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How ASR and (a few) others are slowly re-shaping audio reviewing and the Hi-Fi market at large
- Thread starter FrantzM
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Already discussed here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...eviewing-and-the-hi-fi-market-at-large.68925/
This thread is also relevant (thread titled "Please do not link to headphonesty site"): https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...lease-do-not-link-to-headphonesty-site.68004/
This thread is also relevant (thread titled "Please do not link to headphonesty site"): https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...lease-do-not-link-to-headphonesty-site.68004/
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I feel -- a little odd -- posting this, but I just saw a discussion of this at (of all places) audioasylum. 
archimago.blogspot.com
Audiophile Potpourri: December 2025 web traffic among audio sites, price of cables poll, and flashback 2014 while looking ahead.
A blog for audiophiles about more objective topics. Measurements of audio gear. Reasonable, realistic, no snakeoil assessment of sound, and equipment.
archimago.blogspot.com
Most interesting. I was on AA a little 25 years ago. ASR is closer to the tech as it's evolving, and less snobby than AA was (is?) about cheap gear. Great seeing $25 dongles tested!I feel -- a little odd -- posting this, but I just saw a discussion of this at (of all places) audioasylum.
Audiophile Potpourri: December 2025 web traffic among audio sites, price of cables poll, and flashback 2014 while looking ahead.
A blog for audiophiles about more objective topics. Measurements of audio gear. Reasonable, realistic, no snakeoil assessment of sound, and equipment.
- Thread Starter
- #25
I read the article, and these FACTS are rather interesting..I feel -- a little odd -- posting this, but I just saw a discussion of this at (of all places) audioasylum.
Audiophile Potpourri: December 2025 web traffic among audio sites, price of cables poll, and flashback 2014 while looking ahead.
A blog for audiophiles about more objective topics. Measurements of audio gear. Reasonable, realistic, no snakeoil assessment of sound, and equipment.
WoW!
RandomEar
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I think the following quote from the same blog post is relevant:I read the article, and these FACTS are rather interesting..
WoW!
Head-Fi, Steve Hoffman, Audiokarma and AVS Forum are also sites which are either exclusively forums or contain popular forums. Those are in the same order of magnitude as ASR concerning visits. If you visit a forum, it's not unreasonable to think that you might come back to it multiple times a day, probably because you follow an interesting discussion. In contrast to that, visiting any audio news site daily seems not that likely - maybe with the exception of short time windows like audio shows or CES, during which lots of new gear gets presented that you want to be aware of.
Gearspace and Sound-on-Sound are focused on professional audio equipment, so those belong in a different bracket I would argue. What Hi-Fi is bigger than all of them and is still a stronghold of subjective blubber.
HalSF
Senior Member
Even though Headphonesty is straight-up unacknowledged and unethical AI trash that shamelessly aggregates genuine audio reporting and commentary right up to the verge of plagiarism, the article mentioned in this thread’s OP offers a valid thesis on emerging power shifts in hi-fi reviewing.
Too bad the venue and fake byline means it’s like pulling an interesting informative newspaper clipping out of a steaming pile of fresh horse manure.
Too bad the venue and fake byline means it’s like pulling an interesting informative newspaper clipping out of a steaming pile of fresh horse manure.
They have a whale of a time though.
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Great -- now I am going to be distracted for the rest of the day striving to concoct a baleen pun...
The "headphonesty" LLM article happens to be targeted at ASR readers. There is going to be more and more of this going forward. Someone can use image-generators, text-generators etc. to put up sites catering to any number of different views, cheaply. So when you run across something that closely reflects your own views, be suspicious. LLMs do sycophancy well!
Regardless of the article, IMO we can see how increased transparency contributed to increase in quality of audio components. In some threads we refer to all gear chosen with care (based on reviews) is performing great nowadays and some of that gear is also priced attractively.
The only place where I can see we need better value are the speakers. High SPL (110dB peak or more) low distortion speakers that can go F3 to 60hz confidently, with great directivity, seem to still be relatively expensive. Yet we have manufacturers releasing so many models that just don't cut it. If they would be focused more on performance and release fewer models, we could perhaps see a drop in price for these high performing speakers.
Higher-er end speakers is a niche market, but if it does not move into right direction, then at one point Chinese companies will figure it out. Not good or bad, but will have a devastating effect on the rest of the industry. Much bigger TV market is also folding into Chinese hands, with some strongholds in Korea that are putting admirable fight - for now. I own my first Chinese made TV for 20 mos or so and can say it is spectacular. Before that was just Sony or Samsung.
The only place where I can see we need better value are the speakers. High SPL (110dB peak or more) low distortion speakers that can go F3 to 60hz confidently, with great directivity, seem to still be relatively expensive. Yet we have manufacturers releasing so many models that just don't cut it. If they would be focused more on performance and release fewer models, we could perhaps see a drop in price for these high performing speakers.
Higher-er end speakers is a niche market, but if it does not move into right direction, then at one point Chinese companies will figure it out. Not good or bad, but will have a devastating effect on the rest of the industry. Much bigger TV market is also folding into Chinese hands, with some strongholds in Korea that are putting admirable fight - for now. I own my first Chinese made TV for 20 mos or so and can say it is spectacular. Before that was just Sony or Samsung.
EERecordist
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While measurements by Erin, ASR, Spinorama aggregations may provide evolutionary pressures on survival of the fittest, I think the market is over supplied against a shrinking customer base and consolidation with higher profit margin expectations. I believe the same is happening in pro audio.
While we certainly turned up our dorm room speakers, a growing proportion of the world live in multifamily housing which does not like loud. So we see a proliferation of headphones and earbuds meeting the mobile use case. Turntables seem to be temporarily growing. But in most countries, the population pyramid is aging and the population is flattening. Of course Chinese manufacturers are doing what they do.
Many mergers and acquisitions are fueled by debt, which is expensive. Private equity has a high expectation of gross and net margin, though they have been doing poorly at that the last few years. So they have to cut costs in their acquisitions which may impact the customer experience.
Not everyone can afford a Klippel or Audio Precision. The AP can be paired with a generic A-D D-A interface and still benefit from the AP automation, standard tests, name recognition, and logo on the graphs. It is not clear that Listen, Multitone Loopback Analyzer, Room EQ Wizard, Quant Asylum, new market entrants, and homebuilt Klippel's have the same cred.
Finally the HiFi review business model is failing.
While we certainly turned up our dorm room speakers, a growing proportion of the world live in multifamily housing which does not like loud. So we see a proliferation of headphones and earbuds meeting the mobile use case. Turntables seem to be temporarily growing. But in most countries, the population pyramid is aging and the population is flattening. Of course Chinese manufacturers are doing what they do.
Many mergers and acquisitions are fueled by debt, which is expensive. Private equity has a high expectation of gross and net margin, though they have been doing poorly at that the last few years. So they have to cut costs in their acquisitions which may impact the customer experience.
Not everyone can afford a Klippel or Audio Precision. The AP can be paired with a generic A-D D-A interface and still benefit from the AP automation, standard tests, name recognition, and logo on the graphs. It is not clear that Listen, Multitone Loopback Analyzer, Room EQ Wizard, Quant Asylum, new market entrants, and homebuilt Klippel's have the same cred.
Finally the HiFi review business model is failing.
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Some of us noticed early on and posted to ASR:
what is the *deal* with Headphonesty?
tl;dr: Ignore their shit! Don't give them clicks.
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