WTF is happening?! What Hi-Fi? is now publishing measurements?

[QMuse]

Anyway, compare that with all the port outputs I catalogued here. 22dB down isn't likely to have much of an effect.

I beg to differ. Have a look at the spectrum of random song I picked from my NAS (this one is Ultravox - Vienna). So, while woofers and port will happily play the LF (with port laso singing at -22dB at 650Hz) we can actually see that the 650Hz notes played by the port will be heavilly competing with the music signals at 650Hz which are also 20dB lower than LF. Do we really want that to happen..?

 

[Jimbob54]

I was just reading my news feed this morning and ended on the new Focal Kanta 3 review by What Hi-fi?

I was just thinking: "OK, another blablabla five star review (though non British speakers)" then I found the review unusually long for their editing style. I scrolled down a bit and... I've got a heart attack. A graph? On What Hi-fi?!

View attachment 66085
And it is followed by an entire Test lab results part by" Newport Test Labs"...

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/focal-kanta-no3



Edit: I knew I was dreamin. The entire review is made by Australian Hi-Fi instead...

View attachment 66088

But these are still "measurments" published on What Hifi at the end.

Measurements of transducers are one thing, cant see them ever going down the road of publishing measurement suites for electronics. Unless they only published the "good" ones

 

[Matias]

That is from Australian HiFi magazine, and again signed by Steve Holding.

So, how do you contact Steve Holding to order a measurement?

Bascom H King, the famous amplifier designer, also does measurements as "BHK Labs" for SoundStage! Network. As well as NFC for them.
So along with Steve Holding they all do third party independent measurements for review magazines/websites.

 

[mhardy6647]

All I see is quotes attributed to Steve Holding. There is no evidence that such a person even exists.

Dialling back the cynicism a little, maybe that Aussie hi-fi rag has their offices in one of the Newports and Mr Holding works there, Newport Test Labs being their cute nickname for the back room where they keep some test gear. I base this theory on the facts that the magazine is run by Future Publishing and that all the graphs have "Image credit: Future" written below.

Which -- according to my current understanding (or, perhaps more accurately, my internet-fueled belief) -- is pretty much what Julian Hirsch's "Hirsch Houck Labs" was. To wit, Julian's basement.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Hirsch


EDIT:

PS. Sounds like this Newport Test Labs place is a Holding company.

 

[Music1969]

Steve Holding. There is no evidence that such a person even exists.

Could be true. But if he exists, at least this thread will give him a really good laugh.

There are people on other forums that actually believe amir is an Asian woman.

It doesn't matter either way to me. Measurements are measurements. Share different results and discuss - or don't.

It's a little strange to read this fascination now when 'Steve Holding' has published 6 years of measurements for that mag.

 

[Music1969]

Credibility.

This credibility argument is just like the pro-MQA people questioning the credibility of @Archimago's objective data about MQA because they don't know who he is and want to know...

i.e. this argument makes no sense... the objective data is the objective data... Share different results and discuss - or don't.

 

[mk05]

...objective data about MQA...

Hi, could you link this data? I would love to read it! Thanks

 

[mansr]

Nobody is questioning the veracity of the measurements. The name is a bit silly, that's all. Archimago makes no secret of being just a guy with an ADC.

 

[Jimbob54]

There are people on other forums that actually believe amir is an Asian woman.

HE ISN'T?!?!?

Well I , for one, am OUT! Good day Sirs. Bloody catfish

 

[Jimbob54]

I'm aware, I'm the one that pointed you there...



No idea - maybe contact the magazine?

His measurements have been in that magazine for 6 years... measurements are measurements... you either accept them or someone can try to reproduce and share differences...

I don't understand why there seems to be a fuss now, 6 years later....

Presumably for someone with enough time on their hands you could find a few from past products/ editions and compare to any Amir has done in the past few years if there is any crossover. Fairly cut and dried if they are substantially the same or significantly different. Given manufs happily quote NL/ SH you would have thought competitors or some eagle eyed engineer would have raised a stink by now if there was any skullduggery.

Cynical bunch are't we. The really interesting bit would be if any of the subjective reviews in the mags deviate from the charts presented alongside.

 

[Music1969]

Presumably for someone with enough time on their hands you could find a few from past products/ editions and compare to any Amir has done in the past few years if there is any crossover. Fairly cut and dried if they are substantially the same or significantly different. Given manufs happily quote NL/ SH you would have thought competitors or some eagle eyed engineer would have raised a stink by now if there was any skullduggery.

That's what I was hinting when I was saying there's 6 years worth of 'Steve Holding' measurements out there...

 

[Music1969]

Nobody is questioning the veracity of the measurements.

I quoted someone above that wrote "Credibility".

 

[Music1969]

Hi, could you link this data? I would love to read it! Thanks

A good starting point:

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/mqa-a-review-of-controversies-concerns-and-cautions-r701/

 

[mansr]

The really interesting bit would be if any of the subjective reviews in the mags deviate from the charts presented alongside.

Isn't that what Stereophile is for?

 

[Jimbob54]

Isn't that what Stereophile is for?

Ha! Never read. And only read What Hifi in my pre ASR days . Seeing the Audioquest dongles measured here vs the WHF glowing reviews and the large price convinced me there was a different way of looking at things.

 

[tomtoo]

"..There are people on other forums that actually believe amir is an Asian woman..."

Where is this?? Pls give a link, i need a good laugh today.

 

[Jimbob54]

That's what I was hinting when I was saying there's 6 years worth of 'Steve Holding' measurements out there...

Got deaf ears/ eyes today, sorry

 

[Feargal]

Interesting:
http://newporttestlabs.com/

With a whois lookup, the domain name appears to have Australian connections.

 

[Music1969]

Interesting:
http://newporttestlabs.com/

With a whois lookup, the domain name appears to have Australian connections.

http://avhub.com.au/ used to share these Newport Test Lab reports free, after they appeared in the magazines first.

Now avhub goes to whathifi so I imagine there was some business deal done.

It's really not that interesting.

 

[Jimbob54]

http://avhub.com.au/ used to share these Newport Test Lab reports free, after they appeared in the magazines first.

Now avhub goes to whathifi so I imagine there was some business deal done.

It's really not that interesting.

Spartacus?! *narrows eyes*

(Just kidding)