Are audio reviewers biased or incredibly biased?

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iosiP said:
Of course they aren't! However, if people don't trust reviewers they won't read the magazine, which means advertisers will stop... well, advertising and the magazine would go belly-up!
And so would the perks and "accomodations" for the reviewers.
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I think most people buy and read the magazines despite what reviewers say. There are almost never negative reviews, so it's purely a matter of how much gushing over the equipment the reviewers do. Most people want to see what is new and reviews are not even a secondary reason for buying a magazine.
 
GaryProtein said:
I think most people buy and read the magazines despite what reviewers say. There are almost never negative reviews, so it's purely a matter of how much gushing over the equipment the reviewers do. Most people want to see what is new and reviews are not even a secondary reason for buying a magazine.
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Something is clearly wrong as I am agreeing way too much with Gary lately :).

I usually read an entire mag in less than 20 min looking mostly at pics, reader's letters, and music reviews. Other than to look at the pictures, I never bother with the reviews (unless it's of gear I may consider down the road). The reason I continue my three subscriptions is, as Gary said, to see the newest gear and what features they have.

I will cop to looking up reviews of gear I like or purchase. Surprise, it's always good. It's human nature to want to feel right...but it's rather silly of me.
 
Agree as well. I'll go to the end of a review and read the summary. If I am considering the piece of gear, I'll read the whole thing.

If I'm after a balanced assessment, I will typically read reviews or forum posts of competing products. I find the not so good or bad stuff about the product your interested in will come out in a similar product's review.
 
In the last five years I buy less and less audio mags; to the point of very extremely few now.
I read more online though, and with many comments attached to them reviews. ...From all sources.
I believe that I am a much more aware reader, better informed, and smarter all at the same time.

A review is only a very small glimpse into the universe of audio galaxies. And that small blip all by itself is nowhere near the totality of the ensemble, of the verisimilitude.

* QUESTION: Do professional audio reviewers buy audio magazines?
 
Lots of interesting comments here.

How about stepping back from the reviewer/reader roles cast in this thread and consider this topic within the context of a traditional advisor/client relationship (i.e., accountant, financial advisor, lawyer etc.). Certainly these relationships are fraught with indiscretions, but they typically start with a prima fascia assumption regarding adherence to a clear-cut, well practiced code-of-conduct and ethics regarding conflicts of interest.

While much has been speculated about the behavior and motivation of reviewers, the only certainty regarding this topic is that taking any economic remuneration from the beneficiary of a positive review is definitionally a conflict of interest. Conflicts of interest of their own accord are not necessarily the problem if your advisor is of sound character, but they create suspicion: ergo our little chat.

I make no judgment about folks like Myles, JV, MF, etc. (I simply don't have enough direct knowledge to do so and find much of their work quite good). However, there are two generally accepted practices used by professional advisors in other industries to mitigate the negative effects of conflicts that are to my knowledge ignored in our community.

Most honorable advisors will simply avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest and recuse themselves from the advisory role. Alternatively, they will fully disclose the nature and details of the conflict and let the client measure the possible implications.

It seems to me this type of transparency would bring a bit of fresh air to the scene. After all, if they have nothing to hide what's the big deal???
 
Hello Paul,

You are absolutely right, the problem is that if my accountant, financial advisor, lawyer etc. fail to disclose their conflict of interest (and I take a wrong decision based on the assumption they are neutral) I can sue the hell out of them.
AFAIK, you cannot do this with an audio reviewer on whose advice (read: rave review) you bought a piece of crappy hardware.
 
iosiP said:
Hello Paul,

You are absolutely right, the problem is that if my accountant, financial advisor, lawyer etc. fail to disclose their conflict of interest (and I take a wrong decision based on the assumption they are neutral) I can sue the hell out of them.
AFAIK, you cannot do this with an audio reviewer on whose advice (read: rave review) you bought a piece of crappy hardware.
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By here's the rub....would you buy a piece of equipment based on a review? Wouldn't you at least want to hear it, touch it, examine it, etc.? I know we can't always do that.....but at least try. I've definitely bought gear site unseen/unheard. The Lumin is an example and it worked out charmingly well. Then again, I bought Aida's and they were a disaster - in my room. So....lessons learned. The point it, I wouldn't race out to spend a lot of dosh on an expensive piece of gear the reviewer is gushing over.

Another point, I wonder if we align our tastes - to some degree - to a particular reviewer and conversely, tend to avoid gear a particular reviewer likes because tastes are so different?


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iosiP said:
Hello Paul,

You are absolutely right, the problem is that if my accountant, financial advisor, lawyer etc. fail to disclose their conflict of interest (and I take a wrong decision based on the assumption they are neutral) I can sue the hell out of them.
AFAIK, you cannot do this with an audio reviewer on whose advice (read: rave review) you bought a piece of crappy hardware.
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Yes, I was not proposing litigation as a remedy; rather pointing out obvious examples of other professionals following a straightforward code-of-conduct to address such issues. Seems like a pretty simple way to bolster credibility for the good of the magazine's shareholders as well as its customers (particularly in a business where objective measures are fleeting).
 
Mike said:
Another point, I wonder if we align our tastes - to some degree - to a particular reviewer and conversely, tend to avoid gear a particular reviewer likes because tastes are so different?
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For me the answers are NO and YES: I wouldn't buy anything just because a particular reviewer likes it, but I would not give a chance to products that some reviewers like a lot: I simply found out that their gold is my trash, and since they never seem to encounter any trash, I can only assume that their trash would be my gold... or maybe not?
 
I definitely try find reviewers who seem to have consistently similar taste to mine. I also try to rely (to some degree) on those reviewers work (along with advice from many others) to choose were I spend my precious time auditioning gear. (There is, after all, a lot of stuff out there.)

I don't see reviews as a substitute for audition, but rather a tool to make the process more efficient. In turn, the more that can be done to improve the accuracy and credibility of the review process the better. To your point though Mike, even after using reviews to select what to go listen to and then selecting what sounds best to you in a showroom, its all about getting it home and then having the flexibility to make a change if things don't work out in your room.

That is exactly what I am doing now with Soulution versus Constellation pairing with the Raidho D3's. I am 95% sure I will like the 501's but if I don't after I get them home I have the option to trade back for the Centaurs.
 
Mike said:
By here's the rub....would you buy a piece of equipment based on a review? Wouldn't you at least want to hear it, touch it, examine it, etc.? I know we can't always do that.....but at least try. I've definitely bought gear site unseen/unheard. The Lumin is an example and it worked out charmingly well. Then again, I bought Aida's and they were a disaster - in my room. So....lessons learned. The point it, I wouldn't race out to spend a lot of dosh on an expensive piece of gear the reviewer is gushing over.

Another point, I wonder if we align our tastes - to some degree - to a particular reviewer and conversely, tend to avoid gear a particular reviewer likes because tastes are so different?


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But here's the thing Mike: There are people who do purchase high-end audio gear based on rave reviews.

And on the flip side of the coin there are people like Michael (dallasjustice) who trust no one but himself.
 
I think Michael's approach might be the best....then there is no one to blame but himself.

The reviews are good for letting us know about new and exciting products, but you must audition - preferably in ones home if possible. If not, then multiple locations - trade show, friends house, dealer, etc.


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Mike said:
I think Michael's approach might be the best....then there is no one to blame but himself.

The reviews are good for letting us know about new and exciting products, but you must audition - preferably in ones home if possible. If not, then multiple locations - trade show, friends house, dealer, etc.


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Yes, I like Michaels approach best.
The review(s) is/are just a guide, a short manual written by one individual, a cartoon on a t-shirt...a sound vision from one set of ears and a distinct heart beating in one human being; his own emotional string.

And like you said; Michael cannot ever afford to dislike anyone, but only himself. :) ...That, I like!
 
I think this thread has run its course. I'm closing it.


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