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WTF is happening?! What Hi-Fi? is now publishing measurements?

VintageFlanker

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I was just reading my news feed this morning and ended on the new Focal Kanta 3 review by What Hi-fi?

I was just thinking: "OK, another blablabla five star review (though non British speakers;))" then I found the review unusually long for their editing style. I scrolled down a bit and... I've got a heart attack. A graph? On What Hi-fi?! o_O

QyVBUEv9PMXAbuzVbknDVQ-970-80.png

And it is followed by an entire Test lab results part by" Newport Test Labs"...

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/focal-kanta-no3

I’ve always wondered that myself... I know they conduct tests for an Australian “Hi-Fi” site.

Edit: I knew I was dreamin. The entire review is made by Australian Hi-Fi instead... :facepalm:

hxxhxfhxfhxfxfh.png


But these are still "measurments" published on What Hifi at the end.
 
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RayDunzl

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Who is "Newport Test Labs"?
 

mansr

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Who is "Newport Test Labs"?
Probably not http://newportlabs.com/, that would be too funny.

The only mentions Google finds of "Newport Test Labs" are from audio equipment reviews and manufacturer marketing materials. If an organisation with that name exists, they've gone to great lengths hiding their whereabouts. My personal theory is that it's a made-up name the audio companies have agreed to attribute made-up measurements to, making them appear to be produced by an "independent" facility.
 

Thomas savage

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Probably not http://newportlabs.com/, that would be too funny.

The only mentions Google finds of "Newport Test Labs" are from audio equipment reviews and manufacturer marketing materials. If an organisation with that name exists, they've gone to great lengths hiding their whereabouts. My personal theory is that it's a made-up name the audio companies have agreed to attribute made-up measurements to, making them appear to be produced by an "independent" facility.
Mr cynical 2020 award goes too...
 

BDWoody

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QMuse

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LOL - their attemept to sound technical is simply patehtic. :facepalm:

Btw, look at the front port resonance (light blue) proudly singing at 650Hz only 22dB quiter than the midrange driver, but they didn't mention it..

index.php
 

Music1969

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Probably not http://newportlabs.com/, that would be too funny.

The only mentions Google finds of "Newport Test Labs" are from audio equipment reviews and manufacturer marketing materials. If an organisation with that name exists, they've gone to great lengths hiding their whereabouts. My personal theory is that it's a made-up name the audio companies have agreed to attribute made-up measurements to, making them appear to be produced by an "independent" facility.

They've been doing measurements in this magazine for quite a few years:

https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/re...c-test-report-steve-holding-newport-test-labs
 

Music1969

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There seems to be no "they" - the only person that signs Newport labs reports in various magazines is Steve Holding.

They being company.

Steve's been doing measurements many years. The point being Newport Test Labs haven't just come out of nowhere.

You can see the 2015 measurements Benchmark linked on their website, I linked above.
 

QMuse

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They being company.

Steve's been doing measurements many years. The point being Newport Test Labs haven't just come out of nowhere.

You can see the 2015 measurements Benchmark linked on their website, I linked above.

That is from Australian HiFi magazine, and again signed by Steve Holding.

So, how do you contact Steve Holding to order a measurement?
 
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Wombat

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That is from Australian HiFi magazine, and again signed by Steve Holding.

So, how you contact Steve Holding to order a measurement?

Exactly.
 

mansr

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That is from Australian HiFi magazine, and again signed by Steve Holding.

So, how do you contact Steve Holding to order a measurement?
All I see is quotes attributed to Steve Holding. There is no evidence that such a person even exists.

Dialling back the cynicism a little, maybe that Aussie hi-fi rag has their offices in one of the Newports and Mr Holding works there, Newport Test Labs being their cute nickname for the back room where they keep some test gear. I base this theory on the facts that the magazine is run by Future Publishing and that all the graphs have "Image credit: Future" written below.
 

Music1969

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That is from Australian HiFi magazine, and again signed by Steve Holding.

I'm aware, I'm the one that pointed you there...

So, how do you contact Steve Holding to order a measurement?

No idea - maybe contact the magazine?

His measurements have been in that magazine for 6 years... measurements are measurements... you either accept them or someone can try to reproduce and share differences...

I don't understand why there seems to be a fuss now, 6 years later....
 

QMuse

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All I see is quotes attributed to Steve Holding. There is no evidence that such a person even exists.

I became suspicious of his existance the moment it became obvious @Wombat never heard of him. :D
 

Wombat

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I'm aware, I'm the one that pointed you there...



No idea - maybe contact the magazine?

His measurements have been in that magazine for 6 years... measurements are measurements... you either accept them or someone can try to reproduce and share differences...

I don't understand why there seems to be a fuss now, 6 years later....


Credibility.
 

Wombat

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I became suspicious of his existance the moment it became obvious @Wombat never heard of him. :D

It is not that I had never heard of him(I hadn't) but rather couldn't find information on the test source.
 

napilopez

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LOL - their attemept to sound technical is simply patehtic. :facepalm:

Btw, look at the front port resonance (light blue) proudly singing at 650Hz only 22dB quiter than the midrange driver, but they didn't mention it..

index.php

Tbf, that is actually lower in level than usual haha. They also don't say whether these measurements are properly scaled for area, which I suspect they are not. The entire port output should probably be a bit lower.

Anyway, compare that with all the port outputs I catalogued here. 22dB down isn't likely to have much of an effect.
 

Thomas savage

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