Is it the reviews of hardware or music or both? Do you like to get technical or not? When you read about audio in magazines, no matter whose magazine it might be, what do you really like to see, and what would you like to see more of?
COMMENTS
My pet peeve is articles that deal with home theater. We are talking about Stereophile, not Videophile. Music reviews I can get elsewhere. But nobody else other than audio magazines will do decent equipment reports. Unless, of course, you consider Consumer Reports, which is apparently staffed by a bunch of people who can't hear.
I would like to see more articles of the search-for-vinyl variety (by Guy Lemcoe) that I remember reading. Although he is no longer with your staff, I'm sure there exist a few intrepid souls who can write well about their vinyl-hunting experiences.
As to Stereophile, ditching the show coverage would be a big plus. It's all purposless meandering, using up space that could be put to some other use. A highlight or two isn't a bad idea, but only when there is something worth looking at and deserving of comment---not a "new" line of tube amps from a manufacturer that has been making nothing but tube amps for the last 40 years. Not a rehash of the "latest" technology that was on display. Is there anyone who actually reads these magazines even semi-regularly who doesn't know what a DVD is and how it works? That space could be devoted to a section of the budget equipment reviews that your readers are constantly asking for in the Letters section of the magazine. Maybe even some technical articles for do-it-yourselfers. There are a lot of possibilities for that space that are, I think, so much better than show coverage, that it's a no-brainer. Let Archibald do a column on what he seems to love best---the people of the industry. But please, no more monotonous, wasteful reports of,"I went here and listened to product x. I went here and listened to product y. I went here I listened to product z. I went here I listened to product x-prime . . . " Is all that really necessary, and does it even accomplish anything? Being a constant reader of the Letters section of the magazine, I KNOW there is a constant and large demand for more budget reviews. You have the space, why not give it a go?
would like to see recommended associated equipment with reveiws such as cartridge / tone arm combinations. se amps / speakers . Mainly for compatailty. EXAMPLE : SME V WITH A LIST OF CARTRIGES AT DIFF. PRIC LEVELS THAT WOULD MATE WELL. AUDIBLE ILLUSIONS DOES THIS IN THEIR MANUAL FOR THE 3A PREAMP.
Of course, equipment reports. I can get most of the other features in different publications. Go with your strong point. Not interested in specs either, since the sound and the numbers so often can clash. Good, subjective, well-written articles that whet my appetite for demoing, upgrading equipment are the best.
Equipment reports in comparison to other equipment. That's where old-timers like J. Atkinson, T.J. Norton, J.G. Holt, M. Fremer, M. Colloms, J. Valin, K. Kessler, and Harry Pearson, of course, really shine. They have experimented with a lot of different equipment. Ultimately you want to know if the Pass Aleph 1.2 is better than the Krell FPB 600 and why, but it may be not as good as the ARC VT200. Saying just "highly recommended" is not good enough.
Your music reviews are useless, especially Records To Die For, etc. Unfortunately, you have no good jazz or rock reviewers. Your classical reviews are good. Best-of-the-year stuff is good; letters, technical articles I would like to see more of. All in all, Stereophile has few faults; mainly, everyone is a classical guru, and I've already mentioned that.
I've read Stereophile cover to cover by the time I am done with an issue. I usually start with the letters and industry reports, then equipment reports, music reviews and all the rest. The music and industry reviews are always interesting.
Would like to see a compilation of all the articles that have been written where the esteemed writer believed that the particular piece he was reviewing was the best he had heard---followed by a current article from the very same esteemed writer comparing these older pieces to today's fave rave.
Since our listening rooms seem to be the neglected "component" in our pursuit of accurate music reproduction, show us photographs of what your reviewers' rooms look like. You could include them in an archive on the website. This would be particularly helpful when speakers are reviewed. Seeing a photograph of the installation and placement would help the reader make a judgment as to whether the equipment reviewed would "work" in her listening room.
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