Audio Reviews and Marketing

[bigbangtheory]

Awesome "rant," Tom. Couldn't have said it better myself, although I might still try.

Just another reason why I love you guys - but, as always, not in that way.

 

[Bryce_H]

Great article. I just got through helping a friend buy a new plasma. I helped him narrow the choices and then sent him to Best Buy (free financing) to purchase his TV. I warned him about the hard sell he would get with cables and extended warrenties. He still got talked into a new DVD player (sales person said he needed it to see any benefit to his new TV, I made him take it back). He said the sell for new cables was hard and relentless. And what they were trying to sell him were component cables (b/c "they were the only cables that would show true HD - nevermind he has 2 HDMI jacks) and would have cost over $150.

 

[Wayde Robson]

I love the rant Tom!

“Suddenly you won’t be able to sell a speaker for over $200 or a DVD player over $50…”

Aren’t we already seeing this? It seems we’re entering into that dark-age already with HTiB and other low end systems. People are ready to spend thousands on a TV but have difficulty spending hundreds on the audio system to match.

A new era of objectivism in audio is apparent; I believe it’s due to the rise of computers. Not simply as a means of communicating scams (as you do on websites like Audioholics). Even cursory knowledge about hard drives and disc storage is enough technical know-how to dispel ancient hifi myths about connectors.

I think a lot of the reviewers that use fanciful adjectives for acoustic quality are bored. They’re writers so they’re looking for new ways to say:

The bass was deep.

The trebles were high.

I think they try to outdo each other with these expressions. I appreciate a review that states they popped in X-media, such as a particular DVD-Audio disc they know is a great test of soundstage, bass, highs etc. And I like to read an insightful, lively description of the acoustic performance.

But the product being reviewed should be applicable. I personally hate reading “X-sounding cables”.

To me, cables just sit there and don’t make much sound at all unless you drop them on a wooden floor. Review speakers by describing acoustics. Describe an amp by telling me how it handled certain speakers without clipping or giving any audible distortion. Review cables by telling me how well the finger grips fit into the crowded space behind my receiver.

I love reading subject reviews. But please, let’s keep a guideline of basic relevance. Not doing so leads to hearing about some reviewer’s orgasms. Believe me that’s the last thing anyone wants to read!

 

[jkmw]

hmmmm

why don' the owners of these esoteric products offer their 2c?

Would it be naive to state that to bash these products based on what known scientific priciples can't substantiate is to deny the existence of principles we do not yet understand?

I say, if you hear it, then go for it...oops, better rephrase for the marrieds: If both husband AND wife hear it then go for it.

 

[Ajax]

Not a regular here, but I stumbled across the article over at AVS, and had to read the whole thing. Loved it, Tom! Good stuff, and thank you.

 

[Seth=L]

why don' the owners of these esoteric products offer their 2c?

Would it be naive to state that to bash these products based on what known scientific priciples can't substantiate is to deny the existence of principles we do not yet understand?

I say, if you hear it, then go for it...oops, better rephrase for the marrieds: If both husband AND wife hear it then go for it.

It is naive to say a $500 power cord does not improve SQ? Explain how that is naive. I personally think that it is naive to believe a $500 power cord would make any difference at all. Your mind can simulate a difference, but that doesn't mean there is one.

 

[rnatalli]

Alas, no revolution will ever happen The masses have always been and will continue to be stupid. We're all guilty and stupid in our own ways.

 

[no. 5]

About a set of speakers - "Featured on Fox's hit TV show House!"

I don't remember any speakers being featured on House, I remember the first episode had some electrostats... which were replaced with a HTiB, but the Sota turntable and Kimber Kables remained. Weird.

Suddenly, you won't be able to sell a speaker for over $200 dollars or a DVD player over $50 as they will collectively be viewed as a rip off.

I'm not so sure that will happen, because the weirdo esoteric crowd ("I can't listen to anything now, there are ants walking loudly on my speaker cables!") will always buy $7,500 cables, and typical consumers will continue to think $200 speakers are outrageously expensive ("why would I want to buy those? I can't hear the deference between $100 HTiB's!").

 

[jkmw]

It is naive to say a $500 power cord does not improve SQ? Explain how that is naive. I personally think that it is naive to believe a $500 power cord would make any difference at all. Your mind can simulate a difference, but that doesn't mean there is one.

I apologize for not making myself clear. I should re-phrase my statement, < Would it be naive of Me to state that, "to bash these products on what known scientific priciples can't substantiate is to deny the existence of principles we do not yet understand?" >

I simply advocate the objective double blind test. If a statistically significant number of subjects hear, or see, a difference in two a/v setups, identical with the exception of, perhaps the speaker cables, or the interconnects, or the power cord, then doesn't this refute the idea that there shouldn't be a difference? OK so it's a hypothetical, I can't point to a single double blind demonstration in which it has been 'proven' that these items help a system sound or project an image better than a system without these items.

But what I can say is that advances in our understanding of physics are being made every day, and until we can say with the absolute certainty of a deity that "We Know It All", then I am willing to keep an open mind, and categorically reject statements that suggest there won't ever be a difference in those two systems above.

 

[kwadswor]

I'm somewhat hesitant to point this out, but have you read your own articles? In the past month I've seen at least half a dozen "First Look" articles that do nothing more than regurgitate the spec sheet/press release from the manufacturer.

I'm not trying to be too critical - I like the web page overall. I'm just trying to point out that when criticizing other reviewers you have to take a look at yourself too.

 

[birdonthebeach]

I'm somewhat hesitant to point this out, but have you read your own articles? In the past month I've seen at least half a dozen "First Look" articles that do nothing more than regurgitate the spec sheet/press release from the manufacturer.

I'm not trying to be too critical - I like the web page overall. I'm just trying to point out that when criticizing other reviewers you have to take a look at yourself too.

Glad you brought this up so we can clarify. A "First Look" is essentially a news item - in no way is supposed to be a review. Our reviews will say REVIEW in the title.

A First Look is way of keeping our readers up to date on product announcements and news. This is an important distinction. Our goal here is to provide you with not only unbiased and comprehensive reviews, but also daily coverage of products and news in our industry.

 

[Audioholics]

We're also readying an icon-based system for our article types that will further help reduce any confusion over what is a review and what's a simple extended factoid (First Look) about a new or interesting product.

That's good feedback.

 

[Hypocrite]

You do realize that your user name, not Tom's, is Hypocrite...right? No one said that Mirage didn't make good speakers for the money. The design is unnecessary however.

Great article by the way Tom, I think you should have done a podcast of it with Dina. I think she would have been taken aback by all that.

I noticed earlier on in the TV show "House M.D." that he had some rather high end looking speakers, but later in the series he had a Panasonic HTIAB thing. What where the speakers he had?

Thanks for helping me make my point. What companies are they talking about? They don't tell us! Mirage are fine speakers. At least you'll remember my user name.

 

[Seth=L]

Thanks for helping me make my point. What companies are they talking about? They don't tell us! Mirage are fine speakers. At least you'll remember my user name.

Thanks for helping you make what point, that your logic is fallible?

If you read on, you will realize that he was not referring to to Mirage in the first place.