Just put in some mains cable upgrades

[steve_1979]

I'm just stunned at how disrespectful some people can be to the kind folk who host this forum for us.

All I've done is ask them politely if they'd be willing to take part in a blind test comparing USB or mains cables. In what way is that disrespectful?

For some reason they refuse to even reply to this question to say yes, no or give any reason why they don't want to do it. Nothing but complete silence from the WHF team. :silenced:

Considering they claim expensive cables make a big difference to the sound and their reviews advise people to spend lots of money on these products isn't it only fair that we ask them to back up these claims by taking part in a blind comparison?

 

[CnoEvil]

I'm just stunned at how disrespectful some people can be to the kind folk who host this forum for us.

All I've done is ask them politely if they'd be willing to take part in a blind test comparing USB or mains cables. In what way is that disrespectful?

They refuse to even reply to this question to say yes, no or give any reason why they don't want to do it. :silenced:

Considering they claim expensive cables make a big difference to the sound and their reviews advise people to spend lots of money on these products isn't it only fair that we ask them to back up these claims by taking part in a blind comparison?

I suspect that wasn't aimed at you (as much :shifty: ).

 

[steve_1979]

I suspect that wasn't aimed at you

Ooops.

 

[professorhat]

For some reason they refuse to even reply to this question to say yes, no or give any reason why they don't want to do it.

 

[byakuya83]

I read the magazine, and enjoy it for the most part, but I do find the reviews of HDMI cables and the like quite troubling.

If you watch The Gadget Show you'll note they have some very good reviews of things like cables and hi-fi equipment.

I've seen them undertake blind testing of speakers and advise against wasting money on expensive HDMI cables etc.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

I read the magazine, and enjoy it for the most part, but I do find the reviews of HDMI cables and the like quite troubling.

If you watch The Gadget Show you'll note they have some very good reviews of things like cables and hi-fi equipment.

I've seen them undertake blind testing of speakers and advise against wasting money on expensive HDMI cables etc.

I don't find reading the mag WHF forcing expensive HDMI cables on people. Their award winners and best buys have got cheaper each year.

 

[MakkaPakka]

One of reviews linked to earlier for a mains cable says:

Hamstrung by a shaky grasp of motion in fast scenes and with more than a hint of stridency about its sound,

WHF should be embarrassed for itself, what utter drivel.

 

[steve_1979]

I read the magazine, and enjoy it for the most part, but I do find the reviews of HDMI cables and the like quite troubling...

I share the same view. Most of the magazine is exellent and IMO WHF is easily the best hifi magazine available. It's just the cable reviews and a few other bits like the hifi rack reviews that seem dodgy.

 

[steve_1979]

Seeing as you frequent the AVI forum as well Steve, their mantra off-pat is to lambast WHFS&V. The problem with that is that it's pointing the finger at the wrong target IMO. Of all the magazines out there, WHF by and large reviews a huge amount of wallet-friendly gear. If you wanted to take a pop at some of these magazines, point the finger at something like HiFi+ which typically reviews the insane end of the price spectrum. Roy Gregory, the former editor, used to rave over Nordost cables costing thousands and get them to justify that.

To my mind, that's where your issue is, not whether or not a £50 cable makes a difference from a £10 one. However, it's popular to bash WHF on the AVI forum and it's the only title mentioned, so really, your argument isn't with WHF alone, and the POV that you come here and it's where you also post is a tad lightweight, again IMO. This is something you level across the board otherwise, it just seems like sour grapes at one particular title.

My views on cable reviews have nothing to do with AVI. :doh:

I do agree that all of the hifi magazines are the same regarding the cable reviews though. It's not just WHF that does it.

To my mind, that's where your issue is, not whether or not a £50 cable makes a difference from a £10 one.

£275 mains cable five star review: Clicky

£125 USB cable five star review: Clicky

£300 HDMI cable five star review: Clicky

£185 SPDIF optical cable five star review: Clicky

Is WHF willing to compare any of these cables to a £5 budget version in a blind test to see if they can really hear any difference in the sound?

 

[ifor]

I'm just stunned at how disrespectful some people can be to the kind folk who host this forum for us.

All I've done is ask them politely if they'd be willing to take part in a blind test comparing USB or mains cables. In what way is that disrespectful?

For some reason they refuse to even reply to this question to say yes, no or give any reason why they don't want to do it. Nothing but complete silence from the WHF team. :silenced:

Considering they claim expensive cables make a big difference to the sound and their reviews advise people to spend lots of money on these products isn't it only fair that we ask them to back up these claims by taking part in a blind comparison?

I didn't want to name names, but it wasn't pointed at you Steve.

Just read to the end and have seen others have already pointed this out.

 

[steve_1979]

I didn't want to name names, but it wasn't pointed at you Steve.

No worries. My mistake. 🙂