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In Reply to: TAS Editor's comments defending the review process posted by uw312@aol.com on May 22, 2004 at 13:08:44:
I can tell you the main reasons you don't see many negative reviews are
1.) most High End products are actually pretty good today - unlike say, 20 years ago, and
2.) most reviewers don't want to spend the time and work necessary to review a product if they don't like it - it's very difficult to be inspired to write about a product that is inferior - unless it is highly regarded or has been favorably reviewed elsewhere. Otherwise there are too many good to great products the reviewers would rather spend their time with, and
3.) as a former reviewer, I was reluctant to write a negative review about a product because I was afraid that just because I was not able to get its best out of it, or personally didn't like what it did, others may not feel the same way about it - and a negative review could do serious damage to a small manufacturer.Most manufacturers do whatever they can to accomodate a magazine and a reviewer within reasonable guidelines. Many times they will even arrange for the reviewer to be sent some associated equipment from other manufacturers that they think brings out the best in their products. Most magazines and reviewers are concerned primarily with maintaining their independence, credibility and delivering a thorough, fair, and impartial review. Manufacturers that make the process easier and have great and interesting products to write about (Musical Fidelity, for example) tend to get more reviews.
Sorry, conspiracy buffs, but that's reality.
Regards,
Mike
Follow Ups:
If Consumer Reports operated the way the stereo mags do with reference to products they review, it would be out of business by now. The fact that once in a while an manufacturer sues CR to me is an indication that they are doing something right...something for their readers. Not that you have to be sued, but the hifi mags are so far the other way as to be ridiculous. The mags cannot afford or do not want to spend their own money to go out and buy samples of products anonymously like CR does. A bad review means no more equipment from the manufacturer even to review in the mag, all questions of discounts to reviewers and favoritism aside. I find the mags very entertaining but Stereophile, for example, was a better magazine, lousy printing schedule, small issues, etc years and years ago when Holt took no ads. He couldn't sustain the mag that way, but he could do his readers an honest service. (IMHO)
1.) most High End products are actually pretty good today - unlike say, 20 years ago...I think you are right. But, I have been reading audio mags on and off for more than 25 years, and I have yet to see a reviewer say "You know, this is just a bad product that really needs to be re-thought." or "This product is adequate, but the truth is, you can do a lot better for the money." But, when I go listen to components, particularly speakers, I find that there is only maybe 20 percent that I would even want to consider taking home for any length of time. You mean to tell me reviewers NEVER stumble onto those types of products?
2.) most reviewers don't want to spend the time and work necessary to review a product if they don't like it - it's very difficult to be inspired to write about a product that is inferior - unless it is highly regarded or has been favorably reviewed elsewhere. Otherwise there are too many good to great products the reviewers would rather spend their time with, and
You mean, reviewers only review products that they already know they like, or that everyone else says they like. Jeepers!
3.) as a former reviewer, I was reluctant to write a negative review about a product because I was afraid that just because I was not able to get its best out of it, or personally didn't like what it did, others may not feel the same way about it - and a negative review could do serious damage to a small manufacturer
If you were reluctant to write a negative review (or, conversely, predisposed to writing a positive review) then you simply weren't doing your job. A reviewer in my opinion shouldnt base his review on how one person out of a thousand potential users MIGHT feel about it, nor do I think a reviewer should worry about what might happen to a company for fear of telling the truth.
I'm not suggesting there is some big conspiracy, I just think that as long as a magazine is largely funded by the companies whose products get reviewed, reviewers are going to cop out, the way you mentioned you did. Consumer Reports doesnt seem to be offended when they rate a product as inferior and their testers / reviewers are free to be truthful.
"You mean, reviewers only review products that they already know they like, or that everyone else says they like. Jeepers!"Right. If I didn't like the product or find it does something new or worthwhile, I had a hard time writing about it. If the product is highly regarded or has been positively reviewed, and I find problems or negative qualities that were overlooked, then I would want to write up the negative stuff.
"If you were reluctant to write a negative review (or, conversely, predisposed to writing a positive review) then you simply weren't doing your job. A reviewer in my opinion shouldnt base his review on how one person out of a thousand potential users MIGHT feel about it, nor do I think a reviewer should worry about what might happen to a company for fear of telling the truth."
My job was to write reviews that are truthful and objective as possible about audio products. I've never written a review where I didn't criticise some aspect of a product's performance - after all there is no such thing as audio perfection - at least not yet. So while an overall review may be positive, there are always negative parts. It's just that I wasn't usually interested in writing about products that I felt 80 or 90% negative about. I didn't think the readers would be interested either.
"I'm not suggesting there is some big conspiracy, I just think that as long as a magazine is largely funded by the companies whose products get reviewed, reviewers are going to cop out, the way you mentioned you did. Consumer Reports doesnt seem to be offended when they rate a product as inferior and their testers / reviewers are free to be truthful."So, do you find Consumer Reports' reviews of, say, loudspeakers, more useful than those in the audio review publications? Seldom do the audio publications go to the trouble of reporting on a large survey of say, 10 different $5000 loudspeakers. If they did, some would be rated as inferior. Of those 10 loudspeakers, which would you rather read extensive reviews of - the top 2 or the bottom 2? Iknow I would much rather write about the best ones, and if you consider that a cop out, so be it.
Regards,
Mike
The reviewing process should be the same, no matter what is reviewed. Check movie reviews by Siskel and Ebert, or whoever the new guy is. Lots of movies get a "thumbs down" Why do no components get a "thumbs down?"
"...as a former reviewer, I was reluctant to write a negative review about a product because I was afraid that just because I was not able to get its best out of it, or personally didn't like what it did, others may not feel the same way about it..."Good grief! That's EXACTLY what readers want to find out, whether or not it's possible, or easy, or difficult, to get the best out of a piece of equipment, or combination of equipment, or whether or not the reviewer liked or didn't like what it did!
You've just made the argument that reviewers only review what they already like, or what other reviewers already said they should like, or what they're afraid not to like.
.
Mike:
A couple of observations:
First: audio products--including many loudspeakers--are not, to my ears, necessarily better than the very good, and fairly priced, high end audio products of twenty years ago. I've needed to augment some Linn LK-280/Sparks Power Supply amps for the last few years. Only one amplifier I've had in my home (a previous generation Chord)--among a group of expensive high end players (Rowland, BAT, Audio Research, YBA, ATC, etc)was I thought even marginally better into some four or so different pairs of loudpseakers.
Second: perhaps a few honestly critical reviews might have dampened the reckless price inflation that has contributed to the demise of the high end. I remember some years ago a series of articles in, I believe, Positive Feedback that compared--to the point of preferring--the sanely priced Von Schweikert to what was then the current generation of the WATT/Puppies. Even then, the point taken was, I believe, that the VS's were a steal. The point should have been that the Wilson's were embarrassingly overpriced--as have been, I suspect, the vast majority of high ticket items that have dragged the cost of high end audio into its death spiral with dwindling demand. Pearson started it with what I think was his basic lack of common sense, but reviewers have followed him like lemmings.
If you tiptoe through the posts here, you'll repeatedly find folks questioning the worth of, after listening, critic's darlings. I don't think they are all simply cheap or all wrong. Critics should have a determined interest in sifting the junk from the good stuff, not telling their readers that it is all good. It isn't.
the component he's reviewing to other similarly priced, highly regarded stuff to put the review in perspective. It is time consuming and difficult to get the equipment to be able to do that regularly, so few reviewers today seem to go to the trouble. Some do, and to me that makes their comments even more valuable.As to price inflation, you probably paid more for your new car this year than the one you bought 10 years ago, too. I believe the real improvement in sound for dollar value is in the medium priced High End stuff , say $2000 to $5000 components and speakers where "trickle down" is a reality.
Regards,
Mike
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