I want to see bad reviews!!!

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

If everyone had a PhD in EE, would people even mess with high priced audio connects?

A PhD? If consumers spent a good hour doing some FREE internet research on the topic, they wouldn't waste the money.

 

[mawst95]

I wish more tests were done blind. Receivers vs. Seperates blind and blind A/B speaker comparisons. I would go so far as to say that if the subjective tests aren't blinded they are almost meaningless.

I'm not looking for bad reviews, but since most reviews are glowing, its hard to seperate the great from the even greater. You eventually run out of superlatives.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

I've always heard when reading magazine articles (I used to read Stereo Review, Audio, Hi-Fidelity) because ALL the reviews are good that you need to count the number of adjectives used. If they use a lot of adjectives then it is a good product, but if they use few adjectives then the product isn't so good.

And I guess I differ from most of the opinions here. As I look for equipment I want reviews of equipment I might consider. If I read a review and they trash it, I'm like, "Well, that was a waste of my time. Why did they review it if it was junk?" Because I feel if I can't find any reviews on a certain product anywhere, that's indication enough not to consider that product.

 

[Takeereasy]

I just want to take a little bit of a detour here. I can't say that I've seen every review that I'd like to at this site, but the reviews I have seen have been very thorough, well written, and concise. Weak points are listed as well as strong, and lets face it, most of the stuff that gets reviewed is award winning stuff, so of course it will test well. Also it would seem that the products being reviewed here are the same ones that the forum members are buying, so they must be somewhat on the money with what to review. You can't swing a dead cat around in here without hitting the words 3805 or 2500. I had never even heard of these recievers (or many others) before I found this site. Maybe with more staff they'll get to test more budget equipment, that's my hope at least. I feel that the reviews I've read on this site are the most comprehinsive and informative ones I've seen to date. I think this is a great forum, with a great and helpful member base that provides a very usefull tool for the buying public. How I wish I'd found it before I bought my JBL and Sony first system. Anyway, keep up the good work guys, and get to the budget stuff when you can.

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

...Anyway, keep up the good work guys, and get to the budget stuff when you can.

Seems a few here have said the same thing in so many words. Hey, Gene and Hawke, maybe it's time for another entry level receiver shootout!

Hey, what's a few less hours of sleep?

 

[Audioholics]

I just want to take a little bit of a detour here. I can't say that I've seen every review that I'd like to at this site, but the reviews I have seen have been very thorough, well written, and concise. Weak points are listed as well as strong, and lets face it, most of the stuff that gets reviewed is award winning stuff, so of course it will test well. Also it would seem that the products being reviewed here are the same ones that the forum members are buying, so they must be somewhat on the money with what to review. You can't swing a dead cat around in here without hitting the words 3805 or 2500. I had never even heard of these recievers (or many others) before I found this site. Maybe with more staff they'll get to test more budget equipment, that's my hope at least. I feel that the reviews I've read on this site are the most comprehinsive and informative ones I've seen to date. I think this is a great forum, with a great and helpful member base that provides a very usefull tool for the buying public. How I wish I'd found it before I bought my JBL and Sony first system. Anyway, keep up the good work guys, and get to the budget stuff when you can.

We'll get that check out to you right away...

We are working on several different things right now that would deliver an abundance of entry-level and mid-fi equipment reviews to this site by our staff. You will be the first to know - and we don't want to make any announcements prematurely.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I would also think that Audioholics may want to offer some additional people, who you may need to learn to trust, the opportunity to work as part of the testing staff. This is, of course, if time is one of the biggest constraints you are running into. A lot of people would be happy to post in 'write your own review' but most people only own one system and really can't do A-B tests of that system. That is their reference, and there is no other to compare.

So, someone who enjoys audio may really be able to write some good reviews for you guys, but is simply lacking access to manufacturers demo gear to test out. I know that in the commercial business we won't sell a single product based on written company hype alone. We get a demo piece of gear and begin running it through the paces. Many pieces go through and work great, some don't. But, at least we have some access to get the equipment.

Testing equipment takes time and if you don't have the time, maybe some others do have the time and are willing to not only do the work, but will do it for free and contribute the information for the good of the site and the benefit to all which frees up more time for you guys to test even more equipment and keep the site updated.

 

[Takeereasy]

We'll get that check out to you right away...

No need for a check, just give me one of those HT chairs on the homepage today. Oh man, that thing looks so good the girlfriend better watch her step for a while. lol

 

[zipper]

I've enjoyed almost all the reviews I've read here. Objective & thorough. I went back & read the "Speaker faceoff" series again to refresh my memory. I thought AH tastefully destroyed the Alon speakers in SF III. They were exposed as Blows wannabes but it was clear that AH made some efforts to give Alon the chance to correct what was obviously an overpriced product. I'm sure that, judging by the comments in the review, that there were probably chuckles abound by the reviewing staff, but the review was still polite but honest.

I've found that "Consumer Reports" tends to lean towards the store line products, so if anyone is looking for reviews on the less pricey stuff I'll bet it can be found there.

 

[mustang_steve]

Great example of something not living up to reputation would be the JBL M5 shelf speaker. I don't know a single person who has ever bought one because they liked the sound...for the four I knew who owned them, 3 bought them because it was on sale, and the other had them since he worked for Crown Intl, so he got a sizeabe discount on JBL/infinity/crown/h-k stuff....even he disliked their sound, and preferred a set of wal-mart "philips" speakers over them....sadly so did I

....that speaker bruised my inner child....

 

[Audioholics]

Here's a display that didn't exactly pass with flying colors... Cheap, but... "cheap" if you know what I mean.

Axion AXN-7200 20" LCD TV w/DVD Player Review

It's a great looking set and has potential, but the intolerable function delays and poor picture quality make it something we simply cannot recommend at this time.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

The best 20" LCD/TV under $400 IMHO

This is the one I use for my PC. It doubles as a tv (standard cable feed). The picture is about as good as you can get with cable on an inexpensive LCD. DVD's play in my DVD rom via the PC. For $349, I don't think you can beat it. 20" size, perfect text for pc use, and acceptable picture for a tv. If you're looking to upgrade your 17" crt, and don't want to drop $600 - $1000 on a 26" or larger LCD, I couldn't recommend a better value. This set is as bright as the Sony Xbrite LCD's at Best Buy, at a fraction of the cost. It just won't display the tiny font's the Sony's do (and I wouldn't recommend those fonts - they are much too small for PC use).

www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=320367&pfp=BROWSE

 

[Tom Andry]

Exactly the point. You give a good review and someone will point out all its flaws, give a bad and someone else will extol its virtues. What's that saying about pleasing some of the people.................?

 

[gene]

I think its,

you can please some of the audioholics some of the time, but not all of the audioholics all of the time

 

[Dan Banquer]

Negative Reviews

I think its,

you can please some of the audioholics some of the time, but not all of the audioholics all of the time

Raise your right hand and repeat after me.

"I am bound and determined to become cliche free."
d.b.

 

[Rowdy S13]

Im gonna have to go ahead and say that as far as reviews go I think Audioholics does a perty good job. They test a decent spread of equipment thought they dont dip down TO low they hit a good amout of entry level stuff and they also go decently high. Theres much more expensive and posibly better stuff out there and then again mabey its not so good but for the most part they are able to get almost everything us mortals can afford and then a lil bit out of reach. I personally dont think they always sugar coat thier reviews granted they dont bash the equipment normally it seems as though what they test dosent need bashing. A bad review is a good read but how does it help you? There hasnt been anything that Ive seen the specs on and looked at that I still liked enuff to find a review on that was a POS. Reviews more or less tell you how the equipment will perform in the real word and most of the time the manufacture specs of a good company wont differ all that much from independent test results. So then the review comes down to how its put together and how it is to use stuff like that. What Im more or less saying is You should NEVER go only on a review go out and learn what all the technical specs mean and how to read them and go to stores and check out the equipment youll know from seeing it if its a piece of crap if after all that you want to see what people think and if its as good as you think look for some reviews and more often than not the review will be what you expected.

Sorry for the long post I just think that people need to be more educated buyers and not base thier purchase on what a reviewer and or sales person tells them. If you learn what to look for you can decide for youreself whats gonna be a good pice of equipment and whats gonna disapoint and have problems.

Sean

 

[shokhead]

I'd rather depend on a baby inside the mom than a saleperson. Review whatever and if some dont like it,c ya.