What is a reviewer?

[Elliot G.]

not played in many, many years. still a big golf fan though.

Elliot is the guy shooting his age.

I got humbled a bit last weekend in Watersound at Camp Creek and Sharks Tooth. Two great courses and truly beautiful but very difficult green complexs . Fun as hell however. What a beautiful area.

 

[Kingrex]

I have a nice Porsche Cayman S with PDK. I very much like driving it, but I have no idea how to drive it nor ever came near its potential. On the other end of the spectrum, a super car does not have to be fast. I prefer my Mercedes ML550. While not a Supercar. It is a base model luxery line that is quiet, smooth and a joy to get from place to place in. I will sell the Porsche when I can replace it with a 100% autonomous auto based on a plug in hybrid platform. I will drive the Mercedes to its grave.

I question how many people with a uber high end stereo really use it. Elliot would know more. I quite often hear these stereo of set in place by a furniture designer. They are an accessory. The %. No idea.

I am genuinely curious where the $3000 and lower consumer gets his info. Where the $40,000 owner get his. And where the $200,000 and up get it. Also, what credibility these groups put in what they absorb for content.

When I got back into audio around 2010, I took the reviewers word as truth. I had no idea. This trunk slamber sales guy from Boston got me to buy a Rega Osiris based on quoting paragraphs from reviws in magazines. I didn't know any better and my reference was the local stereo shop full of pretentious employees. High prices and high attitude. Honestly, if that stupid amp didn't have toroid transformer hum so loud you could hear it in the next room, I would never have become Kingrex Electric. It was poorly designed equipment that took me down the rabbit hole. I still have so many people reaching out and a panel due to a social influencer I decided to put together 4 for stock. 2 are spoken for.

 

[gleeds]

not played in many, many years. still a big golf fan though.

Elliot is the guy shooting his age.

He is Mike - I have played with him). He should join the Senior Tour Who knew Elliot was a smooth swinger?

 

[morricab]

sorry if I was unclear but I was responding to that other persons statement. Anyone with a typewriter I and you would never see. This is a semantic arguement not my point. we just went through this the other day with the poster on the Wilson XVX quoting a reviewer as if he was the true voice of all audio, rather than he was one person's opinion backed by manufacturer marketing points that were reported in this publication, Thsi report is not supported by other major reviewers in that same publication and in fact others propose something entirely different as the audio truth. Just to be clear someone writing about audio that isnt getting paid is a hobbiest and I do not take that as a reviewer, perhaps you might , I don't know. To be even clearer when you write stuff I don't consider that to be anything but your opinion.

And when I wrote “stuff” for Positive Feedback and got some small compensation for that? Maybe go look up my reviews before you say something else…

 

[Porsche]

I would never buy high end audio based on a reviewers opinion, I hardly ever look at reviews, I typically look at reviews if I have listened to something to see if they heard what I did but that's about it.

 

[Elliot G.]

And when I wrote “stuff” for Positive Feedback and got some small compensation for that? Maybe go look up my reviews before you say something else…

not interested i’ve read plenty of your opinions here .

 

[tima]

Blu rays of Abbado doing Mahler are also great, with the Lucerne.

Agreed -- I have a set based on Kal's suggestion on my Mahler thread.

 

[tima]

Just to be clear someone writing about audio that isnt getting paid is a hobbiest and I do not take that as a reviewer, perhaps you might , I don't know.

True. As I noted before when a review is published the publisher wants to own it and paying for it is a way to do that. It is a small incentive to the writer -- nobody gets wealthy on audio reviews alone. From a time-value perspective the typical reviewer is giving it away. There is more money in being a columnist, where you produce a column for every issue, typically once a month. Columns tend to be less structured and more casual than a formal review and they need to be interesting.

On a separate note something I want to mention that has not been touched on to any degree thus far is experience. It is a rare few who are top-notch reviewers from the start -- if one is, it is in virtue of fairly extensive experience in audio before writing reviews. It is a small art craft which must be worked over time to acquire an audience.

 

[tima]

And then there is this!

Rob

Pretty rare to see a concert level ocarinist.

 

[ssfas]

I have a nice Porsche Cayman S with PDK. I very much like driving it, but I have no idea how to drive it nor ever came near its potential. On the other end of the spectrum, a super car does not have to be fast.

I inherited a Mercedes. it was quite a nice one apparently. I never drove it. I sold it a few days later and spent my share of the proceeds on a ceramic wall-hanging by a South Korean chap called Park Sung-Wook, which we'd had our eye on for a while and was well suited for a spare piece of real estate in our kitchen.

The thing about this artwork is that some people say "Wow!" and more don't even notice it. My hifi is in a room on the ground floor separated only by glass bifold doors. quite visible. Of all the people who've been in our house over the years, only one has ever asked to listen to it, and the only other person that has listened to it is an audiophile.

We have some pretty cultured friends, but in our circle interest in hifi is almost non-existent and certainly less than in South Korean ceramicists.

The nice thing about ceramics and certain wood, metal and glassware is that, whilst some is purely aesthetic, much is of practical value. I drink my coffee from a mug made by Mizuho Kimura, a 10th generation potter from Bizen in Japan. There is great pleasure using a vessel made in a kiln established by the maker's antecedent 400 years ago and the tradition passed down over the years. (Bizenware dates back 1,200 years.) It's not expensive and goes in the dishwasher.

I think it can be safely said that at the most budget end, the consumer is looking mostly at the practical value of a product, the more expensive the more aesthetics and pride of ownership come into play and the less the likelihood that the product will be used to it's full potential. The latter because an uber hifi needs an uber room and an uber car needs a racetrack. A lot of expensive hifi seems to go into really average to poor rooms.

 

[hopkins]

The nice thing about ceramics and certain wood, metal and glassware is that, whilst some is purely aesthetic, much is of practical value. I drink my coffee from a mug made by Mizuho Kimura, a 10th generation potter from Bizen in Japan. There is great pleasure using a vessel made in a kiln established by the maker's antecedent 400 years ago and the tradition passed down over the years. (Bizenware dates back 1,200 years.) It's not expensive and goes in the dishwasher.

Agreed. I lived in Japan for a while, and my in-laws work in the pottery business (Kyomizu district in Kyoto). Drinking tea or coffee out of a hand painted cup is a pleasure, simply because I find the design inspiring, and looking at it, holding it, has a relaxing effect.

Music is inspiring, but aside for perhaps the glow of tubes in the dark, the "gear" is mostly a source of stress: is it set up correctly? Is the sound optimal? Sometimes I wish it would all disappear.

 

[JiminGa]

Art is an essential part of my life and my listening room experience. My room is filled with art which Imbue energy into the room. I have amongst others a couple of excellent old aboriginal Tingari cycles. These are essentially song cycles from the Dreamtime. Kind of a first Shakra thing. On the front wall I have two sensuous Matisse lithographs representing the second Shakra. Over my Lps is a Tibetan Tanka from the 1600s expressing the sixth Shakra. My favorite piece is “Sun, moon and stars” an important early aboriginal board by Paddy Jampin. It is a glimpse into a Neolithic understanding of the universe prior to any western understanding of it. It’s my 7th Shakra representative.
For me listening to recorded music without art is an academic clinical experience. With it it ties all the things together which link me to a greater connection to the music and to everything else.

 

[Lagonda]

Having worked in my youth at a Ferrari dealer and gone to Bridgehampton on Ferrari events all I can say is virtually none of the owners put thier cars on the track. They had all the approved gear, trailors, Women and stuff but the cars were hardly driven. Unlike audio owners are afraid of the car, afraid of the possibility of damaging the car and the fear to show anyone that they don't really know how to use it. This is not all of course but it did cover many I saw. The robb report has tons of exotics with little or no mileage on cars. Personally I dont get it but then again I can't buy one either.

When you have pretty girls jumping out of their cars in traffic, to give you their telephone number because you drive a open Lamborghini, you will get it !

 

[bonzo75]

When you have pretty girls jumping out of their cars in traffic, to give you their telephone number because you drive a open Lamborghini, you will get it !

And then audiophiles will call that number and ask them to come over to listen to the new cables.

 

[Elliot G.]

When you have pretty girls jumping out of their cars in traffic, to give you their telephone number because you drive a open Lamborghini, you will get it !

True but that assumes that the person that owns the car drives it and that when he does his wife or GF isnt with him. I have had the experience in a Ferrari when I worked there and it was very weird.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Agreed -- I have a set based on Kal's suggestion on my Mahler thread.

BTW, I am looking forward to Mahler's 3rd on Tuesday with the Philadelphia and Nézet-Séguin. I have no idea what to expect from them in Mahler.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Agreed. I lived in Japan for a while, and my in-laws work in the pottery business (Kyomizu district in Kyoto). Drinking tea or coffee out ofoutside a hand painted cup is a pleasure, simply because I find the design inspiring, and looking at it, holding it, has a relaxing effect.

i think we all have "triggers" to enter into the right frame of mind. and art can be one of them. but it's a personal thing. i certainly have mine.

Music is inspiring, but aside for perhaps the glow of tubes in the dark, the "gear" is mostly a source of stress: is it set up correctly? Is the sound optimal?

there is a fine line between the system demanding attention or upgrades, and one that is all the way 'there'......that gives back and delivers. maybe it is a real gear problem. but.......possibly.....it's more about the user and where their head is at, than the details of the system.

recently for me outside influences caused me to consider system changes, yet my experience daily was contentment. so there has been a conflict. internally. and so i've not been really committed to making the changes. now i've come more around to a point of acceptance and peace. nothing changed with the system at all. but i evolved in my outlook, recognizing that i just need to enjoy and ignore the noise.

if there is stress, what exactly is the source of the stress? fix it.

Sometimes I wish it would all disappear.

the human condition is never static. since we are part of it and we are moving along a path. just bend the situation to one that works.

 

[Tangram]

Music is inspiring, but aside for perhaps the glow of tubes in the dark, the "gear" is mostly a source of stress: is it set up correctly? Is the sound optimal? Sometimes I wish it would all disappear.

I agree. My ideal system is the simplest one possible that achieves the sound I’m after. I only have two switches to turn on my entire system and I wish it was one. Three interconnects, which would be two if I wasn’t using a SUT. This has all been consciously done, since I firmly believe a simple signal path is the way to go. And, despite most of my gear being out of sight in an adjacent room, I almost always listen in the dark. It’s the best way for me to get lost in the music.

 

[Kingrex]

I inherited a Mercedes. it was quite a nice one apparently. I never drove it. I sold it a few days later and spent my share of the proceeds on a ceramic wall-hanging by a South Korean chap called Park Sung-Wook, which we'd had our eye on for a while and was well suited for a spare piece of real estate in our kitchen.

The thing about this artwork is that some people say "Wow!" and more don't even notice it. My hifi is in a room on the ground floor separated only by glass bifold doors. quite visible. Of all the people who've been in our house over the years, only one has ever asked to listen to it, and the only other person that has listened to it is an audiophile.

We have some pretty cultured friends, but in our circle interest in hifi is almost non-existent and certainly less than in South Korean ceramicists.

The nice thing about ceramics and certain wood, metal and glassware is that, whilst some is purely aesthetic, much is of practical value. I drink my coffee from a mug made by Mizuho Kimura, a 10th generation potter from Bizen in Japan. There is great pleasure using a vessel made in a kiln established by the maker's antecedent 400 years ago and the tradition passed down over the years. (Bizenware dates back 1,200 years.) It's not expensive and goes in the dishwasher.

I think it can be safely said that at the most budget end, the consumer is looking mostly at the practical value of a product, the more expensive the more aesthetics and pride of ownership come into play and the less the likelihood that the product will be used to it's full potential. The latter because an uber hifi needs an uber room and an uber car needs a racetrack. A lot of expensive hifi seems to go into really average to poor rooms.

I only have one friend that actually walked around my house and looked at all the artwork and commented on it. Its all originals. He happens to have a father that is an artist and we were housing 2 of his pieces while my friend got his life together after a divorce.
My new house sort of sucks in that there is limited places to hang art. Its a larger house. But its a lot of glass and walls that don't work.

 

[Lagonda]

True but that assumes that the person that owns the car drives it and that when he does his wife or GF isnt with him. I have had the experience in a Ferrari when I worked there and it was very weird.

Never happened to me when my wife was with me, neither the girl or i would have survived that experience Brazilians are dangerous !