different
pieces of equipment-- and in the long run, the reviewers
have learned what qualities good equipment should-- and
some do-- bring to the table.
None of us can buy or build everything-- it would take
millions of dollars, and many lifetimes to sample 10% of
it, and more would come along-- faster than one could
sample all of it.
But a group of people who can be loaned equipment from
different dealers and manufacturers -- and know what to
expect when that equipment is GOOD equipment, can and will
sample and report on most of the best of it. Coverage at audio
shows, while necessarily often spotty, adds greatly to the
accuracy of simple observations by the reviewer/reporter. Is
it totally honest? Let's put it this way: is anything else
MORE honest? I think not!
Of course, not all reporting is perfect-- that is impossible
for the Human Race to do! What we DO get, and that I appreciate
very, very much is comment from professionals who KNOW WHAT THEY
ARE DOING-- and already know what good equipment should do.
I salute especially Absolute Sound and Stereophile magazines.
I have personally subscribed to both for many years, and will
certainly continue to do so. When I need a new component (an
example is the new approaches to Direct-Drive turntables).
WHERE ELSE are you going to find out what the new Pioneer
Direct_drive TT actually does, for instance, in terms that
make MUSICAL sense? Are you going to buy 100 different brands
of turntables to find out? Or get some honest comparisons
from seasoned pros?
Sure-- the audio press has to satisfy both dealers and
advertisers. That is a given. Despite that, I find most
reviews VERY honest if the reader will simply do ONE thing:
READ BETWEEN THE LINES and LOOK FOR CLUES HIDDEN IN THE
DISCUSSIONS.
NO ONE is going to tell you point-blank that item "A" at
say, $1500.00 outperformed item "B" that cost $4500.00
But if it actually does that-- that fact WILL be buried
in the clues that are hidden in the reviews.
Seasoned pros are normally good at another thing:
spotting good build quality, and imparting experiences
about reliability.
These kinds of publications are the greatest gifts that
have ever been given to people who want to see music
reproduced right.
-Dennis-
faster than one could do it.

Edits: 03/08/17

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