Negative Reviews of Audio Components

mep said:
Life is too short to have to spend 2-3 months of your life with a component that you don't like and takes the sound of your system down a dirt road just so you can write a negative review to make some people happy that want to read negative reviews. Besides, just because something sounds bad in your system doesn't mean it won't sing in someone else's system.
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Zero said:
Unless a manufacturer is deliberately misleading or outright bullshitting their customers, I don't see the merit in writing negative reviews.
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I don't see this reasoning. I read, and I think many read, review for two reasons: 1) to learn about the products specifications (design, features, etc.) and 2) to learn the reviewers unbiased view about sound quality of the product in their system. I do not believe readers "want" negative reviews due to some Schadenfreude Complex. It is important to many to get unbiased information, both good and bad.
In today's audio review marketplace, those seeking objective information are often left guessing on the latter.

By definition an objective source will provide the full story; the alternative is a subjective culling of information which is called bias or censorship. I guess that's ok, but in my opinion your readers will take these things into account when considering your work.
 
Jerome.......This living room is stunning. I am pleased for you and your family to have found a new home in a new neighborhood that makes you happy.


d45061f9e74bba7eed20a38fdad8e5f4.jpg
 
You live in Paris France nice sound system great room next your going to tell me your wife is beautiful and you are half my age. How well enjoy nice pics by the way
 
Hell, all I want is the truth! If a product is not up to snuff, than tell it! If it's the greatest thing since the wheel, then tell it!
One of the things I like about Fremer is that he is candid and not afraid and fair. I think fairness is key. When he has a product that is not quite that good, he mentions it, but is very fair about it and will list any positives that are there as well. (The new Onkyo TT is one example). I would think it keeps him in good standing with manufacturers because they see that he addressed both sides so it may give them a clue as to where they might improve things and what they should leave alone.
I'm sure there are at least a couple of other reviewers out there that are similar, but I don't read reviews about gear all day, so I am not familiar with everyone.
I also value common user reviews written with rational thought. I read reviews with a salt lick close by.

I think at least part of the problem is that society just can't handle truth sometimes.
 
Jerome W said:
Dan....
Of course it is a matter of priorities.
I know that you're not addicted to vinyl as I am.
In my second system pictured below, I use the MM input of the McIntosh C45, fed by an A23 SUT for the Denon DL103 and I am very happy with it !
f4c5455ba6625b334169e22e3ccaf0b1.jpg

d45061f9e74bba7eed20a38fdad8e5f4.jpg
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Holy cow!
 
FlexibleAudio said:
I don't see this reasoning. I read, and I think many read, review for two reasons: 1) to learn about the products specifications (design, features, etc.) and 2) to learn the reviewers unbiased view about sound quality of the product in their system. I do not believe readers "want" negative reviews due to some Schadenfreude Complex. It is important to many to get unbiased information, both good and bad.
In today's audio review marketplace, those seeking objective information are often left guessing on the latter.

By definition an objective source will provide the full story; the alternative is a subjective culling of information which is called bias or censorship. I guess that's ok, but in my opinion your readers will take these things into account when considering your work.
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What they need to take in consideration is that if I took the time to write a review of a component, I actually liked the component and didn't return it to the manufacturer unreviewed.
 
Paul,

There is a fine distinction between an honest, 'tell it like it is' review and an outright negative review. Before I expand on that particular thought, I first want to touch on the subject of why negative reviews are scarcer than a winning lotto ticket. In a nutshell, it boils down to two things...

For starters, in order for a product to earn a negative review, it's gunna have to suck. I'm talking about a piece of Hi-Fi that's built no better than an ugly lopsided birdhouse that some 7th grade snot-nose stapled together during their first day at woodshop. Likewise, if a sports-car priced set of loudspeakers sound no better than those coveted Andrew Jones bookies that are usually found sitting unceremoniously on some crappy metal shelf at Best Buy, then yes, the world deserves to know about that profound level of suckatude.

The good news is that the majority of todays Hi-Fi gear doesn't suck, which brings me to my second reason...

Humanity. The exposition from the movie, Ratatouille, articulated this point better than I ever could: "In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little,, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and themselves to our judgement". When you get right down to it Paul, there are many great people who are doing the best they can to make an honest living in the Hi-Fi business. All it takes is one negative review to inflict a tremendous amount of damage to their business. Most of the reviewers that I know are keenly aware of this. While I cannot speak for everybody in this business, I know that I'm a big advocate of giving people second chances. Whenever I encounter a product that I feel misses the mark, I reach out to the manufacturer to express my concerns. I'll also offer up suggestions (if I'm in a position to do so), and most importantly, I give them the opportunity to get it right. Why? Because at the end of the day, a negative review can seriously impact somebodies livelihood. It's a responsibility that I take very seriously - and I'm not going to rush out a negative review just so a handful of readers will see me as being more "fair" and "transparent" than others.

That said, I do tend to play with fire in my reviews. I prefer the 'tell it like it is' approach. Which brings me around to the distinction between a tell it like it is review and a negative review.

In my minds eye, a tell it like it is review is one that details what a product can and cannot do with as little bias as possible. I'm not sure about you guys, but when I read a review, I want to read a fair, yet critical assessment. No product is perfect, and I love it when a reviewer is willing to fully explore that fact. As a reader, I don't want to sift through paragraph after paragraph of rehashed advertising BS and safe assessments. I want a raw break down on what it's good at and what it sucks at. If publishing this kind of review causes somebody to fall outta good graces with the manufacturer / distributor, then screw em'!

Heh. If only life were that easy... The truth is that this style of reviewing is fraught with perils. To understand why, you first need to understand that when a manufacturer/distributor sends out a product for review, they are looking for two things; credibility and/or sales. Usually the emphasis is on the latter. The problem is that honest reviews don't sell product. Raves do. And while there are a number of readers who appreciate honest, no BS, tell it like it is reviews, the majority of the buying public doesn't. The buying public will only drop their money on something that is regarded as being the 'best' or at the very least, among the 'best' in its class.

So, even if the honest review gives the product copious nods and accolades, many manufacturers and distributors will refuse to advertise it because they think the review 'wont sell' their product. I know this because I've been in this position before. To them, this is the worst thing next to an outright negative review.

As for outright negative reviews, those are usually straight forward. It's when a reviewer clearly thinks that the product is either completely garbage for the money, or just.. garbage, period. While I've read some well deserved bashings, most of the time, I find that it's just an attention-seeking reviewer who is looking to up their credibility game.

Anyway, this is my take on the subject. When you get right down to it, I'm not a fan of negative reviews, whether its writing or reading them. I am however, a huge fan of no BS reviews. I absolutely <3 them.
 
Zero said:
Paul,

There is a fine distinction between an honest, 'tell it like it is' review and an outright negative review. Before I expand on that particular thought, I first want to touch on the subject of why negative reviews are scarcer than a winning lotto ticket. In a nutshell, it boils down to two things...

For starters, in order for a product to earn a negative review, it's gunna have to suck. I'm talking about a piece of Hi-Fi that's built no better than an ugly lopsided birdhouse that some 7th grade snot-nose stapled together during their first day at woodshop. Likewise, if a sports-car priced set of loudspeakers sound no better than those coveted Andrew Jones bookies that are usually found sitting unceremoniously on some crappy metal shelf at Best Buy, then yes, the world deserves to know about that profound level of suckatude.

The good news is that the majority of todays Hi-Fi gear doesn't suck, which brings me to my second reason...

Humanity. The exposition from the movie, Ratatouille, articulated this point better than I ever could: "In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little,, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and themselves to our judgement". When you get right down to it Paul, there are many great people who are doing the best they can to make an honest living in the Hi-Fi business. All it takes is one negative review to inflict a tremendous amount of damage to their business. Most of the reviewers that I know are keenly aware of this. While I cannot speak for everybody in this business, I know that I'm a big advocate of giving people second chances. Whenever I encounter a product that I feel misses the mark, I reach out to the manufacturer to express my concerns. I'll also offer up suggestions (if I'm in a position to do so), and most importantly, I give them the opportunity to get it right. Why? Because at the end of the day, a negative review can seriously impact somebodies livelihood. It's a responsibility that I take very seriously - and I'm not going to rush out a negative review just so a handful of readers will see me as being more "fair" and "transparent" than others.

That said, I do tend to play with fire in my reviews. I prefer the 'tell it like it is' approach. Which brings me around to the distinction between a tell it like it is review and a negative review.

In my minds eye, a tell it like it is review is one that details what a product can and cannot do with as little bias as possible. I'm not sure about you guys, but when I read a review, I want to read a fair, yet critical assessment. No product is perfect, and I love it when a reviewer is willing to fully explore that fact. As a reader, I don't want to sift through paragraph after paragraph of rehashed advertising BS and safe assessments. I want a raw break down on what it's good at and what it sucks at. If publishing this kind of review causes somebody to fall outta good graces with the manufacturer / distributor, then screw em'!

Heh. If only life were that easy... The truth is that this style of reviewing is fraught with perils. To understand why, you first need to understand that when a manufacturer/distributor sends out a product for review, they are looking for two things; credibility and/or sales. Usually the emphasis is on the latter. The problem is that honest reviews don't sell product. Raves do. And while there are a number of readers who appreciate honest, no BS, tell it like it is reviews, the majority of the buying public doesn't. The buying public will only drop their money on something that is regarded as being the 'best' or at the very least, among the 'best' in its class.

So, even if the honest review gives the product copious nods and accolades, many manufacturers and distributors will refuse to advertise it because they think the review 'wont sell' their product. I know this because I've been in this position before. To them, this is the worst thing next to an outright negative review.

As for outright negative reviews, those are usually straight forward. It's when a reviewer clearly thinks that the product is either completely garbage for the money, or just.. garbage, period. While I've read some well deserved bashings, most of the time, I find that it's just an attention-seeking reviewer who is looking to up their credibility game.

Anyway, this is my take on the subject. When you get right down to it, I'm not a fan of negative reviews, whether its writing or reading them. I am however, a huge fan of no BS reviews. I absolutely <3 them.
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Refreshing candor. Thanks!
 
Maybe it's the rave review that has to change, i mean where do you go from there if everything is a rave .... ?

Zero said:
Paul,

There is a fine distinction between an honest, 'tell it like it is' review and an outright negative review. Before I expand on that particular thought, I first want to touch on the subject of why negative reviews are scarcer than a winning lotto ticket. In a nutshell, it boils down to two things...

For starters, in order for a product to earn a negative review, it's gunna have to suck. I'm talking about a piece of Hi-Fi that's built no better than an ugly lopsided birdhouse that some 7th grade snot-nose stapled together during their first day at woodshop. Likewise, if a sports-car priced set of loudspeakers sound no better than those coveted Andrew Jones bookies that are usually found sitting unceremoniously on some crappy metal shelf at Best Buy, then yes, the world deserves to know about that profound level of suckatude.

The good news is that the majority of todays Hi-Fi gear doesn't suck, which brings me to my second reason...

Humanity. The exposition from the movie, Ratatouille, articulated this point better than I ever could: "In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little,, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and themselves to our judgement". When you get right down to it Paul, there are many great people who are doing the best they can to make an honest living in the Hi-Fi business. All it takes is one negative review to inflict a tremendous amount of damage to their business. Most of the reviewers that I know are keenly aware of this. While I cannot speak for everybody in this business, I know that I'm a big advocate of giving people second chances. Whenever I encounter a product that I feel misses the mark, I reach out to the manufacturer to express my concerns. I'll also offer up suggestions (if I'm in a position to do so), and most importantly, I give them the opportunity to get it right. Why? Because at the end of the day, a negative review can seriously impact somebodies livelihood. It's a responsibility that I take very seriously - and I'm not going to rush out a negative review just so a handful of readers will see me as being more "fair" and "transparent" than others.

That said, I do tend to play with fire in my reviews. I prefer the 'tell it like it is' approach. Which brings me around to the distinction between a tell it like it is review and a negative review.

In my minds eye, a tell it like it is review is one that details what a product can and cannot do with as little bias as possible. I'm not sure about you guys, but when I read a review, I want to read a fair, yet critical assessment. No product is perfect, and I love it when a reviewer is willing to fully explore that fact. As a reader, I don't want to sift through paragraph after paragraph of rehashed advertising BS and safe assessments. I want a raw break down on what it's good at and what it sucks at. If publishing this kind of review causes somebody to fall outta good graces with the manufacturer / distributor, then screw em'!

Heh. If only life were that easy... The truth is that this style of reviewing is fraught with perils. To understand why, you first need to understand that when a manufacturer/distributor sends out a product for review, they are looking for two things; credibility and/or sales. Usually the emphasis is on the latter. The problem is that honest reviews don't sell product. Raves do. And while there are a number of readers who appreciate honest, no BS, tell it like it is reviews, the majority of the buying public doesn't. The buying public will only drop their money on something that is regarded as being the 'best' or at the very least, among the 'best' in its class.

So, even if the honest review gives the product copious nods and accolades, many manufacturers and distributors will refuse to advertise it because they think the review 'wont sell' their product. I know this because I've been in this position before. To them, this is the worst thing next to an outright negative review.

As for outright negative reviews, those are usually straight forward. It's when a reviewer clearly thinks that the product is either completely garbage for the money, or just.. garbage, period. While I've read some well deserved bashings, most of the time, I find that it's just an attention-seeking reviewer who is looking to up their credibility game.

Anyway, this is my take on the subject. When you get right down to it, I'm not a fan of negative reviews, whether its writing or reading them. I am however, a huge fan of no BS reviews. I absolutely <3 them.
Click to expand...
 
Paul - Cheers. :)

Wayne - In an ideal world, rave reviews would be reserved for the rare product that truly does challenge a performance standard.

Personally, I think rave reviews should be supported by something tangible. If you're going to stand up and claim that whatever you own or just reviewed is the best darned thing that X amount of dollars can buy, then you better have something to back that claim up. You need credentials.

So if you go ahead and claim that there are a pair of $1,500 loudspeakers that can beat everything else within the same price point, I want to know where the heck you're coming from. For anybody to take that kinda claim seriously, there needs to be verifiable evidence to support what you've owned, what you've heard, and whether or not you were able to hear all of those competitive products under ideal circumstances. And by ideal, I'm talking about in a good room, with matching electronics, with everything set up in accordance to each products unique demands. Then and ONLY then should these kind of bold claims carry any merit.

Now if there were a way to enforce this kind of standard, then I think we'd be in good shape. Alas, it's all a pipe dream. My own version of a pipe dream, to be precise..
 
I don't read reviews too much and after all this I have stopped reading them at all.
Besides, what I like to always keep in mind whether reading reviews or not is that audio is 100% subjective and perceived in my opinion and just because someone, anyone including myself as a mere consumer, says something is good or bad doesn't necessarily mean it is. There are many variables to be accounted for such as: down stream electronics, source, recording, etc. and most importantly our ears and minds which are not static like gear.
In my mind, at the end of the day reviews don't mean a hell of a lot to me. They are mostly casual reading to me.

Just my opinion.
 
For all those bitching about reviews, try writing one yourself one time. Will give you a whole new perspective and shall I say, appreciation.
 
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