A moderate time puttering about yields the following:
Definite errors
1. The blue menu bar is not thick enough, as evidenced by the fact that the bottom of any 'p's and 'y's are cut off.
2. At present, if you select 'Tips and Tricks' from the blue menu, the drop down falls behind the advertisement instead of in front.
3. When moving the mouse down over another menu item, but where the cursor travels over the tool tip text, the menu closes and you have to select it again.
Redundancy/Logic
1. Given how lovely and clear and simple the new blue menu bar is, is there really any significant need for the tan coloured bar beneath it with its 'Topical Links'? This could be removed and the search function placed in the blue menu at the far right hand side.
2. In the 'Choose a subsection' menu, is there a need for the 'Go' button given that when you select something you're automatically taken there anyway?
3. Reviews should be professional by default. Therefore, there's no need for the word 'Pro' in 'Pro Reviews'.
4. Equipment reviews etc. should be higher in importance to the site than the forum. Therefore, the latter should be shunted along to the 'end', i.e. the right hand side of the blue menu bar.
General comments
Overall, I agree with others that the new home page looks and feels more modern and polished than the existing. I really like the blue menu bar and also like the 'You are here'-tree in which you can easily jump back to a previous level, but feel that the tan coloured menu in between these is redundant and could easily be scrapped, with the search function incorporated into the main menu.
Is there really a need for the 'tool tip text' that appears when you hover the mouse over an item in the blue menu bar? Let's face it; 99% of folk who're browsing will not take the time to read the (well-intended) words but will try the menu item and if it's not what they're looking for, will simply press the back button.
I'm saddened by the very large increase in coverage for advertisments and immensely dislike having them on both sides, thereby 'boxing' in the site's own material which, at the end of the day, is what visitors are really here to see. Boxing in, in particular strikes a chord because the first thing readers' eyes will fall upon will be advertisements, given that the overwhelming majority will read from left to right.
If the overhead banner was removed altogether, the blue menu bar moved up to be placed right beneath the Audioholics logo and advertisments placed only on the right hand side, I feel that the site would look far cleaner/even more modern than at present.
