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Stereophile's snide editorial on ASR and Amir

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Rottmannash

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A truly pathetic swipe. Stereophile should be ashamed. But I don't think I'll hold my breath waiting for that. This sort of nonsense and attitudes are why I dropped my subscription ages ago. A pox on their house.
Same-I seem to receive a weekly plea to renew my subscription. Not gonna.
 

Audiofire

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I’d be happier with “Audio Engineering Review”, because that’s exactly what it is, but ASR is now a household name and not easily abandoned.
The website is more than the reviews. There are topics about the science, which are beyond the technical work of the reviews. So Audio Science Review.
 
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itz_all_about_the_music

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I'm a 70 year old audio hound, who's been one from about 5 years old.
Been through so many phases, so much different equipment and speakers.
Had a lengthy spell of high income, the kind that let me get whatever Stereophile and Absolute Sound, etc, listed as highly recommended .
Wasted shit tons of money....never really getting better sound....all lateral moves so to speak.

One of my major steps in achieving genuinely better audio was ditching Stereophile and all similar publications ...totally, and without looking back.
I took to trying to learn basic audio science, and how to apply it. Knowledge proved more valuable than equipment.

f you're still reading those rags, and truly love audio ...I guess it's just something you will eventually learn to grow out of....like i had to...
I never bought anything recommended by Julian Hirsch, Bert Whyte, Corey Greenburg, J. Gordon Holt, A.H. Cordesman, Sam Tellig, Harry Pearson, John Atkinson...the list goes on and on...

But I feverishly read what they, and many others, wrote (which of course they did to sell advertising) in order to learn about the business, what literally went into a device, how to understand room effects and psychoacoustics, and so much more.

It helped me make wise listening based decisions and, starting with my first Heathkit project, helped forward my endeavors in DIY audio. It also helped develop/refine my own bullshit detector.

So I never had nor wasted tons of money. Yet I long ago arrived at a super satisfying system which continues to improve/satisfy, in part, from their reviews, editorials, tech articles, fluff, even the bs there.

So I hold no allegiences, nor grudges, to any of them, to anyone here.

ps. In light of that, I'll continue to read all that glossy covered magazine stuff. I just don't take it seriously.
 

rwortman

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I subscribe to both US “perfectionist audio” magazines, and “Sound & Vision”. I am not a true believer in the “high end”. Much of it is BS. I still like to keep up with what’s new in equipment and music. I don’t think that the measurements done on amplifiers here fully characterize their performance driving loudspeakers. I agree with the previous poster about how this site mercilessly trashes the audio press and then gets their panties all in a bunch from a little snide aside. A bit of a double standard.
 
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captainbeefheart

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Did anyone happen to read the comments? There are only two so Stereophile certainly meant it as a snipe against Amir since they posted only one other comment other than this one I will quote here for you all.

"is that I should go out and buy an AP analyzer (and maybe a Klippel NFS?) and then proceed to measure a bunch of stuff, make a forum, provide 1/4 screen grabs of the AP's screen for "THUH DATA", criticize the inventors and makers of any products that "fail my standards", harass/mock/ban anyone who disagrees, Monday-morning-quarterback established product engineers and designers in the industry as often as possible (ESPECIALLY when they cost more than ChiFi), and then devise some type of iconography with which I could associate my rating system. Mayhaps a Panther???.....

I joke, I kid.


Another great article, Jim. Excited to see what Bruno and the gang create next."


Only a spineless person will write "I joke, I kid" after what was written in order to give himself an out away from admitting his real feelings out there for the whole world to read.


The measurement equipment used by Amir gives us objective data plain and simple. The "think tank' over at stereophile isn't there to help consumers, it's there to make profits and objective data in today's technologically advanced world doesn't help their cause since it's quite inexpensive and easy to obtain electronics that perform well. We have been able to achieve good performance in audio equipment since at least the 1950's.

I think what makes them so scared of ASR is it organizes test data from top notch equipment where no products can hide behind a standard subjective reviewer where the consumer puts his faith in the latter's honesty. The subjective reviews are impossible to organize into a useful tool for consumers to use as a buying guide without bias. The "screen grabs" from the AP or Klippel tell a story that isn't biased, it's objective and actually useful if you know how to interpret the data. This takes the power away from them over at Stereophile where the golden ears get to decide what's a great product and what's not, it renders them obsolete unless your into reading fiction.
 

MattHooper

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I subscribe to both US “perfectionist audio” magazines, and “Sound & Vision”. I am not a true believer in the “high end”. Much of it is BS. I still like to keep up with what’s new in equipment and music. I don’t think that the measurements done on amplifiers here full characterize their performance driving loudspeakers. I agree with the previous poster about how this site mercilessly trashes the audio press and then gets their panties all in a bunch from a little snide aside. A bit of a double standard.

You have a point there. This place regularly trashes the audiophile press, so it's human nature that people will want to snark back. People gonna people.
Tribes gonna tribe.

(And I contribute to some of the trashing of high end audio subjectivist stuff too, so I'm not exempting myself).
 

Chrispy

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You have a point there. This place regularly trashes the audiophile press, so it's human nature that people will want to snark back. People gonna people.
Tribes gonna tribe.

(And I contribute to some of the trashing of high end audio subjectivist stuff too, so I'm not exempting myself).
The "audiophile press" (what a stupid identity to start with) can provide something on the objective side hopefully rather than the generally useless subjective side.....
 

restorer-john

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I wonder do @John Atkinson and @Kal Rubinson agree with Jim's comments, being members here?

They are Jim Austin's comments. Since when do ASR members have to agree with one another? Or reviewers for that matter?

It's not a church, and it's not a religion. You won't be thrown out if you don't tow a particular line or belief. As long as you are reasonably respectful and don't resort to name calling, alternative views are totally welcomed. In fact, without robust discussion this place would die very fast.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with the linked Stereophile article by Jim Austin. He makes a few good points which he deftly leaves hanging. A little disjointed perhaps, but I'd be disjointed after enduring a punishing HiFi show on the other side of the world and then be sitting on a plane typing something for the upcoming issue.
 
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JSmith

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They are Jim Austin's comments.
I know mate... that's why I had a go at him specifically in my prior post.
Since when do ASR members have to agree with one another? Or reviewers for that matter?
I didn't suggest (or intend to imply) they should... genuinely interested in their opinion on Jim's article.
I see absolutely nothing wrong with the linked Stereophile article by Jim Austin.
Yeah I don't agree there... in fact the comments in the article are rather disingenuous IMO.


JSmith
 

MattHooper

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The "audiophile press" (what a stupid identity to start with) can provide something on the objective side hopefully rather than the generally useless subjective side.....

Well...there we go, like clockwork... ;-)
 

watchnerd

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I am pretty sure this is a direct comment on the ASR community.

*head-scratching*

I didn't sense any ASR content at all.
 

voodooless

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They are Jim Austin's comments. Since when do ASR members have to agree with one another? Or reviewers for that matter?
But Stereophile is not a forum. Not anyone can just post an article. Articles are curated and have to adhere to certain standards, be advertiser friendly and in line with Stereophile philosophy. The only excuse JA and KR have is that they are not in charge (anymore). I doubt they will post here on this matter, but are welcome to prove me wrong. It’s Jim’s show and he can basically do what he likes on his site.
 
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amirm

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This wasn’t as much directed at you as to the ASR followership in general. And I totally agree with the above. I’d be happier with “Audio Engineering Review”, because that’s exactly what it is, but ASR is now a household name and not easily abandoned.
We cover and "review" a ton of science as well. It is just that the reviews are not about science.
 

Holmz

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There is a spark of truth in it, though. ASR needs to be careful to avoid the cargo cult trap. Not everybody donning a lab coat and wielding expensive equipment is a scientist.

^Exactly.^

There is also talk in the thread about cultists, but I needed to assume a heavy bias to understand it as much of a sniping piece.

And while everyone thinks that if they can spell Purify, then that makes them a contemporary of Bruno and Lars…understanding the science is not the same as doing the pHd and subsequent work.

The article is not an attack on ASR member’s manhood or tribal affiliation, unless one desires it to be so.
 

voodooless

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It’s funny how Jim tries to divide the two worlds of objectivity of ASR and an engineering based company. We’re after the same thing here Jim! The outcome of our analysis will not be different. There is no divide, so stop pretending there is one!
 
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