What would you like to see more of in the magazine?

[DistortedVision]

Hi,

I was wondering what everyone would like to see more of in the magazine.

I'd like to see more turntable related coverage. Whilst I appreciate its very much a minority / niche interest but vinyl is sort of making a comeback. I actually think that they get the coverage of turntables themselves is just right but I don't think there is enough coverage of tonearms and cartridges.

Cheers!

 

[Anonymous]

More thoughts, people? All feedback welcome! Oh and DistortedVision, you'll like next issue - on sale 21st August.

 

[Anonymous]

I would like to see a

System Matching Guide:

- what brands usually go well together

- where to start (speakers, source)

- the benefits

- the pitfalls

Best wishes,

Solomon

 

[Cofnchtr]

Hi,

What about going to people's homes to interview them on their current set up and how they came about buying what they have etc.? A bit like 'Through The Keyhole'....who listens to a sound like this - the clues are there...

A bit like the 'Your System' section on here. This could show how others have installed in different room set ups, how they've overcome the aesthetics of their particular living space (or bedroom Jason), their upgrade path and why they chose their equipment.

Cheers,

Cofnchtr.

 

[PINK MOON]

I think you need to start thinking outside the box, an article that changes each week and can be about anything, such as older products less specified than new products, but at sale prices,, what star ratings would they get? you could test them against newer equipment that is now at the same price. You could test a micro with 3 different speakers ranging from budget to high. An ebay challenge with 3 reviewers with £200 pounds each, who can get the best 2nd hand equipment?. What receiver comapres to the best budget amp?,, what price do you have to go up to?? Each week, you could have a random test that could be more fun some months more serious the next, the only criteria is that its a bit different.

To be honest these are just a few random things that have crossed my mind in the past. im sure you guys could come up with better, but the possibilities are mssive.

Having bought the magazine religously since 2002, and been a subscriber for the last wee while, i just dont seem to get as exited as i used too when I get my hands on it,, well thats i lie actually,, i still cant wait to open it,,, its just i dont seem to read it again and again and again like i used too.

 

[Andrew Everard]

PINK MOON:
I think you need to start thinking outside the box, an article that changes each week and can be about anything, ... Each week, you could have a random test

Slightly tricky in a monthly magazine...

 

[Babur72]

Andrew Everard:PINK MOON:

I think you need to start thinking outside the box, an article that changes each week and can be about anything, ... Each week, you could have a random test

Slightly tricky in a monthly magazine...

He-he.Touche`!...Pistols at dawn then gentlemen?..Have you any objections to me as your second Mr Everard?

Anyway.Back to the subject of this thread.How about a classified pre-owned Hi-Fi/A.V. listings section? For readers to exchange or sell second-hand equipment & for readers to list their wants.

Just a thought.What d'you reckon?

BABUR.

 

[JoelSim]

Your bread & butter.

ÿ

HiFi!

ÿ

 

[fr0g]

I would like to see reviews of more stuff that wasn't volunteered by the manufacturer, especially current competing stuff. It serves noone when the only recommendation is from one or two brands.
I would like to see the workings behind 'blind testing' - What are the methods?
I would like to see each reviewers personal opinion of a product. A Bike mag I read has a personal views summary.
I would like to see more technical info, maybe lab graphs.

Most importantly I would like to see more comparisons between different digital formats. In the end a CD is a disk full of digital files. So is a Hard drive, or a Solid state drive. I want to know the quality of each compared to each other.
I would like to see digital units compared to each other through a separate DAC. For instance, is a Marantz CD6002 any worse than a Cyrus transport, playing through a DACX? If so, then by how much?

I could go on.

 

[Craig M.]

more hifi! also, longer reviews and more comment on specific differences in group tests. in the buying guide i would like to see more info about room placement of speakers, and, if you could somehow incorporate recommendations about system matching into it. maybe you could colour code them according to tonal balance or sonic signature or something. i also like frogs idea of seeing the individual reviewers thoughts as well as the group consensus.

 

[Andrew Everard]

fr0g:

I could go on.

And probably will...

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with some previous comments about there needing to be more article-based sections rather than just reviews. Topics themselves aren't necessarily that important it would just be nice to have more to actually read in the magazine. Personally I'd be interested in the odd piece on some history of hifi or particular manufacturers - e.g. tracing the lineage of the new Cyrus CD players back through developments in the company's history etc.

As already mentioned in numerous other forum threads, more focus on PC/Hard-disc based music would be useful as this is an area that doesn't seem to get the attention that it deserves at the moment. Comparitive tests of external DACs would be good along with how they can be used with devices such as a Squeezebox or other PC based source.

Along similar lines, a section in the magazine describing the concepts of lossless/mp3 etc and how to go about setting up a pc based music collection would probably also be of use to a lot of readers starting out down this path. Options for ripping (EAC/ iTunes etc), file formats, storage and backup etc would be very useful for newbies. From previous experience there is nothing more annoying than ripping half of your CD collection only to discover you have used the wrong file format/ bitrate etc and not tagged your files correctly!

All in all, keep up the good work and don't cut out any space for reviews but adding some more articles would be good.

 

[Anonymous]

Great stuff - these are all useful thoughts going forwards....

 

[Thaiman]

fr0g:I would like to see reviews of more stuff that wasn't volunteered by the manufacturer, especially current competing stuff. It serves noone when the only recommendation is from one or two brands. I would like to see the workings behind 'blind testing' - What are the methods? I would like to see each reviewers personal opinion of a product. A Bike mag I read has a personal views summary. I would like to see more technical info, maybe lab graphs. Most importantly I would like to see more comparisons between different digital formats.

There are many other mags that will give you all that! WHF has it's own style, short - sweet but lots and lots of reviews!

 

[professorhat]

I quite like the idea of hearing each reviewer's point of view on a product - this is something I've seen in other non-hifi mags and you get to know which reviewer has similar tastes to yourself so can lend yourself more to his point of view when choosing. I think this would take up too much room in the mag though but would be a nice online feature.

 

[fr0g]

Thaiman:
fr0g:I would like to see reviews of more stuff that wasn't volunteered by the manufacturer, especially current competing stuff. It serves noone when the only recommendation is from one or two brands. I would like to see the workings behind 'blind testing' - What are the methods? I would like to see each reviewers personal opinion of a product. A Bike mag I read has a personal views summary. I would like to see more technical info, maybe lab graphs. Most importantly I would like to see more comparisons between different digital formats.

There are many other mags that will give you all that! WHF has it's own style, short - sweet but lots and lots of reviews!

Trouble is, it has become too short and sweet. It costs £7 an issue here, and I have read it in a couple of sittings

Anyway, were just some ideas.

 

[Anonymous]

was having this debate with a mate at work, he thinks hot chicks should not be on the front cover of a non "hot chick" i.e. What cinae mag's as he called it therefore i think why not .....how know maybe when no one can afford to drive their cars the hot chicks will go for dudes with the biggest A.V's then i can make up for lost time... well you can only live in hope.... is there a consensus on this issue ...not the whole A.V dream of mine but the chicks on the front cover ??

 

[Anonymous]

hot chcks

 

[SpiceWeasel]

Just a thought, but have you tried looking a few shelves up from WHF. I am sure the covers will be full of "hot chicks".

I think that end of the market is well caterd for, I don't think the magazine needs to stoop to those levels just to sell a few more issue's.

 

[Anonymous]

Have you considered therapy?

 

[Anonymous]

amer187:hot chcks

Lol. On tvs or holding tvs/hifi also? Stuff magazine has those.

 

[Anonymous]

"Trouble is, it has become too short and sweet"

I agree with this, the mag is great and I prefer it to others in a lot of ways. However, sometimes the info in the back is not really of use when deciding what you want to buy. A small amount of extra info at the expense of loosing some of the products listed that are no longer available for sale would be a good trade off.

-

I like the idea of having more reader systems, you currently only visit one person and offer upgrade advice. Maybe some more of those or something similar where by you review a system and how it intergrates.

-

With all the adverts, listings and review history at the back, I'm often dissappointed that there is very little magazine in comparison.

 

[Andrew Everard]

I think the fact you even describe women as 'hot chicks' sort of says it all...

 

[bigblue235]

I think a kinda 'hidden gems' type feature might be useful.

Y'know, the sort of products that aren't mass market, but would probably interest the likes of us that frequent the website. Products for people who dislike the mainstream gear, the people that avoid Arcam and MA like the plague (and before I get abuse, I have an Arcam and MA system...

)

The sort of things that I'm thinking of would be the likes of BK subs, various DAC's, home install gear such as the B&W and MS speakers, home networking products and many other items that are kinda 'niche' products.

I appreciate products like these wouldn't necessarily sell the mag to Joe Public, who's looking for a specific review of a product he's thinking of buying, but it's what I'd like to see, and well, you did ask

I feel these sort of products would be as interesting as the 'Temptations' items, and although I understand the reasoning behind putting aspirational stuff in the mag, I feel like some of the less common products I'm referring to have their place too.

I also think that more detailed, or more technical 'How To' guides would be helpful also. In fact, why not go the whole hog and put a video/audio calibration disc on the cover, which ties in with a tutorial in the mag? Or maybe even a one-off 'special' issue on how to set up all your gear, with all your guides from this site crammed onto an accompanying DVD. If people pay £6 for PC mags with a disc, surely they'd pay around the same for a valuable resource that shows them how to get the best from all the gear they've just left Comet with?

Oh, could you please keep chicks off the cover, unless it's an Easter special. There's already too many mags that cause a raised eyebrow or two with the missus, or the checkout assistant, and I'd like to hang on to the little dignity I have left

 

[professorhat]

amer187:hot chcks

Yum... you're right though, probably better off on cookery magazines and the like rather than WHF...