Jonathan Valin the best audio writer, EVER.

[thedudeabides]

IMHO, way to much gear on long term loan for JV. Clouds his cred in a very substantive way.

My vote for best current is Michael Fremer.

I read his analogue reviews and I don't do analogue. He also owns a majority of his gear.

 

[jeff1225]

There is not one single reviewer I trust anymore. I have friends in the industry who tell me what goes on behind the scenes dealing with reviewers who get kick backs, gear at factory price, etc. Not saying JV does. But there are a lot of unethical behavior and corruption that normal consumers are unaware of.

Art Dudley is one of the few reviewers I trust. He buys his own gear and actually returns what he loves but he can't afford (LAMM).

The real problem with the reviewers is that they review only what they want to own (or have). Can you image a tech reviewer ONLY reviewing Apple products and not Samsung or LG.

And they get all of their cables for free.

 

[bonzo75]

Art Dudley is one of the few reviewers I trust. He buys his own gear and actually returns what he loves but he can't afford (LAMM).

The real problem with the reviewers is that they review only what they want to own (or have). Can you image a tech reviewer ONLY reviewing Apple products and not Samsung or LG.

And they get all of their cables for free.

Yep and he likes schopper, PTP lenco, Garrard, all the good stuff. No screaming out for the latest is best

 

[microstrip]

Well, in all fairness I really do not trust any reviewer. There are a few I read and enjoy, probably because they have a good style, a good audio knowledge and, considering their writings, it seems we share a few preferences. I particularly appreciate reviewers who report on recordings and illustrate what they are listening with well defined aspects of the music playback.

 

[rblnr]

You might look at the TAS review of a big Rosso Fiorentino speaker a few years ago. At the end of the review by the comments section were pictures of Valin, Harley, and Julie Mullens IIRC on their paid for trip to Italy to visit the factory. Looked like they were having a good time . Showing the picture was the most honest part of the whole thing.

 

[sbo6]

I take them all with 1/4 lb of salt. Not my ears, not my room, not my associated gear and no one will ever know if they are incentivized or not. A review is a data point, take it as such..

 

[es347]

..what, no mention of Julian Hirsch?

 

[audioguy]

@rblnr

Bob: I tired to click on the website in your signature (www.outreachav.com) and got the following message:

 

[plurn]

@rblnr

Bob: I tired to click on the website in your signature (www.outreachav.com) and got the following message:
...

It seems that his SSL certificate has expired on November 12. Nothing malicious. Something must have gone wrong with the "Lets' Encrypt" process that should auto renew the certificate.

 

[rblnr]

Thanks for the headsup Chuck. Just tried it, worked but didn't format quite right on my iPad. I'll talk to my web folk.

And thanks plurn -- will look into that. No idea what may be up. Was looking to update the whole site this month in any case.

 

[Ron Resnick]

IMHO, way to much gear on long term loan for JV. Clouds his cred in a very substantive way.

My vote for best current is Michael Fremer.

I read his analogue reviews and I don't do analogue. He also owns a majority of his gear.

+1

My favorite Stereophile reviewer is Michael Fremer and my favorite TAS reviewer is Don Saltzman. I think they are both very intellectually honest and they write comparative reviews. I wish Robert Harley would go back to doing comparative reviews.

 

[GMKF]

+1

My favorite Stereophile reviewer is Michael Fremer and my favorite TAS reviewer is Don Saltzman. I think they are both very intellectually honest and they write comparative reviews. I wish Robert Harley would go back to doing comparative reviews.

+1
And I think John Atkinson's measurements complement the reviews of Fremer quite well.

 

[morricab]

My personal fav is Martin Colloms. Not much in terms of writing style, but he more than makes up for it in terms of content.

For those who still haven't subscribed for his ads-free Hi-Fi Critic - I highly recommend to do so.

I also enjoy reading Michael Fremer and Dick Olsher among others. I wish Corey Greenberg was still writing about audio. He was THE entertainer for me.

I would second Martin Colloms as not only being my favorite as well mainly because his descriptions of what he hears are deadly accurate. I can also relate well with Dick Olsher. I didn't like him at first because I didn't "get" what he was on about but now I see he really knows what he writes about.

Also agree about Corey and his writing but he was not terribly honest I think...same way I feel about Valin. IMO, TAS has lost nearly all credibility to the point where I find it painful to try to read another fanboy issue of the rag.

 

[bonzo75]

I would second Martin Colloms as not only being my favorite as well mainly because his descriptions of what he hears are deadly accurate. I can also relate well with Dick Olsher. I didn't like him at first because I didn't "get" what he was on about but now I see he really knows what he writes about.

Also agree about Corey and his writing but he was not terribly honest I think...same way I feel about Valin. IMO, TAS has lost nearly all credibility to the point where I find it painful to try to read another fanboy issue of the rag.

Dick Olsher loved the analysis Audio and owned it for years, reviews a lot of OTLs, and when he does valve amps he rolls tubes to check for better performance. All that for me is a big plus.

 

[morricab]

Dick Olsher loved the analysis Audio and owned it for years, reviews a lot of OTLs, and when he does valve amps he rolls tubes to check for better performance. All that for me is a big plus.

Before Analysis he was a long time owner of Soundlabs A1 electrostats and he also loved SET as he had a high sensitivity speaker as well that I think he designed (could be wrong there).

 

[microstrip]

Curiously my favorite reviewer, Jacob Heilbrunn just posted a review of the conrad johnson GAT2 preamplifier in TAS http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/?products=3092 (LL21, where were you? ) Although I would enjoy a longer article and find it a bit short, very factual and illustrative as always.

 

[LL21]

Curiously my favorite reviewer, Jacob Heilbrunn just posted a review of the conrad johnson GAT2 preamplifier in TAS http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/?products=3092 (LL21, where were you? ) Although I would enjoy a longer article and find it a bit short, very factual and illustrative as always.

Right here, Microstrip! Just saw this, and was surprised to see my moniker! In addition to Jacob, I also have read many memorable articles/reviews by Roy Gregory, Jeff Fritz, Martin Colloms, Mark Michelson, Jeff Dorgay, Michael Fremer, Rob Harley, Myles Astor...and naturally, there are others.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Roy Gregory? Really? Writing every review as if it’s Shakespearean prose, although he’s no Shakespeare. His successor at HiFiPlus, Alan Sircom? If I read yet another tt review from him that recycles the generic phrase “it has the neutrality of the SME, the verve of DD, the timing of the LP12, blah blah”, I think I’ll sigh.
My fave reviewer is Wojech Pacula, he has an unerring talent for getting to the heart of how something sounds.

 

[bonzo75]

Roy Gregory? Really? Writing every review as if it’s Shakespearean prose, although he’s no Shakespeare.

To DD or not to DD

All the world's a stage, and all the audiophiles are merely players. They have their exits and entrances, and one man in his time plays with (many) parts.
- Only audiophile and many are the words added.

Now is the winter of our discontent (no change required in this quote)

Audiophiles die many times before their deaths - word coward substituted for audiophiles.

Frailty, thy name is audiophile

I am the one who bought not wisely but too well - the word loved substituted for bought

We are such stuff as dreams are made on - this quote can be used by all audiophile toys

Lord, what fools these mortals be - can be said of all audiophiles

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown - Dedicated to Mike, from Shakespeare

We have seen better days - what every reviewer thinks, but cannot say

misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows - dedicated to all of us

 

[spiritofmusic]

Yep Ked, nice one.
And depending on the hobby, substitute audiophile for petrolhead, gourmet, collector of anything pricey and hard to truly justify.
Put it this way, assuming I ended up here in this chapel, had I stuck with my first system, the cash I’ve spent on audio since could have bought a little house out here, to give me just enough additional rental income to have fully retired.
Food for thought, “to rent, perchance to dream (of never working again)”.