Have We Seen the Last of Harry Pearson?
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That's essentially what Michael Mercer said on Facebook
ahh, thats good as I did not really want to be the first to start this conversation. I think TAS's attitude was if we can't have HP, then no one can, even himself. Just a natural disappointment for them at losing such a big name, because many readers will follow HP where else he goes.
btw in Australia we get every hi-fi magazine on the newstand EXCEPT The Absolute Sound. We have all the UK mags and Stereophile, but I have had to buy digital PDF's of TAS for years.
hifitommy
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i have been a tas subscriber since issue #2. what i always got from tas in those days was that the reviewed equipment sounded EXACTLY as they descdribed and you could validate this by listening for yourself. this was tru of the XLM and metrotec eq and many another device.
issue interval nearly always exceeded the monthly period they committed to but was ALWAYS worth the wait. today it may not be the holy grail it once was but still it is authoritative. harley is and exemplary reviewer and the others are also very good in varying degrees.
the lack of measurements is ok with me and its obvious they do measure things, they just dont make it a policy to publish such.
i am anxiously awaiting the new venture.
issue interval nearly always exceeded the monthly period they committed to but was ALWAYS worth the wait. today it may not be the holy grail it once was but still it is authoritative. harley is and exemplary reviewer and the others are also very good in varying degrees.
the lack of measurements is ok with me and its obvious they do measure things, they just dont make it a policy to publish such.
i am anxiously awaiting the new venture.
No we haven't seen the last of HP.
And he left TAS for the very thing that many, many audiophiles have suspected as taking place with audiophile magazines: the emphasis on ad revenue over honest content.
While at times I found him to be arrogant and somewhat condescending in his zeal for the very best in playback, he was always honest and couldn't be bought.
I actually stopped reading TAS for many years after he panned a product and then banned the company after they complained (in the manufacturer's reply section) about his review.
Now, in the age of reviewers "never meeting a product that they didn't like", the thought of that review of his 22 years ago, is refreshing.
This article was posted on his website this last April.
http://www.hpsoundings.com/2013/04/why-i-quit-the-absolute-sound/
And he left TAS for the very thing that many, many audiophiles have suspected as taking place with audiophile magazines: the emphasis on ad revenue over honest content.
While at times I found him to be arrogant and somewhat condescending in his zeal for the very best in playback, he was always honest and couldn't be bought.
I actually stopped reading TAS for many years after he panned a product and then banned the company after they complained (in the manufacturer's reply section) about his review.
Now, in the age of reviewers "never meeting a product that they didn't like", the thought of that review of his 22 years ago, is refreshing.
This article was posted on his website this last April.
http://www.hpsoundings.com/2013/04/why-i-quit-the-absolute-sound/
Something is very wrong with this sentence: "Last March (2012), I went to the emergency room at the local hospital for what I thought would be routine checkup." Who the hell goes to the emergency room of their local hospital for a routine checkup?? Who the hell goes to a hospital (never mind the emergency room) for a routine check up? Poor people in the U.S. use the emergency room of their local hospital like it's their primary physician. People who have insurance and family doctors only use the emergency room when they truly have an emergency. Emergency rooms are typically hell-holes where you sit and wait for hours hoping to see some glimpse of a doctor. Last September when I ruptured my bicep tendon at Fed Ex on a Saturday afternoon, I had no choice but to go to my local hospital and go through the emergency room hell ordeal. I sat for 3 1/2 hours in sheer agony waiting to be seen by someone who had more than basic cub scout training in medicine. I was eventually seen by a PA, but it was a very long and painful wait. Again, I don't know of anyone who goes to the emergency room for a routine checkup. The very idea is ludicrous. Routine checkup and hospital emergency room don't go together anymore than any other oxymoron.
MEP, while I have issues with my own health insurance provider, you'll have to forgive me for not grasping the connection between your post and Harry Pearson's stated reason for departing TAS.
H. Pearson said that he had an epiphany after his near death health crisis, and in the link above, said he went to the emergency room for a routine check-up. So, MEP's posting is on topic, apropos the article. FWIW, oxymoron is extremely addictive.MEP, while I have issues with my own health insurance provider, you'll have to forgive me for not grasping the connection between your post and Harry Pearson's stated reason for departing TAS.
(My only insight, apart from being a smart-ass, is that perhaps he didn't have good health insurance).
Could be that he doesn't have any health insurance. I'm surprised that I didn't pick up on that the first time I read that article. It stuck out like a sore thumb today when I read it.
I'm not sure where he lived, but in many small towns the doctor's office or clinic will only be open Monday to Friday. The hospital's emergency room is used for urgent care on the weekends. If you get sick on the weekend, you can still make an appointment with your doctor and he will meet you at the emergency room.
Well, this has certainly been an interesting day. This afternoon, wandering through the local Barnes & Noble while the rest of the family was hitting the mall, I decided to pick up the 40th Anniversary issue of TAS. To be honest, I hadn't bought a copy in a long time (and used to be a regular subscriber), and only picked this one up because of its anniversary status. Not that there was anything wrong with TAS as a general-purpose audio magazine, but it and Stereophile had grown to be so much alike I could find it hard to tell the difference and, with little budget for audio gear due to family responsibilities, had basically stopped following the audiophile press. I think you can imagine my surprise when I paged through the issue and noticed the total absence (except for one reprinted review) of HP...and then noticed his name missing from the masthead. (For some time, I was thinking that he was gradually stepping away from the magazine, but never imagined it would be a total break.) A quick Google search upon returning home led me to this thread. So, I actually got two good things out of today: I found HP Soundings, and this forum. I expect to spend a lot more time with either than I will with any current audio print sources.
Roger and I were talking about J. Gordon Holt and Harry Pearson last night in the hot tub. This spurred me to see how Harry was doing with his new venture, HP Soundings, and found this
http://thehighfidelityreport.com/hp-soundings-and-high-fidelity-merge/
I appreciate what Harry is trying to do, once again. He came along the first time to add MUCH VALUE to the industry and to people just trying to understand it all. He was/is an excellent writer and he is a credible reviewer in a sea of many wanna-be reviewers. I think the industry needs him once again. I will pay closer attention now that he has partners to help give the new company daily life and presence.
Cheers,
Angela
These may prove interesting reads as well:
http://thehighfidelityreport.com/high-end-audio-a-time-machine/
http://thehighfidelityreport.com/high-end-audio-part-ii-discovering-the-sound/
http://thehighfidelityreport.com/hp-soundings-and-high-fidelity-merge/
I appreciate what Harry is trying to do, once again. He came along the first time to add MUCH VALUE to the industry and to people just trying to understand it all. He was/is an excellent writer and he is a credible reviewer in a sea of many wanna-be reviewers. I think the industry needs him once again. I will pay closer attention now that he has partners to help give the new company daily life and presence.
Cheers,
Angela
These may prove interesting reads as well:
http://thehighfidelityreport.com/high-end-audio-a-time-machine/
http://thehighfidelityreport.com/high-end-audio-part-ii-discovering-the-sound/
Sorry to say HP is no longer relevant.
Heck, he made himself irrelevant when he sold years ago
His continued tease posts, then no follow on them are worse than before. Its obvious that he feels his readers still are hanging for his every word. I'm not. Is anyone?
Heck, he made himself irrelevant when he sold years ago
His continued tease posts, then no follow on them are worse than before. Its obvious that he feels his readers still are hanging for his every word. I'm not. Is anyone?
HP was relevant and lives on through us...
Valin
Breuninger
Fremer
Dudley
Cordesman
Green
Astor
Marks
Stone
We are all direct HP invitees. (post up if I missed anyone from the 80s/90s HP crew who is still actively producing reviews)
Valin
Breuninger
Fremer
Dudley
Cordesman
Green
Astor
Marks
Stone
We are all direct HP invitees. (post up if I missed anyone from the 80s/90s HP crew who is still actively producing reviews)
this is interesting. do many feel this way? who do you "depend upon" as a reviewer these days? or do you not depend on reviewers? Or is it more word of mouth through forums where you gain your insight? I think the internet and forums have helped significantly as "regular" folks can share opinions and experiences. Sure, we will have biases towards stuff we own.
I find this topic interesting as time marches on.
cheers,
Angela
I find this topic interesting as time marches on.
cheers,
Angela
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Even before HP left the magazine he founded, his reviews were few and far between and the length of his reviews were more like capsule reviews. That didn't change with HP Soundings and I doubt it will change with the merger. I was hoping to see HP return to his form of the early days of TAS when he wrote lengthy reviews which I found meaningful at the time.
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