How does WHF acquire hifi equipments for testing

[Zubkabera]

Simple question how does WHF team get their hands-on the new hifi equipments do they purchase or ask manufacturer to provide them for testing. Do you ask for specific model or it's upto company to provide one to you.

what happens next when the review is done the equipments stays at WHF office or sent back to company?

 

[Andrew Everard]

We request specific models, and if the manufacturers can't or won't supply, and we consider the product significant enough, we will consider buying it to test.

After all testing is done, loan equipment is returned to the manufacturer..

 

[Clare Newsome]

Hi there,

I've answered this before here, but happy to explain the procedure again.

We spend a lot of time finding out what's coming up in every area we cover - from hi-fi and home cinema to TV and MP3 - and try and secure as many First Test exclusives as possible: typically this means us getting our hands on the first models from the manufacturers, vying with other magazines to do so (it's the way all the specialist mags work - though we insist on full production kit, not pre-production). We'll also buy products we can't get hold of, when needed.

Most First Test products go back to the manufacturers shortly after they've been tested. The exceptions are products that will go into Group- or Supertests in following issues - a new product is often the starting point for a reappraisal of the whole market. Again, those products are called in or bought, then the vast majority returned when the test is completed.

What we do keep hold of in our stockroom are class-leaders of all sorts of product, so we can get them out, warm them up, and compare them against new rivals coming in: remember, we review nothing in isolation. So, when you read a First Test of, say, a £400 pair of speakers, you can be sure we'll have put it up against at least one price-comparable pair to put it in perspective.

With Group- and Supertests, we choose on a range of criteria. For example, we may choose to focus on a really tight price-point - say the £250-£300 receiver Group Test recently - or pick a wider spread: like the current 46in TV test, which is the very newest models on the market. We know some people choose based on price (i;ve got £250 to spend), others on need (i've got room for a 46in set, which is best?), so this approach fulfills both.

I hope this is clear - any other questions, please ask.