advertisement


Review integrity

I take far more notice of what folks say on pfm than I would of any hifi publication. I used to buy a couple of different publications, but it was rare to read of anything that didn’t get a very positive review. Whether it is true or not, the reviews read like the reviewer had taken a bung, or didn’t give a monkeys.
I got to hear an Arkless phono stage via a pfm member, and everything I read on pfm backed up what my ears had already told me. All gravy.
 
Stereophile and The Absolute Sound both used to print negative reviews. Oddly, for both publications, this stopped when their business models changed from subscriber-supported to ad-supported.

I remember the old Hi Fi Choice digest-sized books had plenty of negative reviews, particularly for speakers.

Not only did these did not turn readers away, they were very entertaining.
 
h.g. said:
I think integrity is perhaps too strong a word for subjective reviews of technical equipment by people lacking the technical expertise to perform competent technical reviews. As a new source of material for their content and a potential new source of advertising revenue you are valuable to magazines. It is in their interests to behave in an honest straightforward manner and not drive you away. As far as I am aware no mainstream magazine has ever directly linked money to a good review because it would be commercial suicide when it got out. And it would get out. The links have to be indirect.



You have already contributed to their content by loaning equipment. May I ask how the shipping costs were handled? There is no moral obligation to buy advertising that I can see but if you want to grow and maintain a positive relationship/goodwill with the magazines for future comments and reviews then I suspect it may be wise. Particularly if you are a small company with a few expensive low volume products where income may be seriously affected by poor comments and reviews in the eyes of potential customers.

How to create and maintain good subjective reviews for something like good quality solid state amplifiers would seem to be a challenging relationship/people problem. As someone from the technical side I am pretty sure tackling such a task would stress and frustrate me enormously given that what I had control over (the technical aspects) is rather unlikely to have much influence on the outcome. Marketing is a rather different ball game. I will watch with interest to see if your good start is maintained. Best of luck.
Click to expand...

/\ This.

Also of course hi fi is a minority geek interest these days compared to the 70's when there were hi fi "superstores" in prominent high st locations and 3 page long dealer ads in all the mags such was the range of gear stocked and money to be made.

To make a living these days "the industry" needs to augment sales of amps, speakers etc with all sorts of foo accessories.... Magic fuses and enchanted kettle leads etc feature in ads in all the mags these days and are sold by all the dealers, who also advertise in the mags.... then there's forums and facebook and web sites etc these days... it's a symbiotic relationship, like the cleaner fish that hang round next to a sharks fangs.
Do we think we are likely to see any editorial in "What Watt Monthly" saying "You'd have to have completely taken leave of your senses to buy that grounding box on page 101 that we charge them £1000 per month to advertise! It's a wooden box full of soil with some terminals attached fer christs sake!" .... ?? I don't think so:rolleyes:

The saturation marketing of such foo everywhere a potential punter is likely to turn for advice and to research a new purchase has of course meant that some things which are not even tenable within the laws of physics have become "accepted wisdom":eek:
 
If you look in the current edition of Hifi World, there is a review that gives 3 stars, that doesn't do the manufacturer any favours at all. You don't see 3 star reviews in the magazine very often though. I think that last review with the same numbers of stars was a piece of equipment that was made by the person whose name can't be mentioned.
 
I don't trust magazine reviews at all. I've heard too many terrible five-star products. It's all just a racket and who cares what someone else thinks anyway? I want kit that I like, not what some old bloke I've never met likes.
 
Manufacturers will be able to PR a favourable review, may give them an edge in the market but mags cannot make or break a product anymore.

PFM probably has more clout than a lot of mags.
 
Big Tabs said:
I take far more notice of what folks say on pfm than I would of any hifi publication.
Click to expand...
I dont agree with you Tabs. I think a decent, experienced reviewer has listened to far more kit that most people on here have. Far more. I figure that makes them more able to separate the truly great from the just plain Ok.
Example: I really rate my £400 Soncos SG1 Dac - I recommend it all day. Guess how many other current dacs at this price point I've heard? None. Zip. Is it average for the cost? Dunno. Is it the best for the money? Dunno. I like it but that's all I know really.
In fact, lets be truthful, my opinion doesnt actually mean a great deal!
 
Darren said:
You sure that wasn't a joke? It seems beyond stupid.
Click to expand...
I think it’s one of these stories that has grown in the telling. Not sure of the actual facts, but I believe he might have fessed up to doing this once, but it has transmogrified into something he habitually did, in fact they were all at it, nobody ever listened to anything, ever, just made it all up, bunch of cheating barstewards, wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them, hanging’s too good for em, and don’t get me started on the Welsh...

and breathe.
 
Sue Pertwee-Tyr said:
I think it’s one of these stories that has grown in the telling. Not sure of the actual facts, but I believe he might have fessed up to doing this once, but it has transmogrified into something he habitually did, in fact they were all at it, nobody ever listened to anything, ever, just made it all up, bunch of cheating barstewards, wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them, hanging’s too good for em, and don’t get me started on the Welsh...

and breathe.
Click to expand...
Yea.... like the Musical Fidelity thing about providing 'souped up' units for review. Jez says it didnt happen, no one knows which model or when or anything really.... But that story still does the rounds. Some things are just best left.
" The more ye do poke an old turd, the more ee do stink"
 
Darren said:
I dont agree with you Tabs. I think a decent, experienced reviewer has listened to far more kit that most people on here have. Far more. I figure that makes them more able to separate the truly great from the just plain Ok.
Example: I really rate my £400 Soncos SG1 Dac - I recommend it all day. Guess how many other current dacs at this price point I've heard? None. Zip. Is it average for the cost? Dunno. Is it the best for the money? Dunno. I like it but that's all I know really.
In fact, lets be truthful, my opinion doesnt actually mean a great deal!
Click to expand...

But it is an opinion that can be debated and questioned with the source of the opinion.
 
Darren said:
Yea.... like the Musical Fidelity thing about providing 'souped up' units for review. Jez says it didnt happen, no one knows which model or when or anything really.... But that story still does the rounds. Some things are just best left.
" The more ye do poke an old turd, the more ee do stink"
Click to expand...
I think it was the B1 that was the source of this story. It could be it was a pre-production version submitted for review and then it was value~engineered for production..I’m being generous here though my memory is getting hazy with the passage of time.
 
I was a big fan if HiFi+ when it first came out, but over the last 2 yrs the reviews have become meaningless, when the subject of the article is not compared to something else. How can you review an amplifier without telling readers what speakers were used and vice versa. I've read that lame excuse, 'the manufacturers won't let us mention any other products', in which case don't review it. Manufacturer's need good reviews to sell their products, and if they are not being reviewed how are the public to find out about them?
 
It’s the cable reviews which annoy me.
There may be small differences with cables, but I’m still skeptical.
Not according to some ( most ? ) magazines.

You open the pages and there’s some big picture of said cables in all their glory.
With close-ups of the plugs, the ferrite filters, etc.
More pictures of the cable’s cross-section, showing the conductors and the four layers of insulation.

Then the actual review, which speaks of the enhanced soundstage and ‘liquid’ ( ? ) insights into
the music, etc.

Then the conclusion.
‘These interconnects are superb, and good value at £499 for a 1 metre pair.’

What do others think, or is it just me ?
 
Euan said:
Interesting. I have that this cartridge and I do not recognise their findings at all. Fast and hard sounding? No way. Edgy at high levels? Only if loaded wrongly. Poor tracking? Not in my experience. Don't know what hard tone means. Heavy weight? Its lighter than my previous cartridge.

Bizarre.
Click to expand...
I would check for a bad sample.
I remember when Stereophile frequently received bad equipment and had to retest
 
Maybe reviewers have just learnt over many years how to play the game: give a glowing review and Ad Revenue will follow. Subtle not blatant. No need to blackmail manufacturers.
 
Martyn Miles said:
It’s the cable reviews which annoy me.
There may be small differences with cables, but I’m still skeptical.
Not according to some ( most ? ) magazines.

You open the pages and there’s some big picture of said cables in all their glory.
With close-ups of the plugs, the ferrite filters, etc.
More pictures of the cable’s cross-section, showing the conductors and the four layers of insulation.

Then the actual review, which speaks of the enhanced soundstage and ‘liquid’ ( ? ) insights into
the music, etc.

Then the conclusion.
‘These interconnects are superb, and good value at £499 for a 1 metre pair.’

What do others think, or is it just me ?
Click to expand...
I’ve been a subscriber of hi-fi magazines for 40 odd years.
They are loo read to tell the truth. But I enjoy re-reading reviews of what is now vintage equipment!

That said, cable reviews are indeed silly nonsense and not worth the pages they use. There was almost no cable reviews 10 years ago. Why on earth are there so many now?
The power cable reviews are the most risible. Night and day eh? Total discredit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top