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Thread: James Randi vs. Stereophile

  1. #1
    Webmaster Don McRitchie's Avatar
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    James Randi vs. Stereophile

    Scroll down in each of the respective links to find the entries regarding Stereophile.
    Regards

    Don McRitchie

  2. #2
    Alex Lancaster
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    Great!, I just hate the audio/stereofiend con artists, if that guy could gain a few pounds, he could make a great replacement for the late, lamented Benny Hill, instead of pushing crap.

  3. #3
    Member Art J.'s Avatar
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    Things went down hill when "The Man" died.
    Much better reading.

    http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/art...article_id=534

  4. #4
    Webmaster Don McRitchie's Avatar
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    I don't know about that. I always found Hirsch reviews as frustrating as any Stereophile review, but for completely different reasons. In general, his reviews said nothing. They just recounted the specs, corroberated them with their own tests and finished with a listening session that was always perkily upbeat. Even if it was unadulterated trash, he would make an ambiguous, positive sounding assessment, not unlike "of all of the speakers currently on the market, this is certainly one of them." One had to be a Kremlinologist to mine though the subtle phrasing and infer if there was actually a negative assessment buried somewhere in the text.
    Regards

    Don McRitchie

  5. #5
    Member Art J.'s Avatar
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    Yes, I do know what you mean, but when he was around, he helped
    keep the Marketers in check unlike today.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Do not put "Speaker Spikes" on an Altec

    http://www.galionguy.com/centralhotel/renovat'04/february'04/fenceonA2.jpg

  6. #6
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    I have subscribed to Stereophile for the past 12 months, but only to catch a review of a product I am familiar with. l will not be renewing the subscription.

    To be brutally honest the traditional HiFi "two channel " industry needs a publication mouth piece to survive. But not for the conartists that appear to have swooped on the soul of the Hi End for the purpose of creating an illusion that just doesn't exist.

    Robert and I witnessed this type of selling at the Stereophile show in NY in May and to be frank there were only a few rooms that stood up to what we are used to listening to at home.


    Ian

  7. #7
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Ah, Stereophile

    I once referred to Stereophile as, "that comic rag about audio" to a friend who was and is a devoted believer in Shatki Stones etc. He didn't seem to get how I found it amusing how Stereophile could say, " ... this $10,000 amplifier is a real bargain..." Yeah right. Hey it may be an amazing piece of design and engineering, but a bargain????

    There are so many voodoo audio devices. Look in Mapleshade, Audio Advisor, and the ads in Stereophile etc. They have lotions for your cables, little risers "to keep the cables away from touching the synthetic fibers of your carpets", a wide variety of cables, and one of my favorites, the $600 AC power cords... come on, unless you have rewired your house or are using some AC regeneration, what is the point of a fancy 6' length of power cord plugged into a fancy socket attached to Romex?

    Hey it keeps people employed, the reviewers, the salesmen, and the manufacturers and unlike bombs and bullets no one is really getting hurt.

    Widget

    BTW I won't be canceling my subscription to Stereophile as there is so little that gives me a good laugh these days.

  8. #8
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    You have to ask yourself what is advancing you pleasure and understanding of your audio interest the moment?

    ..........The mythical spin doctor in the magazine who keeps your discretionary income at call or you desire to understand and achieve scientific and empirical advancement based on facts and experience.

    Put it this way, I spent 4-8 years in the 90's subscribing to the former pondering choices and differences rather than progression. Out of frustration and lack of contentement I left the magazines and stale folly of the club on a journey that has expanded my understanding 10 fold in half the time and the sheer musical enjoyment that it has has derived of the same ratio.

    The formula is simple :

    Understanding of science and empirical application = success.

    It all comes down to how you go about applying your resources and a few proven facts in the end.:o

    The rest is tripe that keeps the masses believing and hoping they will get there one day if they spend enough money.

  9. #9
    RIP 2010 scott fitlin's Avatar
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    Stereophile!

    Ah, I used to subscribe to that magazine! Its good pictorial bathroom reading material, but so is Penthouse!

    In the early 90,s I used to run around to the " Hi Fi " shops to catch an audition of the latest Stereophile rantings, and most of the time ended up either puzzled, or just plain dissapointed! It was a reveiw of a Krell amp in Stereophile that prompted me to find a store with these amps so I could hear all that I was missing! And I did, I got to listen to the Krell FPB-600 or something like that through magneplanar speakers, and it just sucked! Mids and highs were edgy, and coarse sounding! They had this McIntosh 2300, a used one at that, and the salesman hooked up the maggies to the Mac at my insistence, and the Big Mac blew the Krell away! Much sweeter mids and highs, more open, and just in general, more pleasing to my ears! The salesman proceeds to explain to me that Im hearing distortion and impurities in the Mc,s amplification stages, which is the reason i dont like it as much as the Krell! I just looked at him kind of funny, and he asked me what was wrong? I told him the Mac sounds great on these speakers the Krell sounds like Krap! He then hooked the Krell up to some other speaker, using conventional woofers, and the Krell did make nice, tight bass, but mids and highs were still edgy! For what the Krell costs, I can do tight, fast bass, with Crown, for alot less money! High End has become TOTAL BS!

    As I said, Stereophile has nice pictures, of very cosmetically attractive gear, but the fancy looks dont always mean great sound, and its writers belong writing for Archie Comics! Maybe Ritchie Rich, too!

    Oh and I love that term " Ruthlessly Revealing ", that usually means bright and fatiguing!

    scottyj

  10. #10
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    I went to the Stereophille show in 2002 right before Mikes MAF. I had been subscribing for a couple of years and at that time I was just getting back into audio with the Lansing Site and DIY. I figured it would be fun and I could get some idea if I was on the right track with my DIY speakers. Was I in for a shock! Got to see and hear some well reviewed and very expensive systems. I was disappointed by many. I know that the rooms suck but I was expecting a big difference between what I have gotten used to at home and the set-ups at the show. In some cases I felt what I had at home was close or better and that really surprised me. When I went to the MAF I thought that on average the set-ups there sounded better and were more in line what I expected. Ian and I went when he visited and same thing. Heard some very expensive gear and was like "your kidding right"?? It funny when I see these set-ups where the cost of the interconnects, speaker cables and power cords cost more than all the gear I own. As a matter of fact a pair of cables cost more than it did to build a pair of 4344's. You have to wonder what they are thinking. I mean who can afford this stuff???

    Rob

  11. #11
    jims
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    Just look at all the high dollar stuff people are trying to get rid of on Audiogon. My 250TI's came from a gentleman who was buying a pair of Wilson Watt Puppies, I think. He later wrote me that he regretted selling the 250TI's!!

  12. #12
    RIP 2009
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    What's sad is when you're with someone listening to their way overpriced little European system and they're exclaiming how astonishing it sounds, and you're just standing there shaking your head - 'kinda' like the "emperor's new clothes"... They happen to be a good friend, so you don't want to say anything - ya' just haf'ta sit there biting your tounge... I hate that!

    John

  13. #13
    whej4312
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    If everybody has a moment for a good laugh, check this one out if you want to see the real Stereophile Loosers at work.
    http://www.high-endaudio.com/RR-FREMER.html

    Where's the review of K2 in Stereopile???
    Class A Recommended Components By Stereopile..

    1; Bose 901 series50 mk10 rev.2
    2; Infinity Unobtainium Stratosphere5 with Permaplas Neofilm cones
    3; Linn Sondek LP12. (It's always on the list) paid endorsement!!

    Where's the Real Stuff!!

  14. #14
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    The antithesis of BS

    Peter Walker interview - not JBL, but he is quite reasonable.

    http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTri...722/pwint1.txt
    John Nebel

  15. #15
    whej4312
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    What a great interview... Too bad ESL's don't do well in our neck of the wood's....

    Thanks John...

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