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Audio Critic--Complete Archive

LMAO - originalsubscriber!!
Oh—And to download issues, I'm also going to find a place with a really spotty wifi connection so I'm never really sure I'm going to get it. Just like old times!

Also, does anyone remember that Peter heaped lofty praise on a then-new loudspeaker—the Fourier One, if I recall correctly—without disclosing that he had a financial interest in the company that produced it? He later owned up, I believe.
 
Just read the article about White Hats (good guys) vs Black Hats (bad guys) on page 12 of Issue No.24. The section on Black Hats in particular is surprisingly relevant almost 30 years later, featuring a number of well-known names. A must read.
 
Drinking game: Shot for every time he uses the term "Tweako." :)

They were always a fun read. I've seen this link before but it reminds me to start going through the issues again.

Aczel was very big on a couple of speaker brands back in the day, that I also really loved:

Joseph Audio speakers

and

John Otvos' Waveform Speakers (engineered with access to the NRC, employing the design expertise of: Paul Barton of PSB fame and Dr, Claude Fortier of S.O.T.A. Paul was in consumer audio; Claude was in pro).

I'll never forget hearing the Waveform Mach 17s at Otvos' home. Aczel ended up rating the the Waveform speakersr something near the pinnacle of speaker design.
Another drinking game: "Every time you do a shot, you gotta do a shot!".
 
I just now came upon this thread -- many thanks to the OP.

Right now I'm looking at Audio Critic Vol. 2 / No. 2. There is a review of the epochal NAD 3020 integrated amp that received high praise.

There was also a review of B&W DM7 (Mk.I) speaker on the strength of which I bought a pair. I kept these speakers for 20 years on the delusion that they were a high-performing speaker. Eventually I changed my mind. They were sorely lacking in dynamics even when driven with plenty of power. Driving them for years, I used a Phase Linear 400 amp. The PL400 was horrible sounding amplifier but I can't blame my choice in that instance on Audio Critic. :confused:
 
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Aczel was strictly test & measurement oriented. I tend to agree with that approach, since it is repeatable. Can't get two subjective reviewers to agree on anything. Repeatability is sorely lacking there.
 
Biline.ca now has a complete archive of the original, historic journal of objective, high-end audio reviewing, the Audio Critic. Previously, Biline had only parts of Volume 2, and the online Webzine articles. As of very recently, they have filled in the gap and now have everything ever published under the Audio Critic masthead.

Makes for some very interesting reading. Aczel was in the early days, something of a subjectivist on preamp and amplifier sound. Could have been that early transistor (mid 1970's) to say nothing of tube designs were insufficiently optimized and were indeed distinguishable from one another, though Julian Hirsh would have disagreed even back then. But Peter did come to later espouse the objectivist audiophile conclusion that all well designed transistor electronics will have flat frequency response, inaudible levels of distortion, high input impedances and low output impedances, and be flat in the FR, and so will be indistinguishable from each other if level matched, and not clipping.

In any case, some of the reviews are hilarious, and the takedowns absolutely epic. Other reviews are firsts looks at some absolutely seminal, historic designs. Reading through this is like witnessing the birth of high end audio.

Not to be missed.

He saved me a fortune by opening my ears.
 
Oh—And to download issues, I'm also going to find a place with a really spotty wifi connection so I'm never really sure I'm going to get it. Just like old times!

Oh—And to download issues, I'm also going to find a place with a really spotty wifi connection so I'm never really sure I'm going to get it. Just like old times!

Also, does anyone remember that Peter heaped lofty praise on a then-new loudspeaker—the Fourier One, if I recall correctly—without disclosing that he had a financial interest in the company that produced it? He later owned up, I believe.

Also, does anyone remember that Peter heaped lofty praise on a then-new loudspeaker—the Fourier One, if I recall correctly—without disclosing that he had a financial interest in the company that produced it? He later owned up, I believe.

I discovered him quite by accident at a magazine stand. Bought the mag out of curiosity, then got hooked.
 
David Rich does a page from time to time.

About 4years ago I was looking for new speakers after a long drought from the hifi world. Found some stereophile or whatever “best under $XXXX” list and found Revel M106, which brought me to one of his articles which then brought me to ASR. His article was eye opening for someone like me who knew nothing of these kinds of measurements and room EQ.


So here I am today.
 
Jack Renner loved the Waveforms. Telarc also owned a complete 5 channel speaker Waveform speaker system...
hi just want to add a really great endorsement ... i have always loved the sheer dynamics in Telarc recordings ... so magnificient and realistic
I love the Telarc version of the Prince of thieves soundtrack


listened at a fair on a pair of gigantic Focal Grand Utopia at full volume ... :eek::eek::eek:
 
I used to read the audio critic, and I’ve been going through a bunch of the downloads of those old issues. A lot of it is a fun read and a real revisit back to that time (so many names I recognize both in letters and mentioned in articles).

That said I often just have to take a break. The magazine is just so riven through with Aczel‘a sneering tone… it seems he can barely let a paragraph go by without another jab at the dreaded subjectivist “ Tweako cultists” … I find it gets old really fast. (And even starts to take on a pathological texture).

I find myself simultaneously glad for Aczel‘s contribution to the reviewing field but also glad that views as rigid as his did not fully rule the day, as it would’ve snuffed out so many products I have enjoyed and found interesting over the years.
 
They were sorely lacking in dynamics even when driven with plenty of power. Driving them for years, I used a Phase Linear 400 amp.
You needed a 700B :p
pl700B.jpg

Oh—And to download issues, I'm also going to find a place with a really spotty wifi connection so I'm never really sure I'm going to get it. Just like old times!

Also, does anyone remember that Peter heaped lofty praise on a then-new loudspeaker—the Fourier One, if I recall correctly—without disclosing that he had a financial interest in the company that produced it? He later owned up, I believe.
It was a long complicated story with no dirty business intended by Pete.
Just as would happen today, the objectivist clan were looking for a rope to hang him with.
Nothing nefarious was intended or ever shown and the hole deal just disappeared down the drain.

The magazine is just so riven through with Aczel‘a sneering tone… it seems he can barely let a paragraph go by without another jab at the dreaded subjectivist “ Tweako cultists” …
Nope, he hit the nail on the head and it was well deserved both back then and today.
What should be said about the hustle of $30,000 AC power cords and CD Edge Painting pens getting rave reviews and product of the year awards? Typical Matt.
 
They were sorely lacking in dynamics even when driven with plenty of power. Driving them for years, I used a Phase Linear 400 amp.
You needed a 700B :p
pl700B.jpg

Oh—And to download issues, I'm also going to find a place with a really spotty wifi connection so I'm never really sure I'm going to get it. Just like old times!

Also, does anyone remember that Peter heaped lofty praise on a then-new loudspeaker—the Fourier One, if I recall correctly—without disclosing that he had a financial interest in the company that produced it? He later owned up, I believe.
It was a long complicated story with no dirty business intended by Pete.
Just as would happen today, the subjectivist clan were looking for a rope to hang him with.
Nothing nefarious was intended or ever shown and the hole deal just disappeared down the drain.

The magazine is just so riven through with Aczel‘a sneering tone… it seems he can barely let a paragraph go by without another jab at the dreaded subjectivist “ Tweako cultists” …
Nope, he hit the nail on the head and it was well deserved both back then and today.
What should be said about the hustle of $30,000 AC power cords and CD Edge Painting pens getting rave reviews and product of the year awards? Typical Matt.
 
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Highly informative audio archive. This is all fun reading stuff for audio hobbyists. Thank you!
 
Best drinking game, according to Modern Drunkard Magazine: "Every time you do a shot you gotta do a shot.".
 
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