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Audio Reviewers & The Music They Use In Their Reviews

At 65, I Have been into high end audio since my very early 20’s. I have probably read many hundreds if not over a thousand reviews on audio equipment and I keep coming back to the same question. Why do these audio reviewers all use music I have. Not heard or do not care for? For example, I am reading a review on a new tube integrated, and the music mostly used was either Choral, Chamber, or Classical. I listen to none of that. My choice is 90% Rock and 10% Jazz. So, after reading a review, I have to read way between the lines to see if the piece of equipment might need a second look by me.

I realize that many of the reviewers are either my age or above and that they were perhaps brought up on Classical, so naturally they would use it in their review. My greatest concern is that the millennials and even the people younger than that will never embrace the high end because they have no reference to the type of music being played, just as I do. Why can’t a reviewer use something by mainstream Rock bands to evaluate equipment?  To anyone that will tell me it’s because Classical, Choral, and Chamber are more well recorded and that if one listens to Rock, they may as well get a cheap mill outlet stereo, I say no way!

What do others think or feel about this?
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Showing 1 response by cd318

cd318
2,636 posts
 
As far as I can remember reviewers have always tended to use non mainstream music. The same at shows. Perhaps it's a bit like fashion and the same argument about presentation can be used. 

Your point about cheap systems for Rock is a valid one. However you can't dispute the fact that most popular music has been treated like a mere commodity. The industry seems to care little for sound quality. Of course there are exceptions, and it's these we look for.

Compression of dynamics is all too common, often 2nd or 3rd generation tapes are often used for mastering and it does seem like they are catering for users with budget systems. Apparently, even the would be prestigious Beatles MFSL box set had it's EQ futtzed with at the behest of some high ranking exec. 

Perhaps I'm just skirting around the real issue. Perhaps most reviewers are just not hip. Perhaps the whole industry isn't hip. OK, maybe that's going too far. Apologies to all the folks at Zu.
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