Are your components still STAR performers?

[plastic penguin]

Forgive me, I don't mean if you still like them. The point is if What Hi-fi was to review any of your components now, do you think they would award them the same star as originally reviewed?

I can only speak for myself, but I couldn't see any of mine getting the same stars.

(Obviously, this is assuming they were reviewed by What Hi-fi).

 

[Al ears]

My Oppo maybe.....

 

[insider9]

I don't think WHF existed when my components came out 😃

 

[Surly Sid]

WHF got the Totem Tribe Tower review wrong! It should have been 5 stars, not 4.

 

[12th Monkey]

CD player maybe, but overall probably not. Although as none of it is new, its present cost to a new buyer should be considered. In which case, it should fare pretty well.

 

[nopiano]

My Linn streamer, ATC speakers, and Marantz SACD were either five star reviews or would be, based on their track record with the magazine. WHF haven’t had a Primare review since they were the odd one out back in about 2011/2 with their 3 stars for the I32 amp, when elsewhere it won every award in town. I guess the importers got the hump, so didn’t offer them again.
Inevitably, the star system balances price and performance, in an obscure way. Were products rated in an absolute fashion, it would be a significant effort, and wouldn’t appeal to manufacturers at all. The closest I’ve ever seen was Martin Colloms listings in the early Hifi Choice, and later in Hifi Critic.

 

[Gray]

Not sure how valid a WHF review of older gear would be.
It seems to me their reviews often start with the idea that newer is better - that the latest changes must be beneficial.

 

[Friesiansam]

My Focal Elegias only merited four stars apparently. They suit me perfectly, so they are five star for me.

 

[Deleted member 160668]

I have to comment that I think the WHF star ratings are absolute b*llocks! An example would be the 5 star rated Soundmagic headphones, which were pants. Or my Sennheiser IE800S, which staggeringly they gave only 3 stars! Wow! That reviewer was clearly deaf as they are truly mindblowingly good and have almost universal praise elsewhere where I've looked.

To answer your question though, my specific kit. They'd deffo give my 851N 5 stars again, because it is awesome.

I'm not sure they've ever reviewed a Sugden.

 

[Al ears]

I have to comment that I think the WHF star ratings are absolute b*llocks! An example would be the 5 star rated Soundmagic headphones, which were pants. Or my Sennheiser IE800S, which staggeringly they gave only 3 stars! Wow! That reviewer was clearly deaf as they are truly mindblowingly good and have almost universal praise elsewhere where I've looked.

To answer your question though, my specific kit. They'd deffo give my 851N 5 stars again, because it is awesome.

I'm not sure they've ever reviewed a Sugden.

You are quite correct in saying some of their reviews seem to defy the acknowledgement of other publications and I to sometimes wonder who does the reviewing. Safe to say I have never bought anything based on a WHF review alone.

 

[Deleted member 116933]

I only own 2 products that what hi fi have reviewed, one being a 20 year old NAD c540 CD player which i feel punches way above its weight and certainly better than any budget CD player today in my mind.

and chord qutest DAC, well everyone thinks DAC's sound the same so.

In general, i don't really care about reviews in the way that what hi-fi reviews their bits and bobs, star ratings are largely redundant in this age. Everything is good.

I have to comment that I think the WHF star ratings are absolute b*llocks! An example would be the 5 star rated Soundmagic headphones, which were pants. Or my Sennheiser IE800S, which staggeringly they gave only 3 stars! Wow! That reviewer was clearly deaf as they are truly mindblowingly good and have almost universal praise elsewhere where I've looked.

To answer your question though, my specific kit. They'd deffo give my 851N 5 stars again, because it is awesome.

I'm not sure they've ever reviewed a Sugden.

Oh they have reviewed Sugden in the past must have been around 15 years ago though! Sugden were making their half-width series back then cant remember the ranges name now though. Highly sort after now! But to be fair not many if any publications have reviewed the A21sig couldn't really find any reviews or user reviews when i bought mine. Safe to say i don't think Sugden need it reviewing people that know, know. Many brands are like that.

 

[plastic penguin]

I have to comment that I think the WHF star ratings are absolute b*llocks! An example would be the 5 star rated Soundmagic headphones, which were pants. Or my Sennheiser IE800S, which staggeringly they gave only 3 stars! Wow! That reviewer was clearly deaf as they are truly mindblowingly good and have almost universal praise elsewhere where I've looked.

To answer your question though, my specific kit. They'd deffo give my 851N 5 stars again, because it is awesome.

I'm not sure they've ever reviewed a Sugden.

Yes, mate. They reviewed the A21 back in 2004/5. I'll search through my What Hi-fi archive over the next couple of days. If I find it I'll copy and paste it over.

 

[plastic penguin]

You are quite correct in saying some of their reviews seem to defy the acknowledgement of other publications and I to sometimes wonder who does the reviewing. Safe to say I have never bought anything based on a WHF review alone.

As a basic guide they are fine, but that's it....

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Probably my B&W PV1 sub updated version PV1D still gets 5 stars. But no chance with my amp, it lost a star to a Sony amp back in the day! My TV got 5 stars last year but WHF seem to rate the new one as better.

I thought of another which probably would still get 5 stars and that’s my 4K Blu-ray player the Cambridge Audio CXUHD. WHF never reviewed my speakers so nothing to comment on there.

 

[bigfish786]

none of my current kit has ever been reviewed by WHF. but they are always welcome to call for a cuppa.
personally, I'll give them all 5 stars . they seem to be getting better with age.

 

[plastic penguin]

none of my current kit has ever been reviewed by WHF. but they are always welcome to call for a cuppa.
personally, I'll give them all 5 stars . they seem to be getting better with age.

It is a rhetorical question. Of course we all love our own kit. I know What Hi-fi went through a period of reviewing older, classic stuff such as A&R 60 and such like.

Just wondered how our would stack up against the new kids on the block?

 

[idc]

The Grado SR80s, the "i" in 2010 and the and "e" in 2018, keep on getting 5 star reviews. I would think old SR80s would stand up well today.

The Beyerdynamic DT990 got 3 stars in 2003 and an updated version 4 stars in 2014, so older versions would probably not do well.

The AKG K271 Mkii have never been reviewed, a search only finds my review back in 2011. They are still on sale today, so maybe that would be one for the team to finally review now, to see how it does compared to modern opposition. Same with the Musical Fidelity X-CAN V8P. I suspect both would stand up well to modern kit, there is only so much that makers can do. There is not been any significant changes in how hifi is made, or what it is made with, that suggests a big improvement is possible. Certainly, my vintage collection of headphones, with cans from the 1970s and 1980s produced a sound that still sounds great today.