JR4321 Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Anyone ever read this mag? Link to comment
joelha Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I do and think it's one of the best publications I subscribe to. Joel Link to comment
shadow ewe Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Anyone ever read this mag? Yes - used to subscribe. But cancelled. Over time (I mean I was a happy subscriber for 2-3 years), I found they only ever reviewed mainly $$$ expensive gear and it all came from a couple of the largest distributors in the UK - it looked too buddy for me. And they just love Chord, Naim and Roksan. Super fanboys. Even the Roksan designer's mega buck cables which were insanely expensive. But then they bashed other less expensive cables (though not cheap) for being expensive! Go figure. So I cancelled my subscription. Less and less: Ikeda 9TS with Kuzma Stogi Ref and Vendetta Phono => Lamm L2 Ref & Lamm 2.2 => Tidal Piano Cera. More and more: Mac Book Pro Retina (mid-2014) with 128GB SSD: with Audirvana 2.0) and all the while auditioning different DACs. (something small and sometimes portable - she who must not be named demands it). Link to comment
JR4321 Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 I"n not sure we're talking about the same thing, shadow ewe. The Audio Critic Looks like one of the few places to find truth, from what I"ve found as an entry-level audiophile. LOTS of BS out there... Link to comment
Allan F Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I"n not sure we're talking about the same thing, shadow ewe. The Audio Critic Looks like one of the few places to find truth, from what I"ve found as an entry-level audiophile. LOTS of BS out there... One has to be careful not to confuse opinion with fact. Opinion, typically, is viewed as "truth" when it is accords with what the reader believes or wants to believe. OTOH, not surprisingly, a contrary opinion is viewed as "BS". The Audio Critic often expresses very strong opinions, but that doesn't elevate them to the level of "fact" or "truth'. I don't have to tell you how people who disagree with his opinions characterize them. "Relax, it's only hi-fi. There's never been a hi-fi emergency." - Roy Hall "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - William Bruce Cameron Link to comment
rodrigaj Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 In 2005 they quit publishing hard copy. The last entry in the ezine is April 2014. Previous ezine entry was August 2013. I subscribed to them when they first started up (late '70's). I also subscribed to The Absolute Sound at the same time. At the time, I felt were honest, trustworthy magazines. Now, who knows. "The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought", Sir Thomas Beecham. Link to comment
Speedskater Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Peter Aczel of the 'Audio Critic' will be 89 years of age this May. The magazine was always printed at irregular intervals and now that it's web only, one review a year seems to be it. Link to comment
gmgraves Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I"n not sure we're talking about the same thing, shadow ewe. The Audio Critic Looks like one of the few places to find truth, from what I"ve found as an entry-level audiophile. LOTS of BS out there... That suggests that there are TWO publications named The Audio Critic! One American (the URL above), and one British. Is this, in fact, true? George Link to comment
gmgraves Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Peter Aczel of the 'Audio Critic' will be 89 years of age this May. The magazine was always printed at irregular intervals and now that it's web only, one review a year seems to be it. Read Issue 26's article on "Audiophile Lies". It's well written, the mythology is well explained in easy-to-understnd non-technological terms. I might actually enlighten a few people... I don't agree 100% with what he says, but I do believe he's about 90% right! The Audio Critic George Link to comment
JR4321 Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 I agree. Here's a good quote from issue #25: "What puzzles me is why there is so much more B.S.in audio than in, for example, the automotive or photo-graphic fields? Why aren't we told to use silver wire inour car's ignition system or to paint the outside of eachroll of 35-millimeter film with a special green paint?Maybe some of our readers can answer that. " Link to comment
khughes44 Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I agree. Here's a good quote from issue #25: "What puzzles me is why there is so much more B.S.in audio than in, for example, the automotive or photo-graphic fields? Why aren't we told to use silver wire inour car's ignition system or to paint the outside of eachroll of 35-millimeter film with a special green paint?Maybe some of our readers can answer that. " Please be assured that there is no shortage of BS in the photographic pastime, and that BS may have been invented in the automotive industry i.e. the Hemi engine. I am a camera user and I have repeatedly asked photographers to estimate the level of equipment I used for some of my better prints. Even the most gear-loving 'togs have no idea. By the way, the Audio Critic has been a big help to me over the years. Link to comment
JR4321 Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 That sounds about right. Snake Oil everywhere. Hard to know who to trust... So who's taken up the torch for our aging Audio Critic friend? Link to comment
shadow ewe Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Hi all. I meant HiFi Critic, not Audio Critic. Totally my bad. Less and less: Ikeda 9TS with Kuzma Stogi Ref and Vendetta Phono => Lamm L2 Ref & Lamm 2.2 => Tidal Piano Cera. More and more: Mac Book Pro Retina (mid-2014) with 128GB SSD: with Audirvana 2.0) and all the while auditioning different DACs. (something small and sometimes portable - she who must not be named demands it). Link to comment
wisnon Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Please resend your PM. Link to comment
Audio_ELF Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Please be assured that there is no shortage of BS in the photographic pastime, The thing is though, in photography the comparisons are generally factual and no one disagrees with measurements. Ignoring artistic reasons for choosing a particular lens, no one disagrees that a lens which measures better is a better lens. Yes there is a lot of "my camera is better than yours" debate, but at the end of the day if a great photo is taken on an iPhone then people are happy, they don't start off "that's a good photos" then find out it's an iPhone photo and change their mind. Eloise Eloise --- ...in my opinion / experience... While I agree "Everything may matter" working out what actually affects the sound is a trickier thing. And I agree "Trust your ears" but equally don't allow them to fool you - trust them with a bit of skepticism. keep your mind open... But mind your brain doesn't fall out. Link to comment
gmgraves Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Hi all. I meant HiFi Critic, not Audio Critic. Totally my bad. OK. that explains it! Thanks. George Link to comment
gmgraves Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 The thing is though, in photography the comparisons are generally factual and no one disagrees with measurements. Ignoring artistic reasons for choosing a particular lens, no one disagrees that a lens which measures better is a better lens. Yes there is a lot of "my camera is better than yours" debate, but at the end of the day if a great photo is taken on an iPhone then people are happy, they don't start off "that's a good photos" then find out it's an iPhone photo and change their mind. Eloise +1 George Link to comment
astrotoy Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 I subscribed to Audio Critic when it first came out. Like the original Absolute Sound and Stereophile and Peter Moncrief's magazine, it didn't take advertising to remain independent. I remember that Peter Aczel spent several issues talking about speaker characteristics and how no speaker currently made could reach the goals he had set. The punch line that he ended up finding the ideal speaker. It started with "F" as I remember and it was also a speaker where Aczel owned the company that made it. For some reason the speaker didn't catch on and many early readers became disillusioned with the magazine. I think the mag stopped publishing, with quite a few subscribers left with issues owed that were never delivered, myself being one. There were a few leaflet newsletters that appeared occasionally. Anyone remember this? Correct me if my memory is wrong - this was 30 + years ago. Larry Analog-VPIClas3,3DArm,LyraSkala+MiyajimaZeromono,Herron VTPH2APhono,2AmpexATR-102+MerrillTridentMaster TapePreamp Dig Rip-Pyramix,IzotopeRX3Adv,MykerinosCard,PacificMicrosonicsModel2; Dig Play-Lampi Horizon, mch NADAC, Roon-HQPlayer,Oppo105 Electronics-DoshiPre,CJ MET1mchPre,Cary2A3monoamps; Speakers-AvantgardeDuosLR,3SolosC,LR,RR Other-2x512EngineerMarutaniSymmetrical Power+Cables Music-1.8KR2Rtapes,1.5KCD's,500SACDs,50+TBripped files Link to comment
esldude Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 I subscribed to Audio Critic when it first came out. Like the original Absolute Sound and Stereophile and Peter Moncrief's magazine, it didn't take advertising to remain independent. I remember that Peter Aczel spent several issues talking about speaker characteristics and how no speaker currently made could reach the goals he had set. The punch line that he ended up finding the ideal speaker. It started with "F" as I remember and it was also a speaker where Aczel owned the company that made it. For some reason the speaker didn't catch on and many early readers became disillusioned with the magazine. I think the mag stopped publishing, with quite a few subscribers left with issues owed that were never delivered, myself being one. There were a few leaflet newsletters that appeared occasionally. Anyone remember this? Correct me if my memory is wrong - this was 30 + years ago. Larry Yep, Fourier speakers. Fourier 6 loudspeaker | Stereophile.com SOUND - A PURIST DEVISES A LOUDSPEAKER - NYTimes.com And always keep in mind: Cognitive biases, like seeing optical illusions are a sign of a normally functioning brain. We all have them, it’s nothing to be ashamed about, but it is something that affects our objective evaluation of reality. Link to comment
JR4321 Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Dang. That's disappointing. Is there ANY review mag/webzine that ANYONE trusts. Not that I'd trust what anyone says at this point, anyway... Link to comment
Melvin Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I like Scot Hull's "Confessions of a Part-Time Audiophile". I enjoy his style of writing and his (seeming) honesty is refreshing. I like Darko as well. Link to comment
JR4321 Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Thanks for the recommendations. I will check them out (but with some skepticism, of course). Link to comment
shadow ewe Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Please resend your PM. I just did - as your box was full. Less and less: Ikeda 9TS with Kuzma Stogi Ref and Vendetta Phono => Lamm L2 Ref & Lamm 2.2 => Tidal Piano Cera. More and more: Mac Book Pro Retina (mid-2014) with 128GB SSD: with Audirvana 2.0) and all the while auditioning different DACs. (something small and sometimes portable - she who must not be named demands it). Link to comment
shadow ewe Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I like Scot Hull's "Confessions of a Part-Time Audiophile". I enjoy his style of writing and his (seeming) honesty is refreshing. I like Darko as well. I like Scott too - and Darko's style is good too. Less and less: Ikeda 9TS with Kuzma Stogi Ref and Vendetta Phono => Lamm L2 Ref & Lamm 2.2 => Tidal Piano Cera. More and more: Mac Book Pro Retina (mid-2014) with 128GB SSD: with Audirvana 2.0) and all the while auditioning different DACs. (something small and sometimes portable - she who must not be named demands it). Link to comment
beetlemania Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Darko's style is good too. I agree. I recently discovered his writing. I like how he acknowledges the finer things in audio while also keeping value at the forefront. Roon ROCK (Roon 1.7; NUC7i3) > Ayre QB-9 Twenty > Ayre AX-5 Twenty > Thiel CS2.4SE (crossovers rebuilt with Clarity CSA and Multicap RTX caps, Mills MRA-12 resistors; ERSE and Jantzen coils; Cardas binding posts and hookup wire); Cardas and OEM power cables, interconnects, and speaker cables Link to comment
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