Test products - smaller manufacturers query

[the record spot]

I'll clarify right away that this isn't a "flame" rather a genuine general query, but it's kind of prompted by a couple of the threads in the Hi Fi forum of late.

How do manufacturers go about sending kit in for review (I don't mean sticking it in the post...!)? Is there an initial contact between them and WHF, or do you ever contact firms first?

Also, do you find that some firms opt not to go with WHF and stick to the more traditional hifi mags, for whatever reason (perhaps seen as too commercial - although I'd have thought that'd be an advantage for some firms in the current climate)? Almost that they want to keep their brand image away from anything featuring a 40" telly?!

This isn't a criticism, and I for one was delghted that we've seen products from Icon Audio and features on buying used kit of late along with the cartridge test this month (is there any chance that the used kit article could be expanded to check out some of the best used buys at sometime in the future?).

Just curious about the process; I think some firms could be missing out, though appreciate that some firms - Linn? - appear to have been reticent to submit gear to the mag in recent times.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Companies are welcome to contact us about possible reviews of products, provided they meet our availability criteria, and we will also contact companies when we spot products we consider of interest to the readers.

Whether and why manufacturers may or may not choose to supply product for testing in WHFSV is a matter you should take up with those manufacturers. The 40in TV argument is a snobbish red herring, since a review in WHFSV can put a manufacturer's product in front of many times more potential buyers than can one in any other UK hi-fi/home entertainment title.

And has been mentioned many times before here, when a manufacturer can't or won't supply a product and we consider it of sufficient interest to our readers, we may consider buying a sample for review.

 

[Simon Lucas]

It happens a number of ways - sometimes manufacturers (or their PR representatives) contact us with product details, sometimes we get in touch with manufacturers if we're interested in something specific. Sometimes that happens because of chat on these forums.
Some firms sometimes prefer not to submit products to us for review - they sometimes feel our magazine isn't read by their target audience, they're sometimes peeved about something we've said about a previous product. Sometimes they worry that we won't 'understand' their product. Sometimes the knowledge that they're completely unable to influence what happens when they hand a product over to us is too much to bear.
As First Tests Editor I'm always delighted to hear from manufacturers great or small about their products. We don't put many conditions on a review - obviously we like the product to have reasonable distribution, or some readers won't be able to buy it. If it's only available online, there must be a no-quibble money-back guarantee. That's about it - if some firms are missing out on reviews, it's not because we're not interested in their products.
(P.S. I can't think of anything more variable than a second-hand cartridge.)

 

[Clare Newsome]

And to further clarify, when Andrew mentions our availability criteria, he's referring to our policy that kit we review should be reasonably easy for our readers to see/hear before they buy - either by being available via a range of dealers in the country (so you're not having to travel half the length of the UK to demo it) or via home trial.

EDIT - Simon puts it more eloquently!

 

[the record spot]

Thanks for the detailed replies all - very much appreciated.

 

[Andrew Everard]

You're welcome - and Happy Introspection Day!

Coming up - which sandwich Andy Madden prefers, Simon Lucas's undercrackers of choice, Tom Parson's witty T-shirt of the day and guess the last letter Joe Cox typed...

 

[idc]

Once the product has been tested do you try and get it back to the manufacturer before the review comes out? It must be a bit cringe worthy if you have to hand back a product you have given a poor review to!

 

[John Duncan]

Andrew Everard:Happy Introspection Day!

Is it?

 

[Andrew Everard]

idc:Once the product has been tested do you try and get it back to the manufacturer before the review comes out? It must be a bit cringe worthy if you have to hand back a product you have given a poor review to!

Not at all - a) we've become pretty thick-skinned over the years, and b) sometimes manufacturers demand to hear the product in our test rooms so we can show them why we said what we said.

All that said, with so much equipment going through the review mechanism and finite storage space, we do tend to move stuff on fairly rapidly just to make room for the next month's influx.

 

[Andrew Everard]

JohnDuncan:Andrew Everard:Happy Introspection Day!

Is it?

That's a question you'll have to ask yourself, JD...

 

[the record spot]

Andrew Everard:
You're welcome - and Happy Introspection Day!

Coming up - which sandwich Andy Madden prefers, Simon Lucas's undercrackers of choice, Tom Parson's witty T-shirt of the day and guess the last letter Joe Cox typed...

Re: the last one, I think I'll go for a consonant. Hmmm, lemme think about this...."t"?

 

[timwileman]

Andrew Everard:
You're welcome - and Happy Introspection Day!

Coming up - which sandwich Andy Madden prefers, Simon Lucas's undercrackers of choice, Tom Parson's witty T-shirt of the day and guess the last letter Joe Cox typed...

lucas wears undercrakers!!!

 

[John Duncan]

Andrew Everard:
JohnDuncan:Andrew Everard:Happy Introspection Day!

Is it?

That's a question you'll have to ask yourself, JD...

"Look deep inside your self"

I did. Nothing of note.

 

[the record spot]

It's the effort that counts JD, or is it the thought...? Ummm - blast, I'm at it now.

 

[John Duncan]

timwileman:lucas wears undercrakers!!!

Only briefly.

 

[Andrew Everard]

JohnDuncan:
"Look deep inside your self"

I did. Nothing of note.

You didn't even find the hero? Heather Small will be disappointed...

 

[timwileman]

Andrew Everard:
JohnDuncan:
"Look deep inside your self"

I did. Nothing of note.

You didn't even find the hero? Heather Small will be disappointed...

he only looked, didnt do a proper search i bet...

 

[John Duncan]

Andrew Everard:
JohnDuncan:
"Look deep inside your self"

I did. Nothing of note.

You didn't even find the hero? Heather Small will be disappointed...

No mini Crunchies either.

 

[Simon Lucas]

timwileman:lucas wears undercrakers!!!
Indeed I do. They're called Harvest Festivals: "all is safely gathered in..."

 

[Jonathan Evans]

Better 'Harvest Festivals' than ÿ'Ukrainian Nuclears'

ÿ

We all know what happens when you wear them...

 

[Anonymous]

I think the availabilty clause is important- I love my amp and CD player purchased at the end of last year but with two UK dealers for the amp and (I think) five for the CD player, it isn't likely to be something a reader could easily get to dem. Given plenty of other high end products (including more expensive stuff) is so much more readily available, it would make sense to give review space over to that.