Ultimate Guide

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Drummerdave"][quote user="Andy Kerr"][quote user="Drummerdave"]Or .....maybe more time should have been spent on editing (eg ensuring the picture of speakers matches the blurb underneath tsk tsk) instead of finding pictures of that bint Joss Stone.......[/quote]

Hi. Could you elaborate, please?[/quote]

No probs - page 19 - picture of Wharfedale Diamonds , text about Epos
[/quote]
Curses. Thanks for pointing that out (I'm being serious, by the way). No excuses, just a subbing mistake. Sorry.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply Andy, I thought this might be something to do with it, though am very intrigued to know why they won't send any review samples now!

I've a feeling it stems from some less-than-glowing recent reviews given to some (but by no means all) of the company's products in recent years.

 

[Drummerdave]

[quote user="Andy Kerr"][quote user="Drummerdave"][quote user="Andy Kerr"][quote user="Drummerdave"]Or .....maybe more time should have been spent on editing (eg ensuring the picture of speakers matches the blurb underneath tsk tsk) instead of finding pictures of that bint Joss Stone.......[/quote]

Hi. Could you elaborate, please?[/quote]

No probs - page 19 - picture of Wharfedale Diamonds , text about Epos
[/quote]
Curses. Thanks for pointing that out (I'm being serious, by the way). No excuses, just a subbing mistake. Sorry.[/quote]

No need to apologise Andy - great mag, and those Epos' appear on quite a few pages...

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Andy Kerr"]As to the Rega kit: our relationship with the company has improved substantially
in recent times, and we're currently working our way through the range (see the
Brio 3 review in April, for example). However, the company prefers to move at
its own pace when submitting review samples, despite its Awards success in 2007,
so we've yet to see its latest speakers. We'll keep asking, and no doubt we'll
get there in the end[/quote]Andy, I really liked the ultimate guide to hifi, but I must say I'm shocked to hear the magazine doesn't review (even not occasionally?) samples of manufacturers who just can't be bothered with sending you their review samples. This would mean a certain part of the hifi market would be completely neglected, whilst possibly making the best value for money equipment! I just can't believe my ears (or better: my eyes) when I read something like this!!!Am I right that musical fidelity is one of these manufacturers? Why not buy certain samples? Can't imagine there are many obsticles thrown in the way of you guys buying the occasional piece of hifi?

 

[Anonymous]

I'm delighted to hear you liked the magazine. As to your question: yes, we do buy kit, but only occasionally. We've purchased some TVs of late, for example (Clare has pointed this out on another thread) plus, in a few instances, some hi-fi kit (an NAD was the most recent example).
But we don't have infinite budgets, as you'd expect. We only buy things as a last resort, and we always sell them on as quickly as we can. And besides that: doesn't an unwillingness to submit review samples of product for review reflect badly on a manufacturer, rather than on us? Personally, I'd be wary of a company that didn't trust its own equipment enough to willingly put it forward to us for testing.
Finally, so we're clear in regard of the earlier Rega comment: I don't think in that particular company's case (and a few others besides) that it's being deliberately obstructive - just that it has its own preferred way of doing things.

 

[Anonymous]

Andy, thanks for your quick reply. [quote user="Andy Kerr"]But we don't have infinite budgets, as you'd expect. [/quote]well, that makes two of us. However, I suspect a company that claims to have the best selling hifi magazine in it's portfolio to have a somewhat bigger budget to play with. [quote user="Andy Kerr"] We only buy things as a last resort, and we always sell them on as quickly as
we can. And besides that: doesn't an unwillingness to submit review samples of
product for review reflect badly on a manufacturer, rather than on us?
Personally, I'd be wary of a company that didn't trust its own equipment enough
to willingly put it forward to us for testing. [/quote]I think you're right in suggesting to be wary. However, taking in consideration the magazine's market position, their aim and continious effort to be the most informative consumers guide, I think I'm right in expecting a complete overview for mainstream hifi product under 1000 pounds.By the by, I would really like to see the magazine do some tests on dacs/external sound cards connected to a NAS-server/mac compared to cd-players playing the same cds. I've read a similar test in a German based hifi magazine- don't stay lagging behind! A n**m or l**n based music server of about 4000 pounds isn't my idea of value for money. I'm sure many feel the same way, as 4000 for a source component is outside most people's budgets. Furthermore, I think you might be surprised how well these relatively cheap systems perform.

 

[Alec]

id second that test idea, with the inclusion of pcs also.

 

[fatboyslimfast]

[quote user="al7478"]id second that test idea, with the inclusion of pcs also.[/quote]

But don't we then get into the territory of PC Pro et al?

I do agree with the DAC test though, as I tend to use a PC/Soundcard for general background duties, and it would be handy to know if £100 on a beresford will bring reasonable improvements o ver my £8.50 soundcard!...bring it on guys!

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="fatboyslimfast"][quote user="al7478"]id second that test idea, with the inclusion of pcs also.[/quote]

But don't we then get into the territory of PC Pro et al?

[/quote]If an external dac connected to a pc/mac can create a system that reproduces music as well as their counterpart hifi components, why not include them in the tests!? Almost everybody already owns a pc or mac for other duties which leaves a lot of money for a good quality dac. I'm curious to know whether an equally priced cd-player and external dac are in the same league or that one is clearly a better alternative. There are so many options nowadays with standalone Nas servers for instance, that I feel it's about time to investigate the possibilitiesBesides, hifi is becoming more high tech anyway with wifi solutions like the sonos and the slim devices squeezebox duet and transporter.The squeezebox transporter proves that the only thing that seperates a pc from a-hifi component is a good quality dac. If I remember correctly a St*******le reviewer once wrote that he couldn't hear any difference in a NAS/pc based system playing through a wifi device and his usual dac compared to his cd source through the same dac. And since you probably already own a pc or mac....

 

[Clare Newsome]

[quote user="Solomon1"]
However, I suspect a company that claims to have the best selling hifi magazine in it's portfolio to have a somewhat bigger budget to play with..[/quote]

We have a vast budget by media standards, and spend big: none of our rivals have a purpose-built bespoke suite of testing rooms (built two years ago for eye-wateringly large sums), a team of dedicated testers/writers (bolstered by yet another reviewer this month), or a major website redevelopment in progress.We also review more products - yes, even hi-fi ones - than any other title.

But we can always do more, and reviewing an even wider range of products is definitely in the gameplan, without compromising our high standards of comparative testing.

 

[Anonymous]

Clare, thanks for your input. I'll be paying very close attention to see how you get on with that dac test.

 

[Clare Newsome]

I suspect my six years on computer magazines might help

 

[John Duncan]

Hifi, computers.....do you play a musical instrument?

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="JohnDuncan"]Hifi, computers.....do you play a musical instrument?[/quote]I'm afraid not , John. However, it is one of my future aims to do so- most probably (electric) guitar.

 

[Anonymous]

Andy or Clare,

A little late to catch this hread but why don't you build a link with a couple of the bigger dealers and lend test gear off them for a reduced Ad rate, better position etc. I know it may be a little late - would have to be actually available in stores- for your normal ahead of the field reviews but would be great for group tests and Ultimate guide.

Just a thought

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I obviously meant 'borrow'

 

[Clare Newsome]

That wouldn't be on - our advertising and editorial teams work fully independently, and there's no way that's changing!

 

[Anonymous]

Well, that told me ! I suppose I should have expected that and very morally correct. Thought that as it was a dealer and not a manufacturer the tendency to become less objective would be removed.

Shame though

 

[Clare Newsome]

We have borrowed the odd product from dealers in the past, but that soon stopped with the first poor review: manufacturer demanding to know where it came from (we never told 'em!) so they could stop supply to that dealer, dealers angry cos they had a product back they thought they wouldn't shift etc etc..... Unworkable. Sorry!