Stereophile's snide editorial on ASR and Amir

[Sal1950]

(Okay, I lied. We're your enemies. ) Jim

ROTFLMAO

I just doubt that ASR is really the target of the Stereophile article. You're building a narrative to inflate your ASR ego.

I hate to tell ya friend but your being naive in the extreme.
You don't have to read between the lines to know who's Jim article is pointed at.
Who else pray tell?

I don't wish for Stereophile to fall. I think magazines like that need to transform to cover more music and functionality of audio products. Then they can survive. If they stick with this and that random opinion about product that is invalidated routinely by us, they will eventually suffer.

I believe that the days of radical subjectivity in audio are winding down, and this site has been a big part of that. Hooray!
As Amir mentioned earlier, a review mag or website that accepts ad's is always going to be somewhat dependent on their good will, you can't slap the mouth that feeds you. OTOH the total insanity of worthless $5,000 power cords or any cord for that manner and the many things along that line are killing the subjective mags. You can only feed the people so much crap before they finally start throwing up.
They need to find some middle ground of using some objectivity in their review style without totally killing the ad money stream. Of course some loss of revenue will have to be accepted, there's a lot of cash in the cable industry but again, the lies and BS just have to stop or the end may be near for them.

 

[Awsmone]

the other possibility other than ASR is Goldensound, who recently purchased a machine
he really riled MQA and MERIDIAN, with his analysis, and Stereophioe has been a staunch defender of mqa, just a thought ?

 

[amirm]

the other possibility other than ASR is Goldensound, who recently purchased a machine
he really riled MQA and MERIDIAN, with his analysis, and Stereophioe has been a staunch defender of mqa, just a thought ?

He is way too small of a fish to be on their radar. Besides, his "reviews" completely set aside the measurements and make up stuff just like stereophile reviewers do. So I imagine they very much like him that way.

 

[Bruce Morgen]

I just want a little bit of coloration: more bass, forward mids and relaxed highs.

That's what signal processing gear -- nowadays usually DSP, but there are good analog solutions too -- is for, at least in my world.

 

[Audiofire]

I believe that the days of radical subjectivity in audio are winding down, and this site has been a big part of that. Hooray!

Gene DellaSala from Audioholics deserves praise too for using an Audio Precision analyzer, and Stereophile did refer to online discussion forums as plural:

Anthem MRX 740 vs MRX 1140 AV Receiver Bench Test Comparison!

I put the latest generation of Anthem AV receivers, namely the MRX 740 and MRX 1140 models through my bench tests in this report. The MRX 740 retails for $2,899 and has 11 channels of processing with 7 channels of amplification (140wpc x5, 60wpc x2) while the MRX 1140 retails for $4,000 and has...

forums.audioholics.com

 

[Awsmone]

He is way too small of a fish to be on their radar. Besides, his "reviews" completely set aside the measurements and make up stuff just like stereophile reviewers do. So I imagine they very much like him that way.

They have referred to him previously
https://www.stereophile.com/content/mqa-again

 

[Awsmone]

I believe that the days of radical subjectivity in audio are winding down, and this site has been a big part of that. Hooray!

I wish this were true, but the proliferation of subjective YouTuber videos is only increasing , much like flat earth videos , I am not sure ASR is preaching to the masses , but a much more informed audience who sees thru this sort of racket

 

[Axo1989]

They have referred to him previously
https://www.stereophile.com/content/mqa-again

Well spotted.

 

[Newman]

They have referred to him previously
https://www.stereophile.com/content/mqa-again

Yes I was going to point this out, and it's more than a reference, it is a whole article dedicated to dismantling Goldensound's criticism of MQA. FYI @amirm

 

[Kal Rubinson]

We have near 40 pages of clamour about a perceived slight from Stereophile, but I don't think I've seen anything yet on Mr Rubinson's pretty decent review of the Genelec G Three that appeared immediately after.

I do not recall writing such a review.

 

[tmtomh]

If we consider the bulk of posts on forums like this are the usual social media posturing, you probably want your s/n numbers weighted, not raw.

We have near 40 pages of clamour about a perceived slight from Stereophile, but I don't think I've seen anything yet on Mr Rubinson's pretty decent review of the Genelec G Three that appeared immediately after.

Fortunately, there's some data published here amidst the din.

Nohing's stopping you from starting a thread on Kal's review (or whatever review it was).

S/N in a forum doesn't just magically create itself. We all play a role in it, one way or the other.

 

[Awsmone]

}

I do not recall writing such a review.

the review was by Herb Reicherthttps://www.stereophile.com/content/genelec-g-three-active-loudspeaker

 

[Axo1989]

I do not recall writing such a review.

Apologies, I think you said it was coming, and my brain misattributed. As @Awsmone said correctly, it was Mr Reichert. I hope neither of you are offended.

 

[Dialectic]

I believe that the days of radical subjectivity in audio are winding down, and this site has been a big part of that.

Sadly, the days of radical subjectivity in everything else seem to be ahead of us.

 

[MattHooper]

Get off your high horse! If Stereophile falls, some other forum will rise. And it's not obviously ASR.

I understand you are new here, but I think you have made some wrong assumptions. I've probably done more to defend mags like Stereophile (at least, for my purposes) than most around here.

I just doubt that ASR is really the target of the Stereophile article.

The quoted section I commented on clearly was aimed at ASR.

From the article:

"simple-minded objectivists who populate certain online discussion forums."

How many well known "objectivist" forums do you think there are?

There's Hydrogen audio, but basically nobody has been paying much attention to them for years (who weren't already of that school of thought).
It's ASR that has clearly been making the big splash in the audiophile community. It's constantly referenced now in just about every forum (and I've visited a lot). It's why there are video responses to ASR etc.

"But owning an Audio Precision analyzer doesn't make you an expert,"

Amir is well known for using the Audio Precision analyzer. It constantly features in his written and video reviews.

So...who else do you think Jim would have been referencing that:

1. Is part of an online forum known for it's objective stance.
2. Is well known reviewer who shows results from his Audio Precision analyzer.
3. Is prominent enough in the audiophile community to even make such a swipe?

If you really can't put those pieces together, I'd think even Jim Austin would think you missed it.

I just don't see the Stereophile/ASR duality.

I don't think everything about ASR and Stereophile has to be at odds, either.

 

[amirm]

They have referred to him previously

For MQA yes, but not as a measurement force in the industry that threatens them.

 

[Axo1989]

Nohing's stopping you from starting a thread on Kal's review (or whatever review it was).

S/N in a forum doesn't just magically create itself. We all play a role in it, one way or the other.

Thought I'd follow your advice and do that, but there's a very short thread already (it hasn't managed a page) as well as a few posts in the thread on Guttenberg's review, so no. My observation on s/n holds, obviously. As does my appreciation of the signal, regardless.

 

[tmtomh]

Thought I'd follow your advice and do that, but there's a very short thread already (it hasn't managed a page) as well as a few posts in the thread on Guttenberg's review, so no. My observation on s/n holds, obviously. As does my appreciation of the signal, regardless.

Fair enough - although given that the Genetic review was by Herb Reichert and not Kal, it's not surprising that it didn't get a ton of attention here. Glad Richert gives them a nice review, but he immediately praises Genelec for not touting "accuracy, science, and measurements," and the review contains a number of his signature subjectivist assertions. It's fine, but not exactly something that's going to give most ASR members any new insights.

 

[Axo1989]

Fair enough - although given that the Genetic review was by Herb Reichert and not Kal, it's not surprising that it didn't get a ton of attention here. Glad Richert gives them a nice review, but he immediately praises Genelec for not touting "accuracy, science, and measurements," and the review contains a number of his signature subjectivist assertions. It's fine, but not exactly something that's going to give most ASR members any new insights.

I'll have to admit I skimmed the text and went to the measurements. Valid point re it not being from Rubinson. I enjoy Reichert's writing generally, but I'm not negatively triggered by poetry (and I don't really have post-audiophilia PTSD that understandably affects others). It's been a busy week, may give it a better read later.

 

[tmtomh]

I'll have to admit I skimmed the text and went to the measurements. Valid point re it not being from Rubinson. I enjoy Reichert's writing generally, but I'm not negatively triggered by poetry (and I don't really have post-audiophilia PTSD that understandably affects others). It's been a busy week, may give it a better read later.

I teach in the humanities myself, so I'm fine with poetry. But Reichert's pieces are generally not my cup of tea. This one, though, I didn't mind so much.