Omitting some brands by WHF

[stereoman]

Hello to all,

this is the question related to the previous posts - actually it made me wonder a long time ago as well. Why is that so that so many - even famous brands - are being omitted in WHF ? Be it "Accuphase", some renown German loudspeakers etc. I know that other HiFi magazines especially outside UK include a great span of all the companies especially the famous ones. Must be a reason why WHF does not do that.

Regards.

 

[BigH]

Hello to all,

this is the question related to the previous posts - actually it made me wonder a long time ago as well. Why is that so that so many - even famous brands - are being omitted in WHF ? Be it "Accuphase", some renown German loudspeakers etc. I know that other HiFi magazines especially outside UK include a great span of all the companies especially the famous ones. Must be a reason why WHF does not do that.

Regards.

WHF relies on manufacturers sending them products for reviews. Also not much point in reviewing products that have limited availbility in uk hifi dealers. Its all tied in, reviews, dealers and advertising. Reviews are part of marketing the product, some manufacturers don't want to use WHF for that purpose. Other mags buy the products and then test, much better way of doing it IMO.

 

[chebby]

Other mags buy the products and then test, much better way of doing it IMO.

Not so good if you are reviewing a Naim Statement Amp or some other 'exotica' costing tens (or hundreds) of thousands of £s.

Someone then has to be employed buying and selling the used review kit (which depreciates alarmingly as soon as you open the boxes).

 

[matthewpiano]

To add to BigH's comments, with which I mostly agree...

What Hi-Fi is a mainstream magazine, focused mostly on products with wide availability. In a market where other magazines concentrate a great deal of their space to less mainstream brands, products at higher prices, and more in-depth hi-fi matters, WHF does a sterling job of providing an accessible face to the industry. For many people, a budget system of (for example) Marantz 6005 CD and amp with a pair of Wharfedale, MA, Dali, or Q Acoustics speakers will provide everything they need. For a few, this may well be the first step on a journey that eventually takes them to higher end products.

I find Hi-Fi News & Record Review an interesting read, and features such as 'Budget Esoterica' provide some balance, but I'll never be able to consider most of the exotic, expensive kit that dominates the magazine and to anyone new to the idea of good sound quality, much of that content would be intimidating. Hi-Fi Plus is so far into the intimidating end of things that even I can't read it, with years of being interested in hi-fi behind me.

Someone has to be there for the accessible end of the market, demonstrating how rewarding sound can fit into the wider technological landscape of modern lives, and WHF does just that. It is also part of a big publisher with the need to appeal to that wider audience and the advertisers who wish to find them, so it makes sense for everyone,

 

[bigboss]

Other mags buy the products and then test, much better way of doing it IMO. 

Not so good if you are reviewing a Naim Statement Amp or some other 'exotica' costing tens (or hundreds) of thousands of £s.

Someone then has to be employed buying and selling the used review kit (which depreciates alarmingly as soon as you open the boxes).

Yes, I would not trust reviews where they regularly buy the equipment. It all costs money, which has to come from somewhere, increasing the likelihood of bias in reviews.

 

[BigH]

Other mags buy the products and then test, much better way of doing it IMO.

Not so good if you are reviewing a Naim Statement Amp or some other 'exotica' costing tens (or hundreds) of thousands of £s.

Someone then has to be employed buying and selling the used review kit (which depreciates alarmingly as soon as you open the boxes).

Thats true but at least you are testing what joe public buys. Seems a bit odd to me to spend so much on room treatment and then not choose which products to review. Readers often ask or seek reviews on certain brands that are missing from WHF because of their policy, take Harbeth for example.

 

[BigH]

Other mags buy the products and then test, much better way of doing it IMO.

Not so good if you are reviewing a Naim Statement Amp or some other 'exotica' costing tens (or hundreds) of thousands of £s.

Someone then has to be employed buying and selling the used review kit (which depreciates alarmingly as soon as you open the boxes).

Yes, I would not trust reviews where they regularly buy the equipment. It all costs money, which has to come from somewhere, increasing the likelihood of bias in reviews.

Maybe you trust reviews of products that also spend large amounts of money on advertising in that magazine? Makes me wonder why there are so few bad reviews. If the products are a similar price then what is the difference?

 

[matthewpiano]

I think there is an element of consistency in the product these days, and very little poor equipment is made, especially when focusing mostly on well established and regarded brands.

 

[nopiano]

I agree with Matthew. If you want more exotica then buy hifi news. Or read Absolute Sound or hifi+ online. Or Stereophile.

Accuphase and Luxman are two great Japanese brands, but distribution is patchy. I'm sure if I were a dealer I'd love to carry them, but I'm sure I'd sell ten times the quantity of Naim or Linn.

 

[Gazzip]

WHF Magazine I think of as an introductory publication to this wonderful hobby. Eking out the more "exotic" brands is one of the many logical directions in which to take the pastime. Spending as much as possible is another branch, and as little as possible yet another. Active, passive, digital, valve, pretty, functional, small and gargantuan, there is so much depth and scope in this field that no magazine could possibly cover it all. I think WHF does a fair job of tipping its toe in to most waters.

 

[bigboss]

Other mags buy the products and then test, much better way of doing it IMO. 

Not so good if you are reviewing a Naim Statement Amp or some other 'exotica' costing tens (or hundreds) of thousands of £s.

Someone then has to be employed buying and selling the used review kit (which depreciates alarmingly as soon as you open the boxes).

Yes, I would not trust reviews where they regularly buy the equipment. It all costs money, which has to come from somewhere, increasing the likelihood of bias in reviews.

Maybe you trust reviews of products that also spend large amounts of money on advertising in that magazine? Makes me wonder why there are so few bad reviews. If the products are a similar price then what is the difference? 

I've seen Samsung adverts in the mag. Have you seen the review of their 4K player?

 

[BigH]

Other mags buy the products and then test, much better way of doing it IMO.

Not so good if you are reviewing a Naim Statement Amp or some other 'exotica' costing tens (or hundreds) of thousands of £s.

Someone then has to be employed buying and selling the used review kit (which depreciates alarmingly as soon as you open the boxes).

Yes, I would not trust reviews where they regularly buy the equipment. It all costs money, which has to come from somewhere, increasing the likelihood of bias in reviews.

Maybe you trust reviews of products that also spend large amounts of money on advertising in that magazine? Makes me wonder why there are so few bad reviews. If the products are a similar price then what is the difference?

I've seen Samsung adverts in the mag. Have you seen the review of their 4K player?

WHF has done at least 75 reviews on Samsung products.

I don't read the magazine and I'm not interested in adverts.

 

[The_Lhc]

Other mags buy the products and then test, much better way of doing it IMO. 

Not so good if you are reviewing a Naim Statement Amp or some other 'exotica' costing tens (or hundreds) of thousands of £s.

Someone then has to be employed buying and selling the used review kit (which depreciates alarmingly as soon as you open the boxes).

Thats true but at least you are testing what joe public buys.

Joe Public does not spend hundreds or even tens of thousands of pounds on an amplifier, your logic is completely backwards.

Seems a bit odd to me to spend so much on room treatment and then not choose which products to review. Readers often ask or seek reviews on certain brands that are missing from WHF because of their policy, take Harbeth for example.

It's not WHF's policy to not review harbeth, it'll be harbeth's policy to not send samples in for review.

 

[BigH]

Other mags buy the products and then test, much better way of doing it IMO.

Not so good if you are reviewing a Naim Statement Amp or some other 'exotica' costing tens (or hundreds) of thousands of £s.

Someone then has to be employed buying and selling the used review kit (which depreciates alarmingly as soon as you open the boxes).

Thats true but at least you are testing what joe public buys.

Joe Public does not spend hundreds or even tens of thousands of pounds on an amplifier, your logic is completely backwards.

Seems a bit odd to me to spend so much on room treatment and then not choose which products to review. Readers often ask or seek reviews on certain brands that are missing from WHF because of their policy, take Harbeth for example.

It's not WHF's policy to not review harbeth, it'll be harbeth's policy to not send samples in for review.

Missed the point. WHF policy is to wait for manufacturers to send them products. Some mags go out and buy products from a dealers adn review it. The part about buying it is its the same as a member of the public would buy, its not some specially checked or even tweaked up model.

 

[bigboss]

Other mags buy the products and then test, much better way of doing it IMO. 

Not so good if you are reviewing a Naim Statement Amp or some other 'exotica' costing tens (or hundreds) of thousands of £s.

Someone then has to be employed buying and selling the used review kit (which depreciates alarmingly as soon as you open the boxes).

Thats true but at least you are testing what joe public buys.

Joe Public does not spend hundreds or even tens of thousands of pounds on an amplifier, your logic is completely backwards.

Seems a bit odd to me to spend so much on room treatment and then not choose which products to review. Readers often ask or seek reviews on certain brands that are missing from WHF because of their policy, take Harbeth for example.

It's not WHF's policy to not review harbeth, it'll be harbeth's policy to not send samples in for review.

Missed the point. WHF policy is to wait for manufacturers to send them products. Some mags go out and buy products from a dealers adn review it. The part about buying it is its the same as a member of the public would buy, its not some specially checked or even tweaked up model. 

There have been occasions where, due to demand by forum members, WHF has bought the products for review. AVI speakers and the first Oppo blu ray player which eventually never made it to the UK (and WHF got a fair bit of brickbats for reviewing a product people could not buy).

It's only worth spending when they know there is a demand for it and people will buy the magazine as a result.

 

[bigboss]

Product reviews invariably add publicity to the product, and it is either laziness on part of the manufacturers or if they themselves don't think their products will get a favourable review, that they don't submit their products for reviews. There may be other reasons but these are the main.

A case in the point: since Onkyo dropped Audyssey in favour of in-house AccuEQ calibration to cut costs, which is far inferior, it stopped providing their AV receivers for review.

 

[BigH]

Other mags buy the products and then test, much better way of doing it IMO.

Not so good if you are reviewing a Naim Statement Amp or some other 'exotica' costing tens (or hundreds) of thousands of £s.

Someone then has to be employed buying and selling the used review kit (which depreciates alarmingly as soon as you open the boxes).

Thats true but at least you are testing what joe public buys.

Joe Public does not spend hundreds or even tens of thousands of pounds on an amplifier, your logic is completely backwards.

Seems a bit odd to me to spend so much on room treatment and then not choose which products to review. Readers often ask or seek reviews on certain brands that are missing from WHF because of their policy, take Harbeth for example.

It's not WHF's policy to not review harbeth, it'll be harbeth's policy to not send samples in for review.

Missed the point. WHF policy is to wait for manufacturers to send them products. Some mags go out and buy products from a dealers adn review it. The part about buying it is its the same as a member of the public would buy, its not some specially checked or even tweaked up model.

There have been occasions where, due to demand by forum members, WHF has bought the products for review. AVI speakers and the first Oppo blu ray player which eventually never made it to the UK (and WHF got a fair bit of brickbats for reviewing a product people could not buy).

It's only worth spending when they know there is a demand for it and people will buy the magazine as a result.

Thats true, I think a Harbeth review would not go amiss. Also I remember about 3 years ago when the Arcam A19 was product of the year and the Creek 50A won a few group tests in other magazines, WHF did not review it, seemed a bit hollow. It would be good to fill in a few gaps.

 

[BigH]

Product reviews invariably add publicity to the product, and it is either laziness on part of the manufacturers or if they themselves don't think their products will get a favourable review, that they don't submit their products for reviews. There may be other reasons but these are the main.

A case in the point: since Onkyo dropped Audyssey in favour of in-house AccuEQ calibration to cut costs, which is far inferior, it stopped providing their AV receivers for review.

There are many reasons, I don't think its laziness, some probably don't want their products reviewed by WHF, I think Creek after several indifferent reviews are relunctant to send products in, bad reviews can do a lot of damage, I see an ex WHF reviewer got the Creek 50A soon after it came out. Harbeth probaly feel they don't need to. Some probably don't respect WHF reviews. Really WHF is just another HiFi mag. who are the reviewers? Are they well known?

 

[The_Lhc]

Why would any hi-fi reviewers be "well known"? They don't appear on the X-Factor.

Are you wanting to check their golden ear status?

 

[BigH]

Why would any hi-fi reviewers be "well known"? They don't appear on the X-Factor.

Are you wanting to check their golden ear status?

Well some get known from their reviews and they gain respect over the years in the hifi industry from what they write. I think one who left WHF a few years ago is quite well know, he also writes in other magazines. I don't know about X-Factor I never watch such programs. So only people on X-Factor are well known?

 

[bigboss]

Really WHF is just another HiFi mag. who are the reviewers? Are they well known? 

What Hi Fi? is the largest selling Hi Fi magazine in the UK. If the manufacturers don't respect that, then it's their loss, not What Hi Fi's.

 

[nopiano]

Why would any hi-fi reviewers be "well known"? They don't appear on the X-Factor.

Are you wanting to check their golden ear status?

I think the point here is that WHF are unique in writing collectively, or anonymously if you prefer, whereas all other audio journals I've seen have solo authors, or name two individuals - one who listens and another who measures. This means that over time, you get to know which reviewers particularly chine with you

 

[Al ears]

Really WHF is just another HiFi mag. who are the reviewers? Are they well known?

What Hi Fi? is the largest selling Hi Fi magazine in the UK. If the manufacturers don't respect that, then it's their loss, not What Hi Fi's.

Possibly so, but to be honest it is not what I would call a HiFi magazine. The 'sound and visions' bit means it may be a magazine that catches the eye of many thinking of buying all sorts of tech and specifically those looking at entry to mid range level but this does not mean much to others looking further upstream. This I find odd because if you have that money to spend then you should be in the mindset that other people's opinion means little and you have to audition yourself. This being the case why buy magazines like WHFSAV?

It's a funny old business. You need other people's opinion of something you are thinking of buying and when you do you need other people's opinion that you have indeed made the right choice. ;-)

 

[bigboss]

Really WHF is just another HiFi mag. who are the reviewers? Are they well known? 

What Hi Fi? is the largest selling Hi Fi magazine in the UK. If the manufacturers don't respect that, then it's their loss, not What Hi Fi's.

Possibly so, but to be honest it is not what I would call a HiFi magazine. The 'sound and visions' bit means it may be a magazine that catches the eye of many thinking of buying all sorts of tech and specifically those looking at entry to mid range level but this does not mean much to others looking further upstream. This I find odd because if you have that money to spend then you should be in the mindset that other people's opinion means little and you have to audition yourself. This being the case why buy magazines like WHFSAV?

It's a funny old business. You need other people's opinion of something you are thinking of buying and when you do you need other people's opinion that you have indeed made the right choice.  ;-)

Unfortunately, that's how the human mind works. The power of suggestion is very powerful. The vast majority only buy the award winners / 5 star products and expect the overall system to give an award winning performance.

 

[stereoman]

bad reviews can do a lot of damage

Good point. That's true, but on the other side the so hugely reliable and classic amps like Accu. or Krell, Gamut etc. they do not to be afraid of the bad rating. Thing might be that some brands ( like in other answers ) really do not want rating by WHF or they just don't submit any products for WHF reviews as it can hugely impact the sales. Also good point.