Stereophile Class A tables

Where's the conflict? If price is no indicator of performance, then two tt's with a 3X differential in cost might both be worthy of a class A rating, not that I would recommend for a second that anyone should go by the S'phile listings.

This discussion is getting redundant, but Manitunc, in this case the direct-drive that got a class A rating is (I think) cheaper than the belt-drive one from the same manufacturer (Brinkmann). I would agree with your statement as a generality, however.

I like the way Gammajo put it. And in fact S'phile is fairly forthcoming in this fact: they only rate that which they have reviewed. Even they would agree that there could be (and always is) great stuff out there that has no chance of a high rating, or any rating, in S'phile, because they have not and never will review it.

As a corrollary to this practice, they often delete a component from the listings if they have not reviewed it in several years. (The cynical would say that their failure to re-review has to do with the failure of the product's maker to buy advertising, but I am not saying that.) For example, I believe they have lately deleted the Triplanar tonearm, which was once an A rated piece.

Rsf, I was wondering why you made the statement "never trust Valin". Now you say he's been "dishonest". I personally think he has too much influence on the ratings, only because he is probably their best pure writer. Flowery adjectives pepper every review he writes, and the phrase "tone colors" drives me nuts. But, when and where was he ever "dishonest"?

"When are WE going to get together and enlighten one another rather than argue over which reviewer has their "stuff" together? when that day comes, we will have a reliable database of meaningful insights of which components are truly wonderful sounding and which manufacturers are doing their best work and providing the best service."

Do you really think that? Most of these threads are of the type you wish for, not aimed at slandering reviewers, yet in the end one is always left with a collection of subjective opinions. Interesting to be sure, but not always so enlightening. In the end, you've got to make up your own mind based on your own listening experiences. Which is fine with me. The rest is "fun, always".

Good point, Peter.
JV does have a huge, perhaps disproportionate, effect on the editorial stance of TAS vis a vis what's good and what's not good, however.

Nevertheless, I know nothing that would lead me to believe he is dishonest.