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Musical Fidelity and Recommended Components

68.173.23.202
Posted on May 17, 2004 at 07:39:08
allmodcons


 
I really wouldn't mind the extensive coverage of Musical Fidelity products quite so much in Stereophile if they could at least list an entry level preamp in their recommended components list. Ironically, the cheapest one they do list is from, you guested it, MF. It seems to me that the entry level is key to attracting new comers to our hobby, especially in these days of $500 HTIB's and iPods. I find it hard to believe that there is nothing out there for someone that wants to get in to the high end without the inflexibilty of an integrated amp (which are well represented on the list.) Perhaps Stereophile could engage in a little investigative journalism rather than waiting for MF to send them another product to review. Am I the only one that found it a little disturbing that Stereophile claims that the resaon they review so much MF is because MF keeps sending them products? Sometimes a story needs to sought out, not shipped ground to ones office.

 

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Re: Musical Fidelity and Recommended Components, posted on May 17, 2004 at 08:19:33
bturk667


 
If your looking for a good inexpensive linestage, try a passive unit. They offer great bang for the buck performance, as long as your amp and CD player are up to the challenge. I use the McCormacl Micro Line Drive, now discontinued, it is a really good little unit.

Other than passive units, I can not think of a good linestage in the $500 price range.

 

Re: Musical Fidelity and Recommended Components, posted on May 17, 2004 at 08:55:49
allmodcons


 
I was actually looking for a friend, I own a McCormick RLD 1 so I will certainly recommend that they look at the Micro Drive as I have seen them available from time to time.

But my point was broader than just a single recommedation. If the RC list is to be a truly useful resource it must cover the whole spectrum of products. I would not mind if Stereophile had reviewed some entry level pre's and determined that they did not warrent recommendation but I see no effort on their part to rectify the lack of any listings in that area.

 

ask 'em they are in here..(wow new rooms), posted on May 17, 2004 at 09:40:06
clbeanz
Audiophile

Posts: 1693
Location: No.Ca.
Joined: March 2, 2004
 I don't believe they wait pen in hand till UPS arrives with an MF piece.Aprils list has more flushed from the ranks if memory serves,and integrateds being very in favor get covered well.Being a glass 1/2 full kinda guy I assume they are working ,looking,studying product all the time,mature markets tend to have less upheavel.I would certainly hate being center stage between a tough crowd and corporate dictums.They are audiohounds at heart also.Theres a nice Blue Circle in there to ~;^) priced nicely.

 

Re: Musical Fidelity and Recommended Components, posted on May 17, 2004 at 15:20:53
John Atkinson
Reviewer

Posts: 4045
Location: New York
Joined: November 24, 2003
 >It seems to me that the entry level is key to attracting new comers
>to our hobby, especially in these days of $500 HTIB's and iPods.

I agree.

> I find it hard to believe that there is nothing out there for
> someone that wants to get in to the high end without the
> inflexibilty of an integrated amp...

Yet that's the way it is. There's a good choice of amps and preamps
once you break the $1000 barrier and at $2000 and above, audio has
never offered more performance for less money. But while speakers
costing about the same as week's groceries continue to get much
better -- give the Epos ESL-3 a listen, or the Infinity Primus 150,
both recently reviewed in Stereophile -- cheap amplifiers and
especially CD players have both become commoditized and have become
sonic underachievers that there seems little point in reviewing them.

What I fail to understand is why true high-end, cheap control
centers, like the McCormack Micro Line Drive, never caught on.
That was a treu bargain!

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

 

Good point, however..., posted on May 17, 2004 at 17:36:47
JMCIII
Reviewer

Posts: 1519
Location: Vermont
Joined: April 3, 2000
 "I find it hard to believe that there is nothing out there for someone that wants to get in to the high end without the inflexibilty of an integrated amp"

This is probably easily explained. There's no profit because there's very little market. If someone's looking for a quality preamp, the used market is full - and at prices that are more than affordable for good sounding units. As JA points out, why didn't the McCormack Micro Line Drive catch on, there was no real demand.


John Crossett

 

What about these preamps?, posted on May 17, 2004 at 22:33:58
allmodcons
Audiophile

Posts: 20
Location: NYC
Joined: May 16, 2004
 Adcom GFP 710 $500 /GFP 750 $600 , Linn Kolektor $1000, Quad QC 24 $1000, Rotel 1070 $1000, NAD c162 preamp $600, Blue Circle Audio CS $800, Halo (By Parasound) P3 $800.

Surely they are not all "sonic underachievers."

 

Here's more, posted on May 18, 2004 at 01:13:34
Todd B.
Audiophile

Posts: 1026
Joined: February 13, 2001
 Odyssey Audio Tempest - $950
IRD Audio Purist - $665
FT Audio LW1s2 - $550
Norh ACA 2b - $400

Oh, wait, these companies don't meet the Stereophile minimum dealer limit, so Atkinson wouldn't have heard their products.

_____________________________

"The corporate grip on opinion in the United States is one of the wonders of the Western world."

--Gore Vidal

 

Re: Here's more, posted on May 18, 2004 at 04:18:03
John Atkinson
Reviewer

Posts: 4045
Location: New York
Joined: November 24, 2003
 >these companies don't meet the Stereophile minimum dealer limit...<

That's correct. You can find a recent outline of my policy at
http://www.stereophile.com/asweseeit/746/.
As I wrote in that essay, Stereophile, like all magazines, has
to restrict its review coverage to what it has the space to review.
I make my policy a matter of public knowledge. Other magazines do
it behind closed doors.

There are plenty of print and Web magazines where the brands you
mention can be reviewed. If those products have what it takes to
crack the US market without Stereophile's help, then we will take a
listen at that point, not before.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

 

Re: What about these preamps?, posted on May 18, 2004 at 04:21:17
John Atkinson
Reviewer

Posts: 4045
Location: New York
Joined: November 24, 2003
 > Adcom GFP 710 $500 /GFP 750 $600 , Linn Kolektor $1000, Quad QC 24
> $1000, Rotel 1070 $1000, NAD c162 preamp $600, Blue Circle Audio CS
> $800, Halo (By Parasound) P3 $800.

Thanks for the suggestions. We will try to take a listen to at least
some of these contenders.

>Surely they are not all "sonic underachievers."<

We'll see.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

 

Re: What about these preamps?, posted on May 18, 2004 at 14:19:49
radman
Audiophile

Posts: 16
Joined: May 17, 2003
 The Adcom GFP-750 preamp was reviewed by Stereophile in March 1999
and was given a "Class A" rating. Retail price is not $600, but $1400
(current price at Audio Advisor).

 

Typo, I meant the GFP 715., posted on May 18, 2004 at 14:47:46
allmodcons
Audiophile

Posts: 20
Location: NYC
Joined: May 16, 2004
 on sale at AA for $600.

 

Re: Wonder why they don't just stop it?, posted on May 20, 2004 at 16:54:20
AMSTAFF
Audiophile

Posts: 225
Location: MIDWEST
Joined: December 27, 2002
An interesting thing was that the first article in the issue that made that claim was focused upon chastizing dealers for not putting out enough effort to do a good job. This being a civil forum I'll refer to that as a contrast in standards :).
I think the being bugged about MF thing would die down if there was an above board and legitimate sounding reason for what appears to be a dishonest practice. There are a lot of possible negative motivations that come to mind (payoff, ego/power, sustaining a wrong to maintain deniability, etc.)and the believable negatives will tend to stay around (and bug people who payed for what they wanted to be a fair and honest review magazine)until a believable positive replaces them, or until the practice is eliminated.

 

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