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Critic's Corner Discuss a review. Provide constructive feedback. Talk to the industry. |
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...and/or those issued as SACDs.Yes I am being deliberately provocative but Jason Victor Serinus in the November issue reviews the new Harmonia Mundi Debussy Late Works recording and says that he is witholding the fifth star due to " The lack of an SACD release or an ultra transparent MQA version". The fact that he reviews a 24/96 WAV download which he otherwise seems to find offers complete tonal beauty and wide dynamics seems only to provide a justification for 4 stars. Ultimately it seems that the medium is the message. There is also the implication that an MQA'd release must inevitably be preferable to the hi-res original ( even if he hasn't heard it).
Of course as AFAIK only UMG and Warner currently encode MQA recordings* (but mainly for supply for streaming to Tidal) and no majors and few independents now issue SACDs, any opportunity to secure a five star review has been removed for the majority of releases.
* I am ignoring a couple of boutique labels on purpose as being too insignificant.
Edits: 10/10/18
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Topic - Stereophile now only gives five stars to MQA encoded recordings ... - PAR 10:19:42 10/10/18 (53)
- Is MQA the final wedge between music lovers and audio snobs? - Billy Wonka 13:41:36 10/11/18 (2)
- MQA is the final wedge between... - mkuller 20:49:28 10/11/18 (1)
- I don't recall ever having a subscription to an audio magazine... - Ivan303 14:19:09 10/12/18 (0)
- I cannot speak for the magazine, but ... - Jim Austin 08:29:59 10/11/18 (20)
- RE: I cannot speak for the magazine, but ... - John Atkinson 09:36:30 10/12/18 (4)
- "...but when there isn't I make a value judgment." - Krav Maga 10:35:45 10/12/18 (3)
- RE: "...but when there isn't I make a value judgment." - John Atkinson 10:42:47 10/12/18 (2)
- "Almost every product reviewed in Stereophile has passed through my hands at one time or another." - Krav Maga 11:48:55 10/12/18 (1)
- What's the diff? Surely you don't really care about S'phile's "class" ratings, do ya? nt - Rick W 13:46:06 10/12/18 (0)
- Well said, file that with Steve O and 6 stars/A+~nT - Cleantimestream 14:05:16 10/11/18 (0)
- RE: I cannot speak for the magazine, but ... - PAR 09:48:54 10/11/18 (2)
- How about instead of a star system we have a PAR system?.... - viridian 17:54:35 10/11/18 (0)
- RE: I cannot speak for the magazine, but ... - Jim Austin 09:51:20 10/11/18 (0)
- RE: I cannot speak for the magazine, but ... - Beetlemania 09:29:31 10/11/18 (0)
- I think the issue is 'review criteria' more than the 'opinion' of the reviewer... - Ivan303 08:59:21 10/11/18 (9)
- "literally 'head over heals'" [sic] - mhardy6647 10:21:56 10/11/18 (1)
- 'purportedly' /n - Ivan303 11:06:56 10/11/18 (0)
- RE: I think the issue is 'review criteria' more than the 'opinion' of the reviewer... - Jim Austin 09:10:42 10/11/18 (6)
- star inflation -- a dangerous precedent ;) (nt) - mhardy6647 10:22:37 10/11/18 (0)
- Yep, silly as is a reviewer using MQA as a review criteria... - Ivan303 09:25:18 10/11/18 (3)
- RE: Yep, silly as is a reviewer using MQA as a review criteria... - Jim Austin 09:38:19 10/11/18 (2)
- Key word: 'purportedly'... - Ivan303 10:12:23 10/11/18 (1)
- RE: Key word: 'purportedly'... - Jim Austin 10:16:30 10/11/18 (0)
- If 6 stars would be silly, what's the significance of the A+ rating in rec components? (nt) - Steve O 09:18:21 10/11/18 (0)
- 'the medium is the message' :( - mhardy6647 06:44:08 10/11/18 (0)
- I hope Michael Fremer doesn't go down that road... - tketcham 06:18:42 10/11/18 (3)
- well -- or -- one may ignore the "stars" and read the prose - mhardy6647 07:17:52 10/11/18 (2)
- RE: well -- or -- one may ignore the "stars" and read the prose - tketcham 07:20:16 10/12/18 (0)
- I vote for ignoring. nt - Rick W 20:36:39 10/11/18 (0)
- Smh - Beetlemania 20:00:39 10/10/18 (0)
- "the implication that an MQA'd release must inevitably be preferable to the hi-res original" - Krav Maga 19:46:07 10/10/18 (5)
- MQA seminar - suekraft 12:46:18 10/11/18 (1)
- RE: MQA seminar - Beetlemania 15:51:12 10/11/18 (0)
- RE: "the implication that an MQA'd release must inevitably be preferable to the hi-res original" - regmac 06:03:34 10/11/18 (0)
- Flogging a dead horse .... - TeddiJackEddie 05:46:08 10/11/18 (1)
- Yep.... - Des 18:13:16 10/11/18 (0)
- I've never purchased recordings based solely/primarily on # of "stars"... - Steve O 14:33:10 10/10/18 (14)
- RE: I've never purchased recordings based solely/primarily on # of "stars"... - PAR 15:37:07 10/10/18 (2)
- RE: "the absurdity of using the absence of a technical medium of distribution as a reason... - Ivan303 17:14:09 10/10/18 (0)
- Yeah, where's MF when we really need him? (nt) - Steve O 16:24:00 10/10/18 (0)
- RE: I've never purchased recordings based solely/primarily on # of "stars"... - regmac 14:44:30 10/10/18 (10)
- ABC Approach? - Kal Rubinson 16:33:13 10/10/18 (2)
- RE: ABC Approach? - regmac 05:56:52 10/11/18 (1)
- RE: ABC Approach? - Kal Rubinson 16:21:23 10/11/18 (0)
- I'm a long time subscriber and I don't buy this one at all... - Steve O 15:36:29 10/10/18 (0)
- RE: I've never purchased recordings based solely/primarily on # of "stars"... - TubeDriver 15:15:47 10/10/18 (0)
- Good thing you don't read any publications like that (nt) - mkuller 14:55:48 10/10/18 (4)
- I, for one, do not... - Ivan303 20:20:16 10/10/18 (3)
- Not Stereophile... - mkuller 20:48:47 10/10/18 (2)
- I did... - Ivan303 07:42:26 10/11/18 (1)
- No 5 star w/o MQA? - mkuller 10:11:43 10/11/18 (0)
- That's SO lame and pathetic... - Ivan303 14:13:13 10/10/18 (0)
- Does it ever award gold stars and if so does the music sound better because of it? - regmac 11:33:14 10/10/18 (0)
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