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Stereophile's Favorite Drug?

Kal Rubinson

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Wow! I’ve never seen a reference to Hitchhiker’s guide in Stereophile.

@Kal Rubinson can you enlighten our pipes on this one?
I am as uninformed as you are. I have no role in production, photographs or cover content.
 

Sal1950

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I am as uninformed as you are. I have no role in production, photographs or cover content.
"Plausible deniability is the ability of people (typically senior officials in a formal or informal chain of command) to deny knowledge of or responsibility for any damnable actions committed by others in an organizational hierarchy"

LOL, Just teasin ya Kal. ;)
 

RayDunzl

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Could you imagine a $300 DAC review which shows measurements and performance better than $10,000+ DACs in the same magazine? Ain’t gonna happen.

Well, this one made the "Class A" category, along with some more precious ones...

Musical Fidelity V90-DAC: $299 $$$
Intended as a replacement for their V-DACII—itself one of ST's longtime reference components—Musical Fidelity's V90-DAC is housed in the same 6.6" by 4" by 1.8" brushed-aluminum case that characterizes the rest of the V90 line. This 24-bit converter, which uses a 32-bit Burr-Brown PCM1795 DAC chip, delivers up to 192kHz performance through its single coaxial (RCA) input and up to 96kHz through its USB and two optical TosLink inputs. According to ST, compared with its predecessor, "the V90-DAC offers still greater low-level resolution, superior dynamics, and fatigue-free listening." JA took the V90-DAC for a spin, going so far as comparing it with his current reference, the Auralic Vega. He noted the MF's combination of smoothness, naturalness, and detail, combined with good spatial properties—but he felt the V90-DAC was lacking, by comparison, in momentum and bass power. JA's measurements uncovered "a strange rise in the noise floor around the 19 and 20kHz tones, in only the right channel"; otherwise, the V90-DAC "definitely punched above its weight on the test bench." (Vol.37 Nos. 4 & 8 WWW)

Ok, it didn't rate "A+"
 

RayDunzl

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At this point it looks like Jim Austin is the front runner to me.

http://www.jimaustin.org/

Maybe qualified, but interested? Something tells me "no".

"Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do.
Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do."

- Mark Twain

Publishing Deadline = obligation = work.
 

Kal Rubinson

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"Plausible deniability is the ability of people (typically senior officials in a formal or informal chain of command) to deny knowledge of or responsibility for any damnable actions committed by others in an organizational hierarchy"

LOL, Just teasin ya Kal. ;)
I understand. OTOH, the reason that I continue to beat this dead horse is that most readers and/or critics of the magazine seem to think that Stereophile reviewers are (1) employees (very few are) and (2) expressing editor's or publisher's policy (we do not). Reviewers are expressing their own opinions and have very little impact on anything outside their direct contributions.

That is why I am disturbed when, for example, readers ascribe the assessment of a product as "Stereophile says........." The only things that "Stereophile says........." are in statements made by JA or ratings based on a consensus of reviewers. Heck, there are products that I would have nothing to do with but that are recommended by other reviewers. I don't doubt that the opposite holds, too.
 

Sal1950

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I understand. OTOH, the reason that I continue to beat this dead horse is that most readers and/or critics of the magazine seem to think that Stereophile reviewers are (1) employees (very few are) and (2) expressing editor's or publisher's policy (we do not). Reviewers are expressing their own opinions and have very little impact on anything outside their direct contributions.

That is why I am disturbed when, for example, readers ascribe the assessment of a product as "Stereophile says........." The only things that "Stereophile says........." are in statements made by JA or ratings based on a consensus of reviewers. Heck, there are products that I would have nothing to do with but that are recommended by other reviewers. I don't doubt that the opposite holds, too.
Thanks for the feedback Kal.
In any case I do appreciate your participation and postings to ASR.

They add some class to the joint. :p
 

Wombat

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Well, this one made the "Class A" category, along with some more precious ones...

Musical Fidelity V90-DAC: $299 $$$
Intended as a replacement for their V-DACII—itself one of ST's longtime reference components—Musical Fidelity's V90-DAC is housed in the same 6.6" by 4" by 1.8" brushed-aluminum case that characterizes the rest of the V90 line. This 24-bit converter, which uses a 32-bit Burr-Brown PCM1795 DAC chip, delivers up to 192kHz performance through its single coaxial (RCA) input and up to 96kHz through its USB and two optical TosLink inputs. According to ST, compared with its predecessor, "the V90-DAC offers still greater low-level resolution, superior dynamics, and fatigue-free listening." JA took the V90-DAC for a spin, going so far as comparing it with his current reference, the Auralic Vega. He noted the MF's combination of smoothness, naturalness, and detail, combined with good spatial properties—but he felt the V90-DAC was lacking, by comparison, in momentum and bass power. JA's measurements uncovered "a strange rise in the noise floor around the 19 and 20kHz tones, in only the right channel"; otherwise, the V90-DAC "definitely punched above its weight on the test bench." (Vol.37 Nos. 4 & 8 WWW)

Ok, it didn't rate "A+"

'"momentum" ??????
 

sofrep811

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I grew up on Stereophile until I came across the old school Audio Critic, published by Pete Aczel about 8 years back. Downloaded all I could and devoured them. Emailed Pete and surprisingly, at the time, he was still alive. Not sure anymore? He wrote me a lengthy email and helped me immensely reverse course on this roller coaster hobby of audio.

Stereophile puts dCS or Wilson Alexandria's on the cover for reasons unknown to me? My hypothetical and biased guess is because people read it, and only 10% of most readers would buy a dSC setup or can afford the cost. I can't even afford the crating and shipping. But for mid to low-fi guys like me I guess it's because when I see a DAC for $1,000 it seems cheap? I've yet to pay over $500 for a DAC and they're usually used.
 

Sal1950

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Frank Dernie

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I have subscribed to Stereophile for decades, despite in frequently being about stuff we can't get over here, and have kept it up mainly because of JA measurements. I can be sure that certain of the reviewers will subjectively favour stuff which measures badly (broken as JA sometimes puts it) so have been considering cancelling my subscription but still carry on for now.
I reconsidered cancelling this week when I read " But since my Nordost cables take 24 hours to sound their best after being bent" "rapid A/B comparisons were impossible" this is the very worst audio bollox I have read for a long time. Complete gobshite.
I stopped reading that review and just looked at the measurements.
Sorry Kal Rubinson you are definitely in a minority there nowadays.
 

Kal Rubinson

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I reconsidered cancelling this week when I read " But since my Nordost cables take 24 hours to sound their best after being bent" "rapid A/B comparisons were impossible" this is the very worst audio bollox I have read for a long time. Complete gobshite.
I stopped reading that review and just looked at the measurements.
Sorry Kal Rubinson you are definitely in a minority there nowadays.
Not really. I have the same reaction to the quoted statement. Perhaps I am in the minority there.
 

svart-hvitt

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I have subscribed to Stereophile for decades, despite in frequently being about stuff we can't get over here, and have kept it up mainly because of JA measurements. I can be sure that certain of the reviewers will subjectively favour stuff which measures badly (broken as JA sometimes puts it) so have been considering cancelling my subscription but still carry on for now.
I reconsidered cancelling this week when I read " But since my Nordost cables take 24 hours to sound their best after being bent" "rapid A/B comparisons were impossible" this is the very worst audio bollox I have read for a long time. Complete gobshite.
I stopped reading that review and just looked at the measurements.
Sorry Kal Rubinson you are definitely in a minority there nowadays.

Don’t underestimate placebo. Placebo is a fact. Placebo works.

;)
 

Sal1950

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