Open letter to Editor...

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the What HiFi community: the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products.

chebby

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al7478:Is'nt 73, 865 more than 55, 373?

Yes of course it is. Total sales of all the titles will obviously be more than the sales of one title.

"Hifi Total" is not a magazine title. It is the sales of all three titles added together.
 

Kevin Stephens

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I'd be interested to see the comparative figures for magazines on buying/downloading music rather than gear, ie Gramaphone, BBC Music, Classic FM Mag and the equivalent pop/rock mags.

Most people buy music regularly, but I guess only upgrade their systems every few years. Are more people interested in reading about the kit they won't be buying than the music they will be buying? How much of Hi Fi and TV magazine market is transitory for readers only when they want to upgrade, and how much is regulars who just like reading about the kit while (or even instead of!) listening to/watching it?
 

Alec

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chebby:

al7478:Is'nt 73, 865 more than 55, 373?

"Hifi Total" is not a magazine title.

Oops. Well, no prizes for spotting the dunce im afraid folks.

Sorry all. Its been a funny ol' day.

Now, Total HiFi...
 

lordmortlock

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al7478:chebby:

al7478:Is'nt 73, 865 more than 55, 373?

"Hifi Total" is not a magazine title.

Oops. Well, no prizes for spotting the dunce im afraid folks.

Sorry all. Its been a funny ol' day.

Now, Total HiFi...

Hahahaha! Thank you al that cheered me up no end.

A new rival publication is born!
 

Andrew Everard

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Kevin Stephens:I'd be interested to see the comparative figures for magazines on buying/downloading music rather than gear, ie Gramaphone, BBC Music, Classic FM Mag and the equivalent pop/rock mags.

They're all available on the ABC website.
 

JoelSim

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Surely an indication of passion is in the figures on this website, 95k posts vs 60k posts in favour of hifi. Never forget that they are the long-termers.

ÿ
 

JoelSim

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Andy Clough:Oh yes indeed!
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And actually us punters also provide a service by posting. In our spare time. Free research too.

ÿ
 

chebby

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JoelSim:Surely an indication of passion is in the figures on this website, 95k posts vs 60k posts in favour of hifi. Never forget that they are the long-termers.

Being a bit selective there Joel.

If you total up the "Home Cinema" and the "TVs & Projectors" forums then you get a much fairer comparison.

You only picked one.
 

JoelSim

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chebby:
JoelSim:Surely an indication of passion is in the figures on this website, 95k posts vs 60k posts in favour of hifi. Never forget that they are the long-termers.

Being a bit selective there Joel.

If you total up theÿ "Home Cinema" and the "TVs & Projectors" forums then you get a much fairer comparison.

You only picked one.

Not if you take into account Clare's percentage figures from earlier in the thread it isn't Chebby. Only about 10% of readers are buying hifi in the next year, yet they contribute 50% of the posts. Doesn't that say something in itself?

ÿ
 

chebby

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JoelSim:Not if you take into account Clare's percentage figures from earlier in the thread it isn't Chebby. Only about 10% of readers are buying hifi in the next year, yet they contribute 50% of the posts. Doesn't that say something in itself?

Yes...

(1) When watching a movie or television it is less easy to concentrate on typing stuff in pointless and repetitive cable debates.

(2) Televison/home cinema users make better decisions about their equipment and are happier so we don't hear as much from them.

(3) The glow from the laptop and the incessant key tapping puts everyone off the movie.
 

Don Guess

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Hifi World reckons it is increasing its circulation. Anybody got an idea what it is?

It's even available at Tesco now. I'd say it was the biggest competitor to WHF.
 

JoelSim

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chebby:
JoelSim:Not if you take into account Clare's percentage figures from earlier in the thread it isn't Chebby. Only about 10% of readers are buying hifi in the next year, yet they contribute 50% of the posts. Doesn't that say something in itself?

Yes...

(1) When watching a movie or television it is less easy to concentrate on typing stuff in pointless and repetitive cable debates.

(2) Televison/home cinema users make better decisions about their equipment and are happier so we don't hear as much from them.

ÿ

LOL!

ÿ
 

JoelSim

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Don Guess:Hifi World reckons it is increasing its circulation. Anybody got an idea what it is?It's even available at Tesco now. I'd say it was the biggest competitor to WHF.

Different customer, although obviously a small overlap for those who just like hifi per se.

I suspect a large proportion of WHFSAV buyers also read Stuff, FHM, The Sun, Men's Health, T3 intermittantly.

The WHAT? brand is also very strong across a number of sectors, so that also gives a huge head-start amongst the general public and impulse pick-up. The other titles are very specialist and target nerds like me who only really buy hifi mags.ÿ
 

Andrew Everard

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JoelSim:Not if you take into account Clare's percentage
figures from earlier in the thread it isn't Chebby. Only about 10% of
readers are buying hifi in the next year, yet they contribute 50% of
the posts. Doesn't that say something in itself?

Yes, that the people much more likely to be buying, and thus more likely to pick up the magazine, are contributing the other half.

Don Guess:Hifi World reckons it is increasing its circulation. Anybody got an idea what it is?

No, as HFW isn't ABC'd.
 

JoelSim

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Andrew Everard:
JoelSim:Not if you take into account Clare's percentagefigures from earlier in the thread it isn't Chebby. Only about 10% ofreaders are buying hifi in the next year, yet they contribute 50% ofthe posts. Doesn't that say something in itself?

Yes, that the people much more likely to be buying, and thus more likely to pick up the magazine, are contributing the other half.

Don Guess:Hifi World reckons it is increasing its circulation. Anybody got an idea what it is?

No, as HFW isn't ABC'd.

Andrew I don't disagree. I just don't like it.

ÿ
 

idc

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chebby:

....(2) Televison/home cinema users make better decisions about their equipment and are happier so we don't hear as much from them......

This is like Jaxwired's comment at the start of this thread that av buyers don't put in as much thought or effort as hifi buyers into researching their kit and purchases. Have you got any evidence to back up your comment? Hifi and av have become very integrated with many overlaps and What hifi caters for that market.

Anyway, I find that most other hifi magazines are a little bit 'highbrow' and 'snobby' for me and I'm with al and think that Total Hifi is THE top hifi publication.............................in New Zealand
emotion-7.gif
 

chebby

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idc:Have you got any evidence to back up your comment?

Good god no! Since when does this forum actually value evidence?

I was being light-hearted 'twas all.

It is not as if any of this actually matters. Some publication with 'hifi' in the title slaps a telly on the cover (because they also do a bit of "& Vision" remember?) and a bunch of people who never buy it anyway 'kick-off' because there isn't a mains lead or a nice bit of mock teak B&W veneer on the cover to titillate the masses. ("Cor! Look at that new Isotek Mabel")

Ye gads, a simple typo ('What Hi-fi S&M') would triple the circulation for at least a month or two.*

Fact is that front cover pictures of tellys 'connect' with the public more than a bit of Joels favourite wire this month.

* The mag's circulation, not mine, I should add.
 

JoelSim

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chebby:
idc:Have you got any evidence to back up your comment?

Good god no! Since when does this forum actually value evidence?

I was being light-hearted 'twas all.

It is not as if any of this actually matters. Some publication with 'hifi' in the title slaps a telly on the cover (because they also do a bit of "& Vision" remember)ÿ and a bunch of people who never buy it anyway 'kick-off' because there isn't a mains lead or a nice bit of mock teak B&W veneer on the cover to titillate the masses. ("Cor! Look at that new Isotek Mabel")

Ye gads, a simple typo ('What Hi-fi S&M') would triple the circulation for at least a month or two.

fact is that front cover pictures of tellys 'connect' with the public more than a bit of Joels favourite wire this month.

ÿ

ÿ

They do Chebby. But remember most of this country eat bleached, sliced white bread.ÿ
 

chebby

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JoelSim:They do Chebby. But remember most of this country eat bleached, sliced white bread.

Good for them. How would you feel smugly superior if they didn't? That is the whole point of buying sun-dried tomato and prune rye bread* for £3.99 from Waitrose (gawd bless 'em) not to be healthy, but to feel superior.
emotion-2.gif


*Which you leave on the granite equipment support/bread board overnight so it gets infused with Radon gas.
 

Pete Shields

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Understandably, there seems to be a fair bit of posturing going on within the thread.

It's a difficult one given the fact that the stats show that the magazine is well and truly the best seller. I would be curious to see what percentage are regular buyers or one off advice seekers.

The recent layout changes have improved things, and has lead to some more interesting articles - for example the one on computer audio formats, a great article last month. This month's Iphone apps also good.

The problem that I face, along with other posters on this forum, is once you get to a decent grade/price of TV, they are all quite similar. These days most offer 1080p, multiiple HDMI's, etc and a good picture. The comparative reviews are great when you are in the market for a new TV, but as soon as you walk out of the shop, that's it, unless something comes along that changes things so much that you need to upgrade further. You only need to go into comet and currys to see hundreds of TV's lined up ready to be purchased, with the top end ones all looking very similar. We all carry a rolled up copy of the mag under our arms when we visit these places and thanks to your magazine go well prepared to make a purchase. Once the purchase has been made though......

The main problem with TV's is there is no real passion for them. I'm really pleased with my latest, but I see no need to upgrade in the foreseeable future. To some extent the same can be said for lower/mid range Bluray players. New ones out at least once a year, and all offering a great picture in the same sized black box, etc, with new extras on each release that are really of not too much use...

Hi Fi on the other hand is more personable. You mix and match components to get the sound that you prefer. The specialist shops and this forum offer great advice. No system is really the same - it's your system. For the enthusiast there is a constantly changing path for upgrading/tweaking your system. Enthusiasts also like to talk about their systems. Hence the popularity of this forum.

My concern is that I find the online site more interesting than the magazine at the moment. There are usually only two or three good articles in the magazine relating specifically to Hifi, but plenty of TV/samey black bluray player reviews/group tests. However, a lot of these are also covered beforehand in the news section of the website. The Q&A's have usually been discussed in the forums and I have never really used the buyers guide in the last third of the magazine.

What I'm tending to notice lately though is that there is definately a bias towards the AV side of the market in the mag. There are still revolutionary new products coming out for av and hifi, but the av side makes all of the news. The new Panasonic Bluray recorder is something that we are all interested in. Two pages was ok, but more editorial would have nice. A new product was also released and reviewed on the Hifi side in this issue. The Cyrus 8 XPD is also out this month. Again revolutionary with the built in DAC. It only gets half a page - 250ish words. People who go as far to read this review and possibly lay out £1500 are enthusiasts. More information is needed. Some comparisions with other systems built up with a seperate DAC would have been nice. I read more on the web & forum about it. More editorial is definately needed

I suppose part of the problem is that everybody on this forum likes to give advice, which is a great thing, but waters down the magazine's content somewhat. The magazine will never really be able to answer my specific questions (whilst keeping the rest of the readership happy) like the forum's knowledgeable members. My only worry is that every month I take less time to read the magazine, because I have already read about the content in here. At this rate in a few months, I could see myself reading the articles of interest at the magazine aisle at Tesco whilst the wife goes on the trolly dash...
 

chebby

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JoelSim:They do Chebby. But remember most of this country eat bleached, sliced white bread.

Bleached white bread eaters probably like to cart their kids around everywhere in planet munching 4x4's so their kids get no exercise.

But the wholemeal eating, bobble hatted, planet friendly eco bicyclists cart their toddlers around in these on their way to the local Whole Earth bakery....

41FMJE5H53L._SL500_AA280_.jpg


Guaranteeing maximum possible doses of inhaled diesel fumes for their under 5's. (Not to mention the sheer terror of staring up at juggernaut wheels about to crush them!)
 

method man

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so now, it becomes a question whether or not a 'hobby' publication can thrive or even survive up against a faster moving and more user interfacing medium of the internet 'hobby' forums. something that the large specialist carp fishing magazines have suffered from in the last year or so. despite enjoying a boom in the passtime, there is also a boom in related internet sites.

That remains to be seen. But clearly they are no slouches at WHF as they have this site and regularly post and interact. Keep your enemies closer so to speak.

I for one. read the front pages of the Telegraph, Times, Guardian, and click thru to articles of interest everyday. I cant remember the last time i actually bought a newspaper. But then I dont have a rail commute.

Similarly with WHF. 2 years ago, looking for a Plasma TV reccommendation. I was in Asda saw WHF and pics of TVs on it. Bought it, and went with their Panasonic winner. (Im not too interested in TV/AV), so that was enough for me.

But this time. Looking to upgrade my hi-fi. straight to the web. No mags purchased at all. thru info on here and links and mentions I'm now looking at Hi-Fi **. and Computeraudiophile and have settled on a system not reviewed by the mags anyway. But thats just me im not an enthusiast.
 

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