Reviewer Rooms
- Thread starter Mike
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Jim Smith
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mep
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2013
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Thanks Jim. I really appreciate that.
It's fascinating to see the rooms that reviewers live with on a day to day basis. This tends to hold especially true when the reviewer in question has a proven degree of influence.
That said, I'm not one of those people who judge a reviewer based on the gear they own or the room that they're in. So long as they... 1) Know what the heck they're talking about, 2) Are capable of breaking down the performance of a product in a way that's easy to understand, and 3) Are able to consistently deliver accurate assessments.. then well, that's good enough for me!
That said, I'm not one of those people who judge a reviewer based on the gear they own or the room that they're in. So long as they... 1) Know what the heck they're talking about, 2) Are capable of breaking down the performance of a product in a way that's easy to understand, and 3) Are able to consistently deliver accurate assessments.. then well, that's good enough for me!
If it takes someone 8 weeks to tease out small differences, what's the point of upgrading?!?!? Pop the component in, and if you can't tell it's great or sucks within a couple of songs, you are in the wrong hobby. Just watch a musician-audiophile in action... some of these guys can tell in 30-45 seconds if a remastering is better or if a component is worth your time
a.wayne
Well-known member
5 mins tops to tell if its any good and 8 weeks writing the fluff ....
Whoa Tiger!-- you don't get away with all the laurels-- we don't want two respected members leaving also if they feel they are being disrespected here
You may like to offer a friendly "I was a tad over the top guys--apology maybe??" :blush:
There is room for all on this bus--so stay aboard
Bruce
Boogieman,
On one hand, I'm inclined to agree with the gist of your statement. It shouldn't take a decade to figure out whether or not something makes an impact. On the other hand, closing the book on something after a 30 to 40 second demo isn't exactly advisable either. In fact, this is the exact behavior that leads to buyers remorse. Usually the one thing that initially thrilled the listener becomes the very thing that they end up hating the most about the component. Of course, there are plenty of people who remain just as thrilled - but I'm sure you get where I'm coming from.
On one hand, I'm inclined to agree with the gist of your statement. It shouldn't take a decade to figure out whether or not something makes an impact. On the other hand, closing the book on something after a 30 to 40 second demo isn't exactly advisable either. In fact, this is the exact behavior that leads to buyers remorse. Usually the one thing that initially thrilled the listener becomes the very thing that they end up hating the most about the component. Of course, there are plenty of people who remain just as thrilled - but I'm sure you get where I'm coming from.
Sir, you make a lot of sense. But I believe the ultimate arbiter on happiness in your gear is depends how much self-confidence you have in what you like or don't like.
Yes, 5 minutes makes a lot of sense. And I think it's a lot shorter for guys like music teachers, who listen to music and sound many hours, every day for most of their lives... Goodness, how long would it take the universally-admired Jim Smith to get his job done if it took him 8 hours to assess every little action he took?
I guess where I don't follow you, Sir, and maybe I'm lost - is why it would take anyone 8 weeks to write something up? Hop online and share with your friends right away! Why wait?
Isn't a review a bit (LOL) more than telling whether a component is any good or not? A lot of what's out there (probably most of it) is "good", in fact much is excellent; is that all a review is supposed to tell you?
Wandering around to different rooms and systems is certainly enjoyable and worthwhile, but OTOH likely pretty worthless at reviewing the sound and capabilities of any individual component, which is what audio reviews are generally about.
CPP
Active member
Well said.
CPP
Active member
I tell ya those that complain about people that actually take the time to review a product of any kind need to actually try a review for themselves and publish it and then wait for the comments.
Dizzie
Well-known member
I must have missed something? if you are referring to mep, his visible posts in this topic have been concise and accurate, IMO.
No they haven't. Ron and I don't go about for a few hour sessions to review. In fact, he and I have been together for only two trips. One was to the Avantgarde factory, which was my second trip there, and I also made one to another room to check different room perspective, across 5 amps - much better than reviewing in only one room size of the ones posted on the thread. I hope you understand that one room is limited by size and budget of the owner, while if you go across rooms things are already set up in different ways with different gears and different room sizes.
2. We never called it a review. You guys post on forums, I post on a blog and put the link across forums. Easier than uploading pics across all forums separately. Are you guys going to stop putting perspectives on forums?
3. You are a reader. You don’t have to make it competitive and choose to read one, you can read both. They are additive. You can get things from all. Just like you get from people who post about a listening session here. Just because I have a website, you don't have to choose between me and a subscription to one of your magazines
4. MEP brought out things about reference systems, 2 together few hour sessions, which were not true at all. Before I wrote on Luxman, I went to Joel (6 moon’s reviewer) room, listened to a carefully set up Luxman system on Vivid G1, compared it to Ypsilon Aelius. A few months later compared Luxman to Viola Symphony on TAD CR1. Then compared Luxman to Gryphon Mephisto in a 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] system (and separately compared Gryphon Colosseum to Burmester 956, and then started a whole Burmester chain, etc etc). After a chain is complete, I write – it is not at all I went to this room and oh wow, what an amp. In my write-ups, I link to other reviews (whether by PF, Roy Gregory, etc etc), and to some forum threads, so people can have a one stop shop to do research. So, it is a completely different approach.
5. Finally, going to 40 concerts a year unlike MEP helps (did not see a single classical piece in his VPI review). And, here's the thing - till I had my previous systems, my learning always suffered, because reference would get reset to the system at home. Since I sold it, I unlearned the wrong sounds, and references changed, and I became more open minded. FYI, I had Martin Logan Summits with AR Ref 3 and Ref 110, and have compared Ref 10 to Koda K10, Ref 5SE to Aries Cerat, and to NAT audio. I also had Verity Audio Leonores with Jadis, VAC 30/30, and had top of the line NAT Audio for audition at home, and owned an Ayon Orthos XS 150 (300w triode, 400w pentode), that I kept on my friend's Apogees for my own reference.
You could read further perspectives of mine here. You can choose to agree or disagree, but it is not a there is only one or none approach.
http://www.audioshark.org/showthread.php?t=11428&page=2&p=194847&viewfull=1#post194847
http://www.audioshark.org/showthread.php?t=11428&page=3&p=194854&viewfull=1#post194854
KeithR
Active member
Read your post again. First, you say you review; then, you say you never called it a review? And if it's not a review, then why make a comment about reviewers, who (if you your logic is sound) are doing something totally different than what you are doing?
Sorry, I did not even start this thread...which was a comment about reviewers. Yes, You can choose or not to disagree with reviewer. I don't agree with many of them, who have small rooms for equipment they review. That has always been the case, and there are many like me.