Critic's Corner

I fear you may have construed the 5-dealer rule's application

72.92.240.137

In Reply to: RE: A concrete example of this posted by DanHaan on May 25, 2008 at 12:32:45

The 5-dealer rule applies only to full reviews.

Stereophile covers new and interesting products that might not have five dealers in:

(1) Show reports. See mine from Montreal in the August issue.

(2) Industry Updates.

(3) Regular columns.

I covered the darTZeel amplifier when its production was just starting and it had no US importation. But Hervé had exhibited at the HE NYC Show, and it was IMHO a breakthrough product. I covered it in my Show report and also at length in a later column. Once the product had a dealer base, it got a full review and eventually a couple of POTY awards. Had it not obtained a US importer and dealer base, it would have been obvious what the risks and benefits of buying a handmade amp from Switzerland by mail order would have been.

When I was in Montreal I encountered a one-box CD Receiver from a French company new to me, and I will write about that later this year.

I think that Stereophile's rules are not at all restrictive, and I agree that the wordspace and work investment of a full review (which in all but cartridges and turntables and arms involves measurements by JA) should be reserved for products the readers can hear at at least five dealers'.

The 5-dealer rule is not a news blackout. IIRC, I dedicated an entire column to Wilson Benesch's ACT speaker--that's about as long as most full reviews. While Wilson Benesch has more than five dealers, I am not sure that they have five dealers with demo models of ACTs. And that I think is the way the rule should be applied--not "nominal" dealers or dealers with the cheap stuff. If a flagship product is a one-off and is not sitting right now on five dealers' carpets, I don't think it should get a full review. Coverage of fascinating minority-enthusiasm products that don't meet the standards for a full review is what the columns are for.

Cheers,

JM

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