Do you trust magazine reviews

[eddie-baby 1,676]

7 hours ago, General Factotum said:

     I gave up buying magazines on any subject decades ago. My own impressions v mag reports seemed to agree only on rare occasions. Perhaps it was when I realised that publications don't exist to inform the buyers but to MAKE MONEY. Anything that has that purpose can't be anything other than compromised.

     Around the same time I realised that career politicians aren't there for the good of the people who elected them but for their own benefit. 'To Hell with what's needed! what'll get me RE-ELECTED!' Anything to keep the metaphorical snout in the equally metaphorical trough.

   Just two sides of the same coin to me. Perhaps I'm just a cynical old git. So no I don't trust magazine reviews (maybe you guessed that).

Very 

[eddie-baby 1,676]

message deleted gremlin error

Edited November 22, 2017 by eddie-baby

[eddie-baby 1,676]

7 hours ago, General Factotum said:

   Just two sides of the same coin to me. Perhaps I'm just a cynical old git. So no I don't trust magazine reviews (maybe you guessed that).

You're not a cynical old git once you are aware of what goes on its hard to see it any other way. These magazines have to make money to survive in a competitive market, if they don't they disappear no matter how much passion and interest they have in their subject. Its a bit like what Serge was explaining with his business selling only 5 star reviewed products. If you dont follow the corruption rules you will possibly fail. I believe these magazines do have a genuine interest in their subjects a lot of the time but it gets eroded the same as everything else because the way our system works. It just really is a shame as we as audiophiles have to wade through all the dross until we find what works for us. I will say though forums such as these are absolute godsends, but they often have limits also, but at least there is some freedom of speech and varying opinions to be had. You can often read through the lines and get good information, its a lot more tricky with publications.  

1 hour ago, slavedata said:

The Amstrad was all fur coat and no knickers it looked good on the outside.

A good parallel that  I remember when our household had one of the first Amstrad midi systems. People would come around, especially younger male visitors and would be in awe of its shinnyness and 'all in one ness'. I read Alan Sugars book a few years ago actually and part of that 'all in one ness' was just to save money his side but it worked as a marketing trick, people loved it and they sold by the truckload. It was actually in general a piece of crap but I still enjoyed many hours of music on it. It certainly was not a good replacement for separates as it claimed to be

Edited November 22, 2017 by eddie-baby
gremlins

[moo-fi 467]

To be honest the only real use I found for magazines is for informing us what products are out there, which they fail badly at.

[TheFlash 3,533]

We’re not being given special attention here, and I certainly wouldn’t call it corrupt. Same happens in cars, computers, phones, clothing (sorry, fashion), furnishings, and lord knows what else. It’s rooted in the needs of economic growth to make us dissatisfied with what was supposed to satisfy (ultimately, permanently, etc) only N months ago when we bought it.
In hifi as in the rest, it’s probably healthy for us individually and for the planet to think about what “enough” looks and sounds like. Hats off to anyone who continues to enjoy the system they assembled a decade or more ago.
Must dash, just found some diamond encrusted cable lifters I simply must have.

[eddie-baby 1,676]

11 minutes ago, TheFlash said:

Hats off to anyone who continues to enjoy the system they assembled a decade or more ago.

Thats me   same goes for my car, can't be bothered keeping up with those Jones's. It looks too shiny anyway Unfortunately my fashion sense is..., well I haven't got any really the Mrs keeps saying to me 'youre not going out like that'  

11 minutes ago, TheFlash said:

Hats off to anyone who continues to enjoy the system they assembled a decade or more ago.

Well some components anyway!

Edited November 22, 2017 by eddie-baby

[moo-fi 467]

41 minutes ago, eddie-baby said:

Well some components anyway!

Eddie, how many subs have you got through.

[eddie-baby 1,676]

15 minutes ago, moo-fi said:

Eddie, how many subs have you got through.

Yep, you got me there Fred   Im a bit like Trigger whos had the same brush for all his career but changed the handle 10 times and the head 20 Well I would have kept the Sunfire trueEQ, if it hadnt gone tits. And the JL audio now (which Im using in a limited fashion, along with the occasional swap around of others I have here) is by-far the best Im gonna get until a Velo DD+ comes up at a right price for me, then I'll probably move the JL on as well.

But most of my regularly used components are old, well over 20 years old some, but I havnt found many modern things that better them for what I like.

[moo-fi 467]

I still have my first speakers, ProAc Tablettes.  Only on my second pair which have been in residence for 13 years along with the Krell.  The Linn is a mere 10 years old and don't ask about the turntable as it is pushing 20 years old, original cartridge too, although it has had regular rebuilds.  The sub is the only new thing and it was meant for the AV setup but never go there, well until a JL Gotham of DD+ 15 turns up.

[Lurch 1,813]

1 hour ago, TheFlash said:

Hats off to anyone who continues to enjoy the system they assembled a decade or more ago.
 

Up until last August the youngest items in my system were:

Speakers, cart & arm (16 years).

Followed by;

CDP (22 years) 

Amp (28 years) 

Turntable (30 years) 

Everything I have now is either new (CDT & Node2) or new to me, and Barring major meltdowns I expect it all still to be in place in 15+ years time. 

[eddie-baby 1,676]

10 minutes ago, moo-fi said:

I still have my first speakers, ProAc Tablettes.  Only on my second pair which have been in residence for 13 years along with the Krell.  The Linn is a mere 10 years old and don't ask about the turntable as it is pushing 20 years old, original cartridge too, although it has had regular rebuilds.  The sub is the only new thing and it was meant for the AV setup but never go there, well until a JL Gotham of DD+ 15 turns up.

Now there is a set of speakers that defy age, the humble tablettes, I would put those you have there against any modern designed speakers. They are phenomenal little speakers. We'll have to pair them up with the JL sub at the bake-off and see what can be gained from a compact sub/ satellite set up, I tell you this JL can really hit hard! But tonally those Tablettes are gorgeous speakers, even now!

I know how much you like your big stuff Fred butI'll be looking for my set up a 10 or a 12 at a push. I like subs to be felt and not seen There was a very nice 18 DD on ebay the other day though, that has to be a colossal sounding sub that.  

[eddie-baby 1,676]

20 minutes ago, Lurch said:

and Barring major meltdowns I expect it all still to be in place in 15+ years time.

same here John for some of my main components anyway. I don't deny I'll try a few more along the way but I have no intention of ever getting rid of my naim amp, proacs, epos(s) or even my 23 year old trichord DAC along with a few other bits of kit Im quite partial to for the foreseeable future.    

Edited November 22, 2017 by eddie-baby

[moo-fi 467]

42 minutes ago, eddie-baby said:

I know how much you like your big stuff Fred butI'll be looking for my set up a 10 or a 12 at a push. I like subs to be felt and not seen There was a very nice 18 DD on ebay the other day though, that has to be a colossal sounding sub that.  

I have a Nicky, doesn't care what it looks like but it must do low frequencies, at volume, all day or she will throw it in the skip.

[SergeAuckland 1,587]

2 hours ago, TheFlash said:

We’re not being given special attention here, and I certainly wouldn’t call it corrupt. Same happens in cars, computers, phones, clothing (sorry, fashion), furnishings, and lord knows what else. It’s rooted in the needs of economic growth to make us dissatisfied with what was supposed to satisfy (ultimately, permanently, etc) only N months ago when we bought it.
In hifi as in the rest, it’s probably healthy for us individually and for the planet to think about what “enough” looks and sounds like. Hats off to anyone who continues to enjoy the system they assembled a decade or more ago.
Must dash, just found some diamond encrusted cable lifters I simply must have.

It's the World Economic Model. The World's population is growing, so economic activity has to keep growing to provide for all these additional people. In order for the economy to keep growing, the population has to keep growing to generate the increased wealth.  If the population shrinks, it means that the population ages, so takes up greater resources, with fewer people to create these resources. So we must keep the population renewing itself, so we must generate economic growth.

Something eventually has to break, and I would feel sorry for those around when it does, but I will be long gone by then. 

Getting back to HiFi, the youngest part of my HiFi is now 5-6 years old, some of it goes back to the 1970s. My car is now 6 years old, and replaced one 11 years old which died expensively. I don't intend to replace my car until it too becomes beyond economic repair. My Mobile 'phone is over 10 years old. I prefer to spend my income on 'experiences' like good lunches rather than 'stuff' so I'm still contributing to economic activity, but without filling my house with stuff that one day will have to be disposed of.

S. 

[Speedskater 208]

11 minutes ago, SergeAuckland said:

It's the World Economic Model. The World's population is growing, so economic activity has to keep growing to provide for all these additional people. In order for the economy to keep growing, the population has to keep growing to generate the increased wealth.  If the population shrinks, it means that the population ages, so takes up greater resources, with fewer people to create these resources. So we must keep the population renewing itself, so we must generate economic growth.

S. 

The game changers are:

• Automation
• Artificial Intelligence
• Robots

More & more tasks won't require humans.