Stereophile’s top twenty advertisers

[Purité Audio]

Surprisingly Dutch&Dutch get a mention.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/stereophiles-products-2019-loudspeaker-2019

Keith

 

[restorer-john]

Honestly Keith, I'd rather fly to the UK and burn some money with you, than pick from Stereophile's products of 2019.

You have way more credibility in my humble opinion, as you don't seem to answer to anyone but yourself. That is refreshing in my book.

And just for fun, a random comment from a Stereophile "review":

 

[anmpr1]

I guess Stereophile is part of a group of information... I mean advertising outlets--sort of a hi-fi mafia, as it were. Most of what is dished out is blather at best. At worst it is opportunistic shilling. The most recent idiocy comes from one of Stereophile's sister sites, Audiostream. The 'reviewer' (I laugh when I use that word), one Rafe A., writes up his exquisite impressions of a forty four thousand dollar DAC, using about every cliched, nonsensical audiofool phrase you've ever had the misfortune to come across:

...if you are someone who has an incurable need for access to the bleeding-edge of file types or the highest digital resolutions available, then perhaps the DAC 5 is not for you. That said, if, like me, this is not of paramount importance and musicality, flesh-and-blood authenticity, sonic coherence, low-level note separation, full-frequency spectrum resolution, sound staging, and addictive rhythmic timing along with transient detail and speed are your jam… then [it] could be the last DAC you’d ever want to buy.

Notice two things. First, understanding that the device doesn't translate DSD 32-bit/384kHz DSD64 or DSD128, or even 24/192 PCM files, and knowing how another opportunistic company will come out with an even more expensive DAC, Rafe leaves open the possibility that someone might want that, instead. Second, to his credit (LOL) he doesn't call this thing a 'bargain', or bring his wife in from the kitchen in order to validate his golden perception.

These people are bad jokes. They've long gone past the point of self-parody. How anyone can take any of what they write seriously is something I'll never hope to understand.

 

[vavan]

Just for the record, one of reviewers bought pair of revel f208s (predecessor of f228be) after reviewing those

 

[anmpr1]

Just for the record, one of reviewers bought pair of revel f208s (predecessor of f228be) after reviewing those

It is my understanding that the manufacturer typically offers the review sample for sale and a reduced price. I don't know what that discount is, but any reviewer and manufacturer ought to have to state it up front at the time the review is published.

 

[SDC]

Metal drivers? All metal drivers sound krap except below about 60 Hz for big subs, but then they need so much power all the available ones out there just burn up ~ so not a a viable thing yet (double the moving mass of paper). They don't flex for bass, but they ring with everything else - jaggy & annoying.

Read your postings and umm... hmmm....

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Just for the record, one of reviewers bought pair of revel f208s (predecessor of f228be) after reviewing those

Really? Which reviewer?

 

[vavan]

Really? Which reviewer?

I'm not sure who told that: "Revel has absolutely nailed it with the F208’s and I was sad to see them go. So much so that I ended up purchasing the review pair for myself, and I haven’t regretted it even the slightest."
Why asking?

 

[Tks]

I've heard many people even here talk about Magnepan being on a league of their own. They look really cool. Does this hold any truth?

Those PSB speakers also look nice :]

That $50,000 arm also looks great (even though I don't know jack about vinyl, I can appreciate the finishing work on that thing)

Likewise that dCS desktop system seems to have cool looking speakers.

OH any that SVS sub looks like it would match the aluminum woofers of my T1 Encore with the same silver color on the driver

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I'm not sure who told that: "Revel has absolutely nailed it with the F208’s and I was sad to see them go. So much so that I ended up purchasing the review pair for myself, and I haven’t regretted it even the slightest."

Ah. The Stereophile reviewer of the F208 did actually buy them but your quote is not from Stereophile. It comes from https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews...ng/revel-f208-floor-standing-speakers-review/

 

[vavan]

Ah. The Stereophile reviewer of the F208 did actually buy them but your quote is not from Stereophile. It comes from https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews...ng/revel-f208-floor-standing-speakers-review/

So apparently stereophile reviewer wasn't the only one. I'm not reviewer at all but also ended up returning lsim 705 and got away with f208s

 

[Kal Rubinson]

It is my understanding that the manufacturer typically offers the review sample for sale and a reduced price.

I really cannot recall any instance in which a manufacturer has offered the review sample for sale unsolicited. The presumption is that the product will be returned in good condition. (Often that is contractually required.) The reviewer, of course, can ask.

 

[watchnerd]

Surprisingly Dutch&Dutch get a mention.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/stereophiles-products-2019-loudspeaker-2019

Keith

Hey my speaker feet won the accessories list!

And they're not even insanely priced.

Glad I have "Stereophile Class A" speaker feet....

Too bad I have all these cheapie speaker cables throwing all those GAINZ away.

 

[watchnerd]

I've heard many people even here talk about Magnepan being on a league of their own. They look really cool. Does this hold any truth?

I've had Maggies and 2 sets of Martin Logans.

Yes, I would say that panel speakers are in a league of their own in that they're very different beasts from direct radiators.

No, that doesn't mean better, necessarily.

I went back to dynamic speakers after 10 years with panels.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

So apparently stereophile reviewer wasn't the only one. I'm not reviewer at all but also ended up returning lsim 705 and got away with f208s

Then you might be entertained by the introduction to my story about visiting Harman: https://www.stereophile.com/content/blind-listening-harman-international

 

[watchnerd]

These people are bad jokes. They've long gone past the point of self-parody. How anyone can take any of what they write seriously is something I'll never hope to understand.

It's porn.

It's the escapist audiophile equivalent of Penthouse Letters.

I was going to compare it to audio magazines that review super cars, but those cars actually *do* perform. So while they're both escapist, audiophilia is much closer to pure fantasy.

Vicarious thrills are what sells in audio porn land, not Consumer Reports.

 

[Tks]

I'd say Stereophile is nice whenever their reviews also comprise themselves with accompanied measurements. I'd never turn a source away if they want to provide a complete report.

But then you get those reviews (where you know deep down the manufacturer told them to keep the AP as far away as possible). That's just annoying ..

 

[ta240]

I was going to compare it to audio magazines that review super cars, but those cars actually *do* perform. So while they're both escapist, audiophilia is much closer to pure fantasy.

They've gotten better but a lot of those crazy expensive cars when actually driven on the shows would rattle, squeak, be hard to shift and on and on with the issues.

 

[Purité Audio]

Dutch& Dutch’s award winning 8C monitors are always available for evaluation/demonstration at Purité Audio, North London.
Where you can compare them directly with Kii THREE. Grimm LS1be, Hedd’s Type 20 and the superb ‘Towers Main’.
https://www.puriteaudio.co.uk/dutch-dutch-1

Keith

 

[mansr]

I'd say Stereophile is nice whenever their reviews also comprise themselves with accompanied measurements. I'd never turn a source away if they want to provide a complete report.

After some exchanges with John Atkinson, I don't put much stock in his ability to correctly perform those tests or interpret the results.