‘I pray I never eat here again’ – restaurant review

[mansr]

Why do we never get reviews like this in the audiophile press?

 

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/nov/11/farmacy-london-w2-horrible-bullshit-food-restaurant-review

[semente]

Why do we never get reviews like this in the audiophile press?

 

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/nov/11/farmacy-london-w2-horrible-bullshit-food-restaurant-review

You don't bite the hand that feeds you?

 

R

[mansr]

Maybe the audiophile mags should start running ads for cameras and motorbikes instead.

[firedog]

I guess she didn't like the food...

 

Reviewers and magazines have published that if a component is really bad, they send it back and don't publish a review. One of the reasons for this is not to destroy the small audiophile company (which most are). Sometimes the company will make changes to the product and resubmit it for review. If this is done, is should be part of the review.

 

I think this almost never happens these days though, as pretty much anything sold as audiophile sounds "good". It's only a question of "how good" or "what type" of "good" sound. So at most, you get reviews that compare different good sounding components, so you can get an idea of which one might be more suitable for you.

[jdandy]

Why do we never get reviews like this in the audiophile press?

 

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/nov/11/farmacy-london-w2-horrible-bullshit-food-restaurant-review

 

mansr.......That was a humorous read. I like her style. Still chuckling.

[semente]

I guess she didn't like the food...

 

Reviewers and magazines have published that if a component is really bad, they send it back and don't publish a review. One of the reasons for this is not to destroy the small audiophile company (which most are). Sometimes the company will make changes to the product and resubmit it for review. If this is done, is should be part of the review.

 

I think this almost never happens these days though, as pretty much anything sold as audiophile sounds "good". It's only a question of "how good" or "what type" of "good" sound. So at most, you get reviews that compare different good sounding components, so you can get an idea of which one might be more suitable for you.

 

If you "measure" performance by how good it sounds then you are not (in 99% of the cases) evaluating but tasting.

Who cares what some Shindos taste like to AD of if JV was pleased with the flavour of a pair of Wilsons?

How useful are the tasting reports of these people?

 

We are talking about reproduction here.

 

You taste music (although you can even judge it from a technical perspective if it's an interpretation of a written score).

 

You evaluate sound, in a recording or reproduced.

 

R

[christopher3393]

"It’s “healthy choice comfort foods”, we’re told, so there’s a “sourdough” pizza with all the personality of an inflated Ryvita topped with spurts of lurid vegan cheese looking and smelling like burst boils. There’s a burger, a leaden wad of compressed black fibre that lives in the mouth long after swallowing. (Nice sweet potato fries, though.) And “Earth Bowls”, a key part of the trend, random items flung into bowls so they can be chugged with spoons. The infantilism."

 

Wonderful! Someone hire her now for audio and music reviews.

[esldude]

Appears the reviewer wasn't worried about adversely effecting the business of the place reviewed.

 

I think of that scene in the movie "Almost Famous" where Lester Bangs is advising William Miller. Just replace rock and rock star with high end audio and high end designer:

 

You know, because once you go to L.A., you're gonna have friends like crazy. But they're gonna be fake friends. You know, they're gonna try to corrupt you. You got an honest face, and they're gonna tell you everything. But you cannot make friends with the rock stars...If you're gonna be a true journalist -- you know, a rock journalist -- first, you never get paid much. But you will get free records from the record company. Jesus. Fucking nothing about you that is controversial, man. God, it's gonna get ugly, man. They're gonna buy you drinks. You're gonna meet girls, they're gonna try to fly you places for free, offer you drugs. I know. It sounds great, but these people are not your friends. You know, these are people who want you to write sanctimonious stories about the genius of rock stars. And they will ruin rock 'n' roll, and strangle everything we love about it, right? You know, because they're trying to buy respectability for a form that is gloriously and righteously dumb. Now, you're smart enough to know that. And the day it ceases to be dumb is the day that it ceases to be real, right? And then it just becomes an industry of cool. I'm-I'm telling ya, you're comin' along at a very dangerous time for rock 'n' roll. I mean, the war is over. They won. And 99% of what passes for rock 'n' roll these days, silence is more compelling. That's why I think you should just turn around and go back, you know, and be a lawyer or somethin'. But I can tell from your face that you won't. I can give you 35 bucks. Give me a thousand words on Black Sabbath...Hey, you have to make your reputation on being honest and, uh, you know, unmerciful...If you get into a jam, you can call me. I stay up late.

[rando]

Why do we never get reviews like this in the audiophile press?

 

 

The smell of ones own farts. The mind forgets the sound, but the nose tastes and lingers expectantly. Requires many sources of verification evidence of wrongdoing has dispersed. Still it perseveres, insistent. Keep that and all further exhalations to yourself, buddy! You stink!!

 

There is no bad press unless you are the one writing bad press. Even worse if the header misspells the authors name. Your name.

[Keith_W]

"“Our offer is founded on… learning to listen to our inner selves,” waffles the Farmacy website. Here’s what my inner self is saying: “Parp!”"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I LOVE IT!!!

People are scared to publish negative reviews on products because it may destroy a small audiophile company? Well, restaurants are small businesses too.

 

I think that most audiophile reviews focus too much on being subjective. For sure, subjective listening has a place. But not when it fills 100% of the review - it tells you nothing!

 

Here are some questions I have encountered in my own audiophile journey that have NEVER been asked by journalists when it is part of their job to ask these questions:

 

1. My Cary CAD-211AE is a 110W, Class A/B, push-pull valve amplifier. I don't know if you are aware, but it is nearly impossible to buy a set of perfectly matched valves, as demonstrated by my engineer. He said that even if valves were matched in the factory, once they start wearing they will fall off spec at different rates. He proved the point by measuring two sets of "matched" valves that I had purchased, and then showed that the "push" section of the amplifier had a different voltage to the "pull" section - off by 10% - even after correct bias had been adjusted. I asked him why would anybody design an amplifier that would be subject to the vagaries of valve provenance and provide no way to adjust the push/pull stage so that they are matched? He gave me a diplomatic answer on their behalf but it wasn't very satisfactory.

 

2. I have made comments elsewhere on this site about the Merging NADAC using two ESS9008S chips along with other aspects of the design that appear to show evidence of cost cutting. I have also compared the sound of the NADAC to other DAC's in a blind test. Dominique Brulhart has appeared on this site and said that the result is more than the sum of the parts. Perhaps, but why hasn't any journalist asked exactly what they have done to make this DAC cost $12,000 - when you can buy an Oppo (which has exactly the same bits in it, minus Ravenna) for $1000?

 

3. I have owned two JL Audio F110 subwoofers. If you run a 30-40Hz sine wave test tone through it, you will hear a flappy sound, as if the cone or suspension was slapping something. A friend (loudspeaker designer) thought it may be due to low compliance suspension, which allows them to get more excursion from a smaller motor (which means they need a less powerful amplifier). Yet, you will not find a single review of the F110 that points this out. Has nobody run a sine wave test tone through one of these subs?

[Kal Rubinson]

Reviewers and magazines have published that if a component is really bad, they send it back and don't publish a review.

That is not Stereophile's policy. If a product is accepted for review, it is reviewed. A second sample might be requested if the reviewer suspects that the original might be damaged/defective but, if so, comments on both samples are included.

[esldude]

Never thought you would see this review of all places in the Absolute Sound. Amplifiers and linestages are a solved problem according to Paul Seydor.

 

First paragraph:

 

I don’t have much to say about the sonic qualities of Benchmark’s new AHB2 power amplifier because there isn’t that much to say. Used within its limitations and for its intended purposes it is in any practical sense perfect. I know this is not the sort of thing we’re supposed to say about products, but it has been evident for a very long time now that solid-state electronics, particularly linestage preamplifiers and power amplifiers, have reached a point where they are effectively a solved problem such that it is exceeding difficult to tell one from another even in the most exacting A/B comparisons. Ferretting out differences typically involves zeroing in on a very specific and limited characteristic or set of characteristics with such concentration as to leave one tired, uncertain, or both: in other words, an activity that is the very antithesis of what is involved in listening seriously, even critically—to say nothing of pleasurably—to music. [i must point out that this view is not shared by the TAS editorial staff. —RH]

 

The rest of the review here:

 

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/benchmark-ahb2-amplifier/

[Allan F]

Perhaps, but why hasn't any journalist asked exactly what they have done to make this DAC cost $12,000 - when you can buy an Oppo (which has exactly the same bits in it, minus Ravenna) for $1000?

Because it's a foolish question based on ignorance and a false premise, i.e. that because the same DAC chip is used, they have "exactly the same bits".

[Keith_W]

Because it's a foolish question based on ignorance and a false premise, i.e. that because the same DAC chip is used, they have "exactly the same bits".

So why doesn't it cost $5000, instead of $11,000?

[wgscott]

The thing to keep in mind here is that we are dealing with ... British cooking.

 

Have you ever actually placed any of their "food" onto a fork and inserted it into your mouth?

 

I mean, I can deal with the rotting teeth, the moles, the constant stench of cigarette smoke, cold bathwater and lack of showers and generally medieval plumbing that leads to infrequent bathing, and the apparent complete unawareness of body space that comes from living on an overpopulated puny little island, but their food? Except for the beer or chips (what we call french fries), it is like putting cyanide-laced dog-shit into your mouth and chewing slowly.

 

All DACs, by comparison, sound pretty much the same.

[Keith_W]

The times have changed. If you have money, you can find some very nice restaurants in the UK - Heston, Ramsay, Sat Bains, etc. I had a great steak at Hawksmoore recently.

[sbgk]

The thing to keep in mind here is that we are dealing with ... British cooking.

 

Have you ever actually placed any of their "food" onto a fork and inserted it into your mouth?

 

I mean, I can deal with the rotting teeth, the moles, the constant stench of cigarette smoke, cold bathwater and lack of showers and generally medieval plumbing that leads to infrequent bathing, and the apparent complete unawareness of body space that comes from living on an overpopulated puny little island, but their food? Except for the beer or chips (what we call french fries), it is like putting cyanide-laced dog-shit into your mouth and chewing slowly.

 

All DACs, by comparison, sound pretty much the same.

fraid that these days you have to go to France if you want the stench of cigarette smoke and body odour. The only food that resembles dog shit seems to be the American imports provided by the major burger chains, haven't tried one with cyanide, take it you didn't like the almond smell.

[rando]

I'd like to see the breakdown of threads closed from a surplus of negative personal reviews overreaching the context of the platform.

 

Pish posh,

too much cosh

offensive to nosh.

Waste of dosh.

 

-rando

[vladimirb0b]

If they are going to trash his daughter, you would hope they could at least call him "Muhammad"

 

Edit: Apparently the person they call "Mohammad Al" is not Muhammad Ali but Mohamed Al-Fayed... Still got his name wrong according to wikipedia but now I don't care

[blownsi]

So why doesn't it cost $5000, instead of $11,000?

 

Because companies charge as much as the market will bear. From a very high level they all use the same basic parts, the rest of the cost is for research and profit. Quite simply put I'm aware of no parts used in a DAC that should put the price over $500. That does not mean though that some DACs are not worth considerably more than their competition based on the sound they output. The question for the consumer is what are you willing to pay for that difference?

[NOMBEDES]

The times have changed. If you have money, you can find some very nice restaurants in the UK - Heston, Ramsay, Sat Bains, etc. I had a great steak at Hawksmoore recently.

 

 

 

Yes, but do have "In and Out" ? !!!!

[NOMBEDES]

That is not Stereophile's policy. If a product is accepted for review, it is reviewed. A second sample might be requested if the reviewer suspects that the original might be damaged/defective but, if so, comments on both samples are included.

 

I have a friend who reviews for a HiFi publication. On several occasions, he has worked with the designer to get the equipment to a point where it is good enough to review. On some occasions, he has sent the product back with no review.

[Rt66indierock]

Never thought you would see this review of all places in the Absolute Sound. Amplifiers and linestages are a solved problem according to Paul Seydor.

 

First paragraph:

 

I don’t have much to say about the sonic qualities of Benchmark’s new AHB2 power amplifier because there isn’t that much to say. Used within its limitations and for its intended purposes it is in any practical sense perfect. I know this is not the sort of thing we’re supposed to say about products, but it has been evident for a very long time now that solid-state electronics, particularly linestage preamplifiers and power amplifiers, have reached a point where they are effectively a solved problem such that it is exceeding difficult to tell one from another even in the most exacting A/B comparisons. Ferretting out differences typically involves zeroing in on a very specific and limited characteristic or set of characteristics with such concentration as to leave one tired, uncertain, or both: in other words, an activity that is the very antithesis of what is involved in listening seriously, even critically—to say nothing of pleasurably—to music. [i must point out that this view is not shared by the TAS editorial staff. —RH]

 

The rest of the review here:

 

Benchmark AHB2 Amplifier | The Absolute Sound

 

 

For those of us that are keeping score there has been a battle going on. One view is music lovers, professionals and audiophiles are considered separate markets. And in my opinion the desperate view that every music lover is an audiophile.

 

The key part of this argument is how much resolution is enough?

[esldude]

For those of us that are keeping score there has been a battle going on. One view is music lovers, professionals and audiophiles are considered separate markets. And in my opinion the desperate view that every music lover is an audiophile.

 

The key part of this argument is how much resolution is enough?

 

I agree with the separate market idea. Those three groups generally want different things. The audiophiles I believe think they want what the pros do, but in reality don't at all. I think that is a key seed to the audiophile's continual dissatisfaction, and belief everything can always get better.

[Ralf11]

ah.. British cooking

 

you really mean English cooking (or add Scootland and Ireland if you like)

 

think about countries that tried to take over the world - England & Germany

 

in both cases the food sux

 

this shows that their dreams of empire were just the result of a bunch of guys who were looking for a decent meal