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How about some reviews of classical choral works for the beginner in classical music?

I generally read Stereophile cover to cover, only skipping "Building a Library" and purely classical music articles. Not that I don't like them, but I prefer the technical articles, especialy when you describe how you make your Stereophile CDs. All in all, your mag is great; just keep the good work. The two best improvements I would be glad to find: More inside pictures of the gear you review, and much more feedback about delivery issues regarding your overseas customers (I'm still waiting for my October issue).

I love to pick up a copy of an audio magazine and find a cornucopia of articles on various topics. I read to learn, and how can I do that if I don't get a broad base of information? There have been times too numerous to count when I have read an article that, at first look, might not have appealed to me, but on reading has given me food for thought and broadened my horizons. I want to thank ALL the audiophile writers and editors for making sure they put such a broad range of topics in each and every issue.

i love it!!

Honest reporting on improving the interface between listeners and performers.

I find the interviews the most interesting, industry- and music-related. I also like news about the industry. Once I've read these in Stereophile, along with the letters, I rarely ever read the equipment reviews anymore.

More DIY, fewer music reviews.

I like honest reporting---if a piece of equipment doesn't measure up, it should be ripped. Equipment is a big investment that depreciates rapidly, and potential buyers need to know what the reviewer honestly thinks. Some publications---i.e., Stereo Review, Audio, et al.---never seem able to lay it on the line. It seems that they don't want to offend any advertisers. Hats off to Stereophile for honest reporting.

Whilst I've been able to tick only one of the above options, I'd have ticked far more given the chance. The reviews and regular columns by Sam Tellig, Jonathan Scull, Lisa Astor, etc. are all fascinating reads in their own rights. Your equipment reports strike a very good balance between objective and subjective evaluation, together with your detailed technical articles, which can be understood without a physics degree. The only major failing right now is the space dedicated to the music reviews. This territory is covered by many other publications more thoroughly and more completely than what you can possibly do. Get rid of the music reviews and give the space back to what you excel at: your equipment reviews, technical articles, and columnists.

More !!!

When Stereophile arrives, I look over the equipment reviews for components of particular interest; then it's off to the music for a complete reading. Next the music interviews, then technical features and letters to the editor. I always find time for articles about how to intergrate a system. The rest is as time allows. This provides insight into an individual reviewer's bias.

I would like to see a return to blind testing of components---a return, because Stereophile once conducted blind tests on speakers. Indeed, some speaker companies in the US and Canada have developed state-of-the-art facilities for blind testing. I cannot accept that one can reliably tell what a component sounds like only if one knows who made it.

I feel Stereophile contains a good mix of articles that satisfy all readers. My favorite articles are Sam's Space and Industry Update. Those are the two I would read first. I seldom read the music review section, since I buy music only after I've had a chance to listen to it.

1,2 and3

Everything else is gravy. It is called Stereophile anyway, right?

I really enjoy reading the equipment reviews the most. I get loads of information about a lot of products that are not carried locally; specifically, the information on tubed amps and preamps. For that matter, any information on solid-state or tubed amps or preamps is fine by me. More, more, more!

In addition to the current content, I would love to see something along the lines of Road&Track's "Technical Correspondence" column, where specific technical problems/questions are addressed. I'm sure that many readers would benefit from the solutions or suggestions made by your staff.

I also love the regular columns "Sam's Space" and "Astor Place." A little humor now and then keeps the magazine from going dry.

Equipment Reports: Compare and contrast like products each and every time. Nobody is interested in your $30k reference system when we are talking about $2000 spelakers or $800 CD players. Start focusing on the people benind the black boxes and less on where the volume knob is located. Start round-table discussions with some of the industry's talented engineers and designers. I'm sure we could all learn something from, let's say, Thiel, Vandersteen, and Dunlavy. Treat it like a vicarious dinner party at our house.

I like a combination of everything related to recreational music. I particularly pay attention to music reviews or other music related articles, and reviews of more affordable stereo components (under $2500). Of course, I like reading reviews about dream equipment as well. The articles should preferably be at least somewhat subjective, after all, it's no fun to simply see a spec sheet for a product or recording. I want to know how other enthusiasts and audiophiles rate the goods.

I love the magazine just as it is. That's why I read it. But if you are soliciting new ideas, how about borrowing an idea from your sister, home-theater publication? Display an audiophile system of the month. You can describe the equipment in the system, how the user set it up, what particular problems they faced, and what type of sound the user feels his system produces. It's always good to learn from someone.

I read the whole magazine, but I buy it for the equipment reports.

I like to read equipment reports. I also like to see technical articles that descreibe new designs and concepts. I am yet to see any article that deals with 96kHz/24 bit new audio format and comparions to existing CD format. Also, multi channel audio (Dolby Digital, DTS, etc) compared to existing two channel format. I have seen notes here and there saying how good new audio formats are, but am very skeptical that this is some kind of a marketing strategy. When Dolby digital was introduced, the industry accpted it over other formats, but lately I have seen comments from readers and reviewers that DTS is far superior to Dolby Digital! I am worried that this will be the case with 44.1kHz/16 bit CD format vs 96kHz/24bit format! After all CD has 90dB S/N ratio and 24bit format will provide 120dB or better, but CAN WE HEAR THIS DIFFERENCE? No one may admitt this, but industry knows that it have to make changes to the comsumers to buy software/hardware. In this case people have collected large quantities of CDs and the only way they can force consumers to buy more is by making the exisitng format obslete. You know how they sell new cars each year, right? This years model has these features that was not in the last years model. Do we really need these features to run the car? I will leave it to you to decide. Anyway, in addition to the equipment reports, I like to see technical articles with regards to example issues that I have noted above.

I really enjoy the diversity of information in Stereophile. Of course, the Recommended Components issues are still my favorites :-) but the industry news and technical features are very interesting. I very much appreciate when you introduce new technologies and take the time to explain their pros and cons.

Equipment, daddy-o, don't need some opera-listening square to push his likes on me.

Equipment reports are your reason for existence. Sometimes I like to see "overview" articles as well as in-depth equipment reports; e.g., an article about all the CD-recorders that are available, doing just a quick comparison.

I'd like to see more of expert equipment comparisons based on blind listening tests and more recommendations on component mixing and matching.

I would like to see more DIY articles. Preamps, power amps, CD mods, and turntable mods are the most interesting to me.

I enjoy many things in Stereophile (industry news, record reviews, commentary); however, it's the reviews that keep me coming back for more. Also, I think that your reviews have the right mix of tech-speak and listener-speak. If it's very technical, put it in a sidebar so the rest of us don't get bogged down in reading. I also love the visits with audiophiles that appear from time to time. More LP reviews (Quarter Notes?) would be nice too.

The music reviews and word of mouth are the prompts which drive me to purchase these days. I also enjoy the letters, interviews, set up tweaks, and sound and listening sections of the equipment reviews (where specific tracks I am familiar with are referenced).