paul79 Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 But we need reviewers to tell us what to listen for!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoboKlipsch Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 As a huge fan of video games, and someone who knows several people in the industry -- I've ready hundreds of game reviews, and played most of the same. There are many instances where the reviewer simply never played the game. Often these are written in sweeping generalities. There are many instances where it's clear they never played the whole game, and probably played for about 30 minutes. There are obvious instances where they lie and say something like, I finished the game in 6 hours. Yet, I play it as a great player, and it takes me 40+ hours to finish. Either they didn't play it at all, they used a cheat code, played it on EASY, or simply are full of s*** So I agree with many of the comments above, it's all about $$$ these days, and once a publication is trying to make money, how will they ever get that company to send them the next game for free to test before it comes out...if the last one they killed it in their review? Or how can they possibly expect advertising for that or another game when the review is so bad? No offense to anybody that liked it, but since we have a slightly older demographic here, I will liken it to the new Star Wars movie (part 7). That was a good movie? Bulls*** Yet every review talked about how it was good, and got a really high rotten tomatoes rating. Yet every person I know over the age of 30 who saw it, was bored, thought it was a carbon copy of the original series without any originality, and found the use of characters like Han Solo (dressing him in the same outfit from 30 years ago, really)? pretty lame. Yet all the review were stellar. 92% on Rotten tomatoes. What a total f***** joke 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 I think you can only describe sound in general terms, once you go beyond that, it sounds like gibberish. It's like trying to describe the taste of food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 (edited) It hits your tongue like slime, but once you give it a few bites you get a clean taste of the sea. Once you swallow you realize how refreshing it was and you reach for another. Perhaps using a squeeze of lime and a dollop of cocktail sauce to add to the experience. The food as fuel people would not understand, much like the anti-horn crowd has no idea what they are missing. Edited May 6, 2016 by oldtimer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyOwn Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 My brother Stan "Skip" got involved years ago with audio. It progressed for him, "as it does with all of us", to seeking audio.nirvana. Skip was in his late teens when tube amps and turntables and speakers started showing up at Mom and Pops place. From this I was turned into a music fanatic. Me not realizing for sometime..., what I was actually fanatic about is really good recordings and really good playback....Thank You My Brother... If I were writing a review it would be like this.... "It will make the hair on your body stand up and your nipples will be hard.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 C'mon a visit from the devil will do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyOwn Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 C'mon a visit from the devil will do that. Only if your afraid of the devil....LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 True dat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfbane Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 I am so tired of audio reviews. When I read a car review, I can understand what they are saying. When I read a hotel review, I understand what the reviewer is saying is good or bad about the particular site. When I read a resturaunt review, I either get hungrier or decide to start a diet. But when I read an audio review,it reminds me of the children's story about the Emperor who had no clothes. Here are lines from the last review I read. More dynamic at the macro level and about the same as you scale down to the micro level. Imaging is similar in density and edge definition (i.e. very good) but with a little less layering. A nice sense of natural flesh and blood solidity comes through. The acoustic around the images is less charged by the music. The texture (grain size of noise) is a bit larger and more noticeable and in the plane of the music but only rarely intrusive. There is a nice sense of air and space Gives less of a 'they are here' perspective and more of a 'you are there' sense to the music A little less continuous -- a little larger grained -- but still very liquid and flowing and still making the music come across as connected from moment to moment to be musically compelling. WTF? The only audio reviewers I really completely trust are both named 'ear'. My left and my right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieb Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 The common thinking is advertising = positive review. Maybe someone in the print media can offer something on this. Some audio sites have no advertisements so are they any different? I have heard from persons i know in the auto industry when you see "best in class for five years running" from firms such as JD Powers those have been bought and paid for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyOwn Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 The common thinking is advertising = positive review. Maybe someone in the print media can offer something on this. Some audio sites have no advertisements so are they any different? I have heard from persons i know in the auto industry when you see "best in class for five years running" from firms such as JD Powers those have been bought and paid for. Yeah, it all about money.... There is equipment that can be had for a lot less that is above and beyond a lot of the equipment in review...I mean hair throwing nipple hardening equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toolz Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 I think you can only describe sound in general terms, once you go beyond that, it sounds like gibberish. It's like trying to describe the taste of food. or water, which we all use and enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 Stay tunes for my water review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rummy Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 how many brands of beer are there? how many brands of tequila are there? HOW MANY BRANDS OF RUM ARE THERE? how many different pot shops are there in Denver? THEY ALL GET YOU HIGH, BUT WHICH ONE IS BEST, GETS YOUR THINGS HARD? get things done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyrc Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 (edited) I completely agree OP! The worst part is... even if there is discernable differences audible to the user, it ONLY manifests itself when either set up is heard immediately pre/post each other ot by switching "on the fly". ...and in another room, it might sound different. Plus, as the OP implies, the Emperor may well be naked. Edited May 7, 2016 by garyrc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 If I were to say that the taste of water is "refreshing" - would everyone be okay with that? Does "refreshing" help us understand anything about the taste of water? People can definitely get carried away with their descriptions of what they hear - but I'm okay with a short list of adjectives that actually help. Bad: Analytical Contrived Mechanical Artificial Harsh Irritating Excessively bright Incisive Good: Natural Relaxed Organic Musical Smooth There are others, but like I said - best to keep it as simple and straightforward as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Traveler Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 (edited) Heritage Members 20,835 posts Offline Posted 06 May 2016 - 09:58 PM If I were to say that the taste of water is "refreshing" - would everyone be okay with that? Does "refreshing" help us understand anything about the taste of water? If you are talking bottled water I can taste the differences in some because of the minerals they put in or exclude. Is that like what y'all are talking about? Another thing--Is there much difference in Solid State amps if they provide similar current to a 3.2 Ohm load and have a sufficient noise floor? Just curious. Edited May 7, 2016 by Zen Traveler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boom3 Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 As far as "you are there" and "they are here"...I think that's probably the most self-consistent and logical phrasing to use of all the examples cited. I have four music systems, but the two I use most are my Dahlquist DQ-10s in my study and my Klipsch "big set" in the living room. With a lot of mellow classical music (Debussy and Ravel etc) with the DQ-10s I am "there". With a lot of rock music, the Klipsch set makes it "they are here". Also for classical with wide dynamics (Hovhanness, etc) the Klipsch set is both they are here and I am there at the same time. The real test for any system is whether there is a high rate of suspension of disbelief across a wide range of music. In my limited experience, the DQ-10s can do that well for music of limited dynamic range, whereas the senior Klipschs can do that for works of wider dynamic range. I miss the reviews that Audio mag used to do. They had the right balance of measurements and listener impressions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Travis In Austin Posted May 7, 2016 Moderators Share Posted May 7, 2016 Maybe it is just too obvious, but it sure seems like the stereo-typical review of a high end solid state amplifier with an even higher end tube amplifier. Of course, the reviewer is NOT using horns and is probably using low efficiency direct radiator speakers in the efficiency range of 86dB - 88dB 1 watt / 1 meter. "Stereo-typical", I like what you did there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 I'll point out that the reviewers are not "selling snake oil" because they are not selling the equipment. They are not spokespersons for the manufacturer. WMcD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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