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Audio reviewers must be the nicest people on earth

April 11th, 2020, 11:13 pm

I am reading reviews of sealed or front ported bookshelf speakers. Reviewers say lots of good things about every speaker they tested and very little bad about any of them.

Re: Audio reviewers must be the nicest people on earth

April 12th, 2020, 7:08 am

This is a tough subject. I’ve been thinking about this for awhile now since I been heading down this road myself.
I had a conversation with Herb Reichert at one of the audio shows and he said that he does not review stuff he does not like unless order to by the editor. With my very short stint with PTA (just two shows) at any of the pre-show discussions it was mentioned that will be no bad reviews, there is nothing gained by it. If we ran across anything that’s bad you write around it.
I am experimenting with a new website with what I hope is a different attitude that others.
I should be launching before the next Axpona if there is ever to be another audio show

Re: Audio reviewers must be the nicest people on earth

April 12th, 2020, 8:29 am

It depends on what the problem is and how you say it. For example in an audioXpress article I did, when describing the Dayton woofers I used in the egg, I described the very good points of the driver while explaining the large resonance around 2,100 Hz caused by the aluminum dust cap that it had. I also explained that the resonance was outside the range that the woofer would probably be used and the aluminum cap contributed to the rigidity of the cone for outstanding performance in the range where it would be used. It was then up to the reader to come to a conclusion about whether or not it was a good fit for their use.

If the problem is smack in the intended range of the product, then you have a decision to make about whether or not it will materially affect the sound of a product. I have seen the approach take by reviewers for example of a box resonance of a speaker where it was reported but the potential effect of the problem on the overall performance of the speaker was described. It revealed the wart but instead of blowing it out of proportion tried to advise the reader of how it might affect the suitability of the product for the average user. Lots of unspoken caveats there.

Re: Audio reviewers must be the nicest people on earth

April 12th, 2020, 8:53 am

I've been reading the British Audio press a lot recently, I have a friend that gives me his back issues.
They, on the whole, seem to be very straight forward. They do not dwell on the bad stuff much, sometimes just a word or two as a "dislike"
I just read a review of D'Agostino's newRelentless. Almost 300 lb, almost 3kw into 4 ohms, monoblock costing $130k each. The only negative complaint was the wattmeter is not accurate, but this was intentional because with such power and most speaker systems would not draw enough to move the needle that Dan had customer complaints and changed the sensitivity so owners could watch the needle move.
Just build it and they will come
The people that will buy this thing probably could care less what it adds, or takes away from their system.

Re: Audio reviewers must be the nicest people on earth

April 12th, 2020, 9:10 am

Really, nobody is making a "bad" 2 way bookshelf anymore. Driver quality is better as are crossover components and cabinet construction. It's really more about what sound you like. The British sound, "Audiophile sound", "studio monitors". Then, active or passive. Horns, metal domes, soft domes or ribbons. I like ribbon tweeters that have wide dispersion. If you're on a budget, check out Scansonic, I believe they're front ported.

Re: Audio reviewers must be the nicest people on earth

April 12th, 2020, 11:19 am

You are absolutely right.
But there is a "big" but and that is "musicality". I think very few really have a sense of what that is.
I am not saying that bits and bytes and numbers do not matter but there is not much out there that sounds like music to me.
If you want to hear musicality find a way to hear Walts system.

Re: Audio reviewers must be the nicest people on earth

April 12th, 2020, 12:25 pm

Pelliott321 wrote:You are absolutely right.
But there is a "big" but and that is "musicality". I think very few really have a sense of what that is.
I am not saying that bits and bytes and numbers do not matter but there is not much out there that sounds like music to me.
If you want to hear musicality find a way to hear Walts system.


Thanks Paul! Actually I was thinking of having a group get together once the COVID "kooties" are out of the way.

I will not have some nice smoked brisket, but I think pizza will get the job done.

Re: Audio reviewers must be the nicest people on earth

April 12th, 2020, 12:43 pm

Jim G wrote:Really, nobody is making a "bad" 2 way bookshelf anymore. Driver quality is better as are crossover components and cabinet construction. It's really more about what sound you like. The British sound, "Audiophile sound", "studio monitors". Then, active or passive. Horns, metal domes, soft domes or ribbons. I like ribbon tweeters that have wide dispersion. If you're on a budget, check out Scansonic, I believe they're front ported.


I will check out the Scansonic.
These speaker will be 3-4 feet behind me on a credenza. I am looking for wide bandwidth speakers which can play classical music. The bookshelves Dave B is using in his workshop were very good with classical music. I need to check with him the details.

Came across a lot of praise about Triangle Borea BR03. Here is a video comparing it to Kliscpsh and Elac

https://youtu.be/apij3Y0A1RQ

Re: Audio reviewers must be the nicest people on earth

April 12th, 2020, 12:45 pm

That, right there, is why reviews should be neutral-ish. "Musicality" or your subjective opinion of what it is, may not match up with mine (or others). Why alienate anyone?

I know from reading reviews and then listening to products reviewed by Herb and John A, what they each think is important. I happen to side with John A's preferences and not Herbs. After a while, you know what you're getting. If Walt's system is your reference, then I know what you like. As a future reviewer you have to get that opinion across without condemning other paths. I've been to Walt's and his system is good, but not my reference.

It's really hard to review literary fiction if you prefer to read nonfiction, yet there are attributes of good writing that span all genres.

Re: Audio reviewers must be the nicest people on earth

April 12th, 2020, 12:58 pm

AV Show Reports?
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