Latest Stereophile article about reviewing

[dougi]

An article by Jim Austin about reviewing. While I understand the inference that hifi is all about enjoying music, I can't quite follow the logic from (talking abut measurements) "But what you learn from such research reveals little of interest about any individual in the group" to the subjective conclusion that "a belief that what's true for the critic will be true for others". What happened to individual preference in that leap?

 

[mansr]

 

[TurtlePaul]

An article by Jim Austin about reviewing. While I understand the inference that hifi is all about enjoying music, I can't quite follow the logic from (talking abut measurements) "But what you learn from such research reveals little of interest about any individual in the group" to the subjective conclusion that "a belief that what's true for the critic will be true for others". What happened to individual preference in that leap?

This is the cynical message I read between the lines: research says certain objective measures that can be achieved affordably lead to the most preferred audio reproduction across a large population... but we (audience and reviewer) are members of a special cohort who are justified spending more money on cable risers and power cables from our esteemed advertisers.

 

[JanesJr1]

An article by Jim Austin about reviewing. While I understand the inference that hifi is all about enjoying music, I can't quite follow the logic from (talking abut measurements) "But what you learn from such research reveals little of interest about any individual in the group" to the subjective conclusion that "a belief that what's true for the critic will be true for others". What happened to individual preference in that leap?

Good catch. The article is like listening to the endless kid-movies about you-don't-need-just-your brain, you gotta have heart!

 

[Ken1951]

Obviously measurements mean nothing. It is only us, with our incredible Golden Ears (ignoring our advanced age and decreased FR), who can determine TRUTH! Anyone who disagrees with us is unworthy... No wonder the vast majority of folks have abandoned audio...

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

Since when are we trying to learn anything of interest about any individual in a group? Why do I care what Guttenburg's (to use one example) 75 year old ears "reveal" to him in his cluttered apartment? All I care about is how well each component in my system accomplishes the specific task I need it to accomplish. Sometimes it seems like these people are failed musicians and they see the act of assembling a system and listening to recordings as akin to being part of the creative process...

 

[Larry B. Larabee]

'It's based on a faith in shared human experience'
More collectivist claptrap infiltrating what appears to be a benign source for propaganda.

 

[Daverz]

Sometimes it seems like these people are failed musicians and they see the act of assembling a system and listening to recordings as akin to being part of the creative process...

Oh, they definitely see themselves as artistes.

 

[Robin L]

Good catch. The article is like listening to the endless kid-movies about you-don't-need-just-your brain, you gotta have heart!

My comment at Stereophile:

Faith
Faith is an island in the setting sun
But proof, yes
Proof is the bottom line for everyone

Paul Simon: Proof

 

[mansr]

Oh, they definitely see themselves as artistes.

Fixed it.

 

[teched58]

It's difficult to argue with a Jim Austin column because it's so hard to make it through the plodding and uninspiring prose. I don't think I've finished one yet. Even the eyebrow (over title), "As We See It." Really draws you in; zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Taddpole]

Emperor's New Clothes

 

[FrantzM]

We need to lay off these guys. They are entirely conscious of what they are doing. Peak cynicism. They are selling wares and if they don't push a bit more on the marketing/propaganda, the sector that sustains them will disappear ( not that it won't .. regardless).
Let's look quietly at the High Fidelity landscape for a few mins:
DAC are commodities,: My favorite exemple is the Apple dongle at $9.00 being virtually undistinguishable, even superior to a $15,000 DAC "audiophile DAC
Commodity-level availability of ultra-high-performance (power, THD, IM, effciiency, etc) Class D amplifer modules. Now it is no longer an issue to design a high performance amp.. Rather of knowing how to properly assemble, readily available modules in readily available cases... For marketing, you may need to address S'Phile and its competition.. .
Transducers could have been an area of specialization.. alas, there again , routinely , $300 monitors do challenge High End audiophile darlings... and the buzz is on: people seem to know about it. And the assault is not only from the usual or pro shops , it's coming from ... gasp... .eek.. the Lifestyle sector, I have heard so many Sonos-based system that would wipe the floor with many expensive audiophile shrines.. Seriously asking the question: For those who have heard the famous LS 3/5A.. Would a pair of these so-beloved speakers, in the same well treated room, sound better than a pair of Sonos 5? .. damn even a Sonos ARC Soundbar?

....

To conclude. Which systems is, in your opinions, likely to sound better:

This:

or

that...

?

Peace.

 

[bloodshoteyed]

Fixed it.

was that an allusion to this ?

To conclude. Which systems is, in your opinions, likely to sound better:

all them lamps wil surely warm your soul up, don't you think?

 

[FrantzM]

was that an allusion to this ?



all them lamps wil surely warm your soul up, don't you think?

You did get the idea? mmmmhhh?

 

[Vict0r]

It reads a bit like a VHS player trying to convince people its still relevant.

 

[JeremyFife]

Hmmm: completely mixes up differences between measuring what equipment or rooms do to an audio signal, and the challenge of communicating what you hear. A baffling read and I can't quite see the point.

I get that listening to music is a personal, subjective activity. Communicating that personal reaction is a learned skill - perhaps that's what they are on about? Doesn't have anything to do with how something measures though.

Disclosure: I like Stereophile, I find it mostly enjoyable and often interesting ... doesn't make me a bad person

 

[Mart68]

It's difficult to argue with a Jim Austin column because it's so hard to make it through the plodding and uninspiring prose. I don't think I've finished one yet. Even the eyebrow (over title), "As We See It." Really draws you in; zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

That, and that he always mentions his physics degree like it's a 'Get out of jail free' card.

 

[charleski]

This is the issue whose cover features a $40k+ CD transport… At some point he needs to reconcile himself to the fact that he’s dealing with a luxury market in which the question of sound quality is peripheral. His vague wibbling about ‘emotion’ is little more than an appeal to the idea that having a rack of Nice Things in your living room will make you feel successful.

 

[Eggs Ackley]

Why do I care what Guttenburg's (to use one example) 75 year old ears "reveal" to him in his cluttered apartment?

Someone had to say it. Thank you.